Pareidolia Friday

[Roberta NJ CA]

I love this thread;   I suffer from the affliction, but  at the same time also realize that they're not actually REAL... which is why concretions (which unfortunately I have many) are my Nemesis!  

Roberta

[ynot]

I thought that Pareidolia meant something that looks like a real thing but was not.

None of these things look like anything but rocks (to Me). 

[Troodon]

Put this out on another post is but it's amazing what people see in rocks

 

 Saw this 4 figure listing, seller describes it as a petrified baby dinosaur skull with teeth, skin and brain matter coming out of the side of its mouth   looks like an alien head to me

 

[DPS Ammonite]

Here's a funny, possible TFF slogan, that I created and posted a few days ago: 

"Dammit pareidolia, we are paleontologists not psychiatrists."

 

Trekie fans might better appreciate it.

[Walt]

14 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Trekie fans might better appreciate it.

highly likely, captain

[Walt]

37 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Put this out on another post is but it's amazing what people see in rocks

 

 Saw this 4 figure listing, seller describes it as a petrified baby dinosaur skull with teeth, skin and brain matter coming out of the side of its mouth   looks like an alien head to me

 

I finally found this.... I can't believe the claims or the asking price.  But I did notice a 60 day money back refund if you are not completely satisfied....if you can find him. 

[John]

Having dealt with people like these sellers for many, many years I’m convinced that they are sincere as far as it goes, but suffering from both intense pareidolia combined with a narrow mindedness that makes it nearly impossible to convince them that they are mistaken. Notice that on our favorite auction site these items are *always* among the highest priced items. You just never see a plain old rock mistaken for something that is nearly worthless, it is always some sort of extraordinary treasure. My recent favorite is a gent insisting that he is finding “dinosaur flesh.” Absolutely nothing will change his mind. Frankly, I’ve found that it isn’t even worth trying. You can’t reason a man out of a belief he didn’t reach through reason in the first place.

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, John said:

Having dealt with people like these sellers for many, many years I’m convinced that they are sincere as far as it goes

I agree with you completely.  Having tried to reason with some of these is a useless endeavor and I've rarely been sucessful. Its very interesting though what they see in theses shapes, guess I dont have a similar imagination. 

[John]

19 minutes ago, Troodon said:

I agree with you completely.  Having tried to reason with some of these is a useless endeavor and I've rarely been sucessful. Its very interesting though what they see in theses shapes, guess I dont have a similar imagination. 

I think it is both imagination and some kind of ego/narcissism thing combined, hence their total unwillingness to consider any other possibility. The majority of us can wish for the pot of gold, but be well aware that it is incredibly unlikely to be found. These people don’t think that way. It’s the fossil version of the Dunning - Krueger Effect.

[ynot]

What gets Me is the more evidence You present to people like that  the madder they get.

[John]

1 hour ago, ynot said:

What gets Me is the more evidence You present to people like that  the madder they get.

Yes, which is why I think it’s a narcissistic thing. They don’t want to know what it is, they want you to confirm what they think it is and that is usually something wildly rare and valuable.

 

I just read a FB thread today regarding a composite made of broken Megalodon teeth mixed into beach sand and glue. The owner insists it is real, despite the fact that the original owner said he bought it at the Venice, FL sharktooth festival from the guy who makes them. Even this clear admission that it is not real didn’t sway either the current owner of the piece, or the dozens of admirers. There are times when I think we should just wipe the laws about fraud and scams off the books and just let Natural Selection run it’s course. You just can’t fix stupid!

[RyanDye]

I was waiting for a time to show this... 

 

A magnetic rock ball that may be a fossil egg.

Actual Price: $20,000 USD 

 

[FrozenFlame]

11 hours ago, RyanDye said:

I was waiting for a time to show this... 

 

A magnetic rock ball that may be a fossil egg.

Actual Price: $20,000 USD 

 

To be fair, that is a really nicely shaped rock. But a $20k rock? Probably not...

[Troodon]

On 8/12/2018 at 4:48 AM, RyanDye said:

I was waiting for a time to show this... 

 

A magnetic rock ball that may be a fossil egg.

Actual Price: $20,000 USD 

Its good a lot of these sellers put ridiculous prices on, scares everyone away.   

[Pemphix]

On ‎27‎.‎07‎.‎2018 at 10:43 PM, WhodamanHD said:

These are all real. See:

[Troodon]

The dinosaur age bird is back just in time for Pareidolia Friday...enjoy

 

[John]

On 8/17/2018 at 10:06 AM, Troodon said:

The dinosaur age bird is back just in time for Pareidolia Friday...enjoy

 

 

The thing I just never get is how they see a “bird” in something like that? Even a five year old child’s drawing of a monster at least has recognizable parts. 

[daves64]

It's hard to see when you have $$$ in your eye's. 

 

[Aurelius]

On 17/08/2018 at 4:06 PM, Troodon said:

The dinosaur age bird is back just in time for Pareidolia Friday...enjoy

 

 

I couldn't resist politely notifying this seller - I just told her that there was no way that it was a bird, or a fossil of any kind. She replied with a highly authoritative source on the fossilisation of soft tissues. The name of that authoritative source? It was Answers in Genesis.

[Innocentx]

Sometimes one has got to know when to shut up so I'm shutting up, catch my drift?

[Aurelius]

10 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

Sometimes one has got to know when to shut up so I'm shutting up, catch my drift?

I can't honestly say that I do.

Edit: Or do I? Perhaps I do. Or do I?

[Innocentx]

@Aurelius. You do, don't you know?! These emoticons should help.

[Aurelius]

Just had the final four word come-back from Birdwoman - "You are an idiot". Yes, I think I must be. 

[Innocentx]

I don't think I'd take Birdwoman's word for anything after seeing this item for sale.

[Troodon]

12 hours ago, Aurelius said:

Just had the final four word come-back from Birdwoman - "You are an idiot". Yes, I think I must be. 

Guess you cannot argue against genesis