How do some people remember faces with incredible accuracy? A new study reveals a stunning mechanism in the brain

Have you ever encountered someone you met for just a few seconds, only to later discover that they remember your features in astonishing detail? These individuals are known as "super-recognizers," and a recent study has unveiled the secret behind their unique ability.

In research published in 2025 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Sciences – Section B, a team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia found that those with this ability do not look at faces more than others, but rather look with greater intelligence.

A closer look… not longer

Using eye-tracking technology, scientists studied the gaze movements of 37 individuals with exceptional face recognition abilities, compared to 68 individuals with average abilities. The results showed that super-recognizers immediately focus on the most distinguishing details:
the small curves, the precise distances between features, and the boundaries of the eyes and mouth—everything that makes a face unique among millions.

According to lead researcher James Dunn, this ability does not rely on training or awareness, but operates in an automatic and programmed manner in the brain.

Algorithms learn from them

To deepen the findings, scientists fed gaze data into machine learning algorithms, discovering that the models became more accurate when trained on the gaze patterns of super-recognizers, compared to those of average individuals.

The study suggests that this visual superiority begins at very early stages of image processing, possibly at the level of the retina itself.

The face… a puzzle that is disassembled and reassembled

These results align with previous studies by the same team, showing that super-recognizers treat faces like pieces of a "puzzle": they first break it down, then the brain reassembles it into a unified image. Researchers liken this process to a "caricature" style that highlights distinctive features to facilitate recognition.

Although these findings may eventually aid in developing facial recognition systems, scientists emphasize that humans still outperform artificial intelligence in capturing social and contextual cues.

Evidence also suggests genetic roots for this skill, alongside its role in the social behavior of many primate species.

Thus, the study adds a new link in understanding one of the brain's most complex skills: how we distinguish a face among millions, and why some of us excel at it to a degree that seems almost superhuman.