A “mermaid” optical illusion is causing a stir online after almost nobody is able to see a mermaid, instead of seeing different kinds of animals.
The optical illusion itself is a purple line drawing on top of a multi-coloured background. The caption of the image reads: “If you’re right-brained, you’ll see a fish. If you’re left-brained, you’ll see a mermaid.”
But, rather than going viral for revealing which side of our brains are allegedly dominant, the post has instead gone viral for looking completely different from a fish or mermaid.
People have revealed seeing either a donkey or a seal, and celebrities including David Baddiel, Jonathan Ross and J.K. Rowling have weighed in with their views.
Twitter
Comedian David Baddiel posted the image on Twitter and wrote: “Yes obviously it’s a donkey. Obviously.”
But, it would appear fellow comedian Jonathan Ross disagreed, replying: “It’s a plump seal lying in its back. YOU’RE a donkey.”
It\u2019s a plump seal lying in its back. YOU\u2019RE a donkey.— Jonathan Ross (@Jonathan Ross) 1647729157
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Actress Amanda Abbington concurred with Ross, posting that she saw a seal.
It\u2019s a seal.pic.twitter.com/OReES5yl2J— Amanda Abbington (@Amanda Abbington) 1647711937
Author Rowling said she saw a donkey in the line figure. While some disagreed on whether it is a donkey or a seal, one thing everyone agreed on was that it is not a mermaid or fish.
It's a donkey, though.pic.twitter.com/a60ccFCQ2G— J.K. Rowling (@J.K. Rowling) 1647706719
One person wrote: “If you see a mermaid, you haven’t seen many women in your life.”
Someone else questioned: "How can anyone see a fish or mermaid???"
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