www.nationalgeographic.com Open in urlscan Pro
18.66.102.6  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content

 * Login
 * 
 * Newsletters
 * Subscribe
 * Menu



>
mexico


Depending on where you're from, you might see a man, a rabbit, or a pair of
hands in the full moon.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VALERY HACHE, AFP/GETTY


WHY DO PEOPLE SEE FACES IN THE MOON?

Our brains are hard-wired to find meaningful images in random lines and
shapes—even if those figures are on the moon.

ByNadia Drake
April 12, 2014
•5 min read
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 



For as long as humans have lived on Earth, the moon has been our nearest
celestial companion, and a rich natural canvas for the human imagination. When
the Earth passes between the moon and the sun early on April 15, resulting in a
total lunar eclipse, darkness will cover the craters and mountains in which
humans, for millennia, have spotted faces and figures.

In Western cultures, perhaps the most familiar vision is "the man in the moon."
In East Asian cultures, moon-gazers might point to a rabbit; in India, a pair of
hands. From ancient times to the modern era, from different spots on the globe,
a tree, a woman, and a toad have all been found hiding in the moon's shining
face.

PHOTOGRAPH BY VALERY HACHE, AFP/GETTY





"When you first look at the moon, you pretty much see light areas and dark
areas, and some are more gray than others," said planetary geologist Cassandra
Runyon of the College of Charleston, in South Carolina. "The lighter areas are
the mountains, often referred to as the highlands. The dark areas are
volcanic—the mare, which is Latin for 'seas.'"



In the contours and colors of the lunar surface, people can find meaningful
figures for the same reason that we "see" the face of Elvis in a potato chip or
Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich. It's just the way our brains work.



"The brain is really a predictive organ," said Nouchine Hadjikhani, a
neuroscientist at Harvard University. "We try to find sense in the noise all the
time, and we fill things with information."



The phenomenon of seeing faces where there are none is a form of
information-filling called pareidolia. It's something all humans do.



Looking for Meaning





Joel Voss, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University, Chicago, is
studying how our brains help us ascribe meaning to otherwise random assortments
of shapes and lines. In studies, he has presented research participants with
computer-generated squiggly lines—meaningless shapes derived from triangles or
circles—and asked subjects whether the shapes resemble something meaningful.



"About half end up being meaningful, on average," Voss said.



Voss used fMRI—a neuroimaging procedure that measures brain activity by tracking
changes in blood flow—to study the brain regions activated when a person sees
the squiggles. He found that the same areas involved in processing actual,
meaningful images lit up when the squiggles were viewed.



"To your visual system, there's no difference between a picture of a frog and
some weird collection of dots and lines you've never seen before that vaguely
resembles a frog," Voss said. "Your brain is very happy to treat those things as
the same thing."

Brain Wiring and Storytelling



Why do our brains do this? In The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in
the Dark, astronomer Carl Sagan offered a possible explanation. Perhaps
recognizing faces, even in vague shapes, was evolutionarily advantageous, Sagan
suggested: "Those infants who a million years ago were unable to recognize a
face smiled back less, were less likely to win the hearts of their parents, and
less likely to prosper," he wrote.



Voss proposes another explanation. Think of the human brain as a flexible,
all-purpose machine meant to succeed in whatever random environment it inhabits.
To triumph in strange places, Voss says, the brain must be able to quickly
process unfamiliar visual stimuli—like new shapes and lines—and figure out
what's worth paying attention to. Seeing faces and figures is merely a
consequence of the brain's tendency to match stored information with new
stimuli.



"Although we see the world as this very structured, object-containing
environment, it's really just a bunch of random lines and shapes and colors," he
said. "The reason why it's so easy to see meaningful things in nonsense shapes
is that those nonsense shapes have a lot of the same features as meaningful
things."





In scientific terms, what a moon-gazer sees may come down to brain wiring. But
through the ages, what civilizations perceived in the moon's face took on
greater significance, in the preservation of cultures, origin stories, and
beliefs.



"The night sky is one of the greatest storytelling panoramas," said Adrienne
Mayor, a science historian at Stanford University in California who studies how
ancient cultures interpreted data and derived meaning from the natural world.

"Things in the natural world are the hints and clues for the story," Mayor said.
"When you see the moon, you remember the story you heard when you were a kid and
you pass it on."

1:38



RELATED TOPICS

 * HUMANS
 * MOON
 * BRAIN
 * PEOPLE AND CULTURE
 * SPACE


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

SCIENCE


WHY GO BACK TO THE MOON? NASA’S ARTEMIS PROGRAM HAS EVEN BIGGER AMBITIONS

SCIENCE


HUNDREDS OF TINY ARACHNIDS ARE LIKELY ON YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW

ANIMALS


DO BATS TAKE FLIGHT DURING A SOLAR ECLIPSE? HERE’S WHAT WE LEARNED.

SCIENCE


CAN POSITIVE THINKING PROLONG YOUR LIFE? SCIENCE SAYS YES

HISTORY & CULTURE


WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHY HUMANS STARTED DRINKING COW'S MILK












GO FURTHER




ANIMALS

 * 
   California brown pelicans are starving to death—despite plenty to eat
    * Animals
   
   California brown pelicans are starving to death—despite plenty to eat
 * 
   The world's largest fish are vanishing without a trace
    * Animals
   
   The world's largest fish are vanishing without a trace
 * 
   This is how we can share our coasts with sharks
    * Animals
   
   This is how we can share our coasts with sharks
 * 
   We finally know how cockroaches conquered the world
    * Animals
   
   We finally know how cockroaches conquered the world
 * 
   Why America's 4,000 native bees need their day in the sun
    * Animals
   
   Why America's 4,000 native bees need their day in the sun
 * 
   Crowdsourcing an anti-poaching movement in South Africa
    * Paid Content
   
   Crowdsourcing an anti-poaching movement in South Africa


ENVIRONMENT

 * 
   2024 hurricane season forecasted to be record-breaking year
    * Environment
   
   2024 hurricane season forecasted to be record-breaking year
 * 
   Connecting a new generation with South Africa’s iconic species
    * Paid Content
   
   Connecting a new generation with South Africa’s iconic species
 * 
   These images will help you see coral reefs in a whole new way
    * Photography
    * Proof
   
   These images will help you see coral reefs in a whole new way
 * 
   What rising temps in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlife
    * Environment
   
   What rising temps in the Gulf of Maine mean for wildlife
 * 
   He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?
    * Environment
    * Perpetual Planet
   
   He’s called ‘omacha,’ a dolphin that transforms into a man. Why?
 * 
   Are chili peppers getting less spicy?
    * Environment
   
   Are chili peppers getting less spicy?


HISTORY & CULTURE

 * 
   I wrote this article with a 18th century quill. I recommend it.
    * History & Culture
   
   I wrote this article with a 18th century quill. I recommend it.
 * 
   Why this Bronze Age village became known as ‘Britain’s Pompeii’
    * History Magazine
   
   Why this Bronze Age village became known as ‘Britain’s Pompeii’
 * 
   These modern soldiers put Bronze Age armor to the test
    * History & Culture
   
   These modern soldiers put Bronze Age armor to the test
 * 
   Should couples normalize sleeping in separate beds?
    * History & Culture
   
   Should couples normalize sleeping in separate beds?
 * 
   They were rock stars of paleontology—and their feud was legendary
    * History & Culture
   
   They were rock stars of paleontology—and their feud was legendary
 * 
   The surprisingly subversive history of mini golf
    * History & Culture
   
   The surprisingly subversive history of mini golf


SCIENCE

 * 
   Epidurals may do more than relieve pain—they could save lives
    * Science
    * Mind, Body, Wonder
   
   Epidurals may do more than relieve pain—they could save lives
 * 
   Do adaptogens like ginseng combat stress?
    * Science
    * Mind, Body, Wonder
   
   Do adaptogens like ginseng combat stress?
 * 
   Why the world's oldest sport is still one of the best exercises
    * Science
    * Mind, Body, Wonder
   
   Why the world's oldest sport is still one of the best exercises
 * 
   Check these surprising places for skin cancer
    * Science
   
   Check these surprising places for skin cancer
 * 
   What if aliens exist—but they're just hiding from us?
    * Science
   
   What if aliens exist—but they're just hiding from us?
 * 
   Does the perfect workout really exist?
    * Science
   
   Does the perfect workout really exist?


TRAVEL

 * 
   This less crowded ancient temple in Laos rivals Angkor Wat
    * Travel
    * World Heritage
   
   This less crowded ancient temple in Laos rivals Angkor Wat
 * 
   Why you should do your next island trip by kayak
    * Travel
   
   Why you should do your next island trip by kayak
 * 
   This is the Phuket you don't know
    * Travel
   
   This is the Phuket you don't know
 * 
   Visit Rotterdam as it transforms itself into a floating city
    * Travel
   
   Visit Rotterdam as it transforms itself into a floating city
 * 
   How to get off the beaten track in Northern Lanzarote
    * Travel
   
   How to get off the beaten track in Northern Lanzarote
 * 
   5 ways to use saffron
    * Travel
   
   5 ways to use saffron


THE BEST OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Sign up for more inspiring photos, stories, and special offers from National
Geographic.
Sign Up

LEGAL

 * Terms of Use
 * Privacy Policy
 * Interest-Based Ads
 * EU Privacy Rights
 * Cookie Policy
 * Manage Privacy Preferences

OUR SITES

 * Nat Geo Home
 * Attend a Live Event
 * Book a Trip
 * Buy Maps
 * Inspire Your Kids
 * Shop Nat Geo
 * Visit the D.C. Museum
 * Watch TV
 * Learn About Our Impact
 * Support Our Mission
 * Masthead
 * Press Room
 * Advertise With Us

JOIN US

 * Subscribe
 * Customer Service
 * Renew Subscription
 * Manage Your Subscription
 * Work at Nat Geo
 * Sign Up for Our Newsletters
 * Contribute to Protect the Planet

FOLLOW US

National Geographic InstagramNational Geographic FacebookNational Geographic
TwitterNational Geographic YoutubeNational Geographic LinkedinNational
Geographic TiktokNational Geographic Reddit
United States (Change)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2024 National
Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved


YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS

We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique
IDs in cookies to process personal data. We work with 835 partners. You may
accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object
where legitimate interest is used, or at any time through the “Manage Privacy
Preferences” link on each page. These choices will be signaled to our partners
and will not affect browsing data. For additional information, please visit our
Cookie Policy.


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO:

Store and/or access information on a device. Precise geolocation data, and
identification through device scanning. Personalised advertising and content,
advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept
Show Purposes
Continue without Accepting


PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER

We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the
delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our
website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent and
legitimate interest. You may exercise your right to consent or object to a
legitimate interest, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in
the link under each purpose. These choices will be signaled to our vendors
participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
More information
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

TECHNICALLY NECESSARY

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for our services to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in, accessing, searching, or discovering content, or
filling in forms. You can set your browser to block, or alert you about, these
cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.

PERFORMANCE & ANALYTICS

Always Active

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.

FUNCTIONAL

Always Active

These cookies are used by us to detect or remember choices you make to customise
your experience, such as language, location or other settings. Disabling these
cookies may impact performance.

TARGETING & ADVERTISING COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies may be set through our site by us and/or by our advertising
partners. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant advertising on this and on other sites. They may not store directly
personal information, but instead may be based on uniquely identifying your
browser and internet device. You can choose to allow these cookies or to opt out
at any time.

SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to
the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They
are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a
profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on
other websites you visit.    If you do not allow these cookies you may not be
able to use or see these sharing tools.

STORE AND/OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON A DEVICE 671 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Store and/or access information on a device

Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers,
randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other
information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported
technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each
time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes
presented here.

List of Partners (vendors)‎ | View Illustrations 

PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA, AND IDENTIFICATION THROUGH DEVICE SCANNING 315
PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Precise geolocation data, and identification through device scanning

 * USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA 256 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500
   metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.

 * ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION 123 PARTNERS CAN USE
   THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might
   be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the
   installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the
   purposes explained in this notice.

List of Partners (vendors)‎

PERSONALISED ADVERTISING AND CONTENT, ADVERTISING AND CONTENT MEASUREMENT,
AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SERVICES DEVELOPMENT 795 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement,
audience research and services development

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT ADVERTISING 606 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data,
   such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your
   device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for
   example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * CREATE PROFILES FOR PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 492 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit,
   content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about
   you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and
   other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and
   personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present
   advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by
   this and other entities.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 487 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising
   profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites
   or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests
   and personal aspects.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * CREATE PROFILES TO PERSONALISE CONTENT 216 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you
   submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with
   other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service
   or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible
   interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to
   present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests,
   such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is
   even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT 189 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content
   personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other
   services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible
   interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the
   order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to
   find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE 706 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you
   interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for
   you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For
   instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led
   you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to
   understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE 355 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact
   with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g.
   reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance,
   whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a
   product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you
   visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of
   (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES THROUGH STATISTICS OR COMBINATIONS OF DATA FROM
   DIFFERENT SOURCES 449 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user
   profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your
   interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising)
   content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which
   target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain
   contents).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SERVICES 531 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction
   with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and
   to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of
   audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or
   improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT CONTENT 121 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such
   as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device
   type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example,
   to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

List of Partners (vendors)‎

SPECIAL PURPOSES & FEATURES

Always Active

 * ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT AND DETECT FRAUD, AND FIX ERRORS 502 PARTNERS CAN
   USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly
   fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots),
   and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be
   used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may
   encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with
   them.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * DELIVER AND PRESENT ADVERTISING AND CONTENT 494 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to
   ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to
   facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * MATCH AND COMBINE DATA FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES 354 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined
   with other information relating to you and originating from various sources
   (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a
   loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the
   purposes explained in this notice.

 * LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES 325 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be
   considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your
   household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both
   your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet
   connection on both devices).

 * IDENTIFY DEVICES BASED ON INFORMATION TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY 480 PARTNERS
   CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label label
   
   Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it
   automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address
   of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support
   of the purposes exposed in this notice.

List of Partners (vendors)‎
Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Reject All Confirm My Choices