Today’s word, also a request, is apophenia and none of the mainstream dictionaries defined it. But of course wikipedia had an entry.

Apophenia is a noun describing the false perception of patterns within random or meaningless data. It is the act of seeing connections where none exist. According to MedicineNet.com this can a be an normal or abnormal phenomenon.

This suggestion by Will Simpson was inspired by the new Michael Keaton movie, White Noise. A movie in which Keaton contacts his dead wife though the white noise of the TV and radio. I haven’t seen the movie but I’ll bet a therapist diagnosis Keaton with Apophenia.

We all probably suffer a little Apophenia when we see a duck in the clouds overhead or the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast.

Now seeing the Virgin Mary in this toast is not Apophenia.