It looks like a normal road at first glance, but a stretch of highway in the Los Angeles area is the site of an eerie phenomenon where cars appear to defy gravity. The mountainside road in Altadena, just north of Pasadena, is known as Gravity Hill. No one seems to be able to explain why vehicles on the road — which looks like it slopes downward — roll uphill. When seeing the phenomenon in action, it’s hard to wrap your head around the illusion, but there does appear to be an explanation. It’s actually a case of misleading angles and perspective, which highlight the limitations of our perception as humans. The illusion occurs because viewers have skewed perspective on the road. The area where the car rolls backward is on the crest of a hill where the road incline becomes less steep, just before it actually begins to slope down. For observers, the difference in inclines makes it look like cars have already passed the top of the hill, and the lack of a horizon or distant reference points completes the illusion. So, if you ever find yourself in Altadena and decide to take a drive on Gravity Hill, remember……your eyes are deceiving you.
