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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>The <a href="http://illusionoftheyear.com/">Best Illusion of the Year Contest</a>, hosted by the <a href="http://illusionoftheyear.com/about-the-contest/about-the-ncs-2/">Neural Correlate Society</a>, is now an annual online event, in which anybody with an internet connection (that means YOU!) can <b>vote to pick the Top 3 Winners from the current Top 10 List. </b> <o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>Ten novel illusions, submitted from six different countries, and selected by an international <a href="http://illusionoftheyear.com/about-the-contest/judges/">judge panel</a> from dozens of entries, will compete for first, second, and third placement on June 29<sup>th</sup>-30<sup>th</sup>. The final rankings will be decided by worldwide online voting.<o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>The winning illusions will receive a $3,000 award for 1<sup>st</sup> place, a $2,000 award for 2<sup>nd</sup> place, and a $1,000 award for 3<sup>rd</sup> place.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><o:p> </o:p></strong></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>Worldwide voting will take place on the Best Illusion of the Year Contest <a href="http://illusionoftheyear.com">website</a>, <b>from 4pm EST June 29<sup>th</sup> to 4pm EST June 30<sup>th</sup></b>. <o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b>The Top 10 finalist illusions</b>, listed below, will be publicly revealed at that time! <o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Jose-Manuel Alonso: “<i>Lights and Darks in Vision</i>.” State University of New York, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Peter Brugger and Rebekka Meier: “<i>A New Illusion At Your Elbow</i>.” University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Vebjørn Ekroll, Bilge Sayim, Ruth Van der Hallen and Johan Wagemans: “<i>The Shrunken Finger Illusion</i>.” University of Leuven, Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Mathew T. Harrison and Gideon P. Caplovitz: “<i>Motion Integration Unleashed: New Tricks for an Old Dog</i>.” University of Nevada Reno, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Arthur G. Shapiro: “<i>Remote Controls</i>.” American University, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Mike Pickard and Gurpreet Singh: “<i>The Dalesmen Singers Illusion</i>.” Sunderland University, UK<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Kokichi Sugihara: “<i>Ambiguous Cylinder Illusion</i>.” Meiji University, Japan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Christine Veras: “<i>Silhouette Zoetrope</i>.” Nanyang Technological University, Singapore<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Mark Vergeer, Stuart Anstis and Rob van Lier: “<i>Caught Inside a Bubble</i>.” University of Leuven, Belgium, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and UC San Diego, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Sylvia Wenmackers: “Millusion.” University of Leuven, Belgium </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>--------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Physiology & Pharmacology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Empire Innovator Scholar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Director, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>State University of New York (SUNY)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Downstate Medical Center<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Email: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="mailto:smart@neuralcorrelate.com"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue'>smart@neuralcorrelate.com</span></a></span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Phone: +1 718-270-4520<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com/"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue'>http://smc.neuralcorrelate.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>