Simply Impossible

Discover the best visual illusion of 2010, crafted with simple materials like cardboard and glue. A must-see illusion!

Here's the newly anointed best visual illusion of 2010. No fancy computer graphics. Just cardboard, glue, and some wooden balls. Fabulous. [Update: Thanks to Sam Mackrill for directing us to the inventor's web site, which includes building instructions.]

Carl Zimmer
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The Great Barrier Reef Experiences Largest Annual Decline in Nearly 40 Years

A scientist holds a chameleon in his hands.

Planet Earth

Slingshot Tongues of Chameleons and Salamanders Could Transform Tech in Medicine and Space

Planet Earth

At Almost 500 Feet Below the Water, Experts Heard the Sounds of the Elusive Beaked Whale

Planet Earth

Sharks Began Roaming the Oceans 400 Million Years Ago as Deep-Sea Bottom-Dwellers

Planet Earth

This Adorable Bumpy Snailfish Is One of Three New Species Discovered in the Deep-Sea

Planet Earth

Fossils of Extinct Coelacanths Faced a Case of Mistaken Identity for Over a Century

Planet Earth

Ghost Sharks Grow Retractable Teeth Out of Their Forehead – Not to Eat, But to Mate

Planet Earth

Rodents' Oddly Humanlike Thumbnails Have Let Them Feast on Nuts Since Ancient Times

Planet Earth

New Species Identified On Antarctic Seafloor that was Once Covered By a Massive Ice Sheet

Planet Earth

Rainbow Shrimp Vision Is the Most Powerful of Any Animal on Earth, But We Don’t Know Why

Planet Earth

Are Animals Like Mountain Lions and Bears Leaving Yellowstone National Park?

A small freshwater fish without color or eyes against a black background.

Planet Earth

The Evolution of this Eyeless Fish Helps us Pinpoint When Caves Started to Form

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Simply Impossible

Discover the best visual illusion of 2010, crafted with simple materials like cardboard and glue. A must-see illusion!

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Carl Zimmer

Frequent Volcano Eruptions Can Wipe Out Plant Species, But Also Help Them Evolve and Thrive

Fish Pee Like Us to Regulate Their Bodily Fluids – They Also Poop and Fart

Cats May Eat Grass to Clear Hairballs, Like Unclogging a Drain

The Great Barrier Reef Experiences Largest Annual Decline in Nearly 40 Years

Slingshot Tongues of Chameleons and Salamanders Could Transform Tech in Medicine and Space

At Almost 500 Feet Below the Water, Experts Heard the Sounds of the Elusive Beaked Whale

Sharks Began Roaming the Oceans 400 Million Years Ago as Deep-Sea Bottom-Dwellers

This Adorable Bumpy Snailfish Is One of Three New Species Discovered in the Deep-Sea

Fossils of Extinct Coelacanths Faced a Case of Mistaken Identity for Over a Century

Ghost Sharks Grow Retractable Teeth Out of Their Forehead – Not to Eat, But to Mate

Rodents' Oddly Humanlike Thumbnails Have Let Them Feast on Nuts Since Ancient Times

New Species Identified On Antarctic Seafloor that was Once Covered By a Massive Ice Sheet

Rainbow Shrimp Vision Is the Most Powerful of Any Animal on Earth, But We Don’t Know Why

Are Animals Like Mountain Lions and Bears Leaving Yellowstone National Park?

The Evolution of this Eyeless Fish Helps us Pinpoint When Caves Started to Form

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

SubscribeTo The Magazine