Super recogniser
Super recognisers are people with extraordinary good face recognition ability.[1] It is the extreme opposite of prosopagnosia. It is estimated that 1–2% of population are super recognisers who can remember 80% of faces they have seen.[2] Normal people can only remember about 20% of faces. They have proved to be far superior to computer recognition systems. The science behind this is poorly understood but may be related to the fusiform face area part of the brain.[3]
In May 2015, the Metropolitan Police officially formed a team made up of people with a "superpower" for recognising people and put them to work identifying crooks whose faces are captured on CCTV.[4] Scotland Yard has a squad of over 200 super recognisers.[5]
Glasgow Face Matching Test
Super recognisers performed well in the Glasgow Face Matching Test in comparison with a control group.[6]
References
- ^ Russell R, Duchaine B, Nakayama K Super-recognizers: People with extraordinary face recognition ability Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Apr 2009 Vol 16(2) Pages 252-7
- ^ Zolfagharifard E Are YOU a 'super recogniser'? Take the test to see if you are one of an elite group of people who never forget a face Daily Mail 16 Jun 2015
- ^ Myall S Elite police team of super-recognisers are on the cusp of the 'third revolution in forensics' The Mirror 24 Aug 2016
- ^ Hamill J Metropolitan Police 'super-recognisers' have busted THOUSANDS of criminals The Sun 11th Oct 2016
- ^ Camber R The man who NEVER forgets the face: How Scotland Yard's elite squad of 200 'super recognisers' can spot a suspect in a crowd Daily Mail 28 Sep 2013
- ^ Robertson DJ Could super recognisers be the latest weapon on the war on terror? The Conversation 24 Mar 2016
Further reading
- Gaidos S Familiar faces:"Super recognizers" never forget a visage, an unusual ability that can be put to good use Science News Vol 184 Iss 5 p16–20, 07 Sep 2013
- Robertson DJ, Noyes E, Dowsett AJ , Jenkins R Face Recognition by Metropolitan Police Super-Recognisers PLoS One 11(2); 26 Feb 2016
- Williams C "Super-recognisers" have amazing memory for faces New Scientist Vol 215 Iss 2882 15 Sep 2012 Pages 36–39
- Ring T Humans vs machines: the future of facial recognition Biometric Technology Today Vol 2016 Iss 4 April 2016 Pages 5–8
External links
- Keefe PR The Detectives Who Never Forget a Face The New Yorker 22 Aug 2016
- Brodwin E Meet the 'super-recognisers,' an elite squad of police officers who are paid to never, ever forget a face Business Insider 11 Oct 2016
- Bate S Never forget a face? You might be a super recogniser The Telegraph 27 Sep 2016
- Rice X The super-recognisers of Scotland Yard New Statesman 2 August 2016
- Police to deploy 'super-recognisers' to scan CCTV to pick out offenders and trouble makers at Notting Hill Carnival ITV News 26 Aug 2016
- Met sends elite 'super-recognizers' to aid Cologne sex attack investigation RT News 28 Jan 2016