Book 7, Question 22
Why Do Clouds Sometimes Look Like Animals?
When you see a cloud shaped like a dragon, your brain is doing something clever. Brains love finding faces and animals in random shapes. This is called pareidolia.
More fun facts
- Your brain can decide something might be a face in just a few milliseconds.
- Even after your brain knows it isn't a real face, it keeps studying the face's expression, Australian scientists found.
- People in one study were more likely to see imaginary faces as male than female.
- Scientists study these brain mistakes to learn more about how the brain works.
- Some people even see a face in pictures of space taken by NASA telescopes.
Sources: BBC, Science News Explores, NASA
Questions kids ask
What is it called when you see shapes in clouds?
Pareidolia. It is when your brain finds familiar shapes, like faces or animals, in random things.
Why can't I stop seeing a face once I spot it?
Your brain keeps studying it like a real face, even after it knows it isn't one.