Have you ever seen a face in a cloud or a power outlet? This common phenomenon, known as face pareidolia, is when we perceive faces in inanimate objects. Recent research published in the journal Emotion reveals that our brains process these illusory faces with the same biases we apply to human faces. The study demonstrates that these illusory faces not only elicit similar behavioral responses as real faces but also influence our perceptions of emotion and gender in significant ways. The face pareidolia illusion is a fascinating area of study because it helps scientists understand the underlyin…