Do you see a face? You're actually hallucinating - Susan G. Wardle
412,623 Views
2,335 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.
Explain why we see faces in objects and what this reveals about the human brain.
Sign in to answer questionAbout 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
