Mike Burton

It's not, although it is a very common assumption. Most of us think we're pretty good at recognising faces. But when you actually test people out, particularly in the situation where somebody who doesn't know you is checking a photo against you, it turns out people are really bad at this. Interestingly, even professionals are really bad at it.

It's not, although it is a very common assumption. Most of us think we're pretty good at recognising faces. But when you actually test people out, particularly in the situation where somebody who doesn't know you is checking a photo against you, it turns out people are really bad at this. Interestingly, even professionals are really bad at it.

It's not, although it is a very common assumption. Most of us think we're pretty good at recognising faces. But when you actually test people out, particularly in the situation where somebody who doesn't know you is checking a photo against you, it turns out people are really bad at this. Interestingly, even professionals are really bad at it.

So we did some work with passport officers where we showed that even passport officers find this a very difficult task. and are often inaccurate.

So we did some work with passport officers where we showed that even passport officers find this a very difficult task. and are often inaccurate.

So we did some work with passport officers where we showed that even passport officers find this a very difficult task. and are often inaccurate.

No. There's all kinds of techniques that the people who do this professionally use. And what's interesting is they all believe themselves to be performing quite well. But when you test them, just like anybody else, they're actually not very accurate at this.

No. There's all kinds of techniques that the people who do this professionally use. And what's interesting is they all believe themselves to be performing quite well. But when you test them, just like anybody else, they're actually not very accurate at this.

No. There's all kinds of techniques that the people who do this professionally use. And what's interesting is they all believe themselves to be performing quite well. But when you test them, just like anybody else, they're actually not very accurate at this.

That is exactly what I'm telling you. I think that what's sort of interesting is that we have come to rely on this. But I think we've come to rely on it for an interesting reason. We are fantastic at recognising faces, those faces of people we know. We can recognise our family and friends across a huge range of conditions, you know, distances, in bad light, all kinds.

That is exactly what I'm telling you. I think that what's sort of interesting is that we have come to rely on this. But I think we've come to rely on it for an interesting reason. We are fantastic at recognising faces, those faces of people we know. We can recognise our family and friends across a huge range of conditions, you know, distances, in bad light, all kinds.

That is exactly what I'm telling you. I think that what's sort of interesting is that we have come to rely on this. But I think we've come to rely on it for an interesting reason. We are fantastic at recognising faces, those faces of people we know. We can recognise our family and friends across a huge range of conditions, you know, distances, in bad light, all kinds.

But we falsely assume that this means we're quite good at faces in general. And in fact, we're not.

But we falsely assume that this means we're quite good at faces in general. And in fact, we're not.

But we falsely assume that this means we're quite good at faces in general. And in fact, we're not.

So we set up this little experiment where we asked people to match pairs of faces. They just have to say, are these two faces the same person or not?

So we set up this little experiment where we asked people to match pairs of faces. They just have to say, are these two faces the same person or not?

So we set up this little experiment where we asked people to match pairs of faces. They just have to say, are these two faces the same person or not?

Yes, we use what we call B-list celebrities. So we check it out beforehand. But we use people who are known very well by the local population. These are people like, you know, newsreaders, local sports people. And they tend to be very well known by the local community, but not by people internationally.

Yes, we use what we call B-list celebrities. So we check it out beforehand. But we use people who are known very well by the local population. These are people like, you know, newsreaders, local sports people. And they tend to be very well known by the local community, but not by people internationally.