Mermaid or fish? People bewildered by optical illusion

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The internet has been left befuddled by a viral optical illusion that claims to identify whether you are “right-brained” or “left-brained” depending on whether you see a fish or a mermaid, as most people see a donkey or a seal instead. According to one photo of the illusion circulating on social media, people who see a fish are “right-brained,” while “left-brained” individuals are those who will see a mermaid in the lines. At all.” The hundreds of responses agreeing with Rowling prompted one person to acknowledge that many more people see a donkey or a seal than a fish or a mermaid in the illusion. “And if you did the same for 1,000 mathematicians and artists, it’s unlikely that any clear pattern of difference in brain structure would emerge.” While the university acknowledges that more studies need to be conducted to determine the accuracy of the left/right brain concept, it notes that the authors of a recent study concluded that the notion of some people “being more left-brained or right-brained is more a figure of speech than an anatomically accurate description” after finding no evidence to support the theory when looking at the brain scans of more than 1,000 people between the ages of seven and 29.