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Online mystery-ak

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Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« on: April 12, 2015, 04:09:02 pm »
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/photo-cat-stairs-confuses-internet/story?id=30225475

Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
Apr 10, 2015, 1:29 PM ET
By ABC NEWS via Good Morning America

 Just as soon as the Internet got over whether "The Dress" is white and gold or blue and black, another viral debate has been sparked by a photograph of a cat.

The photograph shows the cat halfway through climbing a staircase, prompting the question, is the cat going up or going down the stairs?

 The photo has received over 24,000 views on Imgur in six days and prompted nearly 7,000 comments when it was posted on 9gag.com.

“Down because generally the wood would be flat on the horizontal portion of the stairs and the stone is on the back/vertical portion of the stairs,” wrote one commenter, whose avatar is, conveniently, a cat.

“I would say this cat is going up as it looks a bit up and forward. When cats go down, they look where they're stepping, i.e. down,” wrote another.

People also naturally took to Twitter to debate, with seemingly no resolution in sight.

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Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2015, 04:35:18 pm »
Down.
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Offline 240B

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2015, 04:36:30 pm »
Up
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Offline andy58-in-nh

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2015, 05:01:27 pm »
M.C. Escher, please call your office.

Down, by the way.
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Offline ABX

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2015, 07:48:44 pm »
What are we not supposed to be watching while we debate the cat?
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Offline DCPatriot

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2015, 08:18:04 pm »
Quote from: AbaraXas on April 12, 2015, 07:48:44 pm
What are we not supposed to be watching while we debate the cat?

 :beer:
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Offline aligncare

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2015, 08:50:21 pm »
This one's easy.

Look closely. If the cat were walking up, the staircase treads would be facing the camera. Walking down, the staircase risers would be facing the camera.

How does that help us figure this out?

Well, notice the ridge at the leading edge of each step. Who would put a ridge like that on treads? Treads are supposed to be level--no protuberances or ridges to catch the toe of someone walking downstairs.

So, the the ridges are at the tops of each RISER and the cat is walking downstairs. Ta-Da!
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Offline 240B

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2015, 08:53:33 pm »
The cat is both alive and dead.
It is simultaneously going up and down in the same instant.
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You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
Rational fear and anger at vicious murderous Islamic terrorists is the same as irrational antisemitism, according to the Leftists.

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2015, 09:31:38 pm »
Quote from: 240B on April 12, 2015, 08:53:33 pm
The cat is both alive and dead.
It is simultaneously going up and down in the same instant.
Dangit! You beat me to the Schrödinger reference.
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Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2015, 09:38:46 pm »
One can discern the visible FACTS, such as risers (seen) and treads (unseen).

Quite surprising there is doubt. Clue: Treads do NOT have uneven surfaces, generally. Hence the uneven surface must NOT be the tread. It must therefore be the riser.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairs

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Offline 240B

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2015, 10:16:15 pm »
Quote from: jmyrlefuller on April 12, 2015, 09:31:38 pm
Dangit! You beat me to the Schrödinger reference.

Go ahead. Don't let me stop you. I would like to hear yours as I am not very satisfied with mine. I feel I could have done better.

Let me see yours and we can compare the two. I feel that there is a funny joke there somewhere. I don't think that I found it.
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You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
Rational fear and anger at vicious murderous Islamic terrorists is the same as irrational antisemitism, according to the Leftists.

Offline Luis Gonzalez

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2015, 11:46:40 pm »
Screw the cat.

Are the walls pink and grey or mauve and green?
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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2015, 12:02:36 am »
Quote from: aligncare on April 12, 2015, 08:50:21 pm
This one's easy.

Look closely. If the cat were walking up, the staircase treads would be facing the camera. Walking down, the staircase risers would be facing the camera.

How does that help us figure this out?

Well, notice the ridge at the leading edge of each step. Who would put a ridge like that on treads? Treads are supposed to be level--no protuberances or ridges to catch the toe of someone walking downstairs.

So, the the ridges are at the tops of each RISER and the cat is walking downstairs. Ta-Da!

Ya beat me to it!  That's exactly correct, IMHO.
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Offline Luis Gonzalez

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Re: Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2015, 12:10:34 am »
Quote from: Oceander on April 13, 2015, 12:02:36 am
Ya beat me to it!  That's exactly correct, IMHO.

As an aside, the cat's body position seems to point to it coming down the staircase.

Going up the staircase the body would not be as elongated as it is in the picture.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2015, 12:10:53 am by Luis Gonzalez »
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