Can you tell which road is the odd one out?
The illusion, named A Turn in the Road, was developed by researchers at Rice University in Texas, and came third in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest back in 2024.
Created by doctoral student Kimberley D. Orsten and psychology professor James R. Pomerantz, it is designed to confuse your mind – and only those with high IQ can work it out.
In front of you you’ll see three roads – you might think all three of them are different, but apparently only one is – can you work out which one it is?
Kimberley explained how the illusion works: “When we look at two pictures that are physically the same, they usually look the same. When they are different, they look different.
“Our illusions show the opposite: two images that are different but look the same – those are called ‘metamers’; – and two images that are identical but look different – we call those ‘anti-metamers.'”
The illusion you see in front of you mixes two images which are ‘metamers’, meaning they are identical but look different to us, due to the way our brains can misinterpret information, and ‘anti-metamers’, which are different but look the same to us. It’s “an illusion we call ‘false pop out’,” according to Kimberley.
Those with great observational skills will be able to tell which road is actually different from the others – but it will take a lot of concentration.
So try to banish all other thoughts from your mind and look at the image, before trying to decide which road is the odd one out.
The way the roads are lined up, they might all look different, but two are actually identical. This is because of the way they are lined up, and the answer becomes much clearer when you move them. You can see how in the video below.
The road which is different is actually the one in the middle. When the road on the left is moved to the right side, you can see it’s identical to the one on the right.
Brainteasers are a great way to test the mind and can be done in a quiet moment on a commute or in a waiting room.
They can also be calming activities used to challenge yourself. They are popular for families and children and people who want to keep their mind active as they get older.
The games could also have long-term health benefits by helping to keep the brain healthier for longer.
They stimulate cognitive ability and create bursts of intense focus, reinforcing the bond between cells to improve brain health and memory.
The healthier your brain, the less likely you might be to develop neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Doing brainteasers is not guaranteed to reduce your risk of developing degenerative conditions, but they could help keep the brain in better shape.
