Impossible triangles

Exploring some ways to create the illusion of an impossible triangle.

Impossible triangle (helix):

tato_713's "Penrose triangle like figure"

Impossible triangle (tilted planes):

[michaeldeierhoi]

I could never have imagined such a detailed analysis of this optical illusion not could I have guessed the interesting 3-D alternative to the Penrose triangle at 2:40. Thanks for this different look at it.

[TheInvisibleCactusYT]

This is one of the best real life impossible triangles I’ve ever seen
Absolutely amazing content as always!

[sylphofspace]

Fun fact: an extremely similar version of this shape, which uses perspective to make it look impossible, can be seen in the title screen of Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS of all things! It was made to show off the capabilities of the handheld's 3D slider functionality. With the slider off, the shape appears to be impossible, but with the slider on, the player can see where the cut is made using depth made possible by 3D.

[shaun]

One of the most underrated science communication channels out there.

[Rubrickety]

That's a really nice implementation. I hadn't seen it before; is it original? 

I like the fact that, even after you know the construction, the shot at 4:08 where you move your finger between two "adjacent" faces is quite startling.

[PeterBarnes]

I feel like some kind of compromise between tato's curved version and your edge-cheat version might be interesting, with the curves allowing the edges to have much less cheating, while the edge-cheating allows the curvature to be much more subtle. That and making it optimized for one particular perspective might yield results more resilient to lighting, though perhaps not as convincing as this. Of course, I don't have the brain power to visualize what I'm talking about, so perhaps this doesn't amount to much of an idea.

[StickySli]

This can totally be a museum's art piece. Brilliant!

[danielstatler]

Great content. Nothing is more wholesome than someone making a project about something they want to talk about without any need for reward other than the entertainment of the viewer.

Got me through 5 minutes of physical pain 👍

[AmaroqStarwind]

When you revealed which face was distorted at 3:07, I was actually thinking it was at the top corner because the lighting seemed a bit off there.

[ultraali]

This is brilliant. Thank you for making this video about Impossible triangles!

[dylanparker]

Nicely done. I must confess that my favourite design was the one seen at 2:51. It felt like the most elegant, but utility must come first.

[cmelonwheels]

1:39 I know I've found a good video when I have to stop halfway through to go find myself some props
I actually tried to build one of these as a kid, after seeing it in a children's museum with a caption saying something like "This is impossible to build in real life, so if you make one, we'd love to see it!" It kind of worked, but the craft foam and tape I was using wasn't the most suitable material.... I seem to recall there was some kind of hidden mobius-loop-esque twist at the back

[VagabondTE]

Excellent job. I was trying to find the line and I didn't even get close.

[StruckDuck]

Incredible video and beautifully explained! These illusions remind me that perspective is everything! If you are faced with a seemingly impossible problem, try changing your perspective and you’ll be surprised how many different solutions you can find!

[fe]

Great lesson in geometry and photography at the same time.

[veggiedragon]

I knew the trick beforehand, but this was still interesting! My university had a large, metal sculpture that worked similarly to this, though a slightly different design.

[trevise]

Was fully expecting after "so this model is cheating somehow" for you to say "Well, actually this model is completely accurate to the design" and then go on to explain how you broke the universe

[KiemPlant]

I always drew these ones at school. Every test had my signature penrose triangle on it lol.

[qv]

I was sure there is a cut at the top peak to the left.. You can see a line there. The ending got me off guard. Good jib.

[gusty]

the best version of this triangle ive seen was from the videogame antichamber. it actualy spun around so it was almost perfect with only a barely noticable curvatute on the faces since the corners and lines were still very straight. looking at it from the side revealed that none of thr angles were actually right angles and the shape was overall compressed