In the domain of face recognition, there exists a puzzling timing discrepancy between results from macaque neurophysiology on the one hand and human electrophysiology on the other. Single unit recordings in macaques have demonstrated face identity specific responses in extra-striate visual cortex within 100 milliseconds of stimulus onset. In EEG and MEG experiments with humans, however, a consistent distinction between neural activity corresponding to unfamiliar and familiar faces has been reported to emerge around 250 ms. This points to the possibility that there may be a hitherto undiscovered early correlate of face familiarity perception in human electrophysiological traces. We report here a successful search for such a correlate in dense MEG recordings using pattern classification techniques. Our analyses reveal markers of face familiarity as early as 85 ms after stimulus onset. Low-level attributes of the images, such as luminance and color distributions, are unable to account for this early emerging response difference. These results help reconcile human and macaque data, and provide clues regarding neural mechanisms underlying familiar face perception.

Sheep have been notoriously associated with the "herd mentality" insult. In fact, the Miriam-Webster dictionary, included into its list of recognized words this April, the word "sheeple," -- which is a derogatory term directed at "people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced," or just plain simple-minded. But a major study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, has now debunked the stupidity that we have come to associate with sheep. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have trained sheep to identify the pictures of celebrities including Emma Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal, journalist Fiona Bruce and Barack Obama. The team was astonished to find that the animals are able to recognize familiar faces from just 2-D images.

People's faces change all the time. During a conversation, a person's facial expressions and head angle change, and over time, people's appearances also change if they lose weight, grow a beard, or change their hairstyle. If we know someone, we can recognize them despite these changes - but if a face is unfamiliar, research has shown that people are generally very bad at matching together two images of the same face. If we know someone, we can recognize them despite changes in facial expressions - but if a face is unfamiliar, research has shown that people are generally very bad at matching together two images of the same face. Pictured is Jim Carrey in the film'A Series of Unfortunate Events' How the human visual system manages to overcome the challenge of face changes and allow us to recognize people it still mostly unknown.

Dr. Brad Duchaine, Associate Professor Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth, says facial recognition is a sophisticated, yet universal skill humans have. "It's really a complicated system and it involves a number of different grey areas (but) visual recognition is something everybody is really good at," Duchaine said. "It comes built-in with the brain. We're capable of doing face processing just minutes after being born." Balas, who has done research on how social interactions can influence face perception and memory, said it's amazing the type of information humans can draw from a quick glance of someone's face.