Spelunking in the Uncanny Valley

[@NewMessage]

"Sense of nope" is gonna become my new go-to phrase for creepiness.

[@sdfkjgh]

It'd also make a nice name for a Shoegaze band.

[@tophers3756]

I've had a compelling sense of nope since November 2016.

[@HeidiSvenson]

...and what a great band name that woud be!

[@capivara6094]

what's the name of this at 4:01?

[@mariapaz6379]

This just taught me that the Cats trailer left a deep impression on Hank

[@MissLilyputt]

maria paz I think Cats has left a terribly deep and lasting impression on many of us who never wanted “CGI fur” to be the main focus of a movie, above plot, actors, set design or anything else. 🤢

[@sdfkjgh]

MissLilyputt: To be fair, it's andrew lloyd webber, which means that all that other stuff you mentioned means bollocks. He's godawful. The best description of the plot of cats I've heard was "A bunch of cold, starving, mangy alleycats sing a bunch of songs before deciding which one of them gets the right to die and go to a marginally less-bad heaven."

[@idlehour]

Lol

[@kendallnorton2017]

Loving all the shade being thrown at “Cats” 😂😂😂 great video

[@c.d.dailey8013]

Oh I fogot about that movie. Yikes. Alita battle Angel was creepy too.

[@TheAstip]

I've always liked the idea of the more human something is, the more the brain focuses on the differences. To a certain point non human things are more appealing the more human they are, btu after that point, it's not the human-ness that's creepy - but the inhumaness. A non-human thing with human features is cute, a human with non-human features is creepy - and it seems like the uncanny valley is where those two contrasting ideas cross

[@bugjams]

This. If we know something isn’t trying to be exactly human, say a cartoon character, our brain doesn’t try and find what’s “human” about it. But when we’re told a robot or doll is supposed to “look human”, our brain scans for human features. And if it can’t find enough, it’s uncanny.

[@mopnem]

I think like you guys have said, it's the not human enough factor. When tech makes this indestiguishable, machine or not people will be cool with it.

[@Dirtfire]

Very interesting. I don't think of Data from Star Trek as uncanny, but maybe some people do, or maybe we all got used to him over the last 32 years. Or it might be the fact he was never meant to pass for human? Or maybe he's human enough for us. I wonder where Data falls in this.

[@lifestylevisualz]

This reminds me of the 'CATS" Trailer, after seeing that I had to go watch the "IT" trailer to relax.

[@jdtug8251]

To be fair, the reference is definitely in the video if you read between the lines. :p It's likely what inspired this video. :)

[@gmoburrito6090]

True :)

[@rac1equalsbestgame853]

The cat's trailer is terryfying

[@capivara6094]

what's the name of this at 4:01?

[@NA-ys9ib]

Hank filmed this just to complain about the cats trailer. I love this.

[@MissLilyputt]

N/A You should see Jacksfilms breakdown of the trailer for the movie. Now that’s first class complaining

[@NA-ys9ib]

@@MissLilyputt Oh I have. It's amazing

[@annaliseoconner9266]

It's such a shame because the actual set of poems by TS Eliot that inspired it are amazing. If you have cats, I really recommend giving them a read, especially "The Naming of Cats".

[@bugjams]

Dear god your profile pic is terrifying.

[@dabiskitt]

The Cats movie trailer is basically just the furry version of the uncanny valley

[@Brunosky_Inc]

It's almost as if they were _deliberately_ trying to one-up that fucked up movie Sonic.

[@toyotaprius79]

@@Brunosky_Inc Did it actually come to release yet? Is it worth anything?

[@MissLilyputt]

_B -Lowe_ Sonic is supposedly still being fixed as we speak to make him less unsettling.

[@sdfkjgh]

MissLilyputt: Here's an idea: they should cancel the sonic movie, and turn the celluloid into guitar picks. There's a lot of lonely ukuleles out there in desperate need. {Arms of the Angels starts playing} Won't you please help?

[@RosheenQuynh]

I really wouldn't call that furry but okay.

[@TheCopelandr]

I can tell you EXACTLY why I get that feeling. It's because they look like, just maybe, there's a real person behind that mask that's desperately trying to express themselves, but can't. Or like they're trying to fight against something controlling their face. Just that unconscious suspicion that there might be a tortured face underneath the happy facade is enough to give me the creeps.

[@LillyianPuppy]

I jumped when the digital person thing crossed its eyes.

[@AstraIVagabond]

For me, it was that animated girl who immediately followed it. It seems like quite a simple animation - yet seeing her figure (with the rolling eyes, of course) jump around the screen like that, back and forth right at me... _Yikes!_

[@LillyianPuppy]

@@AstraIVagabond Totally. I think that was supposed to be creepier, but the first one was *too* human for me and already had me on edge. This is why I don't watch scary movies... especially Japanese ones! Lol

[@Wasabi00009]

LillyianPuppy Saaaaaame 😂

[@CalloohCalley]

House is quiet, scishow will cheer me up! Well, this video is... interesting. Something made a noise, I looked away for two seconds and looked back up to that horrifying fuckfest. The sound I made was ungodly.

[@Zack-eq3ou]

I was looking at the words, and saw it out of the corner of my eye, and my heart dropped

[@ryandupuis5860]

I think I watched the polar express too much when I was little and was desensitized to the uncanny valley

[@JosephDavies]

For you, it's all just ordinary!

[@lakshmimohan6467]

I did not feel anything either..that is not normal?🤔

[@JosephDavies]

@@lakshmimohan6467 It is normal for you!

[@naturegirl1999]

I didn’t get it when I watched it either, when the video showed Human like faces I didn’t feel unease at all. I only knew they were fake when the video mentioned lifelike robots while showing me the image

[@TheReZisTLust]

For me... It was sonic adventure dcast, thAT statue man thicc

[@alien9279]

so about that shirt hank.. how does it look on the back? how do the horizontal and vertical lines match up!! always wondered lol

[@joshKozak]

serges I really hope this comment blows up. You can say his shirt is uncanny.

[@minagrvs]

serges +

[@Name-ps9fx]

I had a remote-controlled puppy when I was a child...as toys went, it was pretty life-like. It had fur, brown plastic eyes, could walk, bark, and do backflips. The cats were TERRIFIED of it. Oh, I had so much fun! 🤣

[@theoverseer393]

IMO uncanny valley (moving) is worse when the subject moves erratically

[@iamsad9107]

Yep

[@lilavalentino8167]

I love that the Cats trailer is literally lowkey referenced twice in this video

[@celinak5062]

4:33

[@HolaMindy]

The clips of Tom Hanks playing Mister Rogers hit the uncanny valley for me.

[@Jocuro2]

Can we just send a scientist the link to the Sonic movie? That's uncanny as all heck.

[@nicholaslewis8594]

I think part of the uncanny is we already have an image of Sonic in our head from the video games that doesn’t suck. Also we all know how video game movies tune out 😂

[@BrainsApplied]

*Ooooh, this is such an interesting subject!* Great video!

[@Niinkai]

I needed to watch this so I could get the thumbnail out of my recommendations, it's unsettling as hell

[@photonicpizza1466]

Cursed thumbnail

[@blacksailorscout1329]

It looks like it knows something we don't

[@realcolataste97]

This video got me so uncomfortable but I was fascinated at the same time haha

[@Devinfrbs]

A separate study should be done on people who like making ceramic dolls.

[@Aconitum_napellus]

I think I'd be more interested in the people who own loads of ceramic dolls, the person making them might just be doing their job.

[@Devinfrbs]

@@Aconitum_napellus I meant people who make them as a hobby.

[@nicholaslewis8594]

Maybe owning loads of ceramic dolls is good security? Someone breaks in and is to nervous to rob you?

[@scrappaper1418]

why

[@Devinfrbs]

@@scrappaper1418 They are creepy.

[@firstcynic92]

3:35. Corpses and zombies might remind us of death? Inconceivable!!! 🙃

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

[@16sike]

lol

[@Nyootimus]

Okay, so the three images starting from 3:55 and ending with that cat thing, are some of the scariest things I've seen in my life, and I used to collect dolls...

[@loganskiwyse7823]

I find this subject fascinating because I don't ever encounter it myself. Without going into details I have more trouble then "normal" people with face recognition. For whatever reason this seems to result in not being fazed by this effect but more fascinated and curious when I encounter the same situation.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

As I walk through the uncanny valley of the shadow of death I will fear no spelunking, for Hank is with me

[@limewoman1]

I think I know why we have an uneasy feeling when we come across beings that resemble us (humans) but aren't quite. Could this feeling be a defensive evolutionary mechanism our ancestors had to deal with other early hominids?

[@dalmatiantoadflax5798]

I think that makes the most sense. How else do you create a new species besides something that will keep certain individuals from breeding?

[@unknowndeoxys00]

I don't know if this counts as an uncanny valley experience, but I was attempting to play "What Remains of Edith Finch" last night with a proper controller. The better ease of movement let me get immersed into the game for a couple hours, and it was cool because I really love the concept of houses with secret passages and rooms. Despite having no humanish faces to look at, when I turned the game off and went to bed, I felt the weirdest shadow of physical discomfort and anxiety. As if I was pulled out of a container of fog and I was in my bed, back in my reality. I passed it off as being "too immersed" in a game after not playing a proper game for years now; plus, first-person perspectives tend to make me dizzy. It's not so much that I thought the story, house and characters in the game were real, but because I like the secret passage thing so much, I strongly wished it was a real location and my brain followed suit? 😅 And yes, I fell for the Polar Express valley when I was 10. I was so convinced they were real human actors, but obviously when I watch it now, the dead eyes and oversmooth movements give it away. Idc if people hate this movie, it'll always be a classic, hot-chocolate-craving-starter to me 😂

[@1Shayz1]

I wish they would just put monitors on robots with anime faces and reactions to completely avoid the uncanny valley instead of trying to go for a humanoid look.

[@udtheaesir]

Yeah, anime faces are the best.

[@Suko120]

no

[@benjamincarlson6994]

Honestly, I liked the Polar Express growing up. It surprised me later on in life that so few people do.

[@KaliTakumi]

3:58 This legitimately triggered my fight or flight response

[@AccidentalNinja]

I can see how uncertainly about what a thing is can lead to creepiness- as I understand creepy is basically the brain not being certain about whether something is a threat. I imagine the first place the uncanny valley was discovered was in art, as artists' depictions became more & more life-like, perhaps fueling or helping to fuel the idea that such depictions could be brought to life.

[@guiguspi]

"And it might come in handy in the future" Ahh.. the good ol' AI wars of 2061

[@MintChocolateMayo]

uploaded 16... seconds ago?! whoa

[@Melty-pup]

You know, I was handling this until you turned that cat loose on me now I'm a wreck. Thanks guys.

[@douglasphillips5870]

There are a couple shots in Alita Battle Angel where I can tell that eyes that big don't fit in a face that small, and that gets me.

[@itsjustlukeRevive]

First thing that came into my mind when I saw that thumbnail was, "Is that baby Padmé Amidala?".

[@Teth47]

My first thought on where the effect might come from (assuming it exists) is impostor detection. If something's trying to look like you, it's unlikely to be perfect, so being really sensitive to close-but-imperfect imitations and having a strong gustatory response to them would help protect your species from resource thieves.

[@jesusfreak777ize]

It's such a weird feeling. Like, I remember seeing weird early cgi stuff, back when I was a kid, and when I see uncanny stuff today, I get the same weird, dazed, sick feeling. And I can't think of how to explain why it happens either. I heard the hypothesis of it relating to our feelings of death, but it still didn't make sense. Because when I think about mortality, I get a primal kind of fear, it feels completely different from the uncanny valley.

[@masterofdoom5000]

I always imagined it as the point where it goes from one tier to the other, from impressive human like machine to twisted, malformed human. Some of the most acclaimed horror creators don't make monsters, they make deviations from the norm, placing a semblance of familiarity in a twisted hellhole. I guess it's just that point of looking like a human with something wrong with them rather than a machine, it looks like an affront to everything we know of humans in our primitive minds.

[@Aman123ace]

He mentioned the polar express as being part of uncanny early cgi. But i went to school with someone who both looked and acted like the awful glasses kid. I don't see it as that uncanny. I think what's so scary about the uncanny valley is observing something that we can tell is obviously not human but is trying to actively mimic us, it can feel deceitful and maybe even malevolent

[@YourArmsGone]

Why did I watch this before going to bed? I did NOT want creepy cat dreams. Thank you Hank.

[@Username456-b4p]

You really nailed it with the thumbnail...

[@purplestar1520]

The animations never really creep me out. Robots and mannequins do, but quite rarely. The only time a robot creeped me out was when I watched 'I Feel Fantastic' and I feel kinda weird when I stand in front of a mannequin and feel like there's a person behind me, but when I turn around, it turns out that there isn't.

[@Tekrothebountyhunter]

I feel like if the uncanny valley does exist, then there's a spectrum of how much people can tolerate it. For instance, you have creepy lifelike robots that freak people out, but the creators of those robots rarely ever seem fazed by their own creations. And evidently there must be individuals who don't mind realistic baby dolls, because if they did, there wouldn't be nearly as many manufactured.

[@IvanDmitriev1]

The original Terminator cutting his eye out is an example. I had nightmares for YEARS after seeing this movie in my childhood. And that's way before the Mori article.

[@veryberry39]

This video reminded me to finally look at the "Cats" trailer. The fact that there are almost 200k more dislikes than likes on that thing basically sums up how I feel, minus the visceral reaction of horror.

[@imaadahere]

I had this recently, not with a human likeness but in relation to a driver less truck. It looked like a truck except the cabin was missing, just a big flat square...made my skin crawl

[@arynnritter4293]

I like the explanation that they subvert our expectation of what a human should act like, because we have the same type of uncanny feeling when we see someone who is having a mental episode or drug addicts. It doesn't however explain why we have that feeling when we see cg faces on live actors like we see in the Mandalorian and Star Wars.

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

Spanish-speaking person here. Took half the video to realize what the subject was. No "uncanny valley" on this side, the concept of "uncanny" has no word in Spanish, and it's usually translated as the equivalents of "mysterious" and "odd." It would be interesting to broaden the investigation to peoples with diverse cultural backgrounds and compare reactions in that way. The closest thing I have seen was a science congress in which a humanlike robot was presented. Most people found it amazing, a few said it made them nervous. For the ones who know El Chavo del Ocho, "les daba cosa" (it gave them *thing).* "Cosa", the closest to "uncanny" I have ever found.

[@josephyarrington3315]

"Not Taylor Swift" Oh, thanks, I would have had no idea....

[@nrrork]

I remember my first experience with that was when I was a kid. Who's old enough to remember those old Duracell commercials from the 90s with the animatronic, rubber-skinned family?

[@SirFunksalot-u2k]

Perhaps our ability to detect intruders within our own species is manifesting through this. Same way you can be bothered by spider or snakes. This has been ringing in my head for a few days and this pops up. Could mean nothing but it is an interesting idea.

[@Silly-Goose-OG]

I never thought the polar express looked uncanny. In fact, I used to think it was live action when I was younger.

[@AwesomeYena]

Me too

[@ChadBroChill17]

This man was scarred by the CATS trailer.

[@Bladeluce]

Never heard of this before. Thanks for the nightmares.

[@katherinepagan4860]

They should do an episode on the Baader-Meinhof effect. I just listened to a podcast discussing the uncanny valley hypothesis in detail, and then this popped up : P

[@tvoyager7]

Katherine Pagan what podcast was this?

[@buddimalliyanapathirana1767]

Your pfp is uncanny

[@shaunstark4263]

Uncanny valley = psalms 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

[@operachild]

Also... the uncanny valley is the reason why horror movies play cute musicbox type music and why that dichotomy makes us uneasy.

[@sohopedeco]

Something that always triggers my uncanny valley is those creepy-ass Boston mechanics robots.

[@IronWarrior4Ever]

I feel that there isn't enough research being done on what and where the Canny Valley is.

[@nicholaslewis8594]

Disney could really benefit from that research.

[@EL-mc3cs]

This explains how I feel about that horrible fake baby they used in Twilight

[@DeathbyPixels]

The only thing from the uncanny valley I can think of that really, really got to me was Alita: Battle Angel. I absolutely despise what the protagonist looks like. I literally get nauseous when I look at her. And I mean LITERALLY. I have never experienced such a strong reaction to anything like that in my entire life.

[@jackgrant7356]

I was reading about the Uncanny Valley and the whole thing about moving corpses. And it got me thinking. You can stimulate corpses nerves with electricity. Why not animate a corpse? It would be ultimately pointless, but im sure it would be a laugh. Provide grieving families with a chance to hug their relatives one last time. Etc. Im scaring myself now.

[@danielsecara]

Faceswap took the uncanny valley to a whole new level. *and my dogs agree

[@azirec1678]

I actually know 2 people a girl who attended the neighbouring school and a guy I met abroad who fit into the 'uncanny valley'. She didn't move like a normal person, she walked in perfect straight lines and ran like a robot I guess. She had jerky movements sometimes like her limbs had hinges, it was just really unsettling. It was kinda sad, as kids nobody trusted her because she fell into this category. The guy I met was disturbing to the senses. His face was too symmetrical, his hair looked synthetic, he couldn't genuinely smile. He was only good at conversing with his friend which was bad because if you're going to stare unbashedly you'd better be able to talk. Otherwise you get 8 people wondering if you'll murder them.

[@billclinton4913]

3:50, welp, there goes my sleep for a week.

[@SquirrelASMR]

That doll from the 6th day or whatever that movie was called...

[@detran09]

the sonic trailer prompted researchers to spend more time and money into researching the science of the uncanny valley

[@hatfieldrick]

An interesting wrinkle to the valley is provided by such virtual reality games as Second Life or Final Fantasy, where the very best avatars you can create still fail to escape the uncanny valley, technically speaking -- but you quickly get used to it, and you don't mind, because you know there's an actual person behind the avatar. They're still in the valley yet somehow above it. Curious, eh?

[@QueenofSilence101]

Makes me think of the video Vsauce did on "why are things creepy?" Masks (like costume masks, full-face coverage) are creepy because they hide the face and expressions of the wearer. You can't tell if that person is a threat or not. Among other things.

[@ExistentialNathan]

Plot twist, Hank is a robot!

[@scouttyra]

One time I think I experienced an "uncanny valley" effect (could just be a regular reaction to the "cosmic horror"-ness of the thing, although it would be interesting to see how cosmic horror might be related to uncanny valley; since cosmic horror sometimes takes what is familiar and turns it on it's head, sometimes subtly) that wasn't based on a visual was Red from Overly Sarcastic Productions quote "It would be inaccurate to describe Howard Phillips Lovecraft as a man with issues. It's more like he was a bundle of issues shambling around in a roughly bipedal approximation of a man." from her episode on HP Lovecraft.

[@Krebzonide]

Uncanny valley doesn't seem to affect me anymore with how much I have seen pictures like these.

[@kaitlinstringfellow8859]

For me the uncanny valley is mostly in the eyes. The eyes of those super realistic cgi figures and robots just seem so dead and harsh, it really freaks me out. The train kid from the Polar Express has the look of death in his eyes.

[@KryztalKitsu]

I’m here because I actually just heard this term recently in a song and had no idea what it meant, so thank you! :) (Now, off to look at humanlike robots to experience this "sense of nope" firsthand!)

[@wesleytownsend8214]

Really the Polar Express? I mean I agree with the UV mostly but my kids and spouse and myself have a holiday tradition with this movie. Amazing content as usual! All the best to you and yours!

[@jenniferlawson7091]

You are THE star of TT for me... I can't believe I just found this on accident 💜

[@Kikilang60]

They had an experiment where they had a self teaching robot arm figure out how to reach goal, of giving it's self more time. The robot arm had numerous things that would keep the electricity on. It was all random movement, but the arm remember which movement that kept the electricity on longer. The arm got real good at one point, so they had to put Obstacles in the arm's way. What they didn't know was the clean staff was creeped out by arms moving around while they cleaned. The staffed stayed away from it. Eventually, the arm became to good with the obstacles, and they couldn't figure out how the arms were doing it.. They put up cameras to see what the arms were doing. The videos showed the arms waving to get attention of the cleaning crews. The crews felt sorry for the arms, and didn't like people teasing them, so the crews helped the arms past the obstacles.

[@leonjacobs3426]

My coworker unexpectedly made a cat sound when I assumed they were going to speak. I almost jumped out of my skin

[@IssayPerez0328]

Interesting...I've always been majorly creeped out by old (like really old black and white) photographs of people's faces. Theres something about the eyes that makes me afraid.

[@desert285]

Does this also include inanimate objects or places? I find myself being disturbed by fake images of streets generated by AI

[@theunknownonetuo2033]

The faces in Thomas and friends really creeps me out

[@kaitokofuku6500]

A well-detailed video explaining the uncanny side of uncanny valley.

[@randomnamegbji]

At 6:34 do I sense some fear of a robot uprizing in your voice, Hank?

[@hsds617]

I LIVE in the Uncanny Valley... I have the wonderful (sarcasm) and rare brain condition called Prosopometamorphopsia. In short. Everyone looks 'Nope' to me- due to a malfunction in the Fuciform Facial area of my brain.. triggers a sort of fight/flight response. Always feel alone and alienated.. Hard on interpersonal relationships as well. Depression and anxiety are the flavor of every day of my life..

[@belindaweber7999]

My biggest uncanny valley triggers are clowns like Pennywise, and the silvery Terminator from Terminator 2. Both of which I watch when I was waaaay too freaking young! I'll now be jumpy for the rest of today, and I just KNOW my sub-conscious is gonna have a field day when I try to sleep tonight... great interesting info though.

[@carenrose6002]

I actually started looking into a hypothesis I had about the uncanny valley today, before I knew this video was posted.

[@joemacleod-iredale2888]

As a Brit who has always lived in old houses I get a similar sense of discomfort in new housing developments- like everything is familiar but something is missing or wrong...

[@iadorenewyork1]

I totally agree with you. The older buildings seem to have "soul".

[@mikeCD62]

"DO NOT WANT" Backstroke of the west reference earns this video a like

[@irisboehm5380]

The lines on the two halves Hank’s shirt are going in two different directions

[@laurenconrad1799]

I never grew up with house pets (my mom was allergic to pet dander) and when I’d go to a friend’s house with a cat that would suddenly move on its own, that always gave me the creeps. Like, why is that fur coat moving? Oh, it’s not a fur coat. But it’s not a person either.

[@Kate-B4]

Maybe there’s not only one answer.... maybe it pretty much a little bit of all of this... this is how I feel personnally

[@kingkiller1451]

Still have never experienced this "uncanny valley" thing...

[@DS-oopa]

Sicko mode: "Gimme the lööp" cat is peak uncanny valley for me

[@cannerbernerd1836]

The cgi Taylor Swift just looks like a vacant game character.

[@Garfunkels_Funky_Uncle]

I attribute it to some bygone evolutionary trait where we fear a predator mimicking.

[@Mehki227]

There's a cat litter commerical right now with tall "human" cats in clothing with realistic cat faces. Creepy AF.

[@roxycastillo2504]

The more you look at it, the more uneasy the form is

[@bethmbam4848]

Very interesting coverage of the uncanny valley

[@Celeste-in-Oz]

that blue robot doll with the glowing eyes - behind some of those texts - was - 😱 I have no idea what the texts said or even what you were saying at the time 😳