***Click the link first, look at the image and then read the post*** So apparently they have a contest for visual illusions and this is the one that won the third prize. I found it quite surprising (and alarming!) that after all the years that the human mind has evolved, it can be fooled so easily, especially when it comes to sex (though the face used is androgynous).
Kiran http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com/2009/the-illusion-of-sex/ The illusion of sex Richard Russell Harvard University, USA In the Illusion of Sex, two faces are perceived as male and female. However, both faces are actually versions of the same androgynous face. One face was created by increasing the contrast of the androgynous face, while the other face was created by decreasing the contrast. The face with more contrast is perceived as female, while the face with less contrast is perceived as male. The Illusion of Sex demonstrates that contrast is an important cue for perceiving the sex of a face, with greater contrast appearing feminine, and lesser contrast appearing masculine.
