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Optical Illusions
David Copperfield - Welcome to the Magic - A lot of people think David Copperfield is the greatest magician and illusionist alive today. After all, he "vanished" the Statue of Liberty in front of a live audience (even its radar blip went away), and he walked through the Great Wall of China. We attended one of his stage shows, and it sure looked to us like he was flying around the stage. This page will tell you about David's childhood, his current schedule, and his illusions, but it does not give away any of his secrets.
Mark Newbold's Animated Necker Cube - Do not try this illusion at home. Remember, we warned you. OK, well maybe you can try it at home, but make sure you have your seat belts fastened first and your tray and seat backs are fully upright. Prepare for your brain cells to get messed up as your perception of this seemingly innocent cube switches around. According to this site, "The Necker Cube is named after the Swiss crystallographer Louis Albert Necker, who in the mid-1800s saw cubic shapes spontaneously reverse in perspective." But don't try the Counter-Rotating Spirals Illusion--unless you want to have fun!
Online Exhibits @ the Exploratorium - Don't look now. At this site there are illusions that will make you think your computer is spinning, your palm is squirming, and Mona Lisa is frowning. If that's not enough to convince you to go to this site, there's an audio short story called "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut" that will completely confuse you, then amuse you. Remember, the moral of this very familiar story is "Yonder nor sorghum stenches shut ladle gulls stopper torque wet strainers."
SandlotScience.com - They're all here: those illusional figures that leave you wondering. You'll see impossible illusions, like the animated triangle and the endless staircase. You'll also find camouflage illusions and hidden pictures, and finally, our favorite: moir patterns. They're caused when two transparent patterns overlap. You will enjoy visiting this site, but don't be in a hurry--these illusions are irresistible!
Stereograms - Can you see hidden 3-D images inside a stereogram? People who can see them describe tigers jumping through hoops, wild outer space landscapes, and more. Those who can't see them think everyone else is just making it up. This site includes a tutorial on how to make your own images like this.
Stereoscopic Photographs - Maybe your grandmother or great-grandpa had one of these neat gadgets that shows pictures in three dimensions. It is called a stereoscope. The person who developed this Web site must have had one, too, because a lot of the old slides are reproduced here. There is also a lot of information about the stereoscope and a picture of it. You can look at the slides. Follow the instructions for relaxing your eyes, and you'll see it in 3-D right on your computer screen.
You Can Illusions - What you think you see is not always what's really there. Look at some famous optical illusions with Beakman and Jax, who explain things like whether that's a young lady wearing a hat or an old woman wearing a scarf.
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