Can YOU tell what colors these 12 circles are? Mind-boggling illusion sweeping the web has a very unexpected answer
- A new optical illusion ‘Confetti’ has gone viral on social media this week
- The image features 12 circles nested within multi-colored horizontal lines
- From afar, the circles appear to be different colors, but in reality they’re the same
- The image was made using the Munker Illusion, which says the brain processes colors differently based on what colors are surrounding them
- It was shared by Dr David Novick from the University of Texas at El Paso this week
Think you can trust your eyesight? This bright pattern is sure to have you second-guessing yourself.
The latest optical illusion to go viral on social media features 12 circles nested within horizontal lines, paired with the question: What color are each of the circles?
On initial inspection you’ll likely be quick to answer yellow, green, purple and reddish-orange circles. But you’d be wrong.
An optical illusion has gone viral on social media as people try to figure out what color the different circles are. The image was created by University of Texas professor Dr David Novick
The image plays on the brain’s interpretation of color, which makes the circles appear to be different shades when they’re actually all the same, just with different colors surrounding them
They’re all the same color.
The science behind the mind-bending image is known as the Munker Illusion, which plays on the fact that our brains process an object’s color based on what colors are surrounding it.
In this particular version, the circles may appear to be different colors based on the color of the horizontal stripes that run through them, when in reality they are all a light peach shade.
The image was created by Dr David Novick, a professor of engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso, who named it ‘confetti’.
Novick provides and explanation of the phenomenon on his website: ‘The Munker illusion appears to be a function of the framing colors, which tend to tint the central [shape]. The apparent color of the central circle is a mix of the foreground framing color and the circle’s color.’
The image was made using the Munker Illusion, which tricks the brain into perceiving a shape’s color differently depending on the colors around it. The slider above shows how two of the exact same circles can appear different when overlayed with either black or white stripes
Another example of the illusion uses white and blue stripes to trick the eyes. The first circle appears to be darker than the second because it is topped with blue stripes versus red
The farther you stand from the images, the more stark the color contrast appears to be
‘Confetti’ was posted to Twitter on Wednesday and quickly went viral the same way other optical illusions have, including ‘The Dress’ in 2015 and an Adidas jacket in 2016.
Social media users have suggested changing one’s vantage point to get the full effect of the Munker Illusion.
When standing far away from the picture, the circles appear to be undeniably different colors.
Then as you move closer, the contrast becomes less and less stark.
To get as close as possible to the ‘true’ color of the circles, users recommend zooming in directly on two of the circles.
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