Imagine sitting on a plane, only to discover someone with the exact same face as yours, occupying the same seat. Now add to the strangeness: staying in the same hotel and bumping into each other at the bar, all without any blood relation.
It's the kind of coincidence that feels more like a plot twist from a novel than reality, yet this bizarre scenario actually happened.
Neil Douglas found himself face to face with his non-relative doppelgänger while aboard a plane. Their resemblance was uncanny: same facial features, same expression, and same seat number.
Left: Robert Sterling; Right: Neil Douglas
With near-identical facial features, wearing matching expressions that could have been copied and pasted, and sporting their signature ginger beards, they even share a similar hairstyle. Not to mention their black outerwear, which is identical.
On Thursday night, Neil Douglas boarded a plane bound for Ireland. Upon entering the aircraft, he found another man occupying his seat. He approached for a polite confrontation.
However, when the stranger looked up, both were stunned!
"Oh my, how can he look so much like me, exactly the same!"
While Neil Douglas was still drumming up thoughts internally, the stranger seemed to realize the facial resemblance issue too. Suddenly, both burst into laughter, and the people around couldn't help but marvel at how alike they looked, emitting sighs of amazement.
Due to this rare coincidence, they sat in adjacent seats, took photos together, and chatted merrily all the way.
During the conversation, the man introduced himself as Robert Sterling. He originally didn't sit in that seat but swapped with a couple, leading him to encounter another version of himself.
Upon reaching their destination, the two parted ways, but their story continued.
Another Doppelgänger: Mr. Pibody
What's even more coincidental is that they both had reservations at the same hotel and ran into each other at a nearby bar.
Celebrating their serendipitous reunion, they shared drinks and had a wonderful time, even posting the saga of their encounter online.
Their photos went viral on the internet, with people astounded by their uncanny resemblance despite not being related. Many marveled at the existence of doppelgängers, deeming it incredibly surreal!
As the photos gained traction, a third doppelgänger emerged voluntarily.
Internet user Mr. Pibody posted a selfie online with the caption: "Looks like I missed my flight."
From the photo, he appears to be yet another doppelgänger of Neil Douglas and Robert Stirling, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between the three.
Finding someone who looks just like you: odds are 1 in 135
We've always believed that each face is unique, except for identical twins. Even among close relatives, facial features are distinct. This uniqueness forms the basis for technologies like facial recognition on smartphones and facial screening for criminals.
However, reality proves otherwise. Many people have found their doppelgängers, some even gathering multiple look-alikes.
Canadian photographer François Brunelle spent over a decade studying human faces. Thanks to his efforts, he captured portraits of over a hundred doppelgänger pairs and organized a photography exhibition themed "Me and My Other Me."
Photographer Francois Brunelle
discovered numerous "twin strangers" on a website dedicated to finding "virtual twins," individuals who bear a striking resemblance despite not being blood relatives.
Which one is the real Dwayne Johnson?
What are the odds of finding someone who looks exactly like you?
In 2015, a research team from the University of Adelaide in Australia concluded that the likelihood of encountering a doppelgänger, someone who looks exactly like you, is about 1 in 135.
With odds of 1 in 135, purely in terms of data, it's not as low as one might think. It's actually much higher than the probability of some genetic diseases. But why is it so? And why haven't I encountered mine?
Because human perception of facial features is highly subjective and generalized, it relies on several key facial characteristics for reference.
Typically, when we look at a face, we first focus on the eyes, nose, and mouth, then pay attention to features like the hairline, hairstyle, and eyebrows.
These facial features are measured with standard numerical values (width, spacing, color descriptions, etc.). If two people have the same facial features, then our perception judges them to have "similar appearances."
Wenrich Freiwald, a scientist at Rockefeller University researching facial recognition, believes: "With only a limited number of genes determining facial shape within a human body and such a vast global population, complete matches in facial features are bound to exist."
In 2022, a study published in Cell Reports confirmed a striking fact: the genetic variation between individuals is a mere 0.1% (comparatively, humans and chimpanzees differ by only about 1% in their genetic makeup). Even more fascinating, among those who bear a striking resemblance, there are at least 20,000 identical genetic segments responsible for shaping facial features like the mouth, nose, eyes, chin, and forehead.
This implies that doppelgängers have a genetic foundation, with their genetic similarity manifesting in their facial appearance. These findings stem from research conducted on "virtual twins" provided by photographer François Brunelle. The study encompassed 16 pairs of these virtual twins, scrutinizing their dietary habits, occupations, lifestyles, and DNA.
The outcome was remarkable: nine pairs exhibited a high degree of similarity in both genetics and lifestyle choices.
It's rumored that there are a total of 7 identical doppelgängers of you worldwide? This notion, popular abroad, suggests that statistically there are six other individuals who share your exact facial features. Presently, the claim of having 7 doppelgängers lacks scientific basis and sounds rather fantastical. However, it's not entirely implausible; it primarily depends on how one perceives doppelgängers.
If referring to individuals with identical genes, the probability approaches infinitesimal levels. But if it's merely about resembling each other, in populous countries like India and China, it's plausible.
Originally, these individuals would never have crossed paths, with an estimated chance of encounter at just one in a trillion. However, thanks to the widespread reach of the internet, the likelihood of encountering such doubles has significantly increased.
Take for instance celebrities like Jay Chou and Xiao Yueyue; online, there's a multitude of individuals who claim to resemble them. Among them, there could indeed be several with nearly identical facial features.
Perhaps there are far more than just 7 doppelgängers out there!
