Login / Signup

The Fork-and-Knife Illusion.

Benjamin BalasBenjamin Balas
Published in: Perception (2021)
We describe a transparency illusion that can be observed with an ordinary metal knife and fork. Placed in the correct configuration relative to the fork, the metal knife appears transparent, with some observers experiencing a bistable percept in which transparency alternates with reflective appearance. The effect is related to other illusory percepts that follow from careful placement of mirrored surfaces, but to our knowledge, it is unique in that the key feature of the illusion is how the mirrored surface (in this case, the knife) is perceived rather than how a mirror induces altered perception of other objects and surfaces. We describe conditions that do and do not affect the strength of the illusion and point out its connections to previously reported phenomena.
Keyphrases
  • healthcare
  • biofilm formation
  • machine learning
  • depressive symptoms
  • social support
  • deep learning
  • escherichia coli
  • staphylococcus aureus
  • cystic fibrosis
  • candida albicans