Neuroscience
Masters of Disguise
Nature’s everyday trickery...
Stories by Susana Martinez-Conde
Behavior
The Exorcist Illusion will make your head spin!
A new twist on the hollow mask illusion
Behavior
The Best Illusions of the Year
Worldwide voters chose the Top 3 Illusions of 2017...
Behavior
Countdown to the Best Illusion of the Year Contest and Final Honorable Mention: "The Blue Topaz" Illusion
Worldwide voting will take place on the contest’s Web site, from 4 P.M. EDT on October 4 to 4 P.M. EDT on October 5. Help us choose the top three winners!
Behavior
Countdown to the Best Illusion of the Year Contest and Second Honorable Mention: "Rooftops" Illusion
Worldwide voting will take place on the contest’s website, from 4pm EDT on October 4th to 4pm EDT on October 5th. Help us choose the top three winners!
Behavior
Countdown to the Best Illusion of the Year Contest and First Honorable Mention: "Moving Fairy-Tales" Illusion
Worldwide voting will take place on the contest’s Web site, from 4 P.M. Eastern time on October 4 to 4 P.M. ET on October 5. Help us choose the top three winners!
Cognition
Dissecting the Magic behind the Looking Glass
You don’t understand mirrors as well as you think...
Making Impossible Objects with Mirrors
Most of us don’t really understand how mirrors work, which makes for some fun reflective deception
Behavior
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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Deploying Deception on the Battlefield
To avoid or at least control conflict, militaries often play tricks on their opponents’ perceptions
Cognition
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
Behavior
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
Behavior
What Choice Do We Have?
Is there such a thing as free choice?
Neuroscience
With Thanks in the Brain
What happens in your brain when you experience gratitude?
Behavior
When Hillary Met Donald
An election-themed illusion to take your mind off the polls
Behavior
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
Behavior
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
