Dissecting the Magic behind the Looking Glass
| You don’t understand mirrors as well as you think |
Stories by Susana Martinez-Conde
Making Impossible Objects with Mirrors
Most of us don’t really understand how mirrors work, which makes for some fun reflective deception
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
Deploying Deception on the Battlefield
To avoid or at least control conflict, militaries often play tricks on their opponents’ perceptions
The Invisibility Cloak Illusion
Do you feel invisible sometimes? Chances are, you’re incorrect. A recent study shows that people watch you more than you think
To New Illusory Beginnings
The New Year is a new start. Embrace the feeling
When Free Choice Is an Illusion
Magicians and cognitive scientists know how to manipulate what we pick—or thought we picked
What Choice Do We Have?
Is there such a thing as free choice?
With Thanks in the Brain
What happens in your brain when you experience gratitude?
When Hillary Met Donald
An election-themed illusion to take your mind off the polls
Air Rage as a Study in Contrasts
Air rage is more frequent in plane cabins that emphasize seating inequality
The Case of the Oversized Planet
Illusions noticed by Galileo can help explain how we see light and dark
Scientists Should Speak Out More
Engaging the public has long been taboo in scientific circles, but social media outlets are starting to force a change
Urban Illusions: Deceptions on Roads and around Corners
Street artists use the city as their canvas
How Artists Create Images That Fool the Eye
Trompe l'oeil illusions challenge your perception
Sculpting the Impossible: Artists Make Solid Renditions of Visual Illusions
Artists find mind-bending ways to bring impossible figures into three-dimensional reality
View Amazing Images That Seem to Move
Art and neuroscience combine to create fascinating examples of illusory motion
The Illusions of Love
How do we fool thee? Let us count the ways that illusions play with our hearts and minds
Is That Picture Looking at Me?
Eye gaze is critically important to social primates such as humans. Maybe that is why illusions involving eyes are so compelling
The Brain's Face Recognition System Is Easy to Fool
The human brain is good at identifying faces, but illusions can fool our “face sense”
