DO NOT be alarmed if you cannot figure out what is going on in this illusion – it is all fun and games.
The image looks like an ordinary board game, but it contains a hidden truth that will confuse viewers.
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The chessboard illustration above contains a confusing illusionCredit: Edward H. Adelson
Look at the checkered square above and the green cylinder on its edge.
There are two squares, labeled A and B, that you’ll want to pay special attention to.
White squares and black squares are clearly marked on the board, just like a traditional chess or checkers board.
The 3D cylinder casts a “shadow” in the center of the image and that’s where the illusion comes into play.
At first glance, the square labeled A looks like a dark gray color, while the square labeled B looks like a white square sitting in the shadows.
But actually the two squares are exactly the same color; You can even use the “color picker” feature on your phone or computer to check.
You can also cut holes in a sheet of paper and then place it against the image to isolate the two parts of the image.
This phenomenal image, called the Adelson Checkerboard Shadow Illusion, was first published by Edward H. Adelson.
Adelson, a professor of vision sciences at MIT, built a two-dimensional screen and made it appear three-dimensional.
This is where the illusion gains its strength.
If it were a real 3D scene, the light source would cause the shadow you see in the image.
Since it is actually an illustrated representation, the “light” and “shadow” effects are achieved by another means: shading.
That’s why the two squares A and B are the same color, but they don’t look that way when you see the full image.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education