If your eyes haven’t fully adjusted to waking up in a new year just yet, then you might want to avoid this clever optical illusion.
This old image of a tree which cunningly disguises the faces of ten former world leaders has resurfaced on the internet in recent days. The optical illusion contains the hidden visages of past heads of state, although exactly who they are is a matter of dispute.
Many claim to see former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the image, although others believe the tree is made up of figureheads from Indian politics.
It has been suggested that the puzzler dates from the 1880s, when it featured in Harper’s Illustrated, making its inclusion of leaders who weren’t around until 100 year later particularly prescient.
Whatever the truth around its origin, the tree is still a good test of the workings of your brain.
There are ten faces hidden in the image (although some people claim to see 11) above – can you spot them? The answers are in the second image below.
The hidden faces in this optical illusion challenge the viewer to look beyond the obvious and see the unexpected. It’s a testament to the power of perception and the way our minds can be tricked by visual cues.
This resurfacing of the famous “tree of faces” image serves as a reminder that even in the digital age, timeless puzzles and optical illusions can still captivate and delight us. It’s a fun way to exercise our powers of observation and critical thinking, making it a popular shared experience for internet users everywhere.