• jaybone@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    Remember those rooms where they have like a checkered floor and they’re angled and you put a short person in one corner and a tall person in the other corner, and it looks like the short person is taller than the tall person. Is that an illusion?

    • Routhinator@startrek.website
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      2 days ago

      I have no context for this example, have a link? I’ve seen the crazy kitchen at the Museum of Science and Tech in Ottawa that has a similarly themed illusion, but in that one the floors are level but painted in a way that tricks your brain into thinking its angled, but its not, which is 100% illusion.

      Thus what I am imagining for your example is that the floor is in fact angled, but the paint makes it look straight, so the short person is infact elevated above the tall person in a way you cannot tell, creating an effect where perspective due to a physical difference makes you think they are on the same level but the illusion provided by the floor messes with that, creating an illusion that is really just perspective.

      But there is no trick in this post. You know you’re tilting the phone, there’s no illusion. Its pure angles and you’re completely aware of what is occuring, thus no illusion. The definition of illusion is pretty clear, what you are seeing must be false or erroneous.

      noun

      1. An erroneous perception of reality.

        “Mirrors gave the illusion of spaciousness.”

      2. An erroneous concept or belief.

        “The notion that money can buy happiness is an illusion.”

      3. The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief.

        “spent months flailing about in illusion.”

      • WelcomeBear@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        “Have a link?” Ohh I do! I love these Ames Room

        How fun is this?! YouTube Live Action Ames Room

        As an aside: I’m gonna say the simple “perspective shifted so far that it’s unrecognizable to the untrained eye” counts as an illusion, because the first time I saw one, I was indeed tricked.

        • Routhinator@startrek.website
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          1 day ago

          Ok those rooms are certainly illusions. My mind was tricked and even after reading how they work I still cannot quite see how when I watch the video. A perfect illusion.

          I still wouldn’t call the post for this thread an illusion as there is no trick, just pure perspective. You simply tilt your phone, you see what is happening, and you understand it because its basic physics you were taught in elementary.

          This is like the amateur magician. A trickster that knows a few party tricks but is so bad at executing them they are no illusionist. But a master magician uses simple things like perspective and skill to create tricks that are such great illusions that the scientific mind cannot quite work out what has really just happened even though they know it’s a trick. This post is the amateur magician, the Ames room is the master. Both use perspective but in different ways on different levels.