Fun with Optical Illusions

8 Interactive Websites That Trick the Eye and Boggle the Mind

Dec 21, 2008 Jace Shoemaker-Galloway

As the saying goes, “Seeing is believing.” Or is it? Optical illusions are images that are perceived to be one thing, but are something else. Although there are many different types of optical illusions, the images in optical illusions deceive and trick the eye.

The eye sends the information to the brain where a sort of disconnect with the image occurs. Whether the image is a particular shape, size, color, certain dimension, particular depth or is in motion, the viewer attempts to interpret and make sense of what the eye is seeing.

The websites listed below provide a wide variety of mind-boggling optical illusions that are fun, entertaining and free.

Entertaining Optical Illusion Websites:

• MoIllusions – Mighty Optical Illusions, MoIllusions, is a popular website dedicated to puzzles, magic and optical illusions. All sorts of popular, as well as unusual illusions, are included on the site. Random, Google Earth, scary, toys and body paint illusions are just a few of the listed categories. Illusions of the Day are also available as free widgets. All images are fully explained and users are able to leave comments. More than 25 different categories are included.

• Michael Bachs 80 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena – This popular and award-winning website includes 80 mind-boggling optical illusions that are categorized into seven sections. The site, launched in 1997 by Michael Bach, also includes animated tours.

• Exploratorium – Exploratorium.edu offers 13 interactive illusions for viewers in the Seeing Exhibit section of the site. Each illusion is fully explained in detail and the website is available in four languages. Requires shockwave and QuickTime (free downloads.)

• OptIllusions – This website divides the visual illusions into categories. Categories include most popular, color illusions, hidden pictures, weird lines, appearing and disappearing objects and more. Some illusions are explained and some are not.

• ColorCube Optical Illusions – ColorCube provides nearly 20 different illusions, from the classics to dizzying dot illusions. All images are fully explained.

• EChalk – This website, which provides teaching resources and tools, offers about 20 optical illusions, including detailed explanations describing how each illusion works. Be sure to visit The Spiral Pinwheel Illusion. It is exceptionally spooky!

• SandLotScience – SandLotScience offers 15 different illusion categories, all fully explained. View the illusions one at a time or visit the two15-minute online tours. An Illusion of the Month is also available.

• CoolOpticalIllusions – This website offers still and moving images, galleries and detailed videos that can be embedded into users' blogs and websites. A blog is also included on the site.

With optical illusions, seeing is not necessarily believing! The eight websites listed above provide a wide variety of optical illusions that are fun for the entire family.