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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'>Voters around the globe chose the Best Illusions of the Year from the Top 10 Finalists competing in the 15<sup>th</sup> edition of <a href="https://illusionoftheyear.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31742f75c7d96397d9dee170b&id=318af74924&e=7e260e6cae" target="_blank"><span style='color:#007C89'>Best Illusion of the Year Contest</span></a> (hosted by the Neural Correlate Society and supported by the Museum of Mind). The TOP 3 winning illusions were revealed on Friday, December 13<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'><br><b>First Prize </b>and a $3,000 award went to Frank Force, USA, for his “Dual Axis Illusion,” in which a spinning shape appears to defy logic by rotating around both the horizontal and vertical axis.<br><br><b>Second Prize </b>and a $2,000 award went to Haruaki Fukuda, Japan, for his “Change the Color” illusion, in which scrolling dots change their apparent color depending on how viewers interpret their motion.<br><br><b>Third Prize</b> and a $1,000 award went to Ryan E.B. Mruczek and Gideon Paul Caplovitz, USA, for their “Rotating Circles Illusion,” in which a rotating circle appears to change its trajectory depending on the visual context.<br><br>If you enjoyed the spectacular illusions that competed in 2019, please make an end-of-year <a href="https://illusionoftheyear.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=31742f75c7d96397d9dee170b&id=f0eab2cc16&e=7e260e6cae" target="_blank"><span style='color:#007C89'>tax-deductible donation</span></a> to the Best Illusion of the year Contest. We rely on your help to continue to share the wonders of illusion with people of all ages and backgrounds, all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'>On behalf of the Executive Board of the Neural Correlate Society:<br>Jose-Manuel Alonso, Stephen Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Luis Martinez, Xoana Troncoso, Peter Tse</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>----------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Author, <a href="x-msg://2/championsofillusionbook.com">Champions of Illusion</a> and <a href="https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.proofpoint.com%2Fv2%2Furl%3Fu%3Dhttp-3A__www.sleightsofmind.com_%26d%3DDwMFAg%26c%3DslrrB7dE8n7gBJbeO0g-IQ%26r%3Dg2Yp4_ao3SNvpe_N-aKotUCw6Uk5ZCFaHS4yfmcUC-E%26m%3DDXCSOfrVF8RiRxxw222LzMlWLE4w8bjHlyBdQlqW200%26s%3DaQcZQB18cQC5Y4VSmK5FveDMw6uaM1M0c4k-USm-F3M%26e%3D&data=02%7C01%7CSusana.Martinez-Conde%40downstate.edu%7C4ff6b6d84e27499b34c008d75c80fbf9%7C22670793760f482993153e427c362e69%7C0%7C0%7C637079581374295223&sdata=F4vAf25dt%2Bt3qUndttBZhmVY6kQswHANcGtY%2FdNxDUo%3D&reserved=0">Sleights of Mind</a><br>Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2014 <i>Society for Neuroscience</i>’s Science Educator Award<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2014 Empire Innovator Scholar <br>State University of New York (SUNY)<br>Downstate Health Sciences University<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA<br>Email: <a href="mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com" target="_blank">smart@neuralcorrelate.com</a><br>Phone: <a href="tel:%2B1%20718-270-4520" target="_blank">+1 718-270-4520</a><br><a href="https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.proofpoint.com%2Fv2%2Furl%3Fu%3Dhttp-3A__smc.neuralcorrelate.com%26d%3DDwMFAg%26c%3DslrrB7dE8n7gBJbeO0g-IQ%26r%3Dg2Yp4_ao3SNvpe_N-aKotUCw6Uk5ZCFaHS4yfmcUC-E%26m%3DDXCSOfrVF8RiRxxw222LzMlWLE4w8bjHlyBdQlqW200%26s%3DKATdyZA41wbtJjQw0aQ-muILTCtWazvhDIkKlt_7RFc%26e%3D&data=02%7C01%7CSusana.Martinez-Conde%40downstate.edu%7C4ff6b6d84e27499b34c008d75c80fbf9%7C22670793760f482993153e427c362e69%7C0%7C0%7C637079581374295223&sdata=kUseYHHgKR%2B6fvIACCmFFUChup93nVdjjHp1Jqum3KM%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank">http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>