Think you’re seeing reality clearly? For a group of certain professionals, years of training have sharpened their vision so much, even optical illusions struggle to trick them.
For decades, scientists believed that visual illusions were automatic – hardwired quirks of the brain that no one could truly ‘see through’.
But a new study has found that radiologists, who spend their careers scanning complex images for subtle signs of disease, are far less susceptible to certain visual illusions than the average person.
A recent study explored whether expert training in medical image analysis could alter how people perceive visual illusions – and the results were surprising.
Radiologists, who spend years learning to detect subtle signs of disease in complex medical scans, need to filter out irrelevant information and focus quickly on key visual details.
This intense training raised an intriguing question: could it also help them see through optical illusions?
To find out, researchers tested 44 medical image experts – ranging from reporting radiographers and trainee radiologists to certified radiologists – alongside a control group of 107 psychology and medical students.
Participants were shown classic optical illusions such as the Ebbinghaus, Ponzo, Müller-Lyer, and Shepard Tabletops, and asked to make forced-choice decisions based on what they saw.
A new study has found that radiologists, who spend their careers scanning complex images for subtle signs of disease, are far less susceptible to certain visual illusions than the average person
Which orange circle do you think is bigger? In the image above, the orange circle on the left is actually six percent smaller than the one on the right – yet most people perceived it as larger
Now, which orange circle do you think is bigger? In this second image, the size difference increases: the left circle is now 10 percent smaller. Still, many non-radiologists continued to see it as larger
And now, which is larger? Only when the size gap reached nearly 18 percent smaller on the left, as shown in this final image, did most non-radiologists finally start to see through the trick
In the first image above, the orange circle on the left is actually six percent smaller than the one on the right – yet most people perceived it as larger. It’s a textbook example of how our brains can be misled by visual context.
In the second circle image above, the size difference increases: the left circle is now 10 percent smaller. Still, many non-radiologists continued to see it as larger.
But this time, most radiologists correctly judged the sizes, highlighting how their trained perception cuts through the illusion.
Only when the size gap reached nearly 18 percent smaller, as shown in the final image, did most non-radiologists finally start to see through the trick.
The findings were clear: trained radiologists were significantly less susceptible to most of the illusions, outperforming the control group in perceptual accuracy.
Interestingly, this advantage did not extend to the Shepard Tabletops illusion, where both groups performed similarly.
The Shepard’s Table Illusion was introduced by cognitive scientist Roger N. Shepard in 1990.
It is an optical illusion that messes with our perception of shape and size by using two identical parallelograms – tabletops – at different angles.
The Shepard’s Table Illusion is seen above – which table do you think looks bigger? Read on to find out the answer
The two tables are in fact the same size but our brain perceives one as longer and thinner and the other as wider and shorter.
What’s more, radiologists at the very start of their training were no better than the students, suggesting that this resistance to illusions isn’t innate – it’s developed through years of focused practice.
These results challenge current theories of expertise, which generally argue that specialist skills don’t transfer outside a specific domain.
In this case, expertise in reading medical scans appears to offer a broader benefit: enhanced visual discrimination that extends even to general illusions.
Of course, there’s no shortcut to achieving this level of perceptual precision.
As the researchers note with a touch of humor: if you want to learn to see through illusions, all it takes is five years of medical school followed by another seven in radiology.
The question is, are you ready to put your observation skills to the test? If so, the following mind-bending brainteasers are sure to do the trick.
The optical illusion, featuring a bee in not-so-plain sight hidden within a young girl’s cartoon bedroom, was shared by X user Piyush Tiwari, and requires a real keen eye to spot.
A new optical illusion, featuring a bee in not-so-plain sight hidden within a young girl’s cartoon bedroom, was shared by X user Piyush Tiwari, and requires a real keen eye to spot
Hidden inside of this image, which depicts a girl peacefully sleeping in bed with her long, wavy red hair sprawling out on onto her polka-dot pillow, is a small bee.
The challenge is to spot the honey-making insect in just 10 seconds. Can you solve it?
The post boldly claims: ‘There is a hidden bee in this brain teaser picture puzzle that only people with good observation skills can find. Test your observation skills here.’
So, set a timer for 10 seconds and start scanning!
If you need a hint, here’s one: Focus on the bottom half of the image. The bee is perfectly hidden against the background, making it challenging to spot at a moment’s glance.
Try to look for a small face or two wings blending into the image.
Haven’t found it yet?
Here’s one more clue: The bee is this image isn’t your typical black-and-yellow variety. It’s a different hue, but still evokes those warm summer tones.
Here’s a clue: The bee is this image isn’t your typical black-and-yellow variety. It’s a different hue, but still evokes those warm summer tones
This optical illusion is going viral, and it takes a real keen eye to spot the hidden hippo among the rhinos. The challenge is to spot the one hippo among a group of seemingly identical rhinos. But the trick is to do it in just seven seconds
Do you think you have what it takes to do another?
The mind-boggling rhino optical illusion has tested the eyesight of internet users. Can you solve it?
This optical illusion, featuring a hidden hippo in not-so-plain sight among the rhinos, has gone viral, and it takes a real keen eye to spot it.
The viral post, shared by X user Piyush Tiwari, requires the sharpest observers to spot the single hidden hippo amid the crash of rhinos.
The challenge is to spot the hippo in just seven seconds.
The tweet boldly claims: ‘Optical Illusion Vision Test: People with excellent observation skills can spot a hippo hiding among the rhinos in 7 seconds. Can you? Attempt now!’
So, set a timer for seven seconds, scan the image carefully and look for the hidden hippo.
For those who are still struggling, and need a hint – focus on the right-hand side of the image.
Some social media have cracked the code, sharing their answers in the comment
This optical illusion is going viral, and it takes a real keen eye to spot the hidden feline among the village
Third times the charm! This houses optical illusion above takes a real keen eye to spot the hidden feline among the village.
Hidden inside this image of rooftops hides a sneaky little cat, blending in perfectly with its surroundings, can you spot the furry friend in just eight seconds?
At first, the image seems like an ordinary scene of rooftops, but don’t be fooled.
Hiding somewhere in this image is a clever kitty just waiting to be discovered.
Only true animal lovers and those who pay great attention to detail can solve this mind-bending illusion quickly.
If you think you have what it takes, set a timer for 8 seconds and start searching!
Need a hint? Here’s one: Focus on the top right corner of the image. The cat is hidden against the background, making it challenging to spot at a moment’s glance.
Need a hint? Here’s one: Focus on the top right corner of the image. The cat is hidden against the background, making it challenging to spot at a moment’s glance
Optical illusions like this aren’t just for fun, but they also have incredible benefits for your brain.
Spotting hidden objects enhances your ability to notice small changes in your surroundings.
Focusing on an illusion trains your brain to process visual information more efficiently.
And the more you challenge your brain, the better it becomes at solving tricky situations in everyday life.
