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Senses Experiment: Catch the Penny!
How two eyes help you better judge where objects are.
- Five pennies
- Small paper cup or rinsed-out yogurt cup
- A table where you and a partner can sit
- Put a cup in front of your partner. It should be about 2 feet away from him or her.
- Ask your partner to close one eye.
- Hold one of the pennies in the air about 18 inches above the table. Move it around slowly.
- Tell your partner that you'll drop the penny whenever he or she says, "Drop it!" The idea is for your partner — with one eye closed — to judge when the penny is over the cup so the penny will drop into the cup.
- Give your partner five tries with one eye closed, then five tries with both eyes open. Which way worked best?
Reviewed by: Peace C. Madueme, MD
