A photograph has been shared online of the most stunning real-life optical illusion I've ever seen, and it's garnered over 5,000 upvotes on Reddit so I'm not the only one to be impressed. Consisting of a sunset as viewed from a car, the sky looks exactly as if there is a river running underneath it, with the sunset turning the water a beautiful pink hue. Staring at the illusion for longer does nothing to take away the spectacle, it's actually very difficult to see the reality of the image - that the river is actually made out of clouds framing the sky in a certain way.
The Lớp Lamp by Thomas Vincent beckons attention with its design that creates an optical illusion of a floating light source surrounded by layered sheets of colored acrylic.
"It's been brilliant to see so many people stop, stare, and realise they're literally standing on history. The water gate has always been there, just beneath people's feet, so creating a piece of art that opens up the ground felt like the perfect way to reveal something that was hidden in plain sight all along."
The clever visual trick is much more old school. It's just come second in the Best Illusion of Year Contest, and I'd say it also deserves a place in our own roundup of the best optical illusions.
Dr Dean Jackson highlights the intriguing nature of perception with his optical illusion, stating that observers can reframe their view of an image based on additional context. He shows how keen-eyed viewers can spot a hidden goat in a kookaburra image, where markings create the illusion of a second animal, leading to varied interpretations among viewers.