10 Most Amazing Illusions
Source : 10 Most Amazing Illusions
from digg
Published on 7/18/2007
We think we perceive objective reality, but perception is always
altered by invisible biases. Illusions demonstrate this fact. So go
ahead, get your own perception from 10 of the coolest illusions ever
made.
Going into this elevator would certainly makes one nervous. A sign at
the entrance cautions the people that goes in about work in progress. A
more detailed look shows that the floor has been painted with an
illusion that there is no floor.
he Red Cross creatively used the power of optical illusion to shock
viewers in its earthquake-awareness campaign in San Francisco.
Here is a novel illusion that is as striking as it is simple. The two images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa are
identical, yet one has the impression that the tower on the right leans more, as if photographed from a
different angle. The reason for this is because the visual system treats the two images as if part of a single
scene. Normally, if two adjacent towers rise at the same angle, their image outlines converge as they recede
from view due to perspective, and this is taken into account by the visual system. So when confronted with
two towers whose corresponding outlines are parallel, the visual system assumes they must be diverging as
they rise from view, and this is what we see.
This
is a natural illusion. On this day, the Sun rised due east at the
Equinox, a geocentric astronomical event that occurs twice a year. What
we see here is a set of ice halos, recorded on a cold winter morning
near Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Produced by sunlight shining through
common atmospheric ice crystals with hexagonal cross-sections, such
halos can actually be seen more often than rainbows. The remarkable
sunrise picture captures a beautiful assortment of the types most
frequently seen, including a sun pillar (center) just above the rising
Sun surrounded by a 22 degree halo arc. Completing a triple sunrise
illusion, sundogs appear at the far left and far right edges of the 22
degree arc. An upper tangent arc is also just visible at the very top
of the view.
This
was featured in the Economist Magazine article titled "Top Ten Signs"
and was a finalist for an Epica Award in 2003.
All this time we thought the "Land Shark" skits on Saturday Night Live
were just comic fun. Little did we know at the time that this might
happen.
It starts out innocently, a caring relative gets an exotic pet for
their niece or nephew. The beast gets big enough to take off a
fingertip and flush it's gone. But being the cleverest species of them
all, they adapt and the next thing you know you have a land shark as
big as a bus.
Chicago
artist Cayetano Ferrer paints street signs with images of its immediate
background, thus giving them the illusion of transparency.
Cardiff
Bay barrage visitors would definitely love the art that Swiss artist
felice Varini and his team created. Seen at a certain angle, the large
optical illusion would render into a public art which would fascinate
unknowing visitors.
Partners
in both life and art, Tim Noble (1966) and Sue Webster (1967) explore
the toxic influences of consumer culture through new modes of
portraiture. Turning garbage into complex and visually arresting
sculptural installations, Noble and Webster exploit, manipulate and
transform base materials, often using self-portraiture to undermine the
"celebrated" authorship of the artist. This artwork is called "Dirty
White Trash", Six months' worth of the artists' rubbish.
A "Be careful" Ad illusion. It lets people know they should be more careful on how they use those stairs...
Yes, it's simple, but still cool, since it's so simple, you can do it yourself!
Source : 10 Most Amazing Illusions
from digg
Published on 7/18/2007
We think we perceive objective reality, but perception is always
altered by invisible biases. Illusions demonstrate this fact. So go
ahead, get your own perception from 10 of the coolest illusions ever
made.
Elevator Floor Illusion
Going into this elevator would certainly makes one nervous. A sign at
the entrance cautions the people that goes in about work in progress. A
more detailed look shows that the floor has been painted with an
illusion that there is no floor.
Earthquake Illusion
he Red Cross creatively used the power of optical illusion to shock
viewers in its earthquake-awareness campaign in San Francisco.
Leaning Tower Illusion
Here is a novel illusion that is as striking as it is simple. The two images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa are
identical, yet one has the impression that the tower on the right leans more, as if photographed from a
different angle. The reason for this is because the visual system treats the two images as if part of a single
scene. Normally, if two adjacent towers rise at the same angle, their image outlines converge as they recede
from view due to perspective, and this is taken into account by the visual system. So when confronted with
two towers whose corresponding outlines are parallel, the visual system assumes they must be diverging as
they rise from view, and this is what we see.
Triple Sunrise Illusion
This
is a natural illusion. On this day, the Sun rised due east at the
Equinox, a geocentric astronomical event that occurs twice a year. What
we see here is a set of ice halos, recorded on a cold winter morning
near Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Produced by sunlight shining through
common atmospheric ice crystals with hexagonal cross-sections, such
halos can actually be seen more often than rainbows. The remarkable
sunrise picture captures a beautiful assortment of the types most
frequently seen, including a sun pillar (center) just above the rising
Sun surrounded by a 22 degree halo arc. Completing a triple sunrise
illusion, sundogs appear at the far left and far right edges of the 22
degree arc. An upper tangent arc is also just visible at the very top
of the view.
Land Shark Optical Illusion
This
was featured in the Economist Magazine article titled "Top Ten Signs"
and was a finalist for an Epica Award in 2003.
All this time we thought the "Land Shark" skits on Saturday Night Live
were just comic fun. Little did we know at the time that this might
happen.
It starts out innocently, a caring relative gets an exotic pet for
their niece or nephew. The beast gets big enough to take off a
fingertip and flush it's gone. But being the cleverest species of them
all, they adapt and the next thing you know you have a land shark as
big as a bus.
Tansparent Street Signs Illusion
Chicago
artist Cayetano Ferrer paints street signs with images of its immediate
background, thus giving them the illusion of transparency.
Cardiff Bay Illusion
Cardiff
Bay barrage visitors would definitely love the art that Swiss artist
felice Varini and his team created. Seen at a certain angle, the large
optical illusion would render into a public art which would fascinate
unknowing visitors.
Shadow Illusion
Partners
in both life and art, Tim Noble (1966) and Sue Webster (1967) explore
the toxic influences of consumer culture through new modes of
portraiture. Turning garbage into complex and visually arresting
sculptural installations, Noble and Webster exploit, manipulate and
transform base materials, often using self-portraiture to undermine the
"celebrated" authorship of the artist. This artwork is called "Dirty
White Trash", Six months' worth of the artists' rubbish.
Death Ad Illusion
A "Be careful" Ad illusion. It lets people know they should be more careful on how they use those stairs...
Money Illusion
Yes, it's simple, but still cool, since it's so simple, you can do it yourself!
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