This optical illusion is very similar to the shadowed tiles illusion by Beau Lotto. It just proves that what we ‘see’ can be very different from our perceptual reality. Check out the What Am I? page (and click on the interactive image at the bottom of the page) to get a little more insight as to how this is relevant to our every day lives.

Squares A and B are exactly the same shade of gray!

The squares marked A and B are exactly the same shade of gray, and yet they ‘look’ different.

And here's the proof!

By joining the squares marked A and B with two vertical stripes of the same shade of gray, it becomes apparent that both squares are the same.

If the above is not convincing enough why not cut it up in a graphics package, or print it out and cut out the squares. For a more detailed explanation of how this illusion works you can visit the authors website.

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