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Reading Room
A quiet place to learn a few things about illusions. Illustrated articles, illusions to perform, coloring sheets, projects to download, and a place to list your school web site.
What is an Illusion? by Prof. J.R. Block.
What is an Illusion Too by R. Ausbourne
The Flash-Lag Experiment, Flash
Tubular Balls, Flash Pendulum Wave Demonstration.
Personal Illusions Illusions you can easily perform.
PDF Info Sheets Downloadable project sheets.
Classrooms on the Web Submit your school web site for a free link.
Art & Illusions
Artists, and the art of illusions. Fully illustrated with examples.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
D. L. “Rusty” Rust
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Jerry Andrus
Maurits Cornelis Escher
Oscar Reutersvärd
Sandro del Prete
John Langdon
Games & Puzzles
A unique collection of interesting and brainy puzzles and games.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Slider Puzzles Interactive Media, Java
I Know Where You Are Interactive Media, Java
Matchstick Game Interactive Media, Java
Missing Area Paradox Interactive Media, Java
Missing Card Illusion Interactive Media, Flash
Mind Boggled Interactive Media, Java
Mind Reader Interactive Media, Java
Mind Tap Interactive Media, Flash
Mouse Chaser Interactive Media, Java
What is in a Name? Interactive Media, Java
What’s Wrong? Interactive Media, Flash
Optical Illusions
The width and breath of the SLS Illusion Catalogue. Categories listed here, and elsewhere, are convenient, and not meant to sort illusions into hard and fast groups. In other words, some illusions can be of one sort, and also another.
Illusion Tours and Main Portal Access to all optical illusions, also the SLS Boarding platform for illusion tours.
Tour 1 Go right to Tour 1.
Tour 2 Go right to Tour 2.
Tour 3 Go right to Tour 3.
After Effects
After effect illusions happen in the mind’s eye after you stop looking. They always occur in the opposite, or complimentary color of the original illusion.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Spiral Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Color Reversing Flag Archival Image
Flashing Fractal Archival Image
Floating White Dot Archival Image
President Obama Interactive Media, Flash
Phantom Dots Archival Image
Purple Phaze Interactive Media
Light the Bulb Archival Image
The Queen Archival Image
Who Could This Be? Archival Image
Ambiguous Images
Ambiguous means an object or scene is either one thing or another, or another. Everything we see remains ambiguous until it is perceived. Exhibits in this section which are mainly engineered to be ambiguous.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
All is Vanity
Special features devoted to this famous 1892 ambiguous print.
All is Vanity The print.
Charles Gilbert The artist.
Vanity-like Figures The offspring.
Ambiguous Cubes
A short series of exhibits about 3D orthographic cubes.
Cube or Room? Archival Image
Missing Corner Archival Image
Animated Cube Interactive Media, Java
Animated Var 1 Interactive Media, Java
Animated Var 2 Interactive Media, Java
Animated Var 3 Interactive Media, Java
Animated Var 4 Interactive Media, Java
Ambiguous Figures
A collection of some famous ambiguous figures, both old and new.
Eskimo or Indian? Archival Image
Husband or Father? Archival Image
Old Man or Young? Archival Image
Three Faces Archival Image
Young or Old? Archival Image
Barber Pole Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Cone or Tunnel? Interactive Media, Java
Dimples or Pimples? Interactive Media, Flash
Hollow Mask Interactive Media, Java
Mach’s Figure Archival Image
Rabbit or Duck? Archival Image
Reversible Goblet Archival Image
How Many Tools? Archival Image
Upside-Downs Archival Image
Verbeek Cartoon Archival Image
Profiles? Archival Image
Apparent Motion
Sometimes images can appear to be moving when they are not. This section presents some interesting examples of the effects which can be achieved.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
4-Squares Drifting Archival Image
Lateral Drift Archival Image
Patterns That Move
These exhibits will move when you look at them in a certain way.
Pattern I Archival Image
Pattern II Archival Image
Pattern III Archival Image
Pin wheeling Archival Image
Plate Tectonics Archival Image
Ripple Effect Archival Image
Shake and Roll Archival Image
Spinning Chevrons Archival Image
Spinning Wheel Interactive Media, Java
Camouflage
Camouflage helps many animals blend into the background. Humans can use the same techniques to help hide troops, hunters and equipment effectively in many environments.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Animal Veg or Mineral? Archival Image
Camouflage in Nature Archival Image
Camouflage in War Archival Image
Patio Camouflage Archival Image
Hidden Dog Movie Interactive Media, Flash
What is it? Archival Image
Who is it? Archival Image
Zebra Stripes Archival Image
Contrast & Color
Every color we can see effects not only ourselves, but nearby colors as well. We are drawn to contrast like magnets. Contrast means to mentally compare one color with another. Explore the illusory affects of color and contrast on the mind’s eye.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Burning Fuses Interactive Media, Flash
Checker Board Interactive Media, Flash
Color Cube Interactive Media, Flash
Laura’s Eyes Archival Image
Mystic Wheel of Contrast, Flash
Ouchi Illusion Archival Image
Sliding Blue-Hue Interactive Media, Java
Stroop Tests Interactive Media, Flash
Whites Illusion Interactive Media, Flash
Distortions
There are so many distortion illusions because there is so much order in the real world; a target-rich environment. Our brains love order, so it is rather easy to force many little false assumptions to occur in the mind’s eye. See how it’s done.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Ames Trapezoid Interactive Media, Flash
Anamorphic Images Archival Image
Ball & Shadow Interactive Media, Flash
Banana Card Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Biggest Illusion! Archival Image
Breathing Squares Interactive Media, Java
Cafe Wall Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Frazers Spiral Archival Image
Hering Illusion Archival Image
Hering to Wundt Interactive Media, Flash
Hidden Rope Trick Interactive Media, Java
Kanizsa Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Kanizsa Illusion II Interactive Media, Java
MüllerLyer Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Mystic Wheel Archival Image
Poggendorf I Interactive Media, Java
Poggendorf II Interactive Media, Java
Ponzo Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Pyramid Illusion Archival Image
Refraction Archival Image
Squashed Square Archival Image
Titchener Illusion Archival Image
Transparency Archival Image
Top Hat Illusion Archival Image
Twisted Cord Illusion Interactive Media, Java
Twisted Font Interactive Media, Java
Where is the Center? Interactive Media, Java
Who is the Biggest Interactive Media, Flash
Zöllner Illusion I Interactive Media, Flash
Zöllner Illusion II Interactive Media, Flash
Impossible Objects
Impossible objects are called impossible because they really cannot exist. They may look real, but are surely “one-half twist” from reality. Except in special circumstances these illusions exist on paper (or on a monitor) in only 2-dimensions.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Bent Pencil Archival Image
Chessboard Archival Image
Corporate Ladder Archival Image
Crate Animated Interactive Media, Flash
Gearosity Archival Image
Hollow Hexagon Archival Image
Impossible Music Interactive Media, Java
Impossible Stairs with Music, Flash
Impossible Plans Archival Image
Impossible Ring Archival Image
Impossible Square Archival Image
Impossible Stairs Archival Image
Stairs Animated Interactive Media, Avi
Impossible Triangle Archival Image
Triangle Animated Interactive Media, Java
3 Corner Animation Interactive Media, Flash
Mirages
Mirages are a natural product of nature; crude images reflected downwards from between intemperate zones of our atmosphere. Mostly mirages are simply the sky reflections, but sometimes more interesting things can be seen. The first mermaid sightings were probably mirages.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
About Mirages Illustrated feature
Gallery Archival Images
Moiré Patterns
Moiré patterns are formed when two overlaying transparent patterns are moved against one another. The word moiré is a weaver’s term derived from a Angora cloth called mohair.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Burst 1 Interactive Media, Java
Circular 1 Interactive Media, Java
Circular 2 Interactive Media, Java
Circular 3 Interactive Media, Java
Dot Patterns Interactive Media, Java
Lattice 1 Interactive Media, Java
Lattice 2 Interactive Media, Java
Line Patterns Interactive Media, Java
Mesh Patterns Interactive Media, Java
More Moires Interactive Media, Flash
Pinwheel Interactive Media, Java
Moon Illusion
The famous Moon illusion has been witnessed by countless viewers since the dawn of history. The true causes of the illusion is still being hotly debated by scientists. These exhibits will explore the look and feel of the Moon’s illusion.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
About the Effect Illustrated feature
Demonstration Interactive Media, Java
In the News Feature article
Mystery Spots
Mystery spots have been thriving since the early 1930’s. They are a product of the Great Depression. These exhibits will explore the popular phenomenon.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
About the Effects Illustrated feature
Gallery Archival Images
Typography
A language as abundant and diverse as English is ripe for illusions. These exhibits will explore the many weird and wonderful illusions associated with the written word.
Section Map Mini-site map for this section.
Ambigram 1 Interactive Media, Java
Ambigram 2 Interactive Media, Java
Birds & Bushes Archival Image
Bottoms or Tops? Interactive Media, Java
Extreme Reading Archival Image
Find the Ambigram Interactive Media, Java
Magic Square Interactive Media, Java
Natural Ambigram Interactive Media, Java
Subjective Word Archival Image |