An intriguing optical illusion featuring a photo of Adele is making waves online.
Warning: You might need more than just coffee to wrap your head around this. At first glance, it seems like a perfectly normal image of Adele radiating beauty on her “25” album cover. However, something feels off. Why does her eyeliner appear under her eyes?
Indeed, there’s an unusual quality to this photo that has led to its viral status, driven by a Twitter account known for transforming seemingly harmless celebrity images into unsettling visuals. The account, titled “Turn Your Phone,” is not for the faint-hearted. It might even leave a lasting impression on young viewers.
When you flip the image upside down, the perspective shifts dramatically. One moment, you’re admiring Adele’s stunning look, contemplating whether to adopt her eyeliner style. The next, you’re left in disbelief, questioning your perception. This phenomenon is known as the Thatcher Effect, a cognitive glitch that reveals how our brains struggle to process upside-down images of faces. According to ThatcherEffect.com, “The brain thinks it can handle it, leading to a false sense of normalcy until you rotate the image.” This illusion is named after Margaret Thatcher, whose face was the first subject used to test this theory.
Interestingly, when you invert a person’s facial features, they appear normal upside down but can look disconcerting when viewed the right way up. If you’re curious to delve deeper into this optical enigma, there are several theories available to explore.
If you think Adele’s upside-down image is unsettling, check out another example circulating on Imgur, aptly titled, “This picture doesn’t seem bad, until you turn it upside down.” It’s certainly worth a look.
This article was initially published on March 3, 2016.
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In summary, this optical illusion featuring Adele highlights the intriguing ways our brains perceive visual information, particularly with faces, depending on orientation.