Weird Scaffolding Illusion

This impossible scaffolding sent in by Maria Percascu really looks weird. Can you solve the mystery behind this Escher-inspired construction? We didn’t have that much Escher art over the last few weeks, but this one really redeems that. Immediately I remembered our impossible dice triangle, and figured picture this real couldn’t be photoshopped. Then I took few seconds and studied it, and finally I believe I solved it. Thanks Maria, this is one of my favorite illusions for this month. Anyone shares my enthusiasm?

I noticed that our little community started loosing visitors lately. I urge you to help us, and spread the word of our little homepage. If you can, please link us and send a little traffic. Every visitor counts! Those of you who can send enough traffic, we’ll link you back through our posts and send some back. Don’t let this site die, considering effort we put into it each day :(

42 Replies to “Weird Scaffolding Illusion”

  1. the bar on the right is in the back and is connecting with the bar in the middle which is in the front but doesnt overlap the middle bar

  2. hell ya this websites sweet its a nice illusion

    wooo its also my birthday!

    and i guess i got first comment?

  3. its not an illusion u just took the pic at a certain angle that makes it look like an illusion nice job though but alot of ppl could do that
    p.s. first post?!

  4. wow thats really amazing!!!

    dont worry, broda, i’ll spread the news
    i dont get why people wouldnt want to look on this site anymore.
    its the cooliest

  5. OK, some of you might be able to figure it out but I can’t figure out why it’s impossible. Someone else comment to tell me?

    First Comment :P

  6. This is fairly simple to work out, there’s a far pole hidden exactly in line with the near pole, so the horisontal pole appears to connect the far pole to the near pole.

    Wow, how many times can you say the world pole in one sentance?

    – Bob

    1. i can say pole 12 times. I climbed up the pole while a pole was right next to me the other pole didnt look like a pole it looked like an odd pole so the pole said to the other pole why dont you look like a pole and the pole said im an irregular pole so no other poles look like me im a specail pole.

  7. WOW first commetn(i think) That is a cool pic, but its jsut the brain trying to make sense of it, an unable to do so

  8. My guess is that the lowest horizontal bar isn’t physically connected to do verical bar to the left. It is pretty neat.

  9. This is an awsome illusion. I think the poles may be turned so to make this illusion. Also I will tell all my friends about your website becuase it is so cool.

  10. Its quite obvious that the part which bars are the highest is just tilted so the bottom hooks to it from an angle and same for the other part to make it look impossible.

  11. Well, maybe I’m not looking at it right, but it seems to be pretty normal looking to me…

  12. I think this is simple…
    The bit of scaffolding that joins the front and back does exactly what it seems to. It simply goes at an angle from back to front. I am wondering whether this is too simple…

  13. Hmm that’s pretty clever. I don’t think all of the scaffold pipes are in fact connected. They’re just lined up really well. In my humble opinion anyways.

    Would love to be able to design as illusion of any kind! This site rocks!

  14. I think it’s genuine. I just think the angle of the photo obscures another pole behind the middle one which links to the pole on the right hand side.

    Nice effect and a good spot!

  15. First post? woot if it is! I never had one before.

    I think I solved this. The bars aren’t attached where we think they are. The camera is lined up at such an angle where it looks like everything is attached (impossibly), but they’re not.

  16. solved it in about 2 seconds, i guess you can get excited about this one, but it didn’t really get me going.

  17. very cleverly taken photograph, probs to the sender, also great site, im a regular visitor :D

  18. kk….for all you who say ” it can easily done on photoshop” you guys are to put it nicely not very bright. but it is just a really simple illusion using perspective easily replicated….but kudos to the photographer, the angle is perfect

  19. totally easy i figured it out in less then ten seconds but still this website is totally awesome!!!!

  20. Bathysphere told me it’s “losing” not “loosing.”

    And the picture is more than just the angle of the shot. It’s somebody noticing it and sending it in, instead of going, “oh, it’s not that cool.”

  21. wow, it’s soooooo simple, when the mind does not see all of the elements like the missing upright, (the one that is hidden by another upright)it (the mind) tries to recreate it’s own reality, which BTW is not always correct.

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