When Hillary Met Donald
An election-themed illusion to take your mind off the polls
Illusion Chasers
Illusions, Delusions, and Everyday Deceptions
Glossy Legs Leave Internet Agog
An artist’s legs appear encased in plastic, but it’s an illusion that’s painted on with a few white strokes
Air Rage as a Study in Contrasts
Air rage is more frequent in plane cabins that emphasize seating inequality
The Stars in Your Eyes
Galileo saw celestial spheres spinning in space, but was dismayed by effects we now know arose in his brain: The same Jovian moon could appear small or big depending on whether it was dark or bright against its background. DaVinci and Helmholtz also suffered from similar delusions of grandeur, when viewing white objects versus black. We show some of brain’s illusions of brightness here, as companions to our new Illusions article in this month’s print edition of Scientific American MIND.
Child's Play
The misperception tricks that children play on one another
![A Review of 2016's Best Illusion of the Year Contest [Video]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/blogs/cache/file/872E48CD-A3EE-4B3C-B9C28746DE986E38_agenda.gif?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
A Review of 2016's Best Illusion of the Year Contest [Video]
Last week you chose the winners of the 12th annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest. Many of you have wondered how the illusions work, and what they tell us about our brains. I discuss each of the TOP 10 illusions here, and explain what we know
![Check Out the Best Illusion of the Year Contest Winners for 2016 ! [Video]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/blogs/cache/file/965EE748-B710-4440-A2F2A7BA941BDF20_agenda.gif?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Check Out the Best Illusion of the Year Contest Winners for 2016 ! [Video]
Congratulations to the winners of the 12th annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest, hosted by the Neural Correlate Society. Thousands of online voters around the world chose the best illusions of the year
Countdown to the World's 12th Annual Best Illusion of the Year Contest
Worldwide voting will take place on the Best Illusion of the Year Contest Web site, from 4 P.M., June 29 to 4 P.M. Eastern time, June 30
A New Look at Vision
A critical new discovery redefines the primary organizing principle of the visual cortex, and explains much of the illusory perception when we see light and dark stimuli
Happier and Younger (Looking)
Long face no longer: A new study confirms that smiling makes you look younger
Blog Index
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