Skip to main content

TED-Ed

What it means if you can see faces in objects - Susan G. Wardle

440,222 Views

3,103 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Imagine opening a bag of chips, only to find Santa Claus looking back at you. Or turning a corner to see a building smiling at you. Humans see faces in all kinds of mundane objects, but these faces aren’t real— they're illusions due to a phenomenon known as face pareidolia. So why exactly does this happen, and how far does this distortion go? Susan G. Wardle explores why we see illusory faces.

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.


About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

Educator
Susan G. Wardle
Director
Oksana Kurmaz
Narrator
Alexandra Panzer
Sound Designer
André Aires
Composer
André Aires
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Produced by
Abdallah Ewis, Anna Bechtol
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Editorial Producer
Dan Kwartler

More from How Things Work