There’s a video on YouTube that I really like. It’s a video by the music group OK Go and it’s for the song “The Writing’s on the Wall.” One thing I really like about it is that it’s a bunch of optical illusions. But why do people love optical illusions so much? First of all, what is an optical illusion? An optical illusion, by definition, happens when what we are seeing is incongruent with reality. The thing is, when we see something that doesn’t make sense, our brain notices it. The brain is engineered that way and it helps save our lives sometimes. For example, if you see a snake in the grass, you’ll notice it.
The human brain loves learning new things, according to a cognitive scientist from MIT, Aude Oliva. He explains that anything that is new captures our attention. But when something blends into its surroundings, we’re less likely to notice it. In the image below, there’s a hidden object. Can you see it? Take your time and think outside the box.
Were you able to spot the hidden object? It blends in very well, so it may have been hard for you. Head over to the next page and we’ll reveal it for you.