Comments on: Paireidolia

By: DennyMo

DennyMo — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:25:38 +0000

Why is “tits” a “bad word”? I think it has to do with the pejorative context in which it is typically used, at least in the US. I’ve heard breast and teat used in scientific, anatomical, and husbandry discussions. Most of the time when I’ve heard folks use the word “tits” they’re discussing the sexual attraction a certain size or shape of breast has for them.

By: Sakib

Sakib — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:58:58 +0000

Mmmmmm…….boob shaped shadows!

By: Daniel J. Andrews

Daniel J. Andrews — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:28:54 +0000

p.s. just came across this great pariedolia of the iceland volcanoe. It is safe for work, but not safe for those who are terribly superstitious and have heart problems or are prone to swooning fits (or “the vapours”). What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born (hmm…someone might want to check out which way that ash trail is floating…)

http://scienceblogs.com/catdynamics/2010/04/surtur_smiles.php

By: Daniel J. Andrews

Daniel J. Andrews — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:06:56 +0000

If this guy had been around in the 1870s, he would have been the one to name that majestic mountain in that park as the Grand Teton. Comedian Dara O’briain said males are marketed to as if they were autistic 12-year old boys. I’d say there is good and continuing evidence that marketeers are right in doing so. Just how many pictures did he need to post of that shadow and the building itself? One or two pictures were amusing…a dozen more and you start wondering about the roots of this strange obsession of his.

By: Neil Haggath

Neil Haggath — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:06:51 +0000

As the article mentions daylight saving time, I can’t resist this…
Daylight saving time was first used in Germany after the Second World War. It was the idea of their famous Chancellor… Dr. Adenauer.

Sorry!

By: jdh

jdh — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:04:21 +0000

I drive by there all the time, but usually well after 2 pm, which may be why I never noticed that. In fact, last night I parked across the street to visit a nearby movie theatre. The cathedral, an example of 1960s architecture (I think Mike Brady designed it), is frequently referred to as “the agitator”, owing to its similarity to that part of a washing machine. The previous archbishop there was promoted to cardinal by the new Pope to take over Ratzi’s previous position as head of the Holy Office, formerly known as the Inquisition, whose motto seems to be, “death to heretics, pedophiles are OK.”

By: Bigfoot

Bigfoot — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:04:08 +0000

Sweet Jesus!

By: jcm

jcm — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:54:26 +0000

No suport, hey. Although it is a good incentive to return to church. But this more NSFW: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/botanical_wednesday_a_mystery.php

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:04:19 +0000

It’s a shadow, and ?

By: DownHouse

DownHouse — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:43:28 +0000

I get to drive by this church every day at 10am (I live only a few blocks away) and around the equinoxes, the shadows certainly do play out as a perfect side boob. The shadow must appear on the other side of the building in the afternoon as well. I like to think that this effect was intentional on the part of the architect, but who knows for sure.

By: Jamey

Jamey — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:25:29 +0000

You know, I find it amazing how people get buzzed over something like this, when any 10-year old can get a nice book of art history and find all the bare skin (male or female) he or she might want. And well, the Internet – do I really need to say more? Honestly, considering something like 1/3rd of the teenagers these days are subject to being charged as child pornographers, I don’t see something like this as really all that big a deal. Kinda funny, in some ways, and aesthetically pleasing to *my* mind, but … meh. Been done.

By: david

david — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:36:37 +0000

And for those who don’t know, this church already has an amusing set of nicknames among the locals: Our Lady of Perpetual Agitation and Our Lady of Maytag being the most popular. The building is designed such that it very strongly resembles an old washing machine agitator.

By: timebinder

timebinder — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:06:29 +0000

mmmm…side boob

By: JerWah

JerWah — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:41:08 +0000

Should be submitted to Tosh.0…. “Ti**ies!”

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:03:29 +0000

That was … incredibly silly.

(Although now I want to spell it “s***y”.)

By: Carey

Carey — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:01:46 +0000

I might have to start going to church again…

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:36:08 +0000

The fact that this appears on the side of a cathedral makes is what makes it soooo awesome.
Perhaps the faithful choose to believe it is an apparition of the teat at which the baby Jesus supped?

By: The Chemist

The Chemist — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:35:46 +0000

Why are we so scared of the breasteses? I remember someone on Internet forum once pointed out, “It’s time we stopped treating t*ts like terrorists.”

Also why on this blue marble is “t*t” a “dirty” word? It means breast (or more specifically the nipple) That’s what it means. How is a synonym dirtier than the another word that means the same thing?

I swear if, and when, I have children I’m teaching them to teach everyone else’s kids every swear word in the book.

By: Darth Robo

Darth Robo — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:35:25 +0000

Mary.

Obviously.

By: Adrian Lopez

Adrian Lopez — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:26:22 +0000

@Evolving Squid,

Don’t sundials have faces that rotate so you can set the time to match whatever a watch would say?

By: Tooner

Tooner — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:21:33 +0000

Titillating.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:11:38 +0000

Phil,

As an astronomer I can’t believe you wasted an opportunity to explain the titillating science perspective of this story…

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:01:33 +0000

On a vaguely related note to Pi’s sundial comment.

At least once every summer I’ll have to explain to someone why sundials are 1 hour out in the summer here. It’s pretty Bad Astronomy when people think daylight savings time should actually rotate the whole planet 15 degrees.

By: Michel

Michel — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:44:35 +0000

Holy Mother Of God!

By: Pi-needles

Pi-needles — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:42:12 +0000

I guess whoever inadvertantly (?) designed that inadvertant sundial must feel like a right boob now … or is that a left?

(This joke posted separately so it can be deleted if the BA thinks it crosses the “clean” line – Not that I think it does but sheesh .. some people are such mammaryphobes. What is it with one of the main defining features of the mammalian & female categories that so threatens and horrifies and appalls some puritanical types? Example 1 – the Janet Jackson at 2005 superbowl kerfuffle over a half second flash of not even all one such mammary; example 2 – spelling “T***y” here as Lars correctly pointed out.)