Illusion videos

Become an illusioneer!

Try these illusions out on your family and friends.

Illusions work by taking advantage of how your brain puts together new sensory information with what it already knows. How our body feels to us is a big part of what makes us who we are. We can use these illusions to show how your body, or someone else’s, might not always feel the same way that it looks.  We use this research to develop practical ways to help people in the real world.

  • Two hands with fingers spread apart on a table, a letter S is shown next to the left hand and a letter H is next to the other
    Anne Boleyn illusion video
    The brain puts information together to come to conclusions about the body. This illusion shows that the brain can easily come to the wrong conclusion about the body.
  • Person swinging computer mouse over a pen
    Pulfrich Illusion video
    Our brains do a lot of calculations without us knowing. They use the timing of the light, along with assumptions about light and sight, to work out which things are closer than others.
  • Hands held palms together, either side of a chicken wire mesh
    Chicken Wire illusion video
    When the brain receives information that it is unclear, it has to work out what is going on. It uses previous experiences, context, and your beliefs to do this.
  • Two hands are spread on a table, a person opposite is holding the little finger tips on each hand
    Anne Boleyn’s Little Wizards video
    Two further illusions that demonstrate how the brain can put information together and come to the wrong conclusions.
  • Hands on a table holding a short pencil, there is also a plastic tray and marble on top of it.
    Knobbly Ball illusion video
    Our brain is constantly making conclusions about our body to protect us. In this case, the brain concludes that the dents in the finger must actually be on the pencil.
  • Person holding a metal slinky with both hands
    Slinky demonstration video
    This demonstration shows how our awareness of something is based on our brain’s interpretation, instead of exactly what is going on in the world.
  • person holding a piece of paper in front of them, at arms length, whilst covering one eye
    Blind spot video
    The brain fills things in using the information it has, and makes best guesses. When the dot is in the blind spot, the brain fills in the space with what looks like blank paper, because that’s what is around it.