The creator of this visual trick is designer and illustrator Lesha Porche from Florida. She crafted this provocative image in 2021, and it has since gone viral.
Mind-Blowing
The image features a grid of 64 gray squares (8 x 8) that resemble cobblestones made from various shades of gray. The squares are separated by green lines.
When we look at this composition, it appears as though the green lines are constantly moving and twisting in all directions. However, as soon as we focus on a specific line, it suddenly appears perfectly straight.
Social media users described the illusion with words ranging from “annoying” to “fantastic.” Some even described their reaction to the image as a “mind explosion.”
What Does Science Say?
Dr. Jolyon Troscianko, a visual ecologist from the University of Exeter (UK), finds this illusion incredibly fascinating.
He believes that the perception effect is influenced by what is known as peripheral vision – what we see outside of our direct line of sight or at the edge of our vision. Peripheral vision helps us see objects nearby without turning our heads, and it actually constitutes the majority of our visual field.
“The parts I’m looking at directly have straight lines, but the lines that are further away from my point of focus appear curved,” Dr. Troscianko told the Daily Mail.
Upon closer inspection, we can see tiny gray shapes of various shades and sizes within the squares. The scientist suggested that these small forms trick the brain into thinking that the straight green lines are actually curved.
“These little gray squares actually hide a series of lines or stripes positioned at different angles. When we look directly at the squares, these lines seem chaotic, but they become much more noticeable to our peripheral vision,” Dr. Troscianko explained.
To explore the image’s hidden effects, the scientist ran it through a computer model he developed himself. This model simulates how human vision perceives contrast — the difference between shades of gray.
The model revealed patterns in the original image that were difficult to detect with the naked eye. Specifically, it uncovered hidden curved lines formed by the “stones,” creating chaos for our peripheral vision.
“In fact, these gray squares contain hidden patterns that our peripheral vision can see. There is an area of high visual acuity in our eyes called the fovea, and when we look directly at something, we use this area,” the scientist noted.
However, like many other optical illusions, the image does not actually move.
According to experts from the Queensland Brain Institute (Australia), optical illusions work because our eyes and brain “communicate in a very simple language, like a child who doesn’t know many words.”
“In most cases, this isn’t a problem, and our brain can understand what our eyes are telling it. But your brain also has to fill in the gaps, meaning it makes assumptions based on simple cues from the eyes. Most of the time, these assumptions are correct. However, sometimes the brain gets it wrong,” the researchers explained.
Photo: Unsplash
