This is effectively a form of confirmation bias that has been evolutionarily hard-wired into our brains. The tendencies that make us so good at facial recognition cause us to look for details in patterns and structures and process them as faces. The result is that we see faces in smuges and rocks that are nothing like faces.
Ah yes, faces in clouds, signatures, the moon and mars… people see such images everywhere. Pattern recognition, analogous thought patters and imagination can all be good things when used properly. Too bad that there seems to be so many people that lose sight of reality when their mind make these leaps, requiring them to spend even more Imagination coming up with “creative” explanations instead of being able to distinguish what is real and what is coincidence.
Reminds me again of my favorite kooky guy, Dr. Richard C. Hoagland. The whole “face of Mars” thing was what really started him down the road to out-there astronomy/alien conspiracy stuff and he just really, really went down the rabbit hole from there…
J. PotterJuly 27, 2011 at 9:24 pm J. Potter(Quote)#
“he just really, really went down the rabbit hole from there…”
Yeah, ’tis sad. A moment of humility (“I was wrong.”), or a lifetime of doubling down.
Please note new image. Just to emphasize how humans see faces, I turned the Onaka “A” upside down and it STILL looks like a smiley face!
Paul PienieznyJuly 28, 2011 at 9:41 am Paul Pieniezny(Quote)#
G: Ah yes, faces in clouds, signatures, the moon and mars… people see such images everywhere. Pattern recognition, analogous thought patters and imagination can all be good things when used properly.
J.Potter:
Eh, I can only goof off so much at work.
Ah, so you’re still one of the “Slaves of Capitalism”.
J.PotterJuly 28, 2011 at 12:38 pm J.Potter(Quote)#
No excuses here. I am a slave of my own shortsighted, self-destructive decisions. I will liberate myself, and do my best to liberate fellow wage slaves.
I am available for speaking engagements at high schools and colleges … not that many students will listen, or that many parents / faculty will appreciate what I have to say!
Sef: Ah, so you’re still one of the “Slaves of Capitalism”.
J.Potter:
No excuses here. I am a slave of my own shortsighted, self-destructive decisions. I will liberate myself, and do my best to liberate fellow wage slaves.
I am available for speaking engagements at high schools and colleges … not that many students will listen, or that many parents / faculty will appreciate what I have to say!
LOL, I take this as a sign of humor, not frustration. I suggest adding add’l smilies from throughout history.
🙂
This is effectively a form of confirmation bias that has been evolutionarily hard-wired into our brains. The tendencies that make us so good at facial recognition cause us to look for details in patterns and structures and process them as faces. The result is that we see faces in smuges and rocks that are nothing like faces.
LOL! (both ironically and literally).
Ah yes, faces in clouds, signatures, the moon and mars… people see such images everywhere. Pattern recognition, analogous thought patters and imagination can all be good things when used properly. Too bad that there seems to be so many people that lose sight of reality when their mind make these leaps, requiring them to spend even more Imagination coming up with “creative” explanations instead of being able to distinguish what is real and what is coincidence.
Reminds me again of my favorite kooky guy, Dr. Richard C. Hoagland. The whole “face of Mars” thing was what really started him down the road to out-there astronomy/alien conspiracy stuff and he just really, really went down the rabbit hole from there…
“he just really, really went down the rabbit hole from there…”
Yeah, ’tis sad. A moment of humility (“I was wrong.”), or a lifetime of doubling down.
Mars was born in Kenya.
I miss Art Bell. Any chance he can be coaxed out of retirement to cover the 2012 elections?
Proof Obama was really born on Mars?
Please note new image. Just to emphasize how humans see faces, I turned the Onaka “A” upside down and it STILL looks like a smiley face!
For once, playing amateur theatre helped me here (guess what part I got!):
http://website.lineone.net/~m.p/sf/hamlet.html
FORGED!!!
Am I the only one who can see the ruins of Dr. Manhattan’s crystal palace in the picture of the Martian smiley?
They’re EVERYWHERE! And they’re all LAUGHING at ME!!!!
http://www.californiaskywatch.com/documents/htmldocs/skywritten_smiley_face.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/triborough/3103775826/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4902734.stm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081202-venus-jupiter-photo.html
http://ulocal.wptz.com/_Natural-Smiley-Face/photo/9134703/62976.html
http://ulocal.kmbc.com/_Smiley-Face-Tomato/photo/9978471/62690.html?b=
http://ulocal.wmur.com/_Natures-Smiley-Face-Fall-Sunflower-with-Bees/photo/11186632/63455.html
http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=117885
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72119805/100-natural-wooden-smiley-face-teether
http://www.smiley-faces.org/wallpaper/smiley-face-wallpaper-014.jpg
and lastly, one general face-spotting pic-post thread…
http://www.thewomenwarriors.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=814&sid=f860619633d62b44b76b1f925c370677
And one last note on pattern recognition / anthromorphic projection…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9538059.stm
What, no crop circles?
ANNEALED!!!
Eh, I can only goof off so much at work.
Ah, so you’re still one of the “Slaves of Capitalism”.
No excuses here. I am a slave of my own shortsighted, self-destructive decisions. I will liberate myself, and do my best to liberate fellow wage slaves.
I am available for speaking engagements at high schools and colleges … not that many students will listen, or that many parents / faculty will appreciate what I have to say!
May the force be with you.
BLOGFLOW!
Darn it, blew it again.
BRAISED!!!
JUGGED!!!
And yet another