The study of visual illusions in animals provides a compelling window into both the evolutionary continuity and diversity of perceptual processes. Research indicates that many species, from domestic ...

Lightness perception, the visual system’s ability to maintain a stable representation of surface reflectance despite varying illumination, has long intrigued researchers. Central to this field is the ...

When I was in high school, my friend switched sodas on me one day. I thought I was taking a swig of Coca Cola, but he had replaced it with cream soda. I immediately spit it out, thinking it tasted ...

Chances are you’ve encountered some version of the “Ebbinghaus illusion,” in which a central circle appears to be smaller when encircled by larger circles and seems larger when surrounded by smaller ...

The famous Ebbinghaus illusion, named for its discoverer, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909). Despite appearances, the two orange circles are the same size. Have you ever looked at ...

Dudi Ben Simon transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, blending reality with illusion in playful, thought-provoking ways.

Research shows that a certain kind of visual illusion, neon color spreading, works on mice. The study is also the first to combine the use of two investigative techniques called electrophysiology and ...

The Best Illusion of the Year contest offers researchers, and participants, an opportunity to explore the gaps and limits of human perception. By Katrina Miller Take a look at this video of a waiting ...

It's a funhouse for our perceptions, built for the TikTok age. But the visual tricks are windows into how the mind works, and they fascinate scientists. "The brain uses all the information it can get ...

A head-scratching optical illusion challenges the perception of color and how the brain plays tricks on us. In an image created by the UK contact lens vendor Lenstore, a series of lilac letters ...

An optical illusion is a fascinating visual trick that deceives the brain into seeing something different from reality. These illusions occur when the information our eyes send to the brain is ...