Most Baffling "Ghost Photo" News Story Of The Week

[Kiosk]

More fearless "science" reporting from the British media:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/google/5051309/Victorian-ghost-picked-up-by-Google-Street-View.html

This surely can't be serious. I've sat here for all of... ooh, two minutes, scratching my head and wondering how the hell this made it into a national newspaper. I mean, it's only the Telegraph website, but still... did anyone at any stage of this story - the person who noticed the photo, the journalist who wrote the piece, the "local medium", the readers - honestly think for one millisecond that there was even the vaguest chance this was actually a ghost? I'm sceptical about that. And yet it's not framed as a joke story. Very odd indeed.

[Safe-Keeper]

My city's newspaper just carried a story on the alleged ghost of a Norwegian theatre. The story was the usual 'people have seen a ghostly figure, heard noises, etc.', coupled with a claim that the painting of the woman haunting the premises has the power to withstand both bombs dropped from planes and fire. This was backed up by theater employees who experienced fires and bombings and found the painting intact in the burned-out building, and said they had no idea how this could happen.

Never mind how the paper is supposed to be neutral and critical, or how you're supposed to ask experts, not theater employees, when trying to figure something out.

I wrote a piece on the newspaper article here (http://siderfrafana.blogspot.com/2009/02/kommentar-til-bergens-tidendes-artikkel.html), but didn't bother translating it to English yet. There's probably a translator somewhere online.

I feel your pain, bro.

[plumjam]

maybe an april fool they put out early by mistake

[LTC8K6]

It's just a photo stitching problem with photos taken at different times of day.

Which is exactly what Google would tell them if they bothered to ask.

[Toke]

I got confused by the arrow to the right in the picture, then realised they must be refering to the camera/data error in the center.

Guess it was a slow newsday, notice how the credibility is enchanced by claiming the clothing is out of fasion.:D

[Visloch]

here is another picture of that "ghost'. How spooky is she. ;)

[Toke]

Cool, her legs have grown out.

[shandyjan]

Just spotted the story on my msn homepage.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15422134

quote.. " Even confirmed ghost sceptic Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the study, admitted to being puzzled.
"It is certainly very curious," he said. "We ran it by three photographic experts and they said it hadn't been Photoshopped at all.
"The figure appears to be in period costume, but we know 100% that Tantallon Castle is not the sort of place that has dummies or costumed guides; they just don't go in for that sort of thing.
"I suppose it could be a visitor looking a little bit strange. Perhaps someone will come forward. Another possibility is an odd reflection of sunlight, but it does look very like a person. The explanation is not obvious."

[Kiosk]

here is another picture of that "ghost'. How spooky is she. ;)

She even has a shadow... brrrrr.

Actually, if I was in charge of Google Street View, I'd make sure I dotted a few people around the areas that were due to be photographed, dressed as ghosts, vampires, Frankenstein, etc. Nothing wrong with a bit of free publicity for your service when someone spots one.

[four elevener]

She looks like a Sims animated character.

[Professor Yaffle]

Just spotted the story on my msn homepage.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15422134

quote.. " Even confirmed ghost sceptic Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the study, admitted to being puzzled.
"It is certainly very curious," he said. "We ran it by three photographic experts and they said it hadn't been Photoshopped at all.
"The figure appears to be in period costume, but we know 100% that Tantallon Castle is not the sort of place that has dummies or costumed guides; they just don't go in for that sort of thing.
"I suppose it could be a visitor looking a little bit strange. Perhaps someone will come forward. Another possibility is an odd reflection of sunlight, but it does look very like a person. The explanation is not obvious."

That's a different "ghost" - in Scotland, not Wales. And it's probably mostly Richard Wiseman trying to do a bit of advertising for his "science of ghosts" event at the edinburgh science festival.
http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/Events/Preview-events/Hauntings-The-science-of-ghosts
http://scienceofghosts.wordpress.com/page/3/

ETA: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/
http://www.richardwiseman.com/hauntings2/experiments
http://www.richardwiseman.com/hauntings2/experiments4

[KeyserSoze]

"It is certainly very curious," he said. "We ran it by three photographic experts and they said it hadn't been Photoshopped at all.
This looks to me like a case of dishonest reporting with quote mining. Is there any photographic expert wouldn't have pointed out immediately that there is something seriously wrong with the photo? I actually noticed that the poles and sidewalk tiles weren't matched up before I even noticed the woman.

[Professor Yaffle]

This looks to me like a case of dishonest reporting with quote mining. Is there any photographic expert wouldn't have pointed out immediately that there is something seriously wrong with the photo? I actually noticed that the poles and sidewalk tiles weren't matched up before I even noticed the woman.

As I said, the one Wiseman commented on is a totally different picture, in Scotland, not Wales.

[firecoins]

we should integrate ghosts into the educational curriculum in Texas High Schools.

[Safe-Keeper]

Just glanced at the link... ugh. Surely it must be a joke or part of a bigger project or something. I'm reminded of James Randi's stunts, in which he fabricates psychics and whatnot for then to show people 'how they can be easily deceived'.

[Deetee]

As I said, the one Wiseman commented on is a totally different picture, in Scotland, not Wales.
I think I'll start a new thread on the different ghost - so as not to confuse peeps.

[jonnyhead]

Actually, if I was in charge of Google Street View, I'd make sure I dotted a few people around the areas that were due to be photographed, dressed as ghosts, vampires, Frankenstein, etc. Nothing wrong with a bit of free publicity for your service when someone spots one.

According to an article in Wales Online (can't link yet) that's exactly what it is.

But today we can reveal that she is just one of a number of fictional characters that Google chiefs decided to cheekily place in the new map.

And while they chose Cardiff for Mary Poppins, Paddington Bear can be spotted on London’s fashionable Portobello Road, Sherlock Holmes has been caught in Oxford, and the Beefeater has been indulging in a spot of shopping at the Birmingham branch of Selfridges.

Google’s Laura Scott told the Echo: “The mystery has been revealed.

“We dressed up a real person in a Mary Poppins costume and she was photographed by the car as it went past.

“We’re always looking for fun stuff to include in our products – and well done for spotting her.”

I was amused that the error at the bottom of the photo was considered proof of something supernatural, you don't have to spend long on Street View to see that type of thing all over the place.

[Apathia]

It's Mary Poppins! :eye-poppi

[Ernie M]

Although the following cnn.com video does not deal specifically with the OP photo, it does however, include a telephone conversation about other ghostly photographs with Professor Richard Wiseman providing some answers.

Ghostly images (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/03/27/foster.bpr.wiseman.ghost.cnn?iref=videosearch) 3:40
"Is there photographic proof of ghosts? CNN's Max Foster asks professor Richard Wiseman."

[JohnG]

Where's Torchwood when you need them?

[Doc Daneeka]

There's only one rational explanation, you know. This must have something to do with Torchwood.

Sorry, but seeing that it was Cardiff, I couldn't resist.

[edit] JohnG just beat me to it, lol

[bob_dezon]

I've just finished an article about this idiocy. If you have time, check it out, over at badghosts. :(

[shandyjan]

Sorry....my mistake on mixing up the two pictures.
Still...it was worthy of the opening topic :D

[Ove]

Hehe my first impulse was an actor participating in "My Fair Lady". She DOES resemble Eliza as first seen but Mary Poppins is just as believeable.

There are DOZENS of Ghosts on Google Street Wiew if you count people "cut in halves" as Ghosts that is. :dl: