The Illusionists on the Playground
What folk illusions reveal about children’s perception and cognition
Stories by Susana Martinez-Conde
You’ve Got a Blind Spot at Nighttime
Recent research explains why you’ve never noticed before
Remembering the Great Tomsoni
Johnny Thompson’s magical insights informed neuroscience
The Art of Playing Dead
The trick fools only predators that know dead prey is yucky
Hey, You Looking at Me?
How to trick audiences into thinking you’re staring them in the eye
The Turn of the Screw, with a New Twist
A retelling of Henry James’s ambiguous masterpiece winks at illusion science
You Can't Say "Happy Thanksgiving" in Dothraki
The man who invented the language explains why
How to Trick Yourself into Improving Your Performance
People do better if they think they’re multitasking—even if they’re not.
You Won't Believe Your Eyes
What the best illusions of 2018 reveal about the human mind
Vote for the Best Illusion of the Year!
Worldwide voting starts on Tuesday at 10am EST
Play It Again, Sam
Why repeated sounds are music to our ears
People Like You More Than You Know
All it takes is a little conversation
What Lucid Dreams Look Like
Eye tracking reveals the answer
Illusions as Painkillers: the Analgesic Value of Resizing Illusions in Knee Osteoarthritis
A new study reports that illusory stretching and shrinking reduces knee pain
Makeup Makes Older Faces Look Younger, and Younger Faces Look Older
Middle-aged faces look younger with makeup on, 20-year old faces look older with makeup and 30-year old faces look their real age with or without makeup
How Prey Animals' Prior Experiences Make Them Gullible to Masquerading Predators
Ghost mantises use their prey’s cognitive processes against them
Smaller Plates Don't Make Meals Look Bigger When You're Hungry
The Delboeuf illusion won’t help you trick yourself into eating smaller portions when you feel hungry
Call for Illusion Submissions: The World's Annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest
Contestants are invited to submit one-minute videos featuring novel illusions of all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, etcetera) and/or cognitive nature. The top three winners will receive: $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place
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Inspired to Believe: The Connection between Inspirational Experiences and Belief in God
The more people feel inspired in their daily lives, the more strongly they believe in God, new research shows
Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the Young Artist Who Grew Up to Invent Neuroscience
Many creative scientists have artistic inclinations. The drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the father of neuroscience, are a beautiful example
