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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><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 1</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>6<sup><span style='color:#202020'>th</span></sup><span style='color:#202020'> 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 1</span>1<sup><span style='color:#202020'>th</span></sup><span style='color:#202020'>. <o:p></o:p></span></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 “3D Schröder Staircase</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>,” by Kokichi Sugihara<span style='color:#202020'>, </span>Japan<span style='color:#202020'>.<br><br><b>Second Prize </b>and a $2,000 award went to </span>“The Real Thing??” by Matt Pritchard, United Kingdom. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'><br><b>Third Prize</b> and a $1,000 award went to “Impossible grid typography,” by Daniël Maarleveld, The Netherlands. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'><br>If you enjoyed the spectacular illusions that competed in 20</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>20<span style='color:#202020'>, please make an end-of-year </span><a href="https://www.paypal.com/webapps/shoppingcart?flowlogging_id=d2461f180023b&mfid=1607894519576_d2461f180023b#/checkout/openButton">tax-deductible donation</a><span style='color:#202020'> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></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>