It’s not that the person who can never remember meeting you is snobby or even absent-minded; they may have a fascinating – and often difficult – neurological condition called prosopagnosia, known more commonly as face blindness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Face blindness, also known as prosopagnosia, exists on a spectrum from difficulty in remembering faces to the inability to recognize faces at all. The condition can make day-to-day interactions difficult for those who have severe forms of it.
This podcast episode delves into the neurological disorders called agnosias, in particular, prosopagnosia or face blindness. The hosts discuss the symptoms of the disorder and the differences between it and other agnosias.
The speaker describes how perceiving things under a strobe light is similar to seeing a car approaching you, explaining how it could affect simple tasks such as turning off an oven or recognizing objects in a room.
Individuals with prosopagnosia not only struggle recognizing faces, they also have difficulty retaining biographical information as it is associated with a person's face. The development of a functional system to overcome this obstacle is crucial.
The inability to recognize faces, known as prosopagnosia, can be mitigated by focusing on other cues such as mannerisms, scars, and tattoos; individuals with prosopagnosia can choose to study select people to recognize them better.
The speaker shares a strategy for handling awkward situations of not recognizing someone in life which includes asking the person to remind you of where you met, instead of asking out loud, which can be offensive.
Approximately one in 50 people have difficulty recognizing faces, a condition known as prosopagnosia. The more severe cases are rare, but even mild cases can be challenging.
The fusiform gyrus is responsible for facial recognition and any damage to it can lead to difficulty in recognizing faces. A thinner fusiform gyrus is more efficient at recognizing faces than a thicker one.
The host shares his story and tells about a Russian astronaut who was stuck in space with no country to bring him down, along with a mention of how the Boeing plant in Seattle used a fake town on the roof to camouflage their factory.