In this Perfect Squares Illusion every one of the red boxes is a perfect square.
To see for yourself, try moving away from the screen so that the black and white lines begin to fade away. As they fade away, you should be able to see the red squares more accurately, as perfectly square.
This illusion is being created by the combination of two famous illusions – the Zöllner Illusion and the Poggendorff Illusion.
Table of Contents
- What is the Perfect Squares Illusion?
- How does the Perfect Squares Illusion work?
- Some Similar Illusions
- Discovery of the Perfect Squares Illusion
What is the Perfect Squares Illusion?
The Perfect Squares Illusion is being created by the combination of two famous illusions – the Zöllner Illusion and the Poggendorff Illusion.
The Zöllner illusion is an optical illusion that involves a series of parallel lines intersected by diagonal lines. The diagonal lines can appear to be either tilted or straight, depending on their orientation and the orientation of the surrounding lines. The illusion was first described by Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner in 1860. Here is an image of the Zöllner illusion
The Poggendorff illusion is an optical illusion that involves the misperception of the position of a diagonal line that is interrupted by a rectangular object. The illusion was first described by the German physicist Johann Poggendorff in 1860. Here is a picture of the Poggendorff illusion.
How does the Perfect Squares Illusion Work?
The Perfect Squares Illusion is being created by the combination of two famous illusions – the Zöllner Illusion and the Poggendorff Illusion.
The Zöllner illusion occurs because the brain tries to interpret the lines as either parallel or tilted, but the diagonal lines disrupt this interpretation. As a result, the brain can perceive the diagonal lines as being tilted in the opposite direction to their actual orientation.
The Zöllner illusion is an example of a geometric-optical illusion, which means that it involves the interaction of geometric patterns with the visual system. This type of illusion occurs because the brain has to interpret the two-dimensional image presented to it as a three-dimensional object in order to make sense of it. In the case of the Zöllner illusion, the diagonal lines can be interpreted as either being on top of or underneath the parallel lines, which can lead to conflicting interpretations of the orientation of the diagonal lines.
The Poggendorff illusion is an optical illusion that involves the misperception of the position of a diagonal line that is interrupted by a rectangular object. The illusion was first described by the German physicist Johann Poggendorff in 1860.
In the classic version of the Poggendorff illusion, a diagonal line is interrupted by a rectangular object that is positioned at an angle to the line. The line appears to be displaced, and the angle at which it crosses the rectangle appears to be different from its true angle.
The exact mechanism behind the Poggendorff illusion is still a matter of debate, but it is thought to involve the brain’s processing of visual information about the angles and positions of objects in space. One theory is that the brain tends to group objects that are aligned in a certain way, and to perceive them as forming a continuous line or curve. When the diagonal line is interrupted by the rectangle, the brain tries to create a continuous path for the line, but this can lead to a misperception of its position and angle.
Another theory is that the Poggendorff illusion is related to the brain’s processing of depth and perspective cues. When the diagonal line is interrupted by the rectangle, the brain may perceive the line as being positioned at a different depth than it actually is, which can lead to a misperception of its position and angle.
Overall, the Poggendorff illusion is a classic example of how the brain can be tricked by visual information, and it highlights the complex processes involved in perceiving the visual world.
Some Similar Illusions to the Perfect Squares Illusion
There are several other visual illusions that are similar to the Perfect Squares Illusion in terms of their effects on the perception of lines and angles. Here are a few examples:
- The Hering illusion: In this illusion, two parallel lines appear to be bowed outwards when they are intersected by two diagonal lines that are oriented in opposite directions.
- The Müller-Lyer illusion: In this illusion, two lines of equal length appear to be different lengths due to the presence of arrow-like lines on either end of the lines.
- The Ponzo illusion: In this illusion, two identical lines appear to be different lengths when they are placed in a converging perspective drawing that includes parallel lines that create the illusion of depth.
- The Ebbinghaus illusion: In this illusion, a circle appears to be larger or smaller depending on the size of the surrounding circles, even though the central circle is actually the same size in both cases.
These illusions, like the Perfect Squares Illusion, all involve the brain’s interpretation of visual information about lines, angles, and shapes, and they demonstrate the complexity of visual perception.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.