illusory
ih-LOO-suh-ree
Definition
Derived from, or characterized by, an illusion; something that appears real or meaningful but is actually a trick of perception or lacking physical substance.
Etymology
The word comes from the Latin 'illusorius', meaning mocking or ironic, which is derived from the verb 'ludere' (to play or mock). It entered English in the late 16th century to describe things that deceive the senses.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe faces perceived in inanimate objects, noting that the brain initially treats these 'illusory' patterns as real faces before reclassifying them as objects.
The human brain is so desperate to find patterns that it will reliably see faces in clouds, hear words in static, and detect meaning in pure randomness, and there's a name for the glitch that makes it happen.
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com