This video explains the science behind visual illusions.

Mark Changizi explains how the brain reckons with optical illusions in this TED talk.

Why can’t our extremely complex eyes render simple optical illusions? Surprise, surprise — it comes back to the brain, which has only evolved to encounter natural stimuli.

Optical imaging relies on shining weak lasers through the skull to visualize brain activity. These techniques are inexpensive and relatively portable. They are also silent and safe: Because only extremely weak lasers are used, these methods can be used to study everyone, even infants.

Some neuroscientists think psychedelic drugs and the hallucinations they induce could help reveal how the brain generates our perceptions of the world around us — and of ourselves.

People with Parkinson’s disease, or those under extreme physical or emotional distress, can sometimes hallucinate nonexistent presences.

An interactive website about the eye. Learn about the parts of the eye and eye safety, and try out some optical illusions.

This simple illusion tells us a lot about how we process vision.

When a surprising experience contradicts our expectations, our brains can quickly adapt to the new circumstances and make decisions accordingly thanks to the anterior cingulate cortex.

Your eyes can play tricks on you, and visual illusions take advantage of these glitches in our perception.