Does this ham look blurry to you? Bizarre shopping snap becomes first optical illusion meme of 2017

The optical illusion is the latest picture to confuse internet users
People are struggling to decide whether the ham is blurry or clear
The ham is sliced so thin that it is semi-translucent, giving the illusion it is blurry

Published: 12:26 EST, 6 January 2017 | Updated: 13:08 EST, 6 January 2017

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At first glance, it appears to be a blurry picture of sliced ham.

But the latest optical illusion to hit the web has stumped viewers because, although the deli meat looks fuzzy, the wood grain table and plastic container are clear as day.

In fact, the image wasn't shot out of focus, but the meat is sliced so thin that it is semi-translucent - giving the illusion that the ham is blurry.

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At first glance, it appears to be a blurry picture of sliced ham. But the latest optical illusion to hit the web has stumped viewers because although the deli meat looks fuzzy, the wood grain table and plastic container are clear as day

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

Optical illusions arrange a series of patterns, images and colors or play with the way an object is lit in order to trick our brains into thinking something is there – when it is not.

When light hits our retina, it takes about one-tenth of a second for our brain to translate that signal into perception, reports Discovery News.

Evolutionary neurobiologist Mark Changizi says this neural delay makes our brains generate images of what it thinks the world will look like in one-tenth of a second.

This image is being called the ‘first optical illusion of 2017' and it was posted on Reddit by MelvinDickpictweet, reports New York Magazine.

And for viewers who may doubt the authenticity of the ham, Melvin also shared a video of the deli meat in the Reddit thread.

‘Proof for all those who doubted the realness of the ham,’ Melvin shared on Reddit.'

‘And no, it's not prosciutto, it's Coburger ham.

'Dutch, you know. And therefore wafer thin.'

To provide the public with even more proof, Melvin pulls the top slice up to show that the stack of meat sitting on the table is real.

But as he noted, the ham is so thin that he struggles to grab a piece of the first slice.

Some Reddit users who commented on the thread said looking at the image actually gave them motion sickness.

Another optical illusion shared on the web in October, also had people struggling to figure out what they were seeing.

A picture of a pair of legs stumped the internet as many couldn’t decide if the girl’s legs were covered in streaks of pain or in oil.

The image wasn't shot out of focus, but the slices of ham are semi-translucent layers giving the illusion that the stack is blurry. This image is being called the ‘first optical illusion of 2017' and it was posted on Reddit by MelvinDickpictweet

Twitter user @msbreeezyyy shared the mind-boggling image, which was originally posted by Instagram user @leonardhoespams five weeks ago, and it quickly went viral, amassing over 5,000 retweets and comments by baffled users.

Whilst many users were quick to point out that the legs were shiny or plastic, others corrected them by pointing out that the legs are actually covered in white paint marks.

Indeed, on closer inspection, it becomes obvious that there's several streaks of paint running down the thighs, as well as on the knees.

Can you see it move? On each green square intersection is a white or pink shape, which looks a bit like a plus sign. This is what apparently helps to create the waving effect

Can you see what is wrong with this pair of legs? A bizarre optical illusion divided social media in Oct. with many struggling to spot what the problem with these limbs is - are they covered in paint or oil?

Instagram user @leonardhoespams, who originally posted the snap, confirmed that it was in fact paint on her legs.

The most recent optical illusion went viral on Tuesday, which appears to show hikers flying across a beach.

The walkers were filming their stroll on the sand in Schiermonnikoog, The Netherlands, when high winds struck.

Have you spotted it yet? I looks like the third woman from the left is missing her legs. Kacie1989 from Reddit suggested: 'I actually think the first girl has [her] legs draped OVER the second girl's legs'