Very Cool Optical Illusion

I have posted optical illusions here before because I just love them.  This checkerboard was a new one for me, and it’s extraordinary.  The squares labeled A and B are the same color.  Even when I look at the proof, I still can’t quite believe my eyes.

And we’re not meant to believe, per se:  “As with many so-called illusions, this effect really demonstrates the success rather than the failure of the visual system. The visual system is not very good at being a physical light meter, but that is not its purpose. The important task is to break the image information down into meaningful components, and thereby perceive the nature of the objects in view.”

This one was found while reading 7 Weird But True Facts About the Human Brain on the MSN Health & Fitness page.

Optical Illusions

Mashable has kindly sifted through a bunch of YouTube videos for us, and has returned a list of the 5 optical illusions that provided the biggest “Whoa” moment.  A fun way to spend a few minutes.

Have you seen the spinning ballerina optical illusion?  Seems she’s everywhere lately.  I honestly didn’t believe that she spun in both directions until one day … there she was going the other way.  Turns out that once you learn the secret, you can pretty much make her change direction at will.  And no, it’s not an indication of your right or left brain-ed-ness.  Just an extraordinary illusion.