This Optical Illusion Will Blow Your Mind

Take a look at the image below.

Would you believe that the four squares above are moving at exactly the same constant speed? There’s no bouncing or shifting, as there appears to be.

It’s the contrast of the lines, and the two separate colors that make them look desynchronized. Our brains have a tough time seeing the yellow edges against the white and the dark blue against the black.

In reality, it’s all an optical illusion. When the squares get close to each other your brain realizes they are moving at the same speed.

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/believe-it-or-not-these-four-squares-move-at-the-same-1559629417

21 Comments

  1. I would think then that if you covered all but one it would like like it’s moving smoothly… but it doesn’t to me.

  2. i looked at it really hard. then i saw it going at the same time. but then it went back to shifting.
    i don’t get it except when it was all one piece. its sort of freaky actually!

  3. Here is a random question (but it does have a real answer):

    Why does elf + elf = fool? Hint: 7 + e = 14

    DO NOT READ PAST HERE, PLEASE

    If you still don’t know, fool + 2 = fooo

    If you STILL don’t know, 7 + 7 = fo

    If you STILLLLLLLLLLLLL don’t know, read Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School

  4. FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS TALKING ABOUT , the squares start out small and unnatached at the top and as they moves down the squares look like they are shifting, changing in speed, or look like they pause for a second then they start moving again. U see this happening until they grow together, the they move at a constant speed. Is this true?…..No! The blocks are in fact moving at a constant rate without changing the whole time, even when the blocks are not together. Well if this is true then why do we see the blocks constantly changing in speed and pausing, thats because our brain cant proccess this correctly, giving us the illusion that they constantly pause and change in speed when really they move at the same constant speed the whole time

  5. Why is my post right in front of a big Boys’ Life (c) 2014. All rights reserved. thingy? Also, I see that Clay put a thing to tell where the related posts. Oh. 😕 😉

  6. I know how it works! when your brain sees the [small] squares moving behind the white and black the background, it sees the black as shadows, so as the background behind the [small] squares goes from white to black to white, it thinks they’re moving,but when they expand into a solid stripe at the bottom of the box your brain realizes they are moving in sync,so they appear identically moving up and down until they shrink. There you have it!

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