Impossibly Linked Ambiguous Rings

Dr. Donald E. Simanek is responsible for the creation of these two illusions. From his site the following info gives us limited insight into who he is.

Title: Professor of Physics at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven, PA, 17745. (1964-1998)

Highest degree: Ph.D. in physics from The Pennsylvania State University (1983).

Interests: Optics, history of science, the science/pseudoscience interface, 3d photography, teaching critical thinking; physics laboratory instruction and physics demonstrations, skepticism; visual illusions, Meccano and Erector designs.

Ambiguous Ring, © Donald E. Simanek, 1996

Below Dr. Simanek modified his Ambiguous Ring above into a truly interesting illusion. This is a more complicated piece that allows the mind to get stuck in unraveling it.


Impossibly linked ambiguous rings. © 2004 by Donald Simanek.

This being a new creation he and his readers are still puzzling over the naming of this illusion. Read his comments about this new creation from his site below.

Finally [Dec, 2004], this illusion evolves into something more interesting. Here two ambiguous rings are ambiguously linked. All of these illustrations are available in higher-resolution versions on request. Readers have suggested several names or captions for it: "the interconnectedness of everything," "a new atomic theory," "tying mental knots," "super-colliding synchronous orbitals," "illusory quantum entanglement," (I like that one.) and "virtual unreality."