Lesson of the Day: ‘How to See Faces Everywhere’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘How to See Faces Everywhere’

This lesson is a part of our Accessible Activities feature, which aims to welcome a wider variety of learners to our site and to The Times in general. Learn more and tell us what you think here.


Featured Article: “How to See Faces Everywhere” by Malia Wollan

Have you ever seen an image of a face where there wasn’t one? Perhaps in a fire hydrant or a rock pile or a house? Believe it or not, this is a natural thing all humans do.

In this lesson, you will learn how and why people tend to see faces in everyday objects. Then, we invite you to experiment and try to find faces in your surroundings. What can we learn about human nature through this exercise?

Take a close look at the images below taken by George Etheredge, a photographer for The New York Times. What do they all have in common?

What you just experienced is called “face pareidolia.” Watch “Why Do We See Faces in Objects?,” a short video from the Science Channel, to learn more about this concept.

As you watch, answer these two questions:

Here are 10 words you’ll read in the featured article that you may be unfamiliar with. How many of them do you know?

1. attune (Note: You’ll see this word in the article as “superattuned,” which means to be very attuned.)
2. illusory
3. phenomenon
4. adaptive
5. moniker
6. aimless
7. gender
8. inanimate
9. visage
10. predominantly

Find out what they mean and practice using them with this list from Vocabulary.com.

Read the article here online, or in this PDF with the vocabulary words linked. Then answer the following questions:

1. The author writes that humans are “hypersocial” animals. Break down this word into its two parts: “hyper” and “social.” What do you think it means? What is one example from the article that shows that humans are “hypersocial”?

2. Why are humans wired to see faces, according to Susan Wardle, a scientist who studies face pareidolia?

3. What does Wardle say is the secret to seeing more “illusory faces” — or images of faces, even where there are none — in your everyday life?

4. The author writes, “Don’t be surprised if you find yourself gendering these inanimate-object visages as predominantly male.” In other words, people tend to think of the illusory faces they see as male instead of female. Why do you think that might be?

5. What part of the brain activates when we see faces in objects? Why, at first, might our brains think of these faces as threats?

The author ends by encouraging readers to “Let yourself delight” in the faces you might see in sandwiches, storm-drain covers, buildings and more.

So give it a try: Go out, look around and see how many images of faces you can find in everyday objects.

Remember Wardle’s advice: “Just stare out, not looking at anything in particular, and allow yourself to see patterns.”

You might even take a camera and photograph the faces you see. Put them together in a slide show or video, like the one you viewed in the warm-up activity, and share it with your classmates.

Then, reflect on the assignment with these questions:

  • How easy was it for you to spot faces in objects?

  • Did Wardle’s advice work for you? What else helped you see faces, even where there might not be any?

  • Did you, as the author suggested, find this exercise delightful? Why do you think that is? What did this assignment reveal to you about human nature?

  • What further questions do you have about face pareidolia?


Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.