Optical Illusions
The word illusion is derived from the Latin illudere, which means “to mock.” These illusions deceive our minds into seeing something other than what is actually there.
Components:
- Set of cards with optical illusions
Working Principle:
For thousands of years, people have been fascinated by optical illusions. Romans created 3D mosaics for their dwellings, Greeks used perspective to create gorgeous pantheons, and if you look closely, at least one Paleolithic carving appears to be two separate creatures. Color, contrast, shape, size, light, pattern, and perspective are all used in optical illusions to make your brain go crazy.
Between your eyes and your brain, a lot can be lost in translation. It’s true that the two systems, for the most part, work well together. Your eyes take in a mishmash of pictures, darting from side to side almost imperceptibly, and your brain puts them in context, fitting the puzzle together into something that makes sense. Sometimes your eyes communicate perplexing sights, and your brain, in attempting to decipher them, completely misinterprets the signals.
Patterns are a common stumbling block for people. Another mind-bender is colour context: the same colour can appear radically different when viewed against varied backgrounds. Do you recall the internet-famous dress? It’s either black and blue or white and gold, according to some.
Instructions:
- You may see examples of these distinct sorts of optical illusions with the deck of cards: illusory motion (images that appear to move), double pictures (graphics that contain two photos in one), and impossible things (images that make sense on paper but could never exist in real life!) Can you tell for each image what type of optical illusion it is?
Links:
https://www.wired.com/2015/10/optical-illusions-like-make-brain-go-haywire/
https://www.littlepassports.com/blog/science/optical-illusions-art-gallery/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLVk2fqylA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t2ePlwTeBQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCJuwZpimk
https://www.creativebloq.com/features/optical-illusions
https://uk.pcmag.com/software/34428/21-optical-illusions-that-prove-your-brain-sucks