The Science Behind Optical Illusions

Our eyes tend to skim over information and our brains often jump to conclusions.

This is because we take in so much visual information, that our brains need shortcuts to process it all.

The trait evolved to help early humans survive encounters with fast predators, but it also means that we can be easily fooled by simple illusions.

A new video, which is a collaboration between the American Chemical Society and Inside Science TV, explains the science behind this visual trickery.

Take a look at the centre of this figure. It looks like an intricate pattern, nothing more. But when you look outside of it, it starts to move. ‘Our brains are able to perceive lighter values much more quickly than dark values,’ the video says. ‘This explains why the discs seems to rotate in the direction of the lighter shades’

‘When you look at something what you’re really look at is light,’ the video narrator explains. ‘The light is then converted into electrical signals that your brain can turn into an image.

This process takes place in about one tenth of a second. So at any given moment, your eyes are taking in an incredible amount of information.

‘It’s really difficult for your brain to focus on everything at once, so our brain takes shortcuts, simplifying what we see to help concentrate on what’s important,’ it adds.

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