A Hand In The Sky
Keywords: randomness, uncertainty, epistemology
A little over a year ago NASA released an interesting image of a nebula captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. What's interesting about this image is that it's a nice example of pareidolia. On first glance, this nebula looks remarkably like a human hand:
A little over a year ago NASA released an interesting image of a nebula captured by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. What's interesting about this image is that it's a nice example of pareidolia. On first glance, this nebula looks remarkably like a human hand:
What I find fascinating about this image is how much of the resemblance to a human hand evaporates when you examine it closely. Much of the distinguishing features of the hand are made up of very insubstantial mist, only giving the vague impression of the shape of a hand.
If you take the time to simply draw an outline around the clearest parts of the nebula, the illusion of a hand disappears altogether:
If you take the time to simply draw an outline around the clearest parts of the nebula, the illusion of a hand disappears altogether:
To me it now looks more like a hitchhiking moose hand puppet.
Take this as a cosmic reminder that you can easily see the illusion of a pattern in something that is essentially random.
Take this as a cosmic reminder that you can easily see the illusion of a pattern in something that is essentially random.
