This is an amazing optical illusion

Jim H - VA USA

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Sep 19, 2020
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Nothing is actually moving except the stick figure running in place.

The color flashes all-at-once; you can confirm by pausing it (windows key - shift - s on a PC).

Yet motion is perceived upwards, to the right, and downwards simultaneously.

Explain it if you can. All I can think of is that that the tiny outlines matter a lot, and we are wired to see movement like that, so we do.

zsuormkf1z061.gif
 
It's sort of along the lines of how movies work. There are a lot of still frames, but at 32 fps (frames per second) or more, we perceive those still pictures to be moving. There are lots of illusions on the internet that are like this. I happen to have a screensaver shot of several rings inside each other that have different patters, yet appear to move, even though there is nothing moving, nor are there flashing images.
 
It's "design" of motion. The first one appears to move from left to right. The second one is a mind bender. Is it really moving circularly?

iu

iu
 
Here is another.

It's an ASCII stereogram I made. Cross your eyes (just a tiny bit) to make three perfect O's on the top line, and you will see the letters come out of your screen. You can even put your finger behind them...


............................O...O
N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N
..E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E
A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A.
T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T
..O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O.
>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>>
..O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O.
T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T
A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A.
..E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E
N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N
 
I have several 3d printed ambiguous objects.
So do I. I bought most of mine on eBay. My favorite was purchase on etsy and is no longer available...

This video, demonstrating the effect, is amazing. It's all just geometry, but this video is almost hard to believe, as the number of objects reflected in the mirror do not always equal the number of objects in the foreground....

 
I'm impressed how good Photoshop is getting ...
You are undoubtedly referring to this...

ambiguous_garage_roof_t.jpg

You can make one yourself. I did, as you can see in the unedited picture I posted.

I promise you that picture is not photoshopped. I guess you don't realize how amazing the the stuff I post is. :)

 
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Nothing is actually moving except the stick figure running in place.

The color flashes all-at-once; you can confirm by pausing it (windows key - shift - s on a PC).

Yet motion is perceived upwards, to the right, and downwards simultaneously.

Explain it if you can. All I can think of is that that the tiny outlines matter a lot, and we are wired to see movement like that, so we do.

zsuormkf1z061.gif
I don't see anything moving.
 
Nothing is actually moving except the stick figure running in place.

The color flashes all-at-once; you can confirm by pausing it (windows key - shift - s on a PC).

Yet motion is perceived upwards, to the right, and downwards simultaneously.

Explain it if you can. All I can think of is that that the tiny outlines matter a lot, and we are wired to see movement like that, so we do.

zsuormkf1z061.gif
I don't see anything moving.
If you look at the center of the picture, and do not perceive the stick figures on the right to be falling while the stick figures on the left to be climbing, you might want to get checked out. :)

I am guess you are on a cell phone. I made the picture really small, and I still perceive motion.
 
Here is another.

It's an ASCII stereogram I made. Cross your eyes (just a tiny bit) to make three perfect O's on the top line, and you will see the letters come out of your screen. You can even put your finger behind them...


............................O...O
N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N
..E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E
A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A.
T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T
..O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O.
>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>><<<<>>>>
..O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O......O.
T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T.....T
A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A....A.
..E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E...E
N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N..N
Anyone done this yet?. It is really amazing.

Cross your eyes slightly until you see three O's, and bring it into focus. The image will pop out of the screen so far that you can put your finger behind the 3D image that is created. Amazing science.
 
Here is another amazing stereogram...

If you cross your eyes ever so slightly, you will see "STOP" appear in 3D.

The stop sign will also pop out of your screen an incredible distance. So much that you can even put your finger into the 3D image that you see.

If you can't see it, I feel sorry for you. It's really neat.

stereogram.jpg
 

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