Cloud formation causing controversy online – dog or cat?
Ever seen a tree that kinda looked like it had a face on it? Or thought you could make out letters in your toast? Then you’ve experienced pareidolia.
The age-old phenomenon of pareidolia is when you see patterns or likenesses of something that’s not “really” there.
This little phenomenon is also why we were all scared as kids of turning off our lights. We all remember that pile of clothes in the dark that looked kinda like a monster or a headless man, don’t we?
Your brain is basically playing tricks on you. Since you’ve got so much visual memory of things you’ve seen, it tries to look for them even when they’re not there.
Over on Reddit, someone snapped a photo that made people’s pareidolia go crazy.
Cat and dog people, get ready because this one spawned quite the long comment thread.
“This cloud looks like a cat, and a dog” – wrote the OP.
This cloud looks like a cat, and a dog.
byu/jhvk innevertellmetheodds
Their post got 25.4k upvotes. So it’s clear people agree that it does look like one of those things. But which one?
Well, the cloud’s definitely got the paws, the head, and the ears. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look like a cat in one way, and a dog in another. OP even drew two versions with the cat-like and dog-like features marked.
The paws are the most uncanny thing. Who knew clouds could make convincing toe beans like that?
One commenter jests “It will rain cats and dogs soon”. They saw the opportunity and went for it.
This is far from the only incredible shape a cloud has taken.
With how pareidolia works, it’s possible to see just about anything in these clouds if their shape’s close enough. Take for instance, this whale:
There seems to be quite the biodiversity in clouds. This one even looks like an eagle!
Cloud formation looks like a giant landing eagle
byu/JimFancyPants inPareidolia
Clouds are amazing things, but perhaps not as amazing as the human brain and how we can see resemblances in the most unlikely of places. Really makes you look at things differently, doesn’t it?
And to bring the subject back to cats, here’s one that looks like a cat reaching at the sky.
Cloud looks like a cat reaching for the sky
byu/Snorlax45 inPareidolia
Cats have a well-known-habit of swiping and reaching at things they shouldn’t. So it’s impressive this cloud didn’t just capture the likeness of a cat, but the mannerisms of one too.
Are we sure these clouds aren’t a bit self-aware?
But sometimes, the heavens just want to let you know you’re doing a good job.
And so they send you a good old thumbs up to let you know you’re doing alright! Well, that’s assuming it looks like a thumbs up to you. Some have said it looks kinda like Big Bird looking up at the sky.
Whatever you end up seeing in the clouds today, be thankful that we get to live in a world where we see beauty in just about everything.
Don’t ever stop letting your imagination play. Life can get boring sometimes, and a playful imagination is a great way to ward away that boredom.
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Source: r/NeverTellMeTheOdds, r/Pareidolia