Do all these podcast have some meaning or do we just suffer from apophenia?
12 Jan 2005
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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.
Not a very contentious podcast about apophenia - Today’s Podcast
Feb 01, 2009 @ 12:29:50
[...] start off with a comment from Amy Gahran regarding last week’s podcast on apophenia. For those of you reading this post. Sorry you get the bulleted summary: Apohenia is a cool word [...]