Image Gallery | Mind & Brain

Year's Best Optical Illusion

Enlarge FREDERICK A A KINGDOM, ALI YOONESSI AND ELENA GHEORGHIU, McGill Vision Research, Dept. Ophthalmology, McGill University MORE IMAGES
No, you have not had one grappa too many. These images of the Leaning Tower are actually identical, but the tower on the right looks more lopsided because the human visual system treats the two images as one scene. Our brains have learned that two tall objects in our view will usually rise at the same angle but converge toward the top—think of standing at the base of neighboring skyscrapers. Because these towers are parallel, they do not converge, so the visual system thinks they must be rising at different angles, as demonstrated by this year's winner of the Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest, sponsored by the Neural Correlate Society.
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  1. 1. ampersand 12:45 AM 10/20/08

    Turn your head (or the photos) 90 degrees. When one photo is above the other, instead of next to it, they look identical.

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  2. 2. Spin-oza 07:53 PM 10/25/08

    Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds.

    Cheers!

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  3. 3. Wil in reply to Spin-oza 11:31 AM 11/24/08

    A nice bit of philosophical hand waving demonstrating just as much "faith" as the World Religions in a mere human tool given to us by God for the exploration of the created universe...and ourselves as part of that universe. Why must our society feel the need to pit science versus faith? Science and Religioh can be seen to be convergent pathways to God... read some Teilhard de Chardin... These old hackneyed attacks on faith get old.

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  4. 4. Lesabre500 01:25 PM 1/18/09

    I sat back about a foot, put a finger in between them and focused on my finger. Voila, they both appear to be the same.

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  5. 5. Lesabre500 01:26 PM 1/18/09

    I sat back about a foot, held a finger in between the images and focused on that and Voila, they both look the same.

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  6. 6. frontier 09:04 AM 3/8/09

    That,s difficult to believe

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  7. 7. DannyGhlover 07:50 AM 8/23/09

    White people make me sleepy

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  8. 8. livinlizard 10:33 AM 8/23/09

    Why is the background shading different?shouldn't it be identical to the hilt,so as not to create a compromise in the variables,and therefore a slight of hand?no matter if the experiment is on the up,and up?

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  9. 9. maanaay 02:34 PM 8/23/09

    I think it's the otherway around. As our Physical Brains and our Spirtual Souls both see the pictures differently. I think the point to ponder is; the left Picture represents our Brain and the right Picture represents our soul or vice versa. I bet I can find a person who would see these pictures the same as long as his or her braina nd soul are aligned.

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  10. 10. mauriceh in reply to jcy 02:42 PM 8/23/09

    Why yes. His conclusion is so obvious that it amazes me that one could see it differently.
    If our brain is so easily fooled by things like this, how on earth could one give creedence to the ravings of some poor delusional loners, writing books about stories they were told in their childhood, and call this "gospels" ?

    Never underestimate the ability of a person to be fooled.

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  11. 11. jahigginbotham 12:12 AM 8/24/09

    Here's the same effect in floor tiles in a New York Times article on doctored photographs: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/08/23/weekinreview/20090823_FAKE_SS_2.html

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  12. 12. pbeaird in reply to Spin-oza 10:34 AM 8/27/09

    Spin-oza, I agree with all you say, except your attributing free will to supernatural souls or spirits. Just as our physcial construction, its ingredients in specific quantities in specific arrangements give us the enablement you acknowledge in part of what you say, that same complex organization gives us the capacity to monitor and guide our own mental actions. This is knows as volition and originates with our make up, not with a soul inhabiting our bodies. The view that this self-regulating function of human consciousness is natural, not supernatural, goes all the way back to Aristotle and is made more specific, in the description of how we make it work, in the writings of Ayn Rand. Aside from that, all that you said is correct.
    As for your critics, the exclusion of God from the scientifically explained phenomenon of nature, rests on the fact that, for all the efforts of great minds from Plato to today's Moslem apologists, no one has provided a proof that there is a supernatural of any kind, in any shape or form. The lack of proof moves rational people to unbelief and moves moral weaklings to "faith", as substitute for knowing.
    The irrefutable proof that Jesus was not God and likely didn't even exist as man is right in the genealogies provided by Matthew and Luke. The irrefutable proof that the Bible's view of man is entangled with a moral contradiction is provided in the answer to the question: Exactly when did Adam and Eve acquire the knowledge of Good and Evil?
    Calling people "idiotic jackass" only confirms that you do not deal in fact or proof and no one can rely on you to know what you believe in. Knowing equates with truth, not believing.

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  13. 13. ZZMike 01:08 PM 8/27/09

    livinlizard: The backgrounds look the same to me. The image was most likely made with one photo, printed side by side.

    The next question is, will you get the same illusion with an ordinary building? The Leaning Tower of Pisa is such an iconic image that we know it must be leaning - even if you print one photo with it stright up.

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  14. 14. ZZMike 01:10 PM 8/27/09

    livinlizard: the backgrounds look identical to me. The obvious way to make the dual photo would be to print the same photo side-by-side.

    Another question is, would you ge tthe same effect with a stright building? The Leaning Tower is such an iconic image that we know it must be leaning.

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  15. 15. ZZMike 01:32 PM 8/27/09

    mauriceh: I could give more credence to your comment if you could spell it correctly.

    (My apologies for the double comment earlier.)

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  16. 16. ZZMike in reply to jahigginbotham 01:35 PM 8/27/09

    jahigginbotham: Great find!!! I saw that the other day, but paid no attention to the tiles.

    I think that answers my question about straight buildings. I thinkI can do that here, with a photo program and a shot of a building. Or just an outline.

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  17. 17. Murphy 11:07 AM 8/31/09

    Or maybe the photo is cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each picture so that when your eye sees the right side of the left picture next to the left side of the right picture, it looks lopsided in comparison.

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  18. 18. Murphy 11:13 AM 8/31/09

    "Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds."


    Or maybe the photos are cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each. When you see the right side of the left photo next to the left side of the right photo, it looks lopsided in comparison. Just a thought...

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  19. 19. Murphy 11:14 AM 8/31/09

    "Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds."


    Or maybe the photos are cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each. When you see the right side of the left photo next to the left side of the right photo, it looks lopsided in comparison. Just a thought

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  20. 20. Murphy 11:15 AM 8/31/09

    "Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds."


    Or maybe the photos are cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each. When you see the right side of the left photo next to the left side of the right photo, it looks lopsided in comparison. Just a thought...

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  21. 21. Murphy 11:16 AM 8/31/09

    "Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds."


    Or maybe the photos are cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each. When you see the right side of the left photo next to the left side of the right photo, it looks lopsided in comparison. Just a thought...

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  22. 22. Murphy 11:17 AM 8/31/09

    "Yes indeed... just another Neural Correlate of Consciousness. How any one can still believe in a "soul" or a mind apart from the physical brain, given the great strides in neuroscience & genetics, is beyond me. These illusions are interesting "teasers", but the real essence of our beings is revealed by the fact that instead of free-willing agents, a part from Nature, we are a part of Nature as evolved sentient agents, fully embeded within the inexorably unfolding Cosmos.

    Our choices reflect our agency, which in-turn, reflects our determined selves: the interplay between our genetic program and the biophysical environment that gave rise to it.

    This neat illusion illustrating one of our many visual cortical pathways is but a drop in the bucket of evidence pointing to what the late Sir Francis Crick called the Astonishing Hypothesis: that our minds are fully instantiated by our physical brains... that wonderfully evolved Neural Network that yields conscious thought and expression!

    No mysterious soul-based, contra-causal, free-willing ephemeral, supernatural agency need not apply. No more hiding places for demons, devils... supernatural "evil".... ghosts or spirits... angels... demi-gods or god.

    The world about us has been naturalized by science and reason... and so too has our brains... our minds."


    Or maybe the photos are cropped so that there is more blue sky on the left side of each. When you see the right side of the left photo next to the left side of the right photo, it looks lopsided in comparison. Just a thought...

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  23. 23. Murphy 01:09 AM 9/1/09

    Sorry about that. I was having computer problems and did not think it was posting.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  24. 24. Clint326 07:16 AM 9/2/09

    Why would the human mind develop the idea "that two tall objects in our view will usually rise at the same angle but converge toward the topthink of standing at the base of neighboring skyscrapers."? Skyscrapers have only been around 100 years or so. What in our past would have caused us to develop this mental rule-of-thumb? Something sounds wrong about it.

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  25. 25. patzoriley 11:46 PM 9/23/09

    Have you any concept of how many iterations of unsucessful adaptations would be required to form the miriad forms of life & all there bodily mini adaptations within each life form. Almost countless adaptations. Look around you. Where are all the failed adaptions? Survival of the fittest?

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  26. 26. Kommisar 09:52 AM 11/29/09

    Can you get your brain and soul aligned at Wal-Mart? Just asking.

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  27. 27. GODScience in reply to Spin-oza 10:58 AM 2/6/10

    Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, and some more Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.

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  28. 28. GODScience in reply to Spin-oza 10:58 AM 2/6/10

    Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, and some more Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
  29. 29. GODScience in reply to Spin-oza 11:01 AM 2/6/10

    DIRECT RESPONSE TO SPIN-OZA---Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, and some more Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
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