e-Tarocchi Logo

Defying Gravity

These are my favorite illusions. From one angle everything looks perfectly normally until you see the balls rolling uphill. When you change the angle of the camera you see that the ramps are not as they appeared. They are actually slanting downhill instead of uphill. It's all about the perspective of course.

All of the work for the illusion is performed in a 3D program. The process to create these illusions is long and difficult. I basically create the design the way it should appear and then create a duplicate of the design that will be the actual physical copy. I manipulate the duplicate in the 3D program so that the ramps ultimately slant down but still match the original layer of the ramps that are aiming up.

Once I've created the ramps that slant down, I flatten the shapes, print them out, cut, fold and tape. The camera must be set up in the same position that the camera in the 3D program was set to. The objects that you can create with this technique are unlimited.

What happens in our brain when we view an optical illusion?

The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to create an idea or image that does not match with a physical measurement of the stimulus source.


Other Videos That May Interest You:

Humpback Whale Shows AMAZING Appreciation After Being Freed From Nets

Michael Fishbach, co-founder of The Great Whale Conservancy (GWC), narrates his encounter with a young humpback whale entangled in local fishing nets.

View Video

Amy Webb: How I Hacked Online Dating

Amy Webb explains how she sought her true love online. This video is informative, funny, sad, and, may even end happily ever after.

View Video

Global Warming - Can We Risk It?

A new way to think about the climate change debate, with over 13 million total views on various postings.

View Video

The True Cost of Oil: Garth Lenz

What does environmental devastation actually look like? At TEDxVictoria, photographer Garth Lenz shares shocking photos of the Alberta Tar Sands mining project -- and the beautiful (and vital) ecosystems under threat.

View Video

Thandie Newton: Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself

Actor Thandie Newton tells the story of finding her "otherness" -- first, as a child growing up in two distinct cultures, and then as an actor playing with many different selves. A warm, wise talk, fresh from stage at TEDGlobal 2011.

View Video

 

View All Videos