illusion

11 Stories

'Yanny or Laurel' Question Is Dividing the Internet

'Audio illusion' is reminiscent of 'the dress'

(Newser) - It's the audio equivalent of the white or blue dress that perplexed the internet in 2015: Is the voice in this clip saying "Yanny" or "Laurel"? Many people—including the musician Yanni —insist it says Yanny, while others, including this writer, clearly hear Laurel. Others...

Your Fear May Make This Spider Look Huge

Arachnophobia may boost people's size estimates

(Newser) - When Noga Cohen, a grad student at Israel's Ben-Gurion University, spotted a spider one day, arachnophobe and fellow student Tali Leibovich freaked out about its size. Cohen thought that odd, because the eight-legged arachnid looked tiny to her, reports Live Science . And so a study was born. They set...

Illusionist in 'Water Torture Cell' Has a Close Call

Spencer Horsman said to have nearly drowned in promo for Criss Angel show

(Newser) - With just a rubber band and a piece of bent wire, Spencer Horsman entered a 30-by-30-inch Plexiglas tank filled with 100 gallons of water on Tuesday in handcuffs and chains, hoping to pull off a feat that would excite crowds for an upcoming show with illusionist Criss Angel, New Jersey...

All the Universe Is ... Just a Hologram?
 All the Universe Is ... 
 Just a Hologram? 
NEW STUDIES
Dec 12, 2013 11:56 AM CST

All the Universe Is ... Just a Hologram?

New physics research might prove Maldacena's hologram theory

(Newser) - Prepare for a head trip: The universe may actually be a hologram and everything you see an illusion, according to new research that could prove gravity comes from thin, vibrating strings—holograms of events in a simpler, flatter cosmos. It was an idea first put forth by physicist Juan Maldacena...

Oops! Broken Arm Not Part of Trick

Copperfield assistant injured in 'freak accident' with fan blowing smoke for illusion

(Newser) - David Copperfield fans may feel disillusioned after one of the magician’s tricks went horribly wrong onstage in Las Vegas this week, breaking an assistant’s arm. The employee got his limb stuck in a fan during a routine stunt in which Copperfield “disappears” while passing through the whirling...

Hourly Breaks? Blaine's Cheating!

Onlookers unimpressed by Blaine's latest stunt

(Newser) - David Blaine takes a 10-minute break every hour? "It's cheating," says an unimpressed onlooker among a crowd of 8,000 watching Blaine hang upside down in Central Park until a grand finale tonight, the New York Daily News reports. Though the illusionist planned to do his business using...

'Gospel Illusionists' Tricked Out for Jesus

Saving souls with sleight of hand

(Newser) - Though the Bible places strictures on the “magic arts,” a group of faithful tricksters are using sleight of hand to convert the wayward, Mother Jones reports. Weslyan University recently hosted the annual convention of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, where performers were more likely to quote scripture and...

Illusionist Escapes Imploding Building —Barely

Vows never to try another dangerous stunt

(Newser) - Goth illusionist Criss Angel escaped an imploding hotel in Florida last night, reports Central Florida News. During the stunt, which aired live on A&E's Mindfreak, the daredevil had three and a half minutes to pick handcuffs and four padlocked doors before catching a helicopter on the roof. While Angel...

There's a Huge Moon on the Rise

Solstice makes heavenly body look bigger tonight, tomorrow—but it's an illusion

(Newser) - Northern Hemisphere residents, check out the night sky tomorrow for an extra-large-looking moon. The moon illusion—a trick our brain plays on us—is enhanced by the summer solstice, and when Earth's satellite rises close to the horizon, conditions are perfect, LiveScience notes.

Siegfried & Roy Plan Comeback
Siegfried & Roy Plan Comeback
Feb 12, 2008 11:05 AM CST

Siegfried & Roy Plan Comeback

Duo to perform for charity 5 years after near-death experience

(Newser) - A tiger mauling has kept them offstage for over 4 years, but Siegfried & Roy aren’t letting it end their careers. Next February they’ll perform a one-night-only special for charity, reports Der Spiegel, and their publicist says he’d be “very surprised if animals were not part...

Out-of-Body Experience Induced in Lab

Study unlocks clues to near-death phenomenon

(Newser) - Scientists researching out-of-body experiences have discovered ways to trigger the phenomenon in volunteers, the BBC reports. Researchers using virtual reality goggles and  body images were able to trick participants into thinking they had moved several feet away from their bodies. The results, published in the journal Science, offer intriguing neurological...

11 Stories