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Published online 13 December 2004 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news041213-1

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Celebrity shots probe face recognition

The brain uses three steps to identify faces.

By transforming the features of Margaret Thatcher into those of Marilyn Monroe, researchers have revealed hints about how our brains put a name to a face.

Neuroscientists already know that certain spots in the brain play a vital role for recognizing a familiar face, even as it changes with age or a new hairstyle.

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