物体の形状や模様が“人間の顔”のように見えてくる──。専門用語で「顔パレイドリア」と呼ばれるこの現象のメカニズムについて、シドニー大学の研究チームが論文を発表した。研究結果によると人間の脳は、どうやら本物の顔とほぼ同じ方法で顔パレイドリアを処理しているようなのだ。
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Ore You Going To Eat That?
Baby Starfish by A. Jarrett (cc by-nc-nd)Today in Weird Science!: A handy guide to the rocks and minerals of Minecraft, teensy little cannibals who eat their own siblings for their own survival, and hot, hot, sweaty manikins.(Hey, it’s Weird Science th…
Emojis aren’t debasing language – they’re enriching it | Benjamin Weissman
With a new set about to be released, it’s time to consider how these little symbols enhance the way we communicateThroughout history, writing systems have reflected available technologies. Ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform featured triangles and lines bec…
World’s Strongest Glass That’s As Hard As Diamond Discovered
Hmmmmmm shares a report from The Independent: Scientists in China have developed the hardest and strongest glassy material known so far that can scratch diamond crystals with ease. The researchers, including those from Yanshan University in China, note…
4th person in US mysteriously stricken with deadly bacteria from South Asia
Cases have been identified in Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, and Georgia.
US settles with Trump admin whistleblower who exposed botched COVID response
Rick Bright warned US wasn’t ready for COVID. He was demoted and Trump called him a “creep.”
Court says Florida can’t block cruise line from requiring vaccines
Ruling finds Florida’s law unconstitutional twice over.
With a single photo, SpaceX sent a not-so-subtle message to FAA regulators
Holding back Starship means holding back this progress, Musk was saying.
Physicists discover new kind of tetraquark—the longest-lived yet found
The new particle has two charmed quarks, one up antiquark, and one down antiquark.
When a family meal means something else
Baby sea stars may look innocent and adorable, but they’re teensy little cannibals and eat their own siblings for their own survival, according to a new study. Two researchers discovered this behavior among baby Forbes’ sea stars (Asterias forbesi) by …