Can You Get 25/25 On This Optical Illusions Test?
- by Jacob Ormrod
- – on
- in Entertainment
For reasons unknown, human beings have been obsessed with illusions since they were able to understand exactly what an illusion is. They chronicle them when found, either because they explain a concept that we otherwise find difficult to explain, or for the simple fact that they mess with people's heads, something that human beings seem obsessed with as well. This quiz will allow you to explore both concepts.
Throughout the course of this, you will have to decide what exactly you're seeing and whether or not you think we're trying to get you to answer incorrectly. What we're saying is, it's not just the images that will be messing with your head! Here's hoping that you'll be able to see through the lies and the fakery to find out exactly what it is that is happening on your screen. Sure, some of them will be easier than others, but we can guarantee that you won't get all of these without at least some knowledge of how the human mind can be fooled.
So, are you ready to take the optical illusions test? Are you here to prove your ability or just have someone mess with your head? Whatever your reasoning, it's time to get started!
The straight black lines in this image are actually parallel.
Originally put to paper by an astrophysicist, this image highlights yet again how perspective changes or enhances the way that our brain sees images. While the lines are parallel, the diagonal lines across them make us think that they bend away from each other. This is once again, quite worrying, as there is no way of knowing if a similar image made up of real life objects won't present itself when you really need to understand where things are in relation to each other.
These two objects are actually the same size.
If the course of human history has taught us anything, it's that we are not able to comprehend everything perfectly with the limited set of circumstances we're given at birth. Seriously, the human brain is deeply flawed and the eye is not exactly perfect either, which is exactly why images like this confuse us. So, are they the same size as we claim, or is your eye telling you they're different sizes for some reason? What do you think about it?
None of the thin lines in this image are actually parallel.
Yes, this is an optical illusion that was created to teach you how the simplest answer can often be the correct one. While the adult part of your brain that wants to second guess what you're seeing is likely telling you that this is a trick, that the lines are actually parallel and straight but the white and black blocks change this, you'd be wrong! This is actually a double bluff, and the thin lines were always diagonal, to begin with.
The orange circles are actually the same size.
A lot of how we as human beings perceive things is down to perspective and how the objects and images around us interact with each other, which is why we end up with optical illusions such as this one. Due to the size difference between the blue dots, it appears as if the orange circles are different sizes, but this is our brain being fooled.
The red lines are all exactly the same color.
Now onto something that is working less with perspective and more with the brain's inability to see what a color truly is when placed next to a different one. While it may be hard to believe, all of the red lines are exactly the same color and brightness, but their proximity to different colors highlights how our eyes don't always see color perfectly. Just the addition of a white or black line can completely change how our brain sees the image.
What do you see?
Believe it or not, but this image actually started as a drawing of a duck before morphing into something very different. The artist realized halfway through that when he flipped the image to finish off some of the shadings, that he could also see a rabbit. He decided to try and make a drawing that showed both for the hell of it. Little did he know that it would eventually become a well known optical illusion, one that is still famous to this day.
This image is photoshopped.
If there's one thing the internet has destroyed about the modern world, it's trust. There's no way of looking at any image these days without considering the possibility that it's a fake, and unless you have a pretty good knowledge of the sort of tricks at work here, you won't be able to tell either way. Seriously, who can look at this sort of thing and know what is going on? It takes a mind attuned to the ways of photo fakery.
All of these people are actually the same height.
Highlighting the importance of depth perception, this illusion is of a room that has been created in the real world, rather than just a conceptual image. When you place numerous people in the room, it makes them seem different sizes. This is because the viewer is kept at a constant point, one where the room lines up perfectly, but once you step into the room yourself, it becomes clear that the dimensions just don't add up. Either that, or it's a photoshopped image...
The parallel lines in this image are actually straight.
Of all the optical illusions in this quiz, we like these basic ones the best. It shows that people have been looking for this sort of stuff for centuries and that there's nothing more foolable than the human brain. That is if we're not attempting to double bluff you by putting false optical illusions in. We're all too self-aware these days, so it's possible that you're putting too much thought into some of these, or maybe the problem is that you're not putting in enough?
Is this the front of someone's face, or the side of it?
So, what is it you think you're seeing here? Is this a standard optical illusion made to fool you into seeing something that isn't actually there, or is it just a standard drawing of a face that happens to highlight how symmetrical many of our faces truly are? We don't know about you, but no matter what it is we're seeing, we have to hold our hands up and say that this is some impressive artwork. We really love it.
How many squares do you see?
Okay, we know you're probably starting to get sick of the perception images now, but hear us out on this one! If that little circle hadn't been added to this illusion, your brain would not be able to tell which sides of this cube are in the foreground and which ones are in the background. You'd see one or the other, with the image likely jumping between the two until your head came up with whatever it felt was a logical conclusion.
This square has equal sized sides.
Yet another chance for an optical illusion to show off how incapable our brains are when it comes to dealing with perceived distance between straight lines, this square is actually straight and contains sides that stand at the same length. For some reason, the diagonal lines make it seem as if it is curved or morphing in some way as we look at it. We're not entirely sure why this happens, although it makes us just as terrified as the rest of the illusions!
Clockwise or counterclockwise?
M. C. Escher is now famous for his artworks that depicted impossible shapes, but the Dutch artist started from humble beginnings. While his work quickly became known for the intensely complex depictions of mind bending images and figures, it was only with the creation of this shape that the artist came to see the artistic potential that came with these oddly surreal shapes. In many ways, his creations are what brought the concept of impossible shapes into the cultural mindset.
Which direction are the lines moving?
We know it sounds insane, but this optical illusion was actually created using a robot and a Spirograph. While there are similar optical illusions to this one that can be produced and reproduced by human hands, this one is so precise that it must be created with exact measurements, along with a machine that can follow those exact measurements to the millimeter. It just goes to show that even a child's toy can be used to create some absolutely amazing things.
Are the white lines the same size?
While many used this image for years to easily present how perspective can change how our brains perceive the world around us, it was eventually proven to be a fake. Somebody, using camera and photography trickery, was able to manipulate this image and move the train tracks closer together further down the line, thereby increasing the shock when the image was presented. While we all know parallel lines appear closer as they approach the horizon, this image is actually an exaggeration of that phenomenon.
How many colors do you see?
Sure, there are some theories, but science can not answer why it is that our brains struggle to comprehend this particular image. This both amazes and worries us, as it just once again highlights how unreliable our own bodies are. We really do live our lives under the misconception that this stuff will always have our back, but this sadly isn't the case. However, one of the best things about these illusions is that they can tell us so much about ourselves, which hopefully this will one day too.
How many full circles do you see?
Honestly, we find this one just as difficult to believe as you. If tie-dye and surrealist imagery are anything to go by, it's quite clear that LSD and similar drugs clearly leave people with the ability to create some mind-bending stuff, this illusion being one of them. As you look at it, the circles appear to be turning, despite the fact that they aren't moving. This was handed out to people to trip them out while they came up on drugs at the infamous festival.
Both sides of the image are the same color and brightness.
Yet another illusion that works with color rather than perspective, this highlights how two of the same color, when placed together can actually appear different due to the way our brain perceives them. If you were to place a thin band of white between these two blocks of gray, it would become immediately apparent they are the same color, but for whatever reason, our brain is unable to see this once they're placed together with a mere dividing line between them.
This triangle is actually physically impossible in the world of geometry.
This image is used by mathematicians to teach students that when it comes to geometry, your eyes and knowledge can be easily fooled. While this image appears to take place over the same number of squares, meaning it shouldn't matter what position the shapes are placed in. However, if you rearrange the shapes from their original placing, it is possible to end up with a missing square, which should make no sense from what we know of geometry. While there is a solution to this, it continues to stump students to this day.
This is actually a woman's legs made to look like a lamp through photoshop and camera tricks.
This one has done the rounds on the internet many times and for many years at this point, usually with a headline claiming that what you see the first time you look at this image will tell you whether or not you have a naturally dirty mind, but the truth of it is, an artist actually created this image to show how easily a natural form can be manipulated into something else in the modern world. Far from dirty minded, you're actually seeing the truth.
This illusion was created by a band for their first album.
We may bang on about this too much for some of you, but it's true that art continues to bring us some of the most impressive changes in the modern world. This is now one of the most impressive modern optical illusions that we have and it came about because a band wanted a cool album cover. One of the members was a graphic designer and managed to knock this up for them. Pretty impressive work if you ask us.
This "impossible image" is actually a cleverly designed shape created by a math genius.
The point of many optical illusions, especially the ones contained in this quiz, is less about messing with your head and more about proving your disbelief wrong. We live in an age where we're second guessing ourselves before we've even properly taken a look at the problem, assuming that if it's worth figuring out, there must be a twist or a turn in the logic. However, sometimes people like to show us that we are easily tricked, something that is very important in the era of fake news.
This optical illusion is caused by your brain assuming you're moving.
One of the many problems that our brains struggle with is the concept that your body is moving while not receiving any signals that this is the case. This is why people get travel sick, as your eyes are telling your brain that you're moving, but it's not getting any signals from your legs to back this up. This is why your brain attempts to make sense of this as best it can. This image is manipulated in a way that it fools that part of your brain into considering the idea that you're moving.
Does this image make you more susceptible to a hypnotist?
There is a reason that hypnotists used to use this image back in the day. Not only does the spinning of the image make you feel disoriented and lead to you letting your guard down, it also makes your brain more susceptible to influence. Nobody is sure why this is, but this particular optical illusion affects your brain in a way that allows your neural pathways the chance to be reworked at a higher rate than usual. Pretty scary stuff!
This triangle has been described as "impossibility in its purest form."
What could be any purer than an impossible triangle? Believe it or not, but this was actually the triangle which inspired the Dutch artist M. C. Escher to create the many surrealist artworks he is now known for. Not only that, but it has inspired many artists since then, with many of them seeking to create real life installations that help people see the impossible shape in three dimensions. The most recent example of this was a small 3D printed version.