optical illusion

A color contrast optical illusion makes it look like the balls are different colors. In reality they are all the same color and shading. Credit: David Novick, used with permission
Another brain-frying optical illusion: What color are these spheres?
Phil Plait

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An optical illusion that will zigzag your brain
Phil Plait
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An optical illusion created by Kohske Takahashi: All the lines are smoothly curving sine waves, but their shading and contrast with the background makes them appear to be sharp zigzags. Credit: Kohske Takahashi
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Tag: optical illusion
Tag: Science
Tag: Bad Astronomy
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Aliasing illusion makes 3D sculptures wiggle and gyrate
Phil Plait
May 3, 2018
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A 3D printed sculpture appears to wiggle and move when spun and lit by a strobe light on video. Credit: John Edmark, from the video
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Tag: optical illusion
Tag: Science
Tag: Bad Astronomy
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Pulsating star illusion will have you questioning reality
Phil Plait
Apr 11, 2018
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sarcone_muller-lyer_illusion_hero.jpg
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Tag: Science
Tag: Bad Astronomy
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Siberian Illusion
Phil Plait
Mar 13, 2018
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A view of a region of northern Siberia from the Sentinel-2A satellite… but all is not as it seems. Credit: ESA
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Tag: Science
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Optical illusion: Shade-changing shape-shifting gray turtles
Phil Plait
Jan 2, 2018
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Alternating curved arrangement of lighter and darker “turtles”… or are they? Credit: Akiyoshi Kitaoki
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Tag: Science
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Can you make your brain *not* see this circle illusion?
Phil Plait
Aug 3, 2017
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This is not a spiral, no matter how much your brain yells at you that it is.
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Tag: Science
Tag: Bad Astronomy
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Rolling with the shutter
Phil Plait
Jul 6, 2017
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Tag: Science
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Science out an airplane window: The case of the floating, stationary, disconnected, warped propeller blades
Phil Plait
Jun 14, 2017
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airplane propeller distorted by aliasing and rolling shutter
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Tag: Bad Astronomy
Tag: optical illusion
These strawberries aren't red. Seriously. They aren't.
Phil Plait
Mar 2, 2017
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are these strawberries REALLY red?
Tag: Bad Astronomy
Tag: optical illusion