Headtrip

Things aren't always what they seem. Human experience of the world is riddled with illusions, glitches, and other quirky phenomena. In Head Trip, PopSci explores the relationship between our brains, our senses, and the strange things that happen in between.

Latest in Headtrip

visual rabbit illusion

How does the visual rabbit illusion fool us so reliably? How does the visual rabbit illusion fool us so reliably?

The mystery of cats and their love of imaginary boxes

The mystery of cats and their love of imaginary boxes The mystery of cats and their love of imaginary boxes

When time slows down while you're looking at a clock

Why do clock hands seem to slow down? Why do clock hands seem to slow down?

colorful facial profiles of people saying BA BA BA and GA GA GA; illustration

Why what we see influences what we hear Why what we see influences what we hear

close-up of face with rainbow-colored clouds of scent reaching for nose

Is there such a thing as a smell illusion? Is there such a thing as a smell illusion?

multiple hands of various colors

Why our brains think fake hands are part of our bodies Why our brains think fake hands are part of our bodies

Why do people have recurring nightmares?

Why do people have recurring nightmares? Why do people have recurring nightmares?

By Shannon Liao

These auditory illusions make people hear phrases as melodies

These auditory illusions make people hear phrases as melodies These auditory illusions make people hear phrases as melodies

By Ben Macaulay

How pilots end up in a ‘death spiral’

How pilots end up in a ‘death spiral’ How pilots end up in a ‘death spiral’

By Julia Craven

A purple hand reaching to touch a green tongue of an orange person with their mouth open frowning because they're tasting something digsuting

Why food tastes wildly different to different people Why food tastes wildly different to different people

By Julia Craven

A young child hiding behind a stack of pancakes with syrup and fruit on a background of old polaroids

Why childhood memories of smells are so powerful and emotional Why childhood memories of smells are so powerful and emotional

By Julia Craven

Light reflecting sky into sand as water

The secret to mirages has surprisingly little to do with your brain The secret to mirages has surprisingly little to do with your brain

By Julia Craven

Colorful fans with depictions of various sounds within them

Why our brains hear words and songs in random noise Why our brains hear words and songs in random noise

By Julia Craven

A colorful moon with craters.

Why it’s hard to tell if moon craters are holes or bumps Why it’s hard to tell if moon craters are holes or bumps

By Julia Craven

Woman vomiting a pastel rainbow upwards on a pink background

Why you want to barf when you see something gross Why you want to barf when you see something gross

By Julia Craven

A woman expressing shock and brain tingling under sound waves of the Shepard Tone in red and pink

Why this cinematic sound trick makes your brain tingle and your skin crawl Why this cinematic sound trick makes your brain tingle and your skin crawl

By Alison Nastasi