Awesome Illusions

Ukrainian artist Oleg Shuplyak creates surreal portraits which double as optical illusions. Each image offers at least two completely different perspectives on its subject matter thanks to his clever composition.

Vine user JehReh uses a mirror, a door and a smartphone to pull off three crazy magic tricks in just six seconds. The video’s looping format should help you figure out how his disappearing act works.

We can’t imagine how magician Andy Gross manages to contort his body to pull off his Split Man illusion, but he does a great job scaring the crap out of bystanders with it. Nice sandbox faceplant there.

A chorus line of girls performs the strangest dance we’ve seen as they wear one massive set of black and white set of tights to mess with our brains and eyeballs. We’re really trying hard not to think of Human Centipede.

This video is the centerpiece of RIT student Michael Lacanilao’s attempt at starting an urban legend – that somewhere on the RIT campus, there is a space-bending stairwell that was made by a mysterious architect.

A pair of hands constantly moving between three and two dimensions. Vimeo contributor Willie Witte created this mesmerizing screenception using simple but effective photography and editing.

Shot in Santiago and Pittsburgh, Samm Hodges Illusions is a graceful, multilayered short film that explores optical illusions, memory and the human experience. (Thanks Christine!)

Artist Chris Carlson specializes in making 3D illusions using pastel chalk, paint and graphite. Watch him play a quick round of amazingly detailed stop motion Tetris. Note the shadows on the blocks.

A tricky set of tiles that seems to maintain the same number, even after removing some. We assume it has something to do with the tiles in the middle which are not fully formed and have a bit of extra space in between them.

Street magician Cyril Takayama messes with the heads of bystanders as he orders up some burgers in the most unorthodox of ways. Who wants to order that one with the bite taken out of it already?

YouTuber Brusspup returns to his experiment with water and sound, but this time he set it up so the hose was in contact with the speaker. It’s a shame we can’t see this with our own eyes.

For kids and kids at heart, Klutz’ Book of Impossible Objects offers 25 fun and mind-bending illusions and tricks. Our favorite – the stare-o-saurus, a dinosaur whose eyes remain fixed on yours.

A neat mirror that reflects whatever is in front of it as it really is, as opposed to showing a mirror image. It’s actually made of two normal mirrors placed at right angles. Cheaper version here.

It’s difficult enough to do one-handed push-ups, but in Russia they do everything just a little tougher than we do, as is proven by the man with the world’s strongest toes. (Yes, we know it’s a trick.)

Vsauce kicks off 2013 with an optical illusion. Believe it or not, this picture is monochrome red. It’s a demonstration of the Land Effect. But you know how Vsauce is, always digressing. A lot.

Richard Wiseman of Quirkology is back with another fun trick. This one’s a lot simpler than his previous efforts, but it’s still a good reminder of how easily our brain can be fooled.