Second prize: ladybugs without sun: change of position induced by a frame (Mark Wexler, Patrick Cavanagh and Stuart Anstis)
Adding a moving reference point can often alter the positional perception of our brain about an object or several objects in the case of these ladybugs. In the initial animation, the two ladybugs are aligned vertically, however, as they are revealed individually within a frame that moves from left to right, the upper ladybug appears shifted to the right while the lower ladybug is placed · Located further to the left. In the second animation, a single woman bug appears moving along an oval track, but when the moving frame is removed, it is revealed that there are actually only four vertically aligned ladybugs facing each other in different directions. Your brain adds locomotion where there really isn’t any.
To see the optical illusions of the top 10 finalists this year, go to Best Illusion of the Year Contest website, but take a bottle of aspirin first, your brain may need it for as long as you’ve reviewed the entire list.