Visual illusions are images that play tricks on our perception. Illusions often go viral on the internet because people enjoy examining visual puzzles that seem to represent a “glitch in the matrix”—in other words, visual illusions tell us that our perceptions are not the same as what we designate “reality.”  In this talk, I will discuss the creation of illusions, where they come from, and how they are made.  I will show that research on visual illusions sits at the crossroads of many academic disciplines (neuroscience, psychology, math, physics, computer science, philosophy and art) and addresses fundamental questions about how the brain works.  I will also discuss visual illusions related to harmonic analysis and how research on visual illusions can elucidate questions related to camouflage, concealment and deception (CCD).
 
About the Speaker:

Arthur Shapiro is Professor of Psychology and the Chair of Computer Science at American University in Washington D.C.   He is co-editor of the Oxford Compendium of Visual Illusions (2017) and has won international awards for visual illusions he has created. His research primarily focuses on color and color contrast perception, motion perception, perceptual organization, and low-light-level vision but he is interested in any question that relates to how the brain constructs our perceptual world.  He is actively involved in public engagement in science and is the presenter and scientific consultant for two seasons of shows on visual illusions produced by CuriosityStream.com.   He received his undergraduate degree from U.C. San Diego (Math and Cognitive Science) and his Ph.D. from Columbia University, and was a Post-Doc at the University of Chicago.