This Optical Illusion Is Confusing Everyone And Driving The Internet Crazy

#1 Kid's Toys

Those wooden toy train tracks have been a staple for kids all around the world who are looking to have simple fun during play time, but recently a father came across something that he couldn't explain.

#2 Simple Question

#3 The Confusion

This optical illusion isn't as uncommon as people think. American psychologist Joseph Jastrow first defined the illusion over 100 years ago, citing that two arc shapes will appear to be different sizes depending on the location of the bottom arc.

#4 Brain Teaser

People make the common mistake of placing the bottom arc too far right, lining up the sides of the tracks so it makes a straight line.

#5 In The Middle

What people don't realize is that if they put both arcs in the same place, just one above the other, the illusion wouldn't exist.

#6 Jastrow's Explanation

Michael Bach wrote about Jastrow's Illusion on his website and quoted the psychologist's explanation of the brain teaser. "The lower figure seems distinctly the larger, because its long side is brought into contrast with the shorter side of the other figure. In judging areas we cannot avoid taking into account the lengths of the lines by which the areas are limited, and a contrast in the lengths of these is carried over to the comparison oft the areas. We judge relatively even when we most desire to judge absolutely."

#7 Duck Rabbit Illusion

Jastrow also illustrated the "Duck-Rabbit" optical illusion because the psychologist was deeply interested in perception. He was a firm believer that a person's surroundings and emotional state heavily influenced how they perceived the worldhence, whether or not you first see the rabbit or the duck.