Waving Angled Lines Optical Illusion

Are the lines in this optical illusion straight?

See Another Random Optical Illusion

Scroll down for the answer and explanation.

The lines are straight and perfectly parallel of course.

This is a version of Zöllner's angled lines optical illusion. The effect can be even more pronounced if the illusion is angled at about 45 degrees.

Explanation

The exact explanation for this optical illusion differs depending upon who you ask. Zöllner believed that the brain is more apt to see lines converging or diverging than to really examine a drawing to determine that the lines are actually parallel.

Another researcher, Hering, believes that the optical illusion is due to the curvature of the retina and the resulting differences. We believe it is more due to the fact that the brain is constantly trying to create an actual 3D world out of the patterns of lines and the visual clues are misinterpreted.

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