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Do you see a face? You're actually hallucinating - Susan G. Wardle

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TEDEd Animation

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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.

We know that rhesus monkeys and humans both see illusory faces in objects. Do you think any other species of animal might see illusory faces in objects and why or why not?

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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

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