Is it an art gallery? A funhouse? A science exhibit? The answer is . . . yes!
Paradox Museum Miami in Florida looks a bit different from other museums. It might leave your head spinning—and not just with knowledge! This museum explores the art and science of illusions. It features over 70 exhibits. Each one is designed to challenge visitors’ perceptions.
Some of these exhibits might remind you of a carnival funhouse. The museum has a mirror maze, a spinning tunnel, and an upside-down room.
Seventeen-year-old Facundo Ildarraz is a tourist from Argentina. He and his family came to Miami on a cruise. They visited the museum.
“I’ve been laughing since I went inside,” says Facundo Ildarraz. “It’s really amazing.”
But there’s one big difference between the Paradox Museum and a carnival. Have you heard the phrase, “Magicians never reveal their secrets”? That’s not the case with Paradox Museum. Its displays explain the math and science of illusions.
Take the Ames room, for example. Standing inside the room won’t feel too strange. But step outside and look at the visitors within. In one corner, people look like giants. In the other corner, they look tiny! People seem to grow (or shrink!) as they walk across the room.
Brain hurting yet? Don’t worry. There’s a simple explanation. It’s all about the shape of the room. From outside, it looks normal. But it’s actually skewed. One end is farther from you. Designs on the wall help disguise this fact. It all works together to trick your eyes and brain.
Don’t live in Miami? There still might be a Paradox Museum near you. The Paradox Museum has over a dozen locations across the world. Each is a little different.
God designed a complex, well-ordered world. People like scientists study that careful order. The things they learn help others design amazing illusions. Even a funhouse mirror shows God’s design. He created light to move, reflect, and bounce off surfaces. Funhouse mirrors bend and twist it in crazy ways.
Have you ever thought about praising God for funhouse mirrors? Well, maybe you should!
For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. — Romans 1:20
