Illusions Gallery
Optical illusions help us understand how the brain works.
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Rotating snakes by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. The circular snakes appear to rotate spontaneously.
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Brightness Illusions: Brown squares with balls and other objects by Beau Lotto. These two large surfaces in the foreground appear very different in colour: beige on the right and dark brown on the left. Despite this appearance, these surfaces are in fact physically identical. Move onto the next slide to reveal their true similarity.
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Brightness Illusions: Brown squares with balls and other objects by Beau Lotto.
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Birds by Herman Verwaal. The birds appear to move anti-clockwise.
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Vertigo by Miwa Miwa. Can you feel yourself falling?
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Square illusion by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. The inset square appears to move.
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Tables by Beau Lotto. These two tables appear to have very different dimensions. In fact, the length of the green table is identical to the width of the red table; and the length of the red table is the same as the width of the green table. Move onto the next image to reveal their true similarity.
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Tables by Beau Lotto.
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Rollers by Akiyoshi Kitaoka. The rollers appear to rotate without effort. But when you blink, they appear to rotate in the opposite direction.
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Giant wheel by Herman Verwaal. The wheel seems to rotate clockwise.
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Enigma by Isia Leviant.
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Clock by Herman Verwaal.
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Fireworks by Miwa Miwa.
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Dancing by Herman Verwaal. The robots appear to dance.
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Hoist by Herman Verwaal. All the gears and wheels appear to spin in varying directions.
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Cycling by Miwa Miwa.
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Grey image on blue background by Beau Lotto. The upper and lower cubes in the foreground appear very different in brightness: white below and dark grey above. Despite this appearance, the surfaces are in fact physically identical. Move on to the next slide to reveal their true similarity.
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Grey image on blue background by Beau Lotto.
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Moving square by Akiyoshi Kitaoka.
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Rolling watermelons by Miwa Miwa.
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A human head containing jostling human figues. Crayon drawing. Wellcome Library, London.