Those are cool, but they're not optical illusions.

BAD PAUL. GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, NOT GRAVITY WAVES. GRAVITY WAVES ARE EVERYWHERE, GRAVITATIONAL WAVES ARE ONLY DETECTABLE BECAUSE OF THE INFLATIONARY PERIOD SHORTLY AFTER THE BIG BANG!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_wav…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitation…

Yes, I know, everyone else is getting this wrong all across the internet, but PLEASE Slog, you're better than this!!

People should read the globe article about the float in the parade. The details are interesting. They didn't crash the parade at all, but they also were muted in their message so they didn't create too many waves with the organizers.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03…

Huff post over sensationalized it.

Sorry I'm so grumpy, this is just symbolic of the scientific illiteracy of America, and a specific mistake which was predicted yesterday when people started guessing what the announcement today would be. Also, this doesn't help confirm the Big Bang Theory, it helps confirm relativity, and gives us insights which may allow us to understand the interactions between relativity and quantum mechanics.

I've never really cared for St. Patrick's Day. I'm of Irish ancestry (in part).

The characterizations are offensive.

Grotesque.

@1 at the least, they make one perceive 3d motion where there isn't.

It's an illusion.

Inflation. This is way way cool:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlfIVEy_YOA…

@6 Then every drawing with perspective less primitive than the Bayuex Tapestry is an optical illusion. @1 FTW.

I might give partial credit to the 6th gif. To me, the center looks like it's moving up relative to the outside layer, which would be paradoxical.

@8 Yes, most every drawing is an optical illusion. The idea of pencil sketching for example is to represent a three dimensional real object using just pencil strokes. A good sketch artist can create the illusion of perspective even though the drawing is completely flat. It's pretty cool.