23 Comments

Nicely done, Mike! I've tackled both the drunken octopus phenomenon AND pareidolia in my own work, and you hit the ball out of the park with this one. The actual photo examples are gold!

You might like this one:

https://goatfury.substack.com/p/why-is-this-octopus-drunk

My focus was a bit different, but I'm pretty sure we are distantly related.

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I wonder what would happen if the holy grilled cheese is consumed. Transubstantiation? Ascension? Dematerialization? Does the Vatican know about this? The kitchen should be knighted as a holy place.

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Perhaps all three simultaneously: transubstantiation, ascension, and dematerialization, all at once.

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Ah, I had a pair of hiking boots finally die on a hiking trip on another of the Orkney islands - and the best we could do was try to recycle as much of them as could be done. I love the archaeology on those islands and this annual cycle is very much a part of it.

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Quite wild!!

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I love that about not being able to unsee the faces! Another great read Mike, thank you

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I can definitely identify, I still see shapes, patterns, textures & whatnot in a variety of surfaces, & I have a certain degree of synesthesia as well. My neurons are gifted. 😮😁 It doesn't appear to be genetic, most of my people are an unimaginative bunch, not prone to seeing things that aren't there, even as CHILDREN, which would seem an ideal time for such.

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👏👏👏

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This is what happens when a Russian Tea cookie rolls off a cookie sheet and lands on a 400 degree floor of an oven. Or is it?

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Another excellent post. The part about the shoes was just SO good! Thanks for teaching me something new, Mike, and in such a personable and entertaining way.

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This issue gives really useful and interesting practical ideas, concepts and food for thought, thank you so much Daniel for sharing this!

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Reading about research and how it is communicated is something I am deeply passionate about, as I have written and as I think is often intelligible from what I write. However, when I read issues like this I find a truly unique inspiration in improving, continuing to read and working to find new ways to write about papers and related things. Thanks for sharing!

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One of the greatest things about L.L. Bean, historically anyway, was that all of their boots were guaranteed FOR LIFE. So, if they started to fall apart you could send them back for a no questions asked repair or replacement. Le Creuset, a French cookware company that makes the best enameled cast iron, lets you send it in to get re-enameled if you’re the original purchaser. These sorts of company guarantees are rare and somewhat old school, but I hope they make a resurgence.

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"Do zebras look up and think 'bloody hell, I can see myself in those stripey clouds! Is this a sign I’m destined for more than eating grass, running at 40 mph and surprising predators with my deceptively powerful kick?'” I'd like to think yes--at least to the first bit.

Ha! Another fantastic post.

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Wow, the ultrasound of the family jewels image (and your description plus the lead up to it with the grilled cheese sandwich) made me laugh so hard!

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Wonderful piece, as always!

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I enjoyed reading your post this morning. I had a few chuckles at the images.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"

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