Dear Illusion Enthusiasts, Voters around the globe chose the Best Illusions of the Year from the Top 10 Finalists competing in the 2024 edition of <https://illusionoftheyear.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31742f75c7d963 97d9dee170b&id=318af74924&e=7e260e6cae> Best Illusion of the Year Contest (hosted by the Neural Correlate Society and sponsored by the Museum of Illusions <https://www.museumofillusions.com/> ). The TOP 3 winning illusions were revealed on Wednesday, July 2nd. First Prize and a $3,000 award went to "The Static Spin" by Saleeta Qadir and Bernhard Egger, Germany. Second Prize and a $2,000 award went to "Dollusion" by Duška Milosavljević, Serbia. Third Prize and a $1,000 award went to "Tri-form Prism" by Hiroaki Hamanaka, Ryohei Miki, Kyota Yamamoto, Japan. If you enjoyed the spectacular illusions that competed in 2024, please consider making a tax-deductible donation <https://www.paypal.com/webapps/shoppingcart?flowlogging_id=d2461f180023b&mf id=1607894519576_d2461f180023b#/checkout/openButton> to the Best Illusion of the year Contest. We rely on your generous help to continue to share the wonders of illusion with people of all ages and backgrounds, all over the world. We are now accepting submissions for the 2025 edition of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest! We invite you to submit your mind-bending illusions through September 20, 2025. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of next year's top illusions and compete for international recognition and cash prizes. Contestants are invited to submit 1-minute YouTube videos featuring novel illusions (unpublished or published no earlier than 2024) of all sensory modalities (visual, auditory, etc.) and/or cognitive nature. Novel variants of known illusions are welcome. The content of the 1-minute video presenting your illusion is solely up to you, and the only requirement is that it wows all viewers! Some examples include, but are not limited to: * A slide presentation, or succession of images, with a voice over (and/or written text, if you prefer) * A video of yourself describing your illusion * A video animation/theatrical performance of your illusion An international panel of impartial judges will rate all the videos and narrow them down to the Top 10. Then, online voters around the world will choose their favorite illusions from the Top 10 finalists. The Top 3 winners will receive cash prizes: $3,000 USD for first place; $2,000 USD for second place, and $1,000 USD for third place. The Judge Panel will rate illusions according to: * Significance to our understanding of the human mind and brain * Simplicity of the description * Sheer beauty * Counterintuitive quality * Spectacularity Submissions will be held in strict confidence by the Judge Panel. Only the Top 10 illusions will be posted online, to allow worldwide voting. Participation in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest does not preclude you from also presenting or submitting your work for publication elsewhere. By participating in the Best Illusion of the Year Contest you agree to have your illusion posted on the Contest website, if selected among the Top 10, and included in press releases and other promotional materials/fundraising initiatives for the Contest. You (and your co-authors, if appropriate) will retain the full copyright of your illusion and receive full credit as illusion creator(s). Illusions submitted to previous editions of the contest can be re-submitted to the 2025 Contest, as long as they meet the above requirements and were not among the Top 10 finalists in previous years. You can send your 1-minute video to Susana Martinez-Conde via email ( <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> smart@neuralcorrelate.com) until September 20th, 2025. On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society: Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse ---------------------------------------------------------- Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD Author, Champions of Illusion <x-msg://2/championsofillusionbook.com> and Sleights of Mind Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA Email: smart@neuralcorrelate.com <mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com> Phone: +1 718-270-4520 <tel:%2B1%20718-270-4520> http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com