iLLUSIONS

OPTICAL iLLUSIONS

Beau Lotto: Optical illusions show how we see.
Beau Lotto's color games puzzle your vision, but they also spotlight what you can't normally see: how your brain works. This fun, first-hand look at your own versatile sense of sight reveals how evolution tints your perception of what's really out there.

TOP 10 iLLUSIONS

My Top 10 Illusions from 2020 - Best of Zach King Compilation
These were some of my best illusions of 2020. I'm so proud of my team and what we were able to create this year! Let us know down in the comments which of these tricks was your favorite!
Also check out Best of Zach King Magic Part 1

DECOTROPE

BABBLE DABBLE DO is a fabulous website with some great ideas.
It has some amazing Art, Science, Engineering and Creative Projects
One of the project ideas is the DECOTROPE from Babble Dabble Do
I love illusions. The DECOTROPE produces the same a visual trick that 'MOVING PICTURES' produce. But it is science, not trickery. It is like a 2 frame mini-movie.
The Science Behind The DECOTROPE
DECOTROPE and Thaumatropes are an example of persistence of vision. This is a phrase used to describe how our brain combines multiple images together when they are rapidly flashed in front of the eyes. This is the basis for film in fact. All movies are simply long strings of still images flashed in quick succession in front of the eyes.
Most movies are played at 24 frames per second, meaning there are 24 still images per second flashing in front of you. It is thought that the brain perceives anything from upwards of about 10 frames per second as motion. This is about as fast as you can thumb through a flipbook.
And the Name: Trope is the part of the word that means turning around and Deco stands for decorative.

WHAT WE DID

THE HOOK WATCH the Video Above
CONSTRUCT a generic DECOTROPE using the template supplied by Dabble Babble.
DESCRIBE what you observe - what is happening when you spin the DECOTROPE, what do you see.
RESEARCH the scientific explanation for this phenomena.
EXPLANATION write an explanation of the phenomena
DESIGN & MAKE your own DECOTROPE
PREDICT what you will see when you spin it.
FEEDBACK send in your kids constructions, and I will publish them here.
CHALLENGE Prove the concept. Use Stop Motion app to photograph each side of your DECOTROPE make sure it is in exactly the same place each time - use a tripod and position accurately. Photograph each side of your DECOTROPE at least 10 times. Then you can multiple select the slides and copy and paste them. Increase the frame speed to 24 frames. Check it out - what happens? Describe what you see..
Another DECOTROPE Optical Illusion Experiment Fish in a bowls Easy Step by step lesson for kids to follow.

EYE TRiCKS

Optical Illusions and Eye Tricks
Say the colours don't read the names as fast as you can. Is this difficult?
106 Visual Phenomena & Optical Illusions by Michael Bach
The emphasis here is on the beauty of perceptual phenomena, on interactive experiments, and explanation of the visual mechanisms involved – to the degree that they are understood.

OPTICS

Optics 4 Kids Great site with Q & A about Optical Illusions. The site also includes some activities for students to try graded into different age groups.

Check out Silencing by Motion and the many other interactive illusions on this page. Change the colour, ratios, sizes and intensities and see what happens. Fabulous

YOUTUBE

Honda - making impossible, possible.
Amazing Fire Illusion!
Impossible Balls Illusion - Rolling uphill
Crazy Cube Illusion
Check out additional amazing optical illusions by Brusspup
Optical Illusion Dance - An amazing demonstration of dancing - your mind struggles to make sense of it.
After Experiencing This Mind Blowing T-Rex Illusion, I Will Never Trust My Eyes Again...
Top 10 - Optical Illusions that are not known by everybody
Rotation mask illusion
Stephen Fry Optical Illusions - rotating mask

Draw your own OPTICAL ILLUSIONS check out the VT Cartooning&Drawing Page and also the VT Art Page.
Kids Hub is a great site for drawing simple OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.

EYES

Can You Trust Your Eyes? Great Video from ASAPScience
Pupil Dilation is increased in the dark, more light smaller pupils This video shows how the size of the pupil changes in response to light. When a bright stimulus is presented, the pupil rapidly constricts (becomes smaller). When a dark display is presented, the pupil dilates (becomes larger). Note that constriction in response to light occurs much more rapidly than dilation in response to darkness.

Interactive Human Eye The eye is an organ made of over 2 million parts that work together to process light and help us interpret shapes, colours and dimensions around us. This is very cool.

PENROSE TRIANGLE

How To Draw A Penrose Triangle - Optical Illusion Above. approx 6mins
How to Draw a Chain Link easy approx 6mins
Tangle Web Optical Illusion k-2 10 mins

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