It may interest you to know that this type of thing is called "cognitive failure". In order to become a licensed aircraft engineer it is a requirement to study a fairly sizable module on human factors. This is intended to make one mindful of one's own failings, in an attempt to prevent this sort of occurence.

Geoff, probably something wrong with my old eyes, but aren't there two spray containers? One in front of the headstock, another (spraycan) behind the tailstock, how did you miss both?

Thor

I find it simpler just to blame the resident Elves playing games.

Must say that I like your bed way protection bellows Geoff.

Edited By V8Eng on 14/12/2014 17:47:52

Spot on that man. I was working on an aircraft once, removing a mainplane flap. The individual I was working with had set down a spanner for a moment, next to one of the flap attachment brackets. He then could not see it, and started to panic. I walked over and put my hand straight on it, picking it up. My friend could not believe it. He'd been looking directly at it for minutes, and yet his brain did not "see" it.

Several years ago I called my wife into the garage and waving a screwdriver in her face said have you seen this screwdriver because I cant find it any where, I'd been using it but rather than put it down held it with two of my fingers laid along my arm whilst using my thumb, index and middle finger to assemble something, my wife couldnt make her mind up whether to fetch the white coat brigade or make me a cuppa.

martin P

Clive, exactly! If you look, you will see them. Bob, you may be right, the trouble is that the people who are supposed to count the rats cannot see them. I explained all this to my wife several years ago when she told me she had never seen a rat, she has no trouble seeing them now. She went to the town centre shopping precinct recently and saw a large rat walking about in the supermarket, there were a lot of people in there but none of them seemed to notice it. I was not intending to make an issue of rats, I just used them as an example of one of the things we do not see. It's just the way our brains work. If the rats were spiders or snakes, we would have no difficulty in seeing them at all. Bandersnatch, go outside and look left or right or straight ahead, it may even be behind you but it's there!

Has anyone else noticed something odd about cats? Their mouths being bigger than their heads and their clawmarks being three times the size of their feet for example?

Dave

Sure, I've seen rats. I dont deny they're around in sizeable numbers. It was your method of interpreting some statistics that I was commenting on – the common (and erroneous) practice of using mass statistics in individual cases.

"there is at least one rat within a few feet of you at any given moment"

gives the same statistical weight to my living room as it does to any rat-infested sewer; the same statistical weight to a square mile at the south pole as to the most flea-bitten third world country. It takes the total number of rats and divides it by the total land area of the earth and the result is then quoted in various forms on the internet (where they manage to get a different result on each "authoritative" site).

If you want to spend a little more time on this, find a deserted parking lot somewhere; draw a circle of "a few feet" radius; stand in the centre of the circle; count the rats in the circle.

Edited By Bandersnatch on 15/12/2014 01:05:06

When I put things down I usually remember where I left them that is until someone moves it or puts it away then it gets a bit tricky to find as the last place to look is the obvious one of where it lives.

Rat's, was greeted by a young rat (5 to 6" with out the tail ) this morning as a present from one of our three cats fortunately dead on the floor, where there is one there is more so more presents to come. Fully grown ones may be too big for the cats are more of a job for the dog but I doubt our young Spaniel will know what to do with one more a job for a Jack Russell.

Bob

Edited By Bob Brown 1 on 15/12/2014 08:28:09

What was the original enquiry? I don't seem to be able to see the first post.

For those who lost the thread and think it's gone OT (and this is a perfect example of what was being discussed), some of us were trying to shed light on why we do not see things. Geoff, spiders and snakes get our full attention because we immediately identify them as a threat. I have to admit, knowing all this does not stop me losing things. Dave