Can You Find the ‘T’ in This Puzzle? Most Can’t Under 10 Seconds

(Johns Hopkins University)

If you can spot the T hidden in a collection of Ls within 10 seconds, you’re something special, according to researchers.

Johns Hopkins University published the puzzle, stipulating that “it won’t be red,” which is key.

The university found that the “won’t be red” message actually slowed people down in finding the T amidst the Ls.

“Individuals who explicitly ignore distracting information improve their visual search performance, a critical skill for professional searchers, like radiologists and airport baggage screeners,” said lead author Corbin A Cunningham in a press statement.

“This work has the potential to help occupations that rely on visual search by informing future training programs.”

If you haven’t solved the puzzle, here’s the T:

The ability to ignore is a key part of paying attention, the researchers found.

“Attention is usually thought of as something that enhances the processing of important objects in the world,” co-author Howard Egeth, a professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins, said in the release.

“This study, along with some recent work in which we measured brain activity while subjects responded selectively to stimuli presented in the midst of competing stimuli, highlights the importance of active suppression of those competing stimuli.  It’s what I think of as the dark side of attention.”

A viral puzzle is asking readers to find the letter “C” in a series of “Os” for an  “eye test.”

Some websites claim that 99 percent of people can’t find the “C” in less than seven seconds.

If you can’t find it, the answer is below:

It’s not clear where the puzzle originated.

Another One

The puzzle looks simple, with nine numbers–each a different color.

The creator said: “It’s harder than it looks.”

The answer has nothing to do with the colors or the numbers, but the text. Find the word “the” to get the answer.

Even though it’s a tad bit unfair, that’s the nature of puzzles.

Another Simple Problem Goes Viral

This “simple” math problem stumped many over the years, starting in Japan.

The problem went viral in Japan after a recent study found only 60 percent of people between the ages of 21 and 29 could get the correct answer–down from 90 percent in the 1980s.

Are Americans Bad at Math?

It’s been noted that Americans aren’t great at math compared to other developed countries.

“Americans continually score either in the mid- or bottom-tier when it comes to math and science compared to their international peers,” says BigThink. “Students have a fundamental misunderstanding of what math is and what it can do. By viewing it as a language, students and teachers can begin to conceptualize it in easier and more practical ways.”

It says that Americans worry too much about “rote memorization,” and students have a difficult time learning the concepts in sequential order.

“Unlike the more difficult and comprehensive math tests given to test students’ comprehension, this test was for basic numeracy skills. The United States fell behind in 22nd place,” it says.