Scientists have studied a famous optical illusion to gain an understanding of how our brains process reality.
The research published in the journal JNeurosci centered around the Pinna-Brelstaff motion illusion: a series of thick lines arranged in concentric circles that appear to rotate when the viewer moves their head back and forth.
The scientists tested how parts of the brain that help us pick up on motion perception combine both real and illusory visual information to create the impression the image is moving. This enabled them to find cells that appear to process the illusion similarly to a moving object. Monkeys also appear to experience the illusion in this way.
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