Picture the scenario, you're trapped in the jungle and there's only 12 seconds to go before a tiger leaps out at you to tear you limb from limb.
In this hypothetical scene if you can spot the tiger before then you'll somehow survive, whether that's because you can effectively dodge it or more likely because looking a tiger in the eyes makes it think it can't ambush you any longer.
This isn't a theory you want to test to destruction, but should you ever end up on the wrong end of a tiger's teeth and claws then it might be time for some significant eye contact.
Advert
So this is the challenge, take a look at the picture below and see if you can spot where the tiger is hiding within just 12 seconds.
If you can do this it apparently means you've got a high IQ and good eyesight - which sounds nice.
Of course, you might just have been lucky in spotting the tiger, and you shouldn't put too much stock in an IQ test where you play 'spot the tiger' for the sum total of 12 seconds.
Advert
Still, it's a fun little brainteaser which you might solve at first glance or may require you to painstakingly search each pixel as the clock ticks down.
What this test is really for is being able to spot details that are out of the ordinary and quickly piece together why that might be.
There are plenty of optical illusions which do something like this, posing you a visual challenge and essentially asking you to solve it very quickly.
There's one which is as simple as asking you which building is closer to the camera, and while that sounds easy at first, it can be tougher than it seems.
Advert
As for the solution to our tiger conundrum, with a little bit of thanks to Microsoft Paint, I've been able to point it out to you.
Crouching in the greenery just below the central tree is the tiger, and I'll be honest with you dear reader, I only spotted it because I initially thought it was up in the branch of the tree it's crouched below.
Instead, I realised in the nick of time that those were actually just leaves and the truly dangerous stripes lay a little lower to the ground.
Advert
If you still can't see it then let's go in for a closer look...
That should be easier for you to see now, though of course, human eyes can't exactly zoom in all that much so the real life equivalent of this would be taking several steps towards the tiger.
If you want a different puzzle that's slightly less taxing on the timescale, have a look at this one an artist came up with for GCHQ.
Advert
If you can solve the clues and put them together into a message, then you may have a spy's knack for problem solving.
Topics: Reddit, Optical Illusion, Weird
Joe Harker