In a mesmerizing video, a researcher explains the math behind what seems like magic — photographs in which the view is obscured by things like chain-link fences and reflections become free of clutter with just a few clicks.

Researchers at MIT and Google have created an algorithm that uses multiple images taken from different angles to separate foreground obstacles from the subject that's in the background — anything from your favorite view or a sign in a window on a bright day.

We don't entirely understand how they do this, and there's no word yet on when the software might reach consumers, but it's a pretty neat trick. Check it out:

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