Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marc Draco on December 1, 2011 at 5:35pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

This isn't news - just some idiot journalist who thinks they have found a new discovery, Chris.

It's a great subject and far more complex than what's described here. Faces in the moon - to constellations - this is all the same thing. You can even have auditory pareidolia where random (white noise) appears to deliver secret messages.

 

Give it a look - you'll find a wealth of interesting material on this fascinating subject, Chris.

Permalink Reply by David Raphael on December 2, 2011 at 5:00am

"You can even have auditory pareidolia "

There was recently a documentary about this on BBC radio. Interesting.

Our brains, when faced with gaps in information, are programmed to fill in the gaps with material based on previous experience or conditioning.

The brain is very easily tricked and there are many playful tests that can demonstrate this.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on December 2, 2011 at 6:38am

This is the sort of things they do on Ghost Hunters and other bullshit shows like that.  They scan HUGE samplings of random, electronic noise, speed the samples up ... slow them down.  The chance of finding a random burst of noise that sounds like human speech is very high, when our brain is struggling to find something vaguely recognizable and plaster over the cracks, the whole time.

Permalink Reply by Alice on December 2, 2011 at 4:45pm

that's really very interesting.... i knew roughly about that... but having a name is better...  i'm having this trouble with teaching my kids how to read.....  they sometimes just add in extra letters that aren't there.....  which is incredibly frustrating, but i can see that it's just because their brains don't have enough information.

Permalink Reply by Alice on December 1, 2011 at 5:37pm

narh - they love food, it's all about the bread and the wine.....  

Permalink Reply by Marc Draco on December 1, 2011 at 7:14pm

ROFLOL! ;-)

Doc Meaden did a story on this a while back, IIRC.

Permalink Reply by Dr. Terence Meaden on December 2, 2011 at 4:38am

If you have not seen it yet Chris, visit 

http://www.atheistnexus.org/group/originsuniverselifehumankindandda...

for an atheist viewpoint in this subject area. 

It went viral in August, starting with 12,000 hits in four days. 

Permalink Reply by Maruli Marulaki on December 2, 2011 at 3:26pm

There is some pattern to be seen anywhere with enough imagination.  I just discovered the cross on the back of the beetle, who is my avatar.....  

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on December 31, 2011 at 9:45am

Thanks - good article!