339: The Pareidolia Phenomenon on Mars: Searching for 'Paddington Bear'

After a decade of searching, a determined Mars rover discovers an eerily familiar formation of an ancient crater, inciting an interplanetary investigation of the phenomenon of pareidolia. You will learn the mysteries of the Red Planet and the latest updates on Mars exploration.Show Notes:After a decade of searching, a determined Mars rover discovers an eerily familiar formation of an ancient crater, inciting an interplanetary investigation of the phenomenon of pareidolia. You will learn the mysteries of the Red Planet and the latest updates on Mars exploration. Learn about Mars exploration through a lively conversation between Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson on Space Nuts. They discussed the phenomenon of pareidolia, where people find familiar shapes in random objects, and how it has been seen on Mars in the form of faces, hats, and other shapes. They also talked about the rover Perseverance and its mission to collect samples which have been left on the surface in 10 sealed tubes. They have now been dropped at a geographical location called Three Forks. Lastly, they discussed the camera on the rover's arm called Watson, which uses spectroscopy to analyze the rock samples. "We try to humanize everything we do humanize it. It's great because it draws attention to what's going on around it and maybe they get interested and have a look at some more. We just seem to gravitate to faces, don't we? Especially smiley ones. Well, that's good. I mean, you don't really want evil faces in space." In this episode, you will learn the following: 1. What is the phenomenon of pareidolia, and how does it explain why we see faces in inanimate objects? 2. What happened when the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured an image of a "Paddington Bear" on the surface of Mars? 3. What advanced technologies are being used to collect and analyze samples from the surface of Mars?Space Nuts Episode 339 with Professor Fred Watson & Andrew Dunkley Download from your favorite podcast distributor or visit our website at www.spacenuts.io Sponsor Links: This episode of Space Nuts is brought to you by NordVPN…the highly rated VPN service and the one we personally use. Fast and secure. It’s the one you need in your life. Kick off the new year know you’re secure online and take advantage of our special deal. For details visit www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts or use the checkout code SPACENUTS#podcast #space #astronomy #science #spacenuts #mars #pareidoliaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts--2631155/support.