This rotating brain baffler has got heads spinning

Over on Reddit’s, r/loadingicon forum, a creator named u/Niko22966 shared a clip of a loop they’d made.

It’s not quite a straightforward optical illusion, because Niko has manipulated the shapes to change at two points, but it still gave people’s brains a workout.

Oh my god my brain is really working to try to solve this one.
thebiggestbirdboi

Seriously impressive, my brain can’t sort this one out.
skengshapiro

Omg it’s brilliant, but it drives me nuts.
E_Farseer

It got a lot more of the attention it deserved when it turned up on Twitter.

Oh this is MELTING MY BRAIN

by Niko22966 pic.twitter.com/02H7LSiDCQ

— Gavin Buckingham (@DrGBuckingham) July 2, 2022

It got almost a million views in two days, and picked up comments that prove it was just as baffling to most tweeters as Redditors.

It’s early Monday morning in Japan, I really didn’t need to see this 😅 https://t.co/FjiMBzdH4e

— Dylan (@dylancuthbert) July 3, 2022

This is pretty cool. Nothing quite like animating something Escher would have drawn. https://t.co/g082YvBQRq

— Gregorio Naçu (@gregnacu) July 4, 2022

asleep in 3…2… https://t.co/LdX1v19Xnq

— ＬＡＵＲＥＮ (@noondlyt) July 4, 2022

It's like a Möbius strip, but with a 3D strip in a 4D space. That's why the 3D representation is distorted with time (the cubes change shape)

— Dupletor (@Dupletor) July 3, 2022

Similar illusion: pic.twitter.com/ZxnLoThZKK

— Bit (@Bit111111) July 3, 2022

The wonderful Jim Al-Khalili brought his impeccable scientific thinking to the table.

This is fun. Not only does each block change shape twice a cycle but if you follow the surface facing the centre on one block you’ll see it switch position as it goes round. https://t.co/GV11mXV92U

— Jim Al-Khalili (@jimalkhalili) July 3, 2022

If you’re interested, you can see just how Niko22966 made the loop here.

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Source u/Niko22966 Image Screengrab, Sammy-sander on Pixabay