Is the toaster winking at you? Or the sink giving a cheeky grin?
It turns out you might not be seeing things. New research suggests our brains are hard wired to look for human faces in inanimate objects.
This ability to detect features such as eyes in windows and noses in doors even has a medical name – pareidolia – with one of the earliest and best-known examples being the Man in the Moon.
Once considered a potential symptom of a psychiatric disorder, it is now considered to be simply an error of perception.
Rapid facial recognition has always been vital to our survival
Prof David Alais,
University of Sydney
According to researchers at the University of Sydney, this is the result of the evolution of the parts of our brain that specialise in detecting and processing faces.
“Faces are detected incredibly fast,” said lead researcher Prof David Alais.
Our brains, he said, use “a kind of template-matching procedure, so if it sees an object that appears to have two eyes above a nose above a mouth, then it goes, ‘Oh I’m seeing a face.’”
Rapid facial recognition has always been vital to our survival, Prof Alais said. “You need to recognise who it is – is it family, is it a friend or foe, what are their intentions and emotions?”
That means accuracy is sometimes sacrificed for speed. “It’s a bit fast and loose and sometimes it makes mistakes, so something that resembles a face will often trigger this template match.”
At one end of the scale is seeing animals and objects formed by the shapes of clouds.
At the other is the "Hitler House" in Swansea, Wales, whose slanted roof over one window and moustache-like lintel over the front door led to comparisons with the face of the Nazi leader.
The phenomenon is also attributed to the famous “face on Mars” in a rock formation on the Red Planet and even a grilled cheese sandwich that fetched Dh46,700 ($28,000) in an online auction in 2004 because it was claimed to resemble a portrait of the Virgin Mary.
To test their theory, the Australian researchers showed subjects a sequence of real and pareidolia faces.
They were also asked to judge each image on a scale between happy and angry, finding that the expressions on inanimate objects produced the same reaction as did real faces.
The reason is that it is the same part of the brain processing all the images, Prof Alais said.
“You are somehow unable to totally turn off that face response and emotion response and see it as an object. It remains simultaneously an object and a face.”
The research has a practical side for the development of artificial intelligence and the treatment of disorders suchas prosopagnosia, or facial blindness, whose sufferers cannot even recognise family or friends.
As long as you do not tell that to the plate of two fried eggs and a sausage before you devour them for breakfast.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
SPECS
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QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
