The laws of physics and nature tell us that things are predictable, always behaving in a consistent way. But lived experience tells us that things are not always as they seem.
Are the pics here evidence of witchcraft or wizardry? No. Believe it or not, they all check out. But it might not seem that way at first.
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“When the shadow lines up perfectly.”
You know when there’s a group photo that’s missing one person, so someone clumsily Photoshops them in later? This pic looks a lot like that. The weird thing is that it isn’t doctored at all.
“These miniature dinosaurs.”
If you’ve spent time in the Mayan Riviera, you’ve seen these cute little coatis. They do indeed look like miniature brontosauruses, although the illusion disappears somewhat when you see them moving and realize the ‘necks’ are just tails.
“Centauress.”
This pic makes me wonder if centaur legends in the old days came about because someone saw a four-legged animal standing behind a person and thought it looked pretty cool. I mean, just look at this pic. It does look pretty cool.
“Bigfoot?”
After a moment, it’s easy to see that this guy’s left foot is normally sized, and his (also normally-sized) right foot is hiding behind it. Still, at first glance it looks like he’s wearing those fashionable long-toed shoes.
“A teeny tiny guy, or a giant girl?”
Everyone knows that perspective can change things drastically, and this pic is a prime example. I’m still trying to get my head around exactly where that guy is sitting to make him look so tiny.
“Flat house, for models only.”
You get these kinds of pics when you’re looking at a triangular building (like the Flatiron Building) from a specific angle. The effect of it being just a thin facade really is quite uncanny.
“Hey PETA come here.”
I don’t know if stuffing a helpless dog into a box of pastries would really fall under PETA’s jurisdiction, but it really should. Just look at this poor little doggo’s face. He clearly wants to be let out.
“Looking at this marble floor mosaic at the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy is like gazing at the light at the end of a tunnel.”
If this looks trippy to you in the 21st century, just imagine how many minds were blown way back in the day.
“Maybe windows for a staircase idk.”
I smugly assumed I’d be able to sort out what’s going on in each of these pics. But I’m really not sure with this. Are those just slanted windows, or is there some weird perspective stuff going on here?
“Charles Davis captured this image of Australian budgerigars (budgies) in a tree. There’s no leaves…”
This would be a truly odd sight in real time. It would look like every single leaf on this tree is a sentient creature.
“It’s embarrassing until you realize they’re the reflection of the chairs in the room.”
This belongs in the Confusing Perspective Hall of Fame. When you look closely at the reflection / possible pee stain, you can see how the chair legs really make things look realistic.
“Giant lady.”
At first I thought the landscape was small, but the landscape is actually big. What’s going on is that she’s sitting on a nearby cliff face in the foreground, which seamlessly blends in to the cliff face in the background.
“Floating cat?”
Shadows, or the suggestion of a shadow, can really mess with your perception. The fact that there’s an indistinct dark mark next to this cat really makes it look like it’s floating. I mean, for all I know, it actually is floating.
“There is no water in this picture.”
Someone in the comments said that the supposed ‘water’ in this photo is actually just a concrete wall in the foreground. I’m willing to take their word for it, but I still don’t quite see it.
“Mr. Tiny Legs.”
Anyone who has kids is probably familiar with this scene: they get bored and start flouncing around, and before you know it, you’ve got a photo that makes it look like you have little girl legs.
“A pair of legs.”
I’m just about certain that this effect is due to the fact that there’s a mirror inside that…cabinet? Shelf unit? I’m not sure what it is. In any event, this is a fun photo to have.
“I’ll have the ‘Pineapple Fade’ please.”
If you’re anything like me, you’re coming to terms with the fact that your hair is no more. But with a bit of effort and some appropriate background props, you can make it look like you have hair once more.
“Look at those two buildings in the background. Which one is closer?”
You know what I just said about understanding these pics? Yeah, this one’s got me flummoxed as well. I’m pretty sure the building on the right is closer, but who knows?
“Parallel universe behind the fence.”
I have no idea why anyone would ever want a mirrored fence. It would catch the sun and cause some unpleasant reflections. Then again, maybe these oddball photos make everything worthwhile.
“Two elbows can come in handy sometimes.”
At first I thought she genuinely had two elbows in her arm. I mean, that has to be a thing, right? Now I’m pretty sure she has just one elbow, though, like the rest of us.
