March 3, 2011
A reader named Emily C. wrote today with a question about my book, NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON’T. Emily asked:
Why don’t I understand some of the stuff in your book? It’s confusing.
Ahhh….welcome to the world of Optical Illusions! These pictures are a sort of riddle for your eyes. Some people see one thing when they look at a picture, other people look at the exact same picture and see something totally different. Of course, I don’t want you to feel confused, but this book is designed to get you to look, think, look again, and then think some more. Think of it as a puzzle, and have fun with it.
Here is a simple example of an optical illusion. Which of these lines look longer to you, AB or CD? Most people would say that AB is longer. But, if you measure them with a ruler, you will see that they are each exactly the same length.
Try reading the book with someone else - your teacher, librarian, someone in your family, or a friend. It is fun when you each try to decipher each visual puzzle, and talk together about what you see. The more that you explore optical illusions, the more you will find that you can’t always believe your eyes!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
