Optical Illusions

The straight black lines in this image are actually parallel.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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.

None of the thin lines in this image are actually parallel.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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 red lines are all exactly the same color.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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.

The orange circles are actually the same size.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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.

What do you see?

• Duck

• Rabbit

• Both

Answer explanation

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.

All of these people are actually the same height.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

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?

• Front

• Side

• Neither

• Both

Are the white lines the same size?

• YES

• NO

Answer explanation

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 full circles do you see?

• 18

• 6

• 12

• 16

Answer explanation

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.