To See Is To Believe" is a truth that most people abide by, but there may be exceptions to the rule! Organized by the Department of Psychology and the Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, NTU's Azalea Festival "Illusion Show" will be on exhibit for a full month in the Multifunction Room of the Main Library starting from March 17^th.

  To See Is To Believe" is a truth that most people abide by, but there may be exceptions to the rule! The Azalea Festival "Illusion Show", organized by the Psychology Department and the Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, will be put on exhibit starting from March 17th for a full month in the Multifunction Room of the Main Library. Items on display include: "The Inclined House", "The Inverted World", " The Disappearing Trick", "Whose Hand Is This?", "Light Rays,""The Disappearing Dancer", "Mirage in the Mist", "The Multi-colored Snake,""The Slanted Chinese Characters," etc., plus various types of interactive teaching that combine illusion and science. The spectators will be led into a world of illusion full of fun, science, and artistry.

  As Dr. Su-ling Yeh, Professor of Psychology and chief organizer of the Illusion Show points out, illusion is a phenomenon created by mistaking external objects for something else. For example, in Chart 1, the two vertical bold lines are actually of the same length. In Chart 2, the two vertical sections are actually identical. And in Chart 3, the left side and the right side of the staircase cannot actually coexist (is the little square on the lower right side on the staircase or under the staircase?) As opposed to hallucinations which are "images created out of nothing," illusions are universal to mankind, and can not be avoided by simply knowing that they are illusions. Therefore, even when told about what the realities are, people will still think that in Chart 1 the left vertical line is longer, in Chart 2 the left vertical area is lighter in color, and in Chart 3 after repeated perusals one still has no idea why it is so paradoxical.

  Illusions are not only fun in nature, they can be combined with science and art, and through an interactive method lead the spectators into a wonderful world of senses. In fact, many scientific studies about illusion stem from strong curiosity induced by illusions. Scientists want to know how the brain actually works to allow people to perceive the outer world. Many research papers on the topic have already been published in top-notch scientific journals such as "Science" and "Nature."

  In addition, art works created several hundred years ago contained elements of illusion. And a contemporary painter like Dali is known for his work which blends illusion into his creations. Therefore, when someone says "This painting is very Daliesque", he implies that the painting not only is very modern, it also contains effects that are both real and illusionary. The two illusion shows created by Professor Shintsuke Shimojo in two Japanese museums were collaborations with Japanese artist Tanaka Noriyuke. Features of the two shows include high quality visual beauty that meet the requirements of artistry.

  Professor Wanjiun Liao was the first female professor employed by the Department of Electrical Engineering since its founding. Professor Liao's major research interest has to do with the design and analyses of communication network protocol to support multimedia applications. Her research findings were enlisted as standards for international communications protocol. She had also won many distinguished honors in the past, including NTU's Excellence in Teaching Award (2000), Li Kuo-ting Youth Research Award (2003), NTU's Fu Ssu-nien Award(2005), The Outstanding Electrical Engineering Professor Award from the Chinese Association of Electrical Engineers (2006). She was one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Women of the Republic of China in 2000."