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The mathematics of sidewalk illusions - Fumiko Futamura

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TEDEd Animation

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Have you ever come across an oddly stretched image on the sidewalk, only to find that it looks remarkably realistic if you stand in exactly the right spot? These sidewalk illusions employ a technique called anamorphosis — a special case of perspective art where artists represent 3D views on 2D surfaces. So how is it done? Fumiko Futamura traces the history and mathematics of perspective.

WatchThink Dig Deeper Discuss
An anamorphism distorts perspective using the same mathematical principles used to create perspective drawings. How long did it take for artists to begin distorting perspective after the mathematical principles of perspective were discovered in the early 15th century?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Fumiko Futamura
  • Director Jeremiah Dickey
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen

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