25 March 2022
Some things are not what they appear to be.
The photo at top is a rocky peak on the Swiss-Italian border at Splügen Pass but the streaming cloud makes it look like a volcano. Click here to see that it’s simply a mountain (on the horizon at top right) in Google Street View.
Can water tilt sideways? It appears so at this pond in Scotland.
And finally there is the experiential illusion of a “gravity hill.”
A gravity hill, often referred to as a mystery hill, is a spot in the road where the layout of surrounding land and landmarks creates an optical illusion, making a slight downhill slope appear to be an uphill slope.
Skeptics have put the hills to the test, using magnetic detectors and levels. All indications suggest the hills are just illusions.
There are three gravity hills in Pennsylvania. The most famous is in Bedford County.
There is also one in Pittsburgh … but do not visit when there is any traffic! Go on a quiet weekday. Stop. Look. Listen. Be careful.
(photos from Wikimedia Commons; click on the captions to see the originals)
