Chances are you can read this:

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, tehy olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istelf, but the wrod as a wlohe.

When I first read this, I hunted for the actual research and couldn’t find it.

Since that time it has developed into an internet meme. I present it here because I think the actual content of the example is somewhat false, but it works great as a visual perception exercise. It is an example of symbolic arranging “outside the box,” without normal considerations for order, while still maintaining the informations intent.

In case you are interested in the scientific reasons why the assertions above may not be entirely correct, Matt Davis at Cambridge explains why here.

He gives 3 examples which become progressively harder, that dispel the examples assertion:

1) A vheclie epxledod at a plocie cehckipont near the UN haduqertares in Bagahdd on Mnoday kilinlg the bmober and an Irqai polcie offceir
2) Big ccunoil tax ineesacrs tihs yaer hvae seezueqd the inmcoes of mnay pneosenirs
3) A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageene ceacnr pintaet who deid aetfr a hatospil durg blendur

“WTF?”
It turns out that components of visual perception tend to also be functional methodologies in propaganda. I say that being aware of the colloquial tendency of some people to categorize all information they encounter as propaganda.

Since I personally believe there are empirical “truths” and measurable outcomes, I am referring to propaganda as a means of intentionally re-contextualizing perceptions. Inferring that information or perceptions (and often beliefs about potential perceptions) must exist before something is propaganda. It has at it’s foundation deliberate intent, and often is the outcome of taking possession of information. While most would agree that propaganda has to be deliberate, I may have detractors on the latter component.

I have no intention of getting into an argument about objective or subjective perceptions. I intend to point out what some of the mechanisms of visual perception are and how they work.

Part 2: Meaning and mind, ways of thinking about perception…