This Spinning Arrow Illusion Always Points Right, and It’s Stumping the Internet
We love a good optical illusion around here, even if it makes us scratch our heads for hours on end. The latest visual mystery comes to us in the form of a popular Instagram video, and it just might lead you to question the shape of everything you see from now on.
Instagram user @physicsfun posted some footage of a small white arrow mounted on a wooden stand. At the beginning of the video, this arrow is clearly pointing to the right — or so we think. A hand soon enters the frame, swiveling the arrow a full 180 degrees in the other direction. Now, most of us would expect that this arrow would be pointing to the left after that. But it doesn’t. See for yourself how this stubborn arrow just keeps on pointing to the right:
So what the heck is happening here? Let’s just get one thing out of the way: You’re not going crazy. This arrow you’re looking at is from a toy set inspired by Kokichi Sugihara, a famous Japanese mathematician and optical illusionist. If you continue watching the video (as mind-boggling as it is), you’ll get a hint as to why this particular illusion is so confusing.
The next part of the video shows the same hand picking up the arrow and showing viewers what it looks like from above. You might be startled to find out that it’s a totally different shape when viewed from overhead — one with hidden contours. The sneaky nooks and crannies on the toy twist your visual perception when you look at it from a variety of angles, such as the one in the beginning of the video.
Just when everything finally starts to make sense, the video then shows another perspective of this toy: its reflection in a mirror. Finally, we get to see the arrow point to the left — but only in the mirror’s reflection. The original arrow remains pointing to the right. As it turns out, this optical illusion is so powerful that even when the solution behind it is revealed, our eyes immediately “trick” us again when we see it in its original position.
We don’t know about you, but we’re getting goose bumps!
h/t Science Alert
More From Woman’s World
This Math Problem for Five-Year-Olds Has the Internet Stumped
Viral Misspelled ‘Word Jumble’ Isn’t as Easy to Read as You Might Think
Eagle-Eyed Coke Drinker Notices Hidden Symbols on New Cans — Can You Spot Them?
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
