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[fyellin]

 I just found a new wonderful web site.  http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com/.  Each year they hold a contest for best new optical illusion.  Here is my favorite, which won third prize this year:

Comments

[apparentparadox]

I wonder if you swapped the pictures on the bottom, would the one that was on the right but is now on the left still look like it was leaning more :-)

[fyellin]

Uh, sure.

[rossfinlayson]

I haven't looked at the web site yet, but the reason for the second illusion - I think - is that the gap to the left of the tower in the second photo is larger than the gap to the right of the tower in the first photo. This tricks the brain into thinking that the right tower leans more.

[fyellin]

The explanation given at the web site is that your brain insists on seeing the two photos as part of one scene, instead of as two different photos of the same scene.

I don't like posting moving images, but be sure to check out this year's winner. Very bizarre. Several of the winners are images where you perceive one thing when looking at it directly, and something completely different when you see it in your peripheral vision.