Optical illusions

[NoParty]

Let's have someone (with better Photoshopping or AI skills than I), do a similar one,
but using fraudster Charles Ponzi instead of a car: A Ponzi Ponzo!

 

[John J.]

A Ponzi Ponzo!

(I didn't quote the first part of the sentence, not claiming to have any Photoshopping or AI skills )

 

[Trailblazer]

Yeah, I guess so. I'm not articulating my feelings about the picture very well. It illustrates the Ponzi illusion, but as a facsimile of a real-world scene it isn't believable (although not physically impossible- different scale models of an otherwise visually identical car could be made).

But as @Mendel says, it shows how unreliable estimates of size are when we are dealing with objects at unknown distances. It also (to me at least) clearly shows that the cause of the "Moon illusion" is simply the Ponzo illusion and not any of the other outlandish explanations that have been advanced over the years.

 

[FatPhil]

But as @Mendel says, it shows how unreliable estimates of size are when we are dealing with objects at unknown distances. It also (to me at least) clearly shows that the cause of the "Moon illusion" is simply the Ponzo illusion and not any of the other outlandish explanations that have been advanced over the years.

So you're saying "the object lower in field of view seems smaller relative to a flat surface" is an explanation for an object appearing larger when lower in the field of view and viewed across a nearly flat surface?

 

[Trailblazer]

So you're saying "the object lower in field of view seems smaller relative to a flat surface" is an explanation for an object appearing larger when lower in the field of view and viewed across a nearly flat surface?

No, I was saying "Our brains see objects as being larger when they appear to be at a distance in a 3D scene".
The theory being that if the moon is high up in the sky, it is visually quite unrelated to our mental map of objects on the ground - it's just a "light in the sky". But if it is close to the horizon it becomes part of that 3D scene of known objects - trees, houses, street lights, etc.

Unfortunately for my theory, the illusion doesn't really seem to work in a picture.

 

[jon_eir]

@Trailblazer @FatPhil
Am I missing something or are you guys looking for an explanation of a different real world illusion

Heres the my take again on the story your mind tell you that's leads to the moons apparent apparent larger size at the horizon
On the left the blue circles are clouds over head and closer to you.
On the right the blue circles are clouds at the horizon and fair away from you.
Without reference your mind thinks they are the same size
This leads the orange dot (Moon) on the right to appear bigger in your mind.

In fairness this is only one likely explanation and requires the present of clouds

This likely explains why the illusion above didn't work the above post

Unfortunately for my theory, the illusion doesn't really seem to work in a picture.

Is there a better real world example you could give of the illusion you are looking to explain?