Seeing patterns in randomness. That’s what pareidolia means. Our brains naturally search for patterns. That’s what makes us smart. Intelligence tests typically ask you to find patterns in things like shapes and numbers. 2, 43, 29, 6…what comes next? I don’t know because I just made those up by tapping the number pad, but many people could find some connection between those numbers. Are those people right or wrong? I didn’t intend any connection, but does that mean there isn’t one? Scientists frequently fall victim to pareidolia. It’s considered a cognitive bias. When looking at a huge table of data, it’s natural to see patterns. Superimpose it over another table and you’ll find even more. Read more…
Robbie is a blind dog.
But this column isn’t about Robbie. It’s about me. Or maybe it’s about you or someone you know.
They think that Robbie was 8 years old when he developed glaucoma. Nobody knew his age for certain because he was abandoned. Robbie became blind from the pressure and pain.
You could see it in his friendly red eyes.
