Another great TED talk!

I always teach sensation and perception at the end of the school year.  With so many cool activities and demonstrations, it keeps the students engaged and busy.  A friend sent me a link to this TED talk, "“Michael Shermer on Strange Beliefs.”  This is a great clip to use when discussing top-down processing and/or perceptual set. 

"Why do people see the Virgin Mary on a cheese sandwich or hear demonic lyrics in "Stairway to Heaven"? Using video and music, skeptic Michael Shermer shows how we convince ourselves to believe -- and overlook the facts.  Michael Shermer debunks myths, superstitions and urban legends, and explains why we believe them. Along with publishing Skeptic Magazine, he's author of Why People Believe Weird Things."

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things.html

Kristin H. Whitlock

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