An optical illusion is a visual phenomenon where our perception of thinking about an image differs from objective reality. These optical illusions occur due to the brain's attempt to interpret complex ...

Hallucinations are more common than we think, and they may be an underlying mechanism for how our brains experience the world. One scientist calls them “everyday hallucinations” to describe ...

Leeds Beckett University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. A few years ago I climbed over a gate and found myself gazing down at a valley. After I’d been walking for a few minutes, ...

The famous Ebbinghaus illusion, named for its discoverer, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909). Despite appearances, the two orange circles are the same size. Have you ever looked at ...

Zebra finches can not only distinguish the full range of their species’ vocalizations but also organize them by meaning, according to a new study. The results suggest a surprising level of semantic ...

The notion that sharks are some "mindless killer" that was going to kill anyone who swims in the water or on a boat is inaccurate to the nature of the predator, according to experts. Trump dials ...

A team of scientists has identified areas of the brain that are activated when a person becomes aware of themself and their thoughts. This enigmatic process appears to be controlled by the thalamus, a ...

Time is a strange, strange thing. We like to compartmentalize history to try and make sense of time, events, trends, and changes. But the truth is we can never really understand it. Today we're ...

I've always been a little freaked out by talking museum exhibits. As someone who spent my childhood wandering around WW2 exhibitions, I have been confronted many a time by a horrifying wax work in a ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Excerpted from The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors ...

Using fossil evidence and genetic dating, geneticists and paleontologists have backed strikingly different candidates for the world's first animal. When you purchase through links on our site, we may ...