Sorry for no updates yesterday. Still in rush and figuring which apartment to rent, so hope you’ll forgive. About today’s Poggendorf illusion – it is one of the most famous distortion illusions known. Although much has been written about it since its discovery in 1860, the underlying mechanism that gives rise to this effect is still not well understood. An adequate explanation of the Poggendorf illusion must take all the above factors into account, as well as several others. For example, the Poggendorf illusion is not confined to two-dimensional representations: It also occurs with three-dimensional objects. Secondly, perspective cues can have a drastic effect on diminishing the effect of this illusion. It’s interesting to know that the Poggendorf illusion is over 100 years old, there have been no end of theories to try to account for it. To show you what I mean, here are some examples inside this article. Try and guess which of the 4 parallel lines on the right is the logical extension of the red line on the left. Visual explanation, and more examples inside!
