People on the Internet are extremely fond of optical illusions. One such GIF, shared on Twitter has piqued netizens’ attention and even wowed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Chances are that it will leave you both impressed and confused.
The post by Twitter user Steve Stewart-Williams shows the GIF featuring two cubes. It was originally shared by @jagarikin, a user of the micro-blogging site, back in February who also created the illusion.
At first glance, the two cubes seem to be moving in opposite directions as the background flickers. However, that’s not the case and the two cubes happen to be stationary.
“One of the most powerful motion illusions I’ve seen: The cubes appear to be rotating in opposite directions – but they’re not actually moving at all,” reads the caption alongside the GIF.
Take a look at the mind-boggling illusion:
The cubes appear to be in motion because the GIF is created using reverse phi illusion – a motion illusion, reports Daily Mail. It’s the quick flashing lights in the background, light and dark, which create the illusion. The change tricks the human brain into thinking that the objects in front of the lights are moving.
{{/usCountry}}The cubes appear to be in motion because the GIF is created using reverse phi illusion – a motion illusion, reports Daily Mail. It’s the quick flashing lights in the background, light and dark, which create the illusion. The change tricks the human brain into thinking that the objects in front of the lights are moving.
{{/usCountry}}Yes the cubes are absolutely stationary. If you focus your gaze on the corner of one of the cubes or put a finger over them, the illusion is broken and you’ll notice it’s only the background that changes.
Shared on August 16, the post has garnered over 39,100 likes. While some expressed their surprise, others dropped in questions about the illusion.
Elon Musk reacted to the post too:
Here’s how others reacted:
What do you think about this cubes optical illusion?