ILLUSIONS IN THE NEWS

The Tumblr Page That Flooded the Internet (click to enlarge)

Being both journalists and magicians we are delighted when we find a true news peg for a story about an illusion. If you're not already familiar with the phenomenon known as "The Dress," we better warn you - you won't believe your lying eyes.

It began with the Tumblr post you see here, posted by a Scottish singer and guitarist named Caitlin McNeill. The 21-year old was playing for a wedding on the island of Colonsay and she was being driven crazy by the lack of consensus over the color of the wedding dress worn by the bride's mother.

Was it white and gold? Or was it blue and black?

Her post, asking for opinions, got 500 likes within half an hour and by the end of the week had been viewed more than 28-million times. White and gold was winning handily on both Tumblr and Buzzfeed.

The New York Times, ever the newspaper of record, ran the story complete with celebrity reactions and a surprising, yet authoritative, conclusion: 

Everyone, it seems, had an opinion. And everyone was convinced that he, or she, was right. 

“I don’t understand this odd dress debate and I feel like it’s a trick somehow,” Taylor Swift wrote on Twitter. “PS it’s OBVIOUSLY BLUE AND BLACK.” 

“IT’S A BLUE AND BLACK DRESS!” wrote Mindy Kaling. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME,” she continued, including an unprintable modifier for emphasis. 

Celebrity couples were torn asunder by the controversy. “I see white & gold,” wrote Kim Kardashian West. “Kanye sees black and blue, who is color blind?” 

Politicians were eager to stake out their positions. “I know three things,” wrote Senator Christopher Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, on Twitter. “1) the ACA works; 2) climate change is real; 3) that dress is gold and white.” 

Sorry, senator. The dress, as we all now know, is blue and black. It goes for 50 pounds at Roman Originals, a British retailer.

The Times then ran a second story with a detailed scientific explanation of the nuptial illusion.

                     An extract from the Times' science page




If you enjoy wandering in this garden of illusion, we refer you to the following related posts:

ILLUSIONS OF THE YEAR
OPEN AIR LEVITATION
NO-BRAINERS
MAGIC & MCGURK
DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS
ILLUSION/REALITY REDUX




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