Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with acrobat and bouncing ball
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with bear reaching for honey
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with two figures on a seesaw
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with figure climbing a ladder and eaten by a lamp
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with monkey wearing a hat
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century thaumatrope with boy riding a rocking horse
Thaumatrope from the 1830s, animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century magic lantern slide with bat flapping its wings
Magic lantern slides, animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century zoetrope with man opening a door to a demon
Zoetrope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century praxinoscope with six scenes
Praxinoscope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century phenakistoscope with jumping zebra and swinging monkey
Phenakistoscope c.1833, animated to create an illusion of motion.
Bridgeman Arts
Animated 19th century praxinoscope with six scenes
Praxinoscope animated to create an illusion of motion.
Steve Spangler Science
Disappearing Money - Sick Science! #049
Bring a little magic into the classroom. Fill a cup with water, place a plate underneath it, and watch a coin disappear. This is a great way to kick off a discussion involving the behavior of light and the concepts of reflection and...
Curated OER
Color Mixing Wheel
Two scientific concepts can be taught with this activity. First, the mixing of primary colors is demonstrated. As the color wheel spins, red, yellow, and blue are no longer visible; secondary colors orange, purple, and green appear in...
Curated OER
Disappearing Money
Bring a little magic into the classroom. Fill a cup with water, place a plate underneath it, and watch a coin disappear. This is a great way to kick off a discussion involving the behavior of light and the concepts of reflection and...
Steve Spangler Science
Color Mixing Wheel - Sick Science! #019
Two scientific concepts can be taught with this activity. First, the mixing of primary colors is demonstrated. As the color wheel spins, red, yellow, and blue are no longer visible; secondary colors orange, purple, and green appear in...
Steve Spangler Science
Mysterious Appearing Colors - Sick Science! #050
Experiment with light and color using the activity from this film. Learners can make their own spinning discs to demonstrate the principles. This is a hands on way to explore color and optical illusion. As an added bonus, your scientists...
TED-Ed
The Moon Illusion
Does the moon change size? It sure looks like it! Two optical illusions are suggested as an explanation: Ebbinghaus and Ponzo. However, there are problems with both of these. Convergence micropsia may answer the question, but many...
Crash Course
Crash Course Film History #1: Movies Are Magic
This video focuses on how early movies were made using the phi phenomenon, an illusion of motion created when still pictures were viewed quickly. The history of still pictures began with the camera obscura, Daguerreotype, Eastman's...
Science Friday Initiative
Science Friday: Enter an Optical Illusion
Gravity doesn't behave as expected in a new art exhibition in New York City. [5 mins. 40 secs.]