ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aesthetic illusion

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen those really cool drawings that look like they're moving or popping out at you even though they're just on a flat piece of paper? That's called an aesthetic illusion!

An illusion is when something looks like it's one thing but it's actually something else. Aesthetic means it has to do with the way it looks, like when you say someone's clothes are pretty or a picture is beautiful.

So, with aesthetic illusions, the things that we're looking at seem like they're doing something that they actually aren't. Our eyes and brain can play tricks on us, and that's what makes these illusions so cool to look at!

Sometimes these illusions can be funny, like when a picture makes it look like someone has a really tiny head or really long arms. Other times they can be more abstract and artsy, like when a piece of artwork makes it look like it's moving or changing shape.

Basically, aesthetic illusions are just things that look like they're doing something they're not, and they can be really fun to look at and try to figure out how they work!