Sunday, March 18, 2012

Super-recognizer

You guys... I think I'm a super-recognizer. It turns out that tonight, a mere two days after posting my last blog-post (in which I discuss my super ability to recognize faces), "60 minutes" did a segment about face-blindness (some crazy condition where your brain doesn't let you recognize faces, even when they belong to people you see everyday - you know, like your own children).

But they have also posted online a video clip about a lady who is a "super-recognizer" - someone who has way-better-than-average face recognition. In the video clip they test her ability by showing her pictures of famous people when they were super young and you guys, I aced this test. I mean aced it. According to Dr. Ashok Jansari, some neuroscientist in London, only 2% of the population have this ability! So then I went and took other online tests in which they cut and paste features from one person's face to create 6 different faces and ask you to rank the faces in order of resemblance to the original face.... and I aced that one! And I mean without even a second of hesitation.

So... I realize random and pointless face recognition might not be the most practical super-ability. Forget telekinesis! Forget invisibility! Forget being able to leap a building with a single bound! I can recognize the face of the person who sold me deodorant 3 months ago!!!!

Anyway, still feels special to think I might be better than 98% of you at something :)

5 comments:

  1. it's so cool that i have a friend with a super power.

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    1. And if it weren't for you I wouldn't have found out about it! :)

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  2. Woah! I'm probably not a super recognizer, but I'm really glad I don't have face blindness. That would suck so hard.

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  3. Ha! I just realized I am one too. I contacted some researchers and they gave me a couple of questionnaires to fill out and they are forwarding my info to Harvard researchers now. They also think I have something called mirror-touch synethesia, which is basically empathy gone amok! Lol! I didn't even know it had a name. Anyway, I feel the same way you do. I want a special badge or something. I think we deserve it. :)

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  4. Thanks imaNYgirl for reading. I'm gonna check out this "mirror-touch synethesia" now! :)

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