Psychology
At a Haunted House, Friends Heighten the Terror
Social scientists, using haunted houses to understand our experiences of fear, have learned that friends make things very scary
Stories by Stephen Macknik
Public Health
Loss of Smell in COVID-19 Can Present with Brain Alterations
MRI scans of a coronavirus patient suggest how SARS-CoV-2 might invade the brain
Cognition
Chasing Rainbows
Black-and-white photos turn into Technicolor
Psychology
The Twisted Paths of Perception
These patterned pavements make pedestrians watch their step
Cognition
It’s All in the Mix
A new form of color blending produces surprising palettes
Cognition
Unveiling the Illusion
How Giovanni Strazza rejected reality to make marble lifelike
Culture
Perplexing Perspectives
Conflicting viewpoints coexist at the crossroads of math and art
Cognition
Wrong-Headed Arrows
This illusion takes the right of way with your perspective
Culture
The Ups and Downs of an Impossible Staircase
A 3-D reimagining of a classic illusion reveals new depths
Culture
Out of the Woods
Using natural timbers to make the impossible tangible
Cognition
Here Be Dragons
A gaming cartographer discovers an uncharted perceptual realm
Arts
No Shrinking Violet
How Impressionist painters made an unusual color all the rage
Culture
Looking Glass? Look Again
This illusion turns empty frames into mirrors
Cognition
The Phantom Queen
Her majesty’s invisibility cloak is a matter of perspective
Cognition
The Allure of Mirages
Our centuries-long fascination with optical phenomena
