A bit later than usual, but the results of the Best Illusion of the Year contest are already here. Rabbits hidden in static, parallel lines that don't seem parallel, and lines that "change" length without losing a single millimeter are the three optical illusions that have stood out above the rest in this 2017 edition. Let's see what they have in store for us…
The voting period to recognize the best optical illusions of the year only lasts 24 hours, and personally I don't think that's enough. I say this because if we go to the official page of the Best Illusion of the Year competition and look at the general marks that six of the Top 10 entries received, the truth is that they do not exceed five points. The comments on YouTube are also not very favorable, so we hope that for the next edition there will be adjustments to the evaluation and voting system. Now, which are the winners? Let's start with the third prize:
Third Prize
The "dynamic Müller-Lyer illusion" developed by Gianni A. Sarcone of the Archimedes Laboratory Project in Italy shows us that the length of a segment seems to change depending on the direction of the arrows at its ends. The effect is deeper with movement, to the point that the lines look like elastic bands, and let's not even talk about the circular version…
Second Prize
"Skye Blue Café Wall" is a much more elaborate illusion than it appears. At first glance we come to the conclusion that all rows and columns are twisted... but that's not the case. Victoria Skye's work is based on Richard Gregory's original illusion, who documented its behavior after observing the wall of a café in the city of Bristol. Why do they look twisted? A combination of color, light, contrast, and differences in the angles of the diamonds that appear at the intersections.
First Prize
"Shape From Motion Only" is the winning illusion of the contest, and belongs to the team formed by Hedva Spitzer, Dana Tearosh and Niv Weisman of Tel Aviv University. As its name indicates, the figures (in this case, two rabbits) "sprout" thanks to the movement in the background, but disappear once it stops. The impact varies depending on the size of the object, and it can also be combined with other illusions.
Do you want to see the rest? In that case, click on the link below. There you will find mirror tricks, windmills that spin in both directions at once, and changes in depth, among other things.
