Pareidolia

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*This house [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371091/Hitler-house-Semi-Swansea-looks-eerily-like-Nazi-dictator.html looks like Hitler.] (although despite this being in the [[Daily Mail]] they don't comment on whether this moves the price up or down)
 
*This house [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371091/Hitler-house-Semi-Swansea-looks-eerily-like-Nazi-dictator.html looks like Hitler.] (although despite this being in the [[Daily Mail]] they don't comment on whether this moves the price up or down)
 
*This [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/rock-people-gallery/ collection of "rock people" around the world].
 
*This [http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/rock-people-gallery/ collection of "rock people" around the world].
 +
*The [http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/2012_logo_white_385x450.jpg London 2012 Olympic logo] has had at least two applied to it famously. A more light-hearted take on the jagged design suggest that it is Lisa Simpson performing [[fellatio]]<ref>[http://www.bigfatass.de/bfa/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/olympia-2012-logo.jpg What has been seen cannot be unseen...]</ref> while more seriously and (perhaps) more disturbingly, it has been claimed in parts of the Islamic world that the logo is evidence of a [[Zionist]] conspiracy.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/28/iran-london-olympics-logo-zion Guardian - Iran claims London 2012 Olympics logo spells the word 'Zion']</ref> In true [[conspiracy theorist]] fashion, this is because the numbers can be rearranged to spell [http://www.lawfulrebellion.org/wp-content/uploads/zion2012.jpg ZION] - although the fact that 2012 can be arranged in to "ZION" in ''any'' font hardly crosses their mind, there is evidence that people are seriously running with this.<ref><ref>[http://www.redicecreations.com/radio/2008/06jun/beijingzion.jpg Oh come on...]</ref>
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==

Revision as of 13:19, 21 July 2011

Pareidolia is the phenomenon of recognizing patterns, shapes, and familiar objects in a vague and sometimes random stimulus. This is seen often in inkblot tests, where random splatters of ink suggest different images to different people (look, it's a conspiracy, they're all deliberately made to look like vaginas!). It is thought that this is a side effect of the human brain needing to very quickly recognise certain objects such as human faces or bodies. Thus, anything vaguely resembling a familiar object will set off the same responses as the actual in an individual (clock faces in shops will be permanently at "ten past ten" because this is a happy face, and never at "twenty past eight" because this is a sad face).

It can also been seen when people see shapes in clouds. Although certain drugs will completely rob you of that ability.

Examples

Although pareidolia is most interesting when religious people see Jesus in a cheese toasty:

  • The Rorschach test, or the famous "inkblot" test asks people what they see in otherwise random blobs of ink.
  • The logo for the Ilfracombe Town Council met with criticism after people thought the stylised "i" looked a bit like a sperm.
  • David Beckham in some drying plaster.
  • While Penn & Teller were testing pareidolia on people, they found that someone managed to see Slash in a piece of magnified salami.
  • This house looks like Hitler. (although despite this being in the Daily Mail they don't comment on whether this moves the price up or down)
  • This collection of "rock people" around the world.
  • The London 2012 Olympic logo has had at least two applied to it famously. A more light-hearted take on the jagged design suggest that it is Lisa Simpson performing fellatio[1] while more seriously and (perhaps) more disturbingly, it has been claimed in parts of the Islamic world that the logo is evidence of a Zionist conspiracy.[2] In true conspiracy theorist fashion, this is because the numbers can be rearranged to spell ZION - although the fact that 2012 can be arranged in to "ZION" in any font hardly crosses their mind, there is evidence that people are seriously running with this.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

See also


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
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