62 Items Tagged

Optical Oddities

Birmingham, England

'A Life in the Year of the Chinchillas'

The ceiling of this shopping arcade is adorned with six trompe-l’œil artworks, including a grim funeral scene.

Jerome, Arizona

Nellie Bly Kaleidoscopes

A kaleidoscope gallery and steampunk emporium named for a pioneering journalist.

London, England

Nimrud Lens

Despite the name, this ancient piece of crystal may not have been a lens at all.

Several adaptations make the wings of some butterflies, such as this <em>Cithaerias esmeralda</em>, clear.

Unlocking the Secrets of 'Invisible' Animals

From glasswing butterflies to vanishing octopuses, evolution is a mad scientist.

Luna Shyr August 16, 2021

The Grande Lunette at Meudon Observatory

The Grande Lunette

The largest refracting telescope in Europe is housed on the grounds of a former French castle.

Lookout.

Workington, England

Lookout

This unique sculptural clock transforms into a periscope every hour.

Painted scribe vendor and real-life customer.

Trompe-l'œil Murals of Hanoi

Life-sized painted illusions let pedestrians blend in with the street art.

The descent of the feathered serpent, Kukulcan.

7 Places That Throw the Best Shade

In the most literal sense.

Kerry Wolfe August 1, 2017

Cima del Sol.

Colina Gravitacional (Gravity Hill)

Things roll uphill on this Mexican street that seems to defy gravity.

Water appears to run uphill on the magnetic hill.

Moncton, New Brunswick

Moncton Magnetic Hill

A mysterious spot where the laws of gravity seem not to apply.

Hoober Stand.

Wentworth, England

Hoober Stand

This folly built to commemorate an aristocratic victory over Catholic rebellion plays tricks on the eye.

Gravity Hill starting line.

Prosser, Washington

Gravity Hill

The strange phenomenon causing gravity to "work backwards" on this hill has been blamed on the paranormal.

San Francisco, California

Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze

A psychedelic labyrinth on the San Francisco bay.

Rakotzbrücke

Gablenz, Germany

Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Electric Ladyland in full color.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Electric Ladyland: The Museum of Fluorescent Art

The world's only museum devoted to the wonders of fluorescence.

Queens, New York

Surreal Elevator

Nondescript elevator doors open to reveal a stunning, surreal world.

Great Disasters and Horrors in the World’s History c. 1890

31 days of halloween

Ghost in the Rainbow

Annetta Black October 25, 2013

Gurdon, Arkansas

The Gurdon Light

A mysterious light floating in the trees of Arkansas may be a piezoelectric effect.