Find Out If You Need Glasses In Under A Minute

Our fashion editor's sweet spectacle style often has me wondering should I get glasses, but alas, a vision test that's currently making the Internet rounds makes it clear that I am going to have to find some other statement accessory. On the bright side, after getting out of bed in the morning, I can easily navigate my apartment without putting in contacts — an advantage I seriously try not to take for granted after speaking to my vision-deficient friends.

The test comes to us courtesy of asapSCIENCE, a YouTube channel that produces weekly videos on all matter of scientific topics, from crazy extinctions to how the pain of getting kicked in the balls compares to the pain of giving birth (can I vote on this one?). The host presents one image to viewers and asks if they see Albert Einstein or Marilyn Monroe. If they see Albert Einstein, they don't need glasses. If they see Marilyn Monroe, it might be time to go to the optometrist.

The picture is what's called a hybrid image, wherein a "high spatial frequency of one image is combined with a high spacial frequency of another." How well your eyes can focus or detect contrast will determine whether, when looking at this image, you see Marilyn or Albert.

People who can focus and detect contrast easily will likely spot Albert first (though if you want to put yourself in your less-visually-blessed friends' shoes, squint or move the image further away, and Marilyn's face will stand out). Those whose eyes are less capable will pick up the grainy image of Marilyn rather than the fine details of Albert's wrinkles and whiskers.

To get the whole story on how this works, watch the video below. To make an appointment with an optometrist (sorry!), go here.