Testing Face Blindness

What's it like to face a faceless world? Acclaimed neurologist Oliver Sacks once apologized for almost bumping into a large bearded man, only to realize he was speaking to a mirror. Sacks and photorealist painter Chuck Close-geniuses from opposite ends of the creative spectrum-share their experiences of living with a curious condition known as "face blindness," or prosopagnosia. With RadioLab's Robert Krulwich, they discuss the challenges of maintaining interpersonal relationships-when even family and close friends appear as strangers.
Watch the Full Program Here: • Strangers in the Mirror
Original Program Date: June 4, 2010
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[@ChrisRalphHoward]

"They're all women!" *the man in the back sits down*

[@erickoontz6835]

I had only two... but then again, I don't pay ANY attention to pop culture, so this is really a pop culture quiz.

[@1manApocalypse_CP]

Yeah, like half the names i never even heard of. I only got Obama right.

[@49sr]

Yep. I only had Obama and Audrey Hepburn-- but those were the only two who I knew in general.

[@Darqoni]

seriously this is like taking someone to a party and expecting them to already know the names of my entire family and if not = faceblind

[@rationalraven8956]

In the real test, you're only supposed to subtract points if you know who the person is but still don't recognize them.

[@MrsPikaPikachu]

It’s literally testing on your knowledge of celebrity. You’d prolly know whether you got face blindness or not. I’m just thankful I did my homework on celebs.

[@bloodypommelstudios7144]

A lot of people don't realize they have face blindness because they develop other ways to recognize people. I'm pretty good with voices and I'll recognize people by their clothing, figure, mannerisms and context.

[@GardenDevotions]

This is a bogus test. It only works if you are into pop culture. Even after hearing their names, I didn't know many of these people or I only knew their names and wouldn't recognize them anyway.

[@its_lucky252]

Garden Devotions same

[@Rhovanion85]

That explains why I didn't recognize Obama. I don't pay attention to pop culture.

[@Magic-np1ws]

@@Rhovanion85 Obama was one of the US's presidents? I mean if you live in the US you should recognize him but

[@candyowl9086]

@@Magic-np1ws r/woosh

[@candyowl9086]

This is just a concept thing to give a rough idea, nobody would ever use this for diagnosis

[@GLo-qc8rz]

This is a horrible test, I get that it's for fun but why even go through the effort when it gives 0 outcome on aspects of prosopagnosia???

[@danielapinheiro6415]

i got 9 but only because i had never seen fred astaire in my life.. with or without hair.

[@wanderingrandomer]

I'm gonna be honest, some of these people I've never even seen before.

[@hipeople9856]

I don't think that this is face blindness, but anyone have any ideas as to what it is? In person, I can easily recognize people that I see constantly, such as my family and friends. However, if you asked me to picture them in my head, I would struggle. For example, I have a crush on a person, and I've stared at them, analyzing how they look. I could recognize them from a .5 second glance at them, but I physically can not mentally picture them. I can picture bodies, objects, skies, phones, anything like that, very easily, but I draw a blank on faces. I couldn't describe my best friend of 7 years to a police sketch artist accurately. I know she has a prominent mole, loosely but very curled hair, has a round face shape, a round, bulbous nose, freckles, has thin eyebrows, etc, however, as soon as I try to put them all together in an image inside of my head, it looks nothing like her. I remember what she looks like, but I can't picture it, if that makes sense.

[@mudlakemicrobes]

Thats the inability to form mental pictures. Try and imagine an apple or sewing machine are you able to do that?

[@sarascrivano]

you’ve perfectly described my situation. Did you find an answer to what your problem is?

[@ZAKCRI..]

That’s so weiird!! I had never had a problem with recognizing faces or anything ever along those lines I’m just watching about face blindness bc I am intrigued to how ppl can’t recognize their friends or families. Point is I’m not face blind at all! But wen u mentioned trying to imagine someone I know in my head and picture their face it was kind of hard actually and I couldn’t picture them. Maybe it’s simply bc I don’t think about faces often?? But I think it’s weird bc I can imagine a face of a anime character or what not. But I can’t imagine for instance my sisters face or my moms in my head. Its weird. I wonder if that is just a memory problem or what bc like I said I can recognize my dad if he randomly came over never had a issue not even a thought would cross my mind that that is my dad but trying to imagine them in my head alone is literally a blank face

[@ZAKCRI..]

⁠@@mudlakemicrobesI don’t think it’s just lack of forming mental pictures bc I read ur comment and can easily picture a Apple, sowing machine, tree, dog, cat, car, pencil, the shape of a human. But when it comes to specifically imagining the face it’s like a bunch of blurs. Even imagining a RANDOM face is hard as I write this. Like if u asked me to pick out which guy is Justin Bieber out in a crowd of 5 guys in person I would 100% with no doubt choose Justin Bieber but in my head I can’t describe to you how Justin Bieber looks. For me to remember how he looks in my head I have to look up a picture of him and remember him. Idk but the weirder part is this. I can’t imagine his face in my head right now as I write this. But I looked him up a second ago and easily recognized him as Justin Bieber. But then I put the imagine away and came back to this to finish my comment and the only thing I can tell you is that he has brown eyes, and thick eyebrows. Literally as time passes on my brain is going back to struggling to remember his face in my head. But if I see him physically I remember. I never thought about this at all I’m glad u mentioned it! Is it normal? Do u do this as well and I’m jus trippin out? lol idk

[@malteeaser101]

I got all of the ones where I knew of the person. The ones I didn't, I still didn't know who they were even after it was revealed, and I feel like if I was American then I probably would have.

[@favourolufemi2571]

John f. Kennedy Jr? the fuck! I thought that was Simon Cowell.

[@yukisakamoto9818]

David Beckham =Justin Timberlake Tyra Banks =Rihanna Steve Colbair(?)=Steve Jobs I got Angelina Jolie and Obama right.Audrey Hepburn I guessed and got it right.

[@yukisakamoto9818]

at Least I tried😂

[@reenzma512]

I can't imagine anybody's face even my mother too

[@adarsh915]

So all Indians have prosopagnosia according to this test😂

[@anoushka4724]

I only got obama but i dont think i have face blindness cause when he said the answers out of all the them obama was the only one i knew (cause im 13) so i couldn't really get more cause i didn't know who they were xD

[@BraveLittlePixel]

The counting of correct answers at the end was badly done. I had no idea who 2 of these people were at all, as in I could recognise them bit had no Idea of name or fame or anyway to write an answer, therefore I could only say I got 8 correct, however I identified all faces that I knew correctly, and knew the other 2 had distinct features but didn't have the pop culture knowledge or experience to know the other 2 as actual people.

[@BerryTheBnnuy]

I feel like this test isn't very indicative... I can't even name anything I've seen Angelina Jolie in. the only thing I've seen Audry Hepburn in she was a LOT older than that. I got Obama. I've never heard of David Beckham. I can't think of anything I've seen Demi Moore in. I can't recall having ever seen Johnny Depp without extensive makeup and the contouring tricks with makeup can really screw up recognition. I know who Fred Astair is but I can't think of anything I've seen him in. I don't know who Tyrah Banks is, I didn't even know JFK Jr was a person, and I got Colbert right. Basically I got 2 right, and they were the only ones I could reasonably expect myself to recognize.

[@v-buckschan111]

Wait lemme guess that , the third person is *obamna*

[@iyazim]

I got 4 wrong. I never heard of those 4 celebrities, though.

[@วนจินตเทพ]

at least obama must be right.

[@mv9895]

This wasn't the best test for me, because I don't know any celebrities compared to my friends. I knew Depp but I didn't recognise him because I've only seen him in Tim Burton movies 😂

[@Amy-jn7oi]

Number 7 is a dead giveaway as an old timey actor, you didn't hide those tiny wingtips

[@jasonmoskowitz246]

This is just as much a test of knowledge of celebrities.

[@wohlhabendermanager]

That's a pretty terrible test. I'm awful at recognizing celebrities because most are famous for stuff I don't really care about (like, what are the Kardashian's famous for? Their big butts or is there something else? I know the name, but wouldn't know who they where when I saw them on a picture). JKF jr, I'm not from the US, so until this video I didn't know what he looked like.

[@jasonmoskowitz246]

I thought Colbert was Steve Jobs, and Depp was Christopher Walken

[@spaveevo]

I had 9 of 10 correct. seemed easy but Fred Astaire I had no idea what he looked like since Im young so theres no way I could have gotten 10 out of 10.

[@Ella35222]

i've never even heard of 75% of this list

[@CrazyOldGamerLive]

This video has nothing to do with face blindness. It's only trivia.

[@maaariiia]

Hahaha I was sure that JFK Jr. was George Clooney - lol where am I?!

[@AudreyC379]

Same! 🤣

[@SOMELOAF]

they said number 4 was hard I didn't even know who the first one was.

[@fsecofficial]

My iPhone has this every time I shave.

[@welovedream3565]

uh am i the only one that didn't recognise nobody after the fifth?

[@elisethefrog5483]

I got one...... I thought the ninth person was Simon Cowel

[@localscissors4036]

I don’t like face blind tests if it based off your knowledge on actors. That’s not an accurate way to test it, because if you don’t know the actors you’re screwed. (And if you have face blindness, it’s likely you don’t pay attention to actors anyway, or even remember if you’ve seen a movie they star in)

[@steffib739]

I got 6 :) I am bad at imagining and describing faces but once I see them I recognize them. The ones I didnt recognize I never saw before.

[@lindor7]

POV: U got only Obama right

[@JiveDadson]

No fair! As an American, I have no reason to recognize Beckam. I had never heard of Tyra Banks. I missed those, plus Kennedy Jr., and Demi Moore. That photo still does not look like her to me.

[@highlymedicated5936]

I don't know who any of those people are. I think this is more of an age test.

[@bjam89]

I got 2 right

[@wendym1234]

This isn’t a good test because these are just photos of ‘stars’ that you may or may not have met or even seen. Plus without the hair is an odd way of seeing someone. That’s not the same as seeing faces in every day, stars you are fans of or faces of people in history you enjoy, and whether you can identify them or not. People with true facial blindness may not even recognize their own good friends!

[@MaddieFishblob]

Here’s my attempt. Idk why I’m makin my notes public but eh 🤷‍♀️ >:p Angelina Jolie Ariana grande? Obama ? ?? ??? ? Biance Oh that is DEFINITELY my uncle. Steve Jobs

[@MsBenlane]

i am female, white usa socal. all my life get lost easily. do not recognize out of context. coworker always at counter. now at back. who is that. parks next to me talking to me. who is that person why is she talking to me. have always felt myself stupid. not trying enough. have tended to avoid people. feel anxious when people talk to me as i think who is this?

[@xXmlgamingXx355]

Is this test really accurate? I wasn’t able to recognize either of them and I didn’t even know who most of them were (when he revealed the answers), but I can assure you, I don’t suffer from face blindness /:

[@cathylopez3034]

I had only two, and I do have trouble with faces. I just wish there had been a conclusion or summary at the end. I had hoped for information.

[@kaavyab1009]

The thing is, I don't know what any of them look like normally except for Obama

[@jaydengarcia]

steven colbert looks so funny with no hair

[@nicolevincent5680]

Only got 4 right

[@Chiro2022]

I got 0. I didn't even recognize Obama... How did I not recognize Obama-

[@Absalonian]

When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was Vsauce 😂

[@novaluna2239]

I didn't recognize Demi Moore and Tyra Banks, even though I know them. I thought it were Kate Middleton and Naomi Campell 😅

[@RJ_Last]

I got 8/10 mostly because I watch a lot of American TV/Movies. I didn't recognize D Beckham without hair and thought JFK Jr was Simon Cowell lol.

[@180_S]

I thought Fred Astaire was Hugh Jackman lol

[@PanndaKat]

so wheres part two?

[@psynema]

6/8 - didn't know what Beckham or Astaire looked like previously, not familiar with them. Thought Tyra Banks was Michelle Obama and thought JFK Jr was George Clooney.

[@TheWackoGreenAlien]

I got 3/10 😅😕

[@SWARVB]

I reconised 1 out of the 1 person I knew. I don't know many celebrities.

[@_kimiadventures]

Swear on my life I had no idea

[@CBCer2003]

Why did people laugh on the last one? Is it one of the guys on the stage?

[@samalheid6630]

I only got 2, Obama and Beckham, I don't even know who the rest were

[@eefsss4603]

I couldn’t get David Beckham or Fred Astaire but I’m not familiar with their faces. I’m familiar with Colbert’s face but couldn’t get him either

[@EmTreasure88]

Only heard of 3 of the celebreties on the list, got all 3 wrong, guessed 5 more incorrectly thinking i may have known them, all the rest i left blank bc i really didn't know. 😅

[@derpnerpwerp]

I recognized Angelina Jolie and Johnny depp. I thought for a second that was Obama but figured I was just being racist. Thought one of them was Clint Eastwood. Didn't know who some of these people were.. but admittedly I knew a few of them I didn't get.. Stephen Colbert and Tyra Banks (my answer was Beyonce or Rihanna.. I am realizing I just don't know what Beyonce looks like)..

[@djrerayaloha4112]

I guessed and got Fred Astair right. 9/10 (kennedy) Can the Brian stop learning new faces after a seizure?

[@1995themike]

for number 10, stephen colbert i wrote Asshole, Did i get that one right? I count it as a yes.

[@devin8967]

1. angelina jolie 2. demi lovato 3. obama 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[@Kazuya720]

2:10 I really thought this is Antonio Banderas ?! :D

[@amb817]

I got 7 right

[@darlingdarla375]

I got none

[@VaryaEQ]

I only got Obama. #2 I was debating either Audrey or Judy Garland (that make-up style is distinctly 40/50s), but never settled, and so wrote nothing down for it. And yeah, I can't tell you what my mother looks like without seeing her in front of me. Heck, I can't even tell you what I look like!

[@kaitlynbaker6471]

Angelina, Johnny, Obama, who-- who tf is steven?

[@C3L077]

7/10 didn’t know the others

[@EASYTIGER10]

8 out of 10 - and the other 2 I wouldn't have got under any circumstances! Not bad.

[@wayz1384]

0???

[@TheMoggFREE]

i got 8 right. I'm a millennial. I don't know Astaire and Kennedy's faces.

[@jhunnoethiz3014]

I thought JFK jr. was Antonio banderas

[@tastyboogeryummmymmmm]

Lol I thought Angelina Jolie was madonna and Demi Moore was katy perry

[@andiooopp6605]

i thought #3 was tiger woods....

[@candyowl9086]

I was so confident that Dwayne Johnson and rupaul where in there. But no.. QQ

[@totes_an_alien]

My god I got them all wrong XD

[@fishsauce2221]

I couldnt even guess a name. 0/10. Useless memory!

[@sandbach7195]

I easily got 8

[@lnsflare1]

I got 2.5, because I want sure if I was remembering Obama's face correctly. I see all but 3 of them on TV fairly often, so I guess my score of people I should recognize is 2.5 out of 7 then?

[@DrGodinho]

2/10 i discovered i had prosopagnosia a few years ago

[@amaryllisnightingale6309]

thats more about pop culture knowledge really. knew angelina jolie, jonhy depp and barack obama. should precize im not from the US

[@davybones1723]

2/10😑

[@leoo9042]

My guesses: 1: - 2: Arinana Grande 3: Obama? 4: - 5: - 6: - 7: George Bush (at least one of them) 8: - 9: - 10: -

[@arsviajandoxmundo2301]

La ocho pensaba que era Beyoncé Y Jonny deep pensaba que era Putin 😂😂

[@kymmiisha]

7 out of 10!!!

[@anonymal]

What can I do if I can recognise all of these people? Be a face recogniser?

[@NGKiernan]

I recognized all the faces only I couldn't remember the name of anyone other than Obama. A couple of years ago I would have remembered their names. Weird...

[@carolinaskydabbler6494]

number 10: egg

[@mudlakemicrobes]

0 out of 10 even though I knew who everybody was. I don't recognize my wife if she changes her hair style :/

[@pearlsnosecanstabme8919]

lmao i got all wrong nvm i got some right

[@AdvantageousAngie]

I only got Fred Astaire and John F Kennedy junior wrong. But I don't know who they are. If it was JFK I could have gotten it, bit idk what Jr. Looks like

[@sackettandres9457]

Fuck dude I might have this because I didn’t recognize any of them even Obama

[@blackcoffee658]

Lol, I only got one and that was O B A M A

[@cheddar6275]

I just got one... Barack obama

[@Kazuya720]

I wish I had 7of9....in fact, I just had. 7 of 10... :D I wonder if someone get this ;)

[@gengarvenom]

Who the fuck are those people?

[@Flamingo_Vlogs]

Obama and that guy from the late night show or whatever idk i dont watch tv

[@notquitehim]

I only got obama lol and I knew 4 others but didnt recognize them