Pareidolia on Mars: Human-like rocks stir curiosity anew
NASA regularly publishes photos of Mars taken by robots exploring the Red Planet and uncovering unusual rock formations. Among the more intriguing discoveries is a doughnut-shaped rock that might have originated outside Mars. Even more fascinating is a striped rock identified by the Perseverance rover at the edge of the Jezero Crater. However, The latest discovery is a rock resembling a human face.
Martian formations often inspire humorous interpretations. Some people, captivated by the photos, see shapes resembling bones, doors, and avocados. Recently, NASA released a photo of a rock that online users voted "Photo of the Week" (September 22–28, 2024). Some believe the rock resembles a human head or Bigfoot. Although visually fascinating, this rock holds no significant scientific importance.
Shapes that aren't there
The phenomenon where people perceive familiar shapes where none exist is known as pareidolia. It's a natural reaction of our brain, which evolved to detect patterns. As Carl Sagan explains in his book The Demon-Haunted World, the capacity to recognize potential threats, like a snake in the grass, was vital for survival.
Dr. Jess Taubert from the University of Queensland offers similar insights. In an interview with IFL Science, she emphasizes that "our brain is constantly trying to make sense of the outside world. One way the brain accomplishes this goal is by detecting and learning patterns, which are essentially statistical regularities in the environment, because these patterns help the brain decide how to react or behave in order to survive."
According to Carl Sagan, swiftly identifying threats—even when there were none—enhanced the chances of survival. Recognizing a pattern, even a false one, could save a life. This explains why some people perceive human faces or other familiar shapes in Martian rocks, even if they're just tricks of shadows and human imagination.
We can view these unusual photos from Mars thanks to the Perseverance rover. It's one of the most technologically advanced research tools ever sent to Mars. The rover's mission began in 2020 and has provided valuable data about the Red Planet. Weighing over 1,000 kilograms, Perseverance was developed to search for signs of ancient life, study the planet's geology, and collect samples of rocks and regolith. It comes equipped with a modern set of analytical instruments, including spectrometers, high-resolution cameras, and lasers designed to analyze the chemical composition of rocks.
