Optical Illusions That Trick Our Brains And Reveal Things About Our Personalities
Optical illusions are very cool and strange things to look at.
Our brains want us to believe something that is not actually the case. We've put together a list of some optical illusions that just might have your head spinning.
Rabbit-Duck Illusion
This illusion has been playing tricks with people's minds for more than 100 years!
It was first published in 1892. Can you notice where both the rabbit and duck are in the image?
Woman Or Man?
The eye in this photo can be both the man's and the woman's.
Which one you notice first will tell you which one you think is in the foreground of the photo.
The Impossible Fork
This impossible fork is also known as the "devil's fork."
The top of the fork would lead you to believe that there will be four prongs at the other end, but when you get to the other end there are only three.
The Shepard Elephant
How many legs does this elephant have?
If you are having a hard time figuring it out, here's a hint: Place your hand over the feet! That should make it easier to see how many legs the elephant has.
Rubin's Vase
The Rubin's vase is a picture that can be one of two things.
You may see a white vase with a background, or, you may see two faces in the black that are looking at each other.
My Wife And Mother-In-Law
This photo first surfaced in 1888 and most people will see one of two things.
There is a younger woman or "the wife" wearing a bonnet. However, some people will also notice an older woman or the "mother-in-law."
The Escher Waterfall
The Escher Waterfall is a hard one for people to wrap their heads around.
The water from the bottom of the waterfall appears to fall down but then travel back up on the same level.
The Hermann Grid
Do you see the black circles at the intersections of the lines?
The trick is that they're not really there. That is just your mind making the connection for you.
The Ames Room
This is known as the "Ames Room."
The room is distorted which creates an illusion for our eyes. The two people in this photo are actually very close to the same height.
Ponzo's Illusion
Which of the two horizontal lines is longer?
While the one on top may seem to be longer, it isn't. Both of the lines are the same length and the diagonal lines play tricks on us.
Müller-Lyer Illusion
Which one of these lines is longer without the tails?
The answer is neither, both are the same length. The direction of the tails on each side leads us to think that figure two is longer when it isn't.
Zollner Illusion
Are the thick vertical lines parallel to each other?
The differing diagonal lines have our minds thinking that they are not when they actually are perfectly parallel to one another.
Kanizsa Triangle
How many triangles do you see in this photo? How many circles?
Your brain may want you to say two and three, but the correct answer is none. Our brains make the connection of the lines when there are none.
The Impossible Cube
Is this cube a two- or three-dimensional figure?
While it looks like it could be a three-dimensional figure, it's impossible. It would have to violate the rules of geometry for it to exist as a three-dimensional figure.
The Checker Shadow
Which tile is a darker shade of grey, A or B?
The answer is that they are both the exact same shade. The shadow of the green cylinder plays tricks with us.
Cafe Wall Illusion
Are the x-axis lines in this picture perfectly horizontal?
They are indeed perfectly straight. The staggered black boxes give the perception that they are going on the diagonal but that is not the case.
Pinna's Illusory Intertwining Effect
Do you see one spiraling line or multiple circles?
What you should see are four perfect circles that are spaced evenly apart. The differing colors of the boxes make it look like one continual line.
What Do You See First?
There are apparently three different things that people will notice at first glance of this picture.
They are trees, roots, or lips. What you see can offer a glimpse into your personality and social skills.
Trees
Extroverts will typically notice the trees at first glance of the photo.
You may be an outgoing, talkative, and assertive person who knows what they want and are easily excitable.
Lips
If you noticed a set of lips when looking at the picture then you are a soft and quiet person.
You are in the middle between an introvert and extrovert and are okay with that!
Just The Roots
If what you saw when you first looked at the picture was the roots then you are likely an introvert.
You are self-aware, comfortable on your own, and take time when it comes to making decisions.
Ebbinghaus Illusion
Which orange circle is the larger one of the two?
The answer is that both orange circles are the exact same size. The size of the blue surrounding circles plays tricks with our minds.
Shepards Tables Illusion
These two tables are the exact same size.
While we may like to believe that one is larger, that is not the case. The simple rotation fools us into thinking they're different.
Chubb Illusion
Is the circle in the middle of each square the same or different?
They are the same circle even though they look different. The surrounding colors try to trick us into seeing them differently.
The Poggendorff Illusion
In the left image, is it the blue line or the red line that aligns with the black line on the other side of the rectangle?
You may want to say that it's the blue one, but the correct answer, as seen in the image on the right, is the red line.
Wavy Floor
Do you notice a dip in the floor?
That is what it looks like in the picture, but this is actually a perfectly flat hallway floor. The tiles have been cut and laid in such a way that it looks like there is a wave.
Deceptive Shopping Cart
It looks like this shopping cart is pushed over on its side against the building.
When you walk up beside it you'll notice that it's actually a cart that has been completely flattened.
Illusory Motion
Does this picture look like it is moving to you?
If it does, that is just your brain playing tricks on you. It's the colors contrasting with each other causing that effect.
The Jastrow Illusion
Which piece of train track is the larger one of these two?
This is another one where the answer to the question is neither, as they are both the exact same length.
Fading Picture
If you stare at the same place in this picture what happens?
After a minute or two, the image will fade away and disappear. It's a pretty weird trick that our brain plays on us!
It's A Trick But Not A Harmless One
At first, it seems like either the two men smiling in this picture are giant or they're working on a model city.
However, the city's a normal size, which means they're up dangerously high and standing on equipment they're not supposed to stand on without protective gear. Yikes.
A Seemingly Impossible Cable
Although it's hardly unusual for conference tables to have cords coming out of them for electronics, there's usually a hole for those cords to be fed through. In this case, it seems built into the table.
However, this table isn't specially designed and the photo wasn't edited in any way. Someone just left a broken cord behind.
What Animal Is This?
At first, the question may seem silly. Due to its tail feathers and the sight of its beak, it seems reasonable to conclude that this is a large black bird like a raven.
However, that beak seems a little soft, doesn't it? Add that to the fact that the "tail feathers" are just shadows and the presence of the shrouded second eye and it becomes clear that this is a black cat twisting its head around.
A Very Jarring Decoration Out Of Context
When someone's mom put this ornament on the Christmas tree, they wondered why she had a decoration made in the likeness of a severed toe.
Although that's a reasonable question at first glance, the small eyes, eyebrows and facial features reveal that this is supposed to be a newborn Jesus.
Believe It Or Not, They're Supposed To Look Like This
Considering how much these drink containers contrast, it's understandable that this image's uploader would think some vandal came in and drank most of them at first.
However, it seems that the opposite thing happened and that person shook one of these bottles out of curiosity. The lack of emulsifiers means a lot of pulp settled to the bottom here.
Not To Worry, This Building Is Fine
It's really hard to see this and think this building isn't undergoing some incredible and ruinous structural damage. However, it's neither warped by flooding nor about to fall apart.
Instead, an artist painted such a trippy and hyper-realistic mural on the side of this building that it looks like it's bursting from the flat surface.
This Relationship Is Less Confusing Than It Seems
Considering the perceived difference in size between this man and his girlfriend, it's hard to think of an explanation that doesn't involve him going on a date in Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels.
However, it turns out there is a simple yet unexpected explanation for what's going on here. When he said he was standing above her, he meant it literally. There's a glass floor between them.
It Makes Sense, Then It Doesn't, Then It Does Again
It's easy to glance at this photo and scroll past, thinking it depicts only a transparent phone case and nothing else. However, it's usually the phone that comes with built-in cameras, not its case.
Indeed, this case is no exception, so what's going on here? Well, the uploader found a case with a wood-panelled design that happened to look a lot like this table.
Sorry, Amazon Doesn't Make Kindle Nanos
Although the print seems large on this Kindle, that's about the only thing about it that looks large in this picture. Even when you notice the clip on it, it's hard not to see it that way.
However, the fact is that this woman has her Kindle mounted on the mirror while she controls it from the small remote in her hand. No wonder the print's so large, she's reading it from far away.
They Look Inseparable But Not Quite so Literally
Due to the whiteness of both of their necks, it's very easy to look at this photo and assume that the two cats shown here are conjoined twins.
However, it's a pure coincidence, as one cat's leg happens to have similarly white fur, which makes its adorable embrace look way more permanent than it is.
Don't Be Too Impressed With His Balance
Although it's a little blurry, this photo of a street scene nonetheless shows a man perched on top of a ladder with unusual comfort and confidence.
At least, that's how it appears. It turns out there are other photos that reveal he was standing on solid ground all along and just happened to hang out in the exact spot to create this illusion.
Despite Their Alien Appearance, These Shoes Can't Fly
Although the invention of hovering shoes would be news big enough to ensure a stray picture from the internet isn't how the world would first hear of them, this photo doesn't leave much room for alternate explanations.
However, there is a shelf under these, even if it can't be seen. As the uploader revealed in another photo, it's a simple wood plank that the shoes are bulky enough to cover up completely.
The Eyes Can Still Be Fooled After The Brain Understands
Logically, we can look at this picture and understand that there's no way this little boy has a human upper body yet the lower body of a dog.
However, that knowledge doesn't stop this image from making it look exactly like that's what we're seeing. It's partially because his shirt looks like it could be a pattern paired with the dog's clothes but the illusion is broken by the fact that more of that shirt is seen above his aunt's shoulder
He Made A Mess Without Even Realizing It
Sometimes, the people in a photo are just as susceptible to an optical illusion as its viewers. And that's why one dad turned his dinner into a mess.
Whoever made that tablecloth did much too good a job capturing the realism of a plate with this unique design. Some ideas are unique because everyone else knows not to pursue them.
Unfortunately, This Won't Be Winning Any Contests
While it certainly seems like someone grew the world's biggest pineapple, looks can be pretty deceiving.
As anyone who's ever renovated a house can attest, that's a strangely fragile type of wood to use for flooring. That's because this pineapple is in a dollhouse.
That Seems Like A Pretty Heavy Load
Although wearable carriers for children are nothing new by any stretch of the imagination, it takes some feat of engineering to develop a backpack that lets people carry grown adults around.
Indeed, it would because that technology is not here yet. Instead, the man's body is simply being blocked by her backpack and the foliage.
Hopefully, The Truth Is Less Unsettling
Although anybody would have a right to be concerned if they came home to this, anyone squirming at the idea of encountering a moth equivalent of a murder hornet can relax a little.
Despite how much this may look like a giant insect, it's actually a pretty normal size for its species. That's because this is an owl.
Whether It's Sad Or Fortunate, This Isn't A New Species
It's incredibly hard not to look at this and picture something like a tribble from Star Trek, only with an ominous cyclops eye in the middle of its furry mass.
However, that's not an eye but rather a nose. This is a Pomeranian dog with its eyes closed.
Thankfully, This Isn't The Aftermath Of A Catastrophe
Naturally, seeing a contrail like this makes it hard not to think that a terrible plane crash had happened, which makes that glider in the background seem like the result of the pilot ejecting.
However, not only would that be far too noisy to not immediately notice, but it turns out that everything in this picture is from the hang glider. Most people don't see many in person, after all.
If This Photo Seemed Perfectly Timed, It Wasn't That Hard
When most commenters saw this tool appearing to float in the air, they assumed that the uploader had dropped it and took a picture before it hit the surface.
However, the reality is that they didn't have to go to that trouble. Instead, they either put it on a granite counter top with a layer of epoxy or a table with a layer of glass and just let it lay.
