Optical illusions play tricks on your brain and can make you see things that aren't really there, from static images swirling around the page to images that stay with you even after you look away.

An innovative anamorphic illusion has taken the top prize in the annual Best Illusion of the Year contest. Twisting minds for 17 years the contest highlights the ways our brain can be tricked using ...

Optical illusions are older than you think. The first optical illusions date back to 20,000 BC and took the form of cave sculptings. Nowadays they are found all over the place – on screens, in books ...

When we dug something in the ‘90s, we went next level with it. We didn’t just like a thing; we liked the everloving heck out of things with a single-minded obsession (until the next trendy thing came ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American The Airavatesvara Temple in India contains an ...

Perception researchers have discovered many illusions where context affects perceived size and distance. A great example of this is the Ponzo illusion (reviewed in an earlier blog post). The Ponzo ...

Literal Illusions: These occur when the brain combines elements of an image to create something that doesn’t exist. For example, an image might look like two faces or a vase depending on how you ...

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Polystable illusions have been of interest to psychologists for a long time. Polystable illusions are typically still or moving images that observers may experience as having more than one ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In Head Trip, PopSci explores the relationship between our brains ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Illusions like these mess with the brain's visual processing system, making viewers see things ...

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