Discover the mini space race to the Moon's South Pole, the search for water with implications for space exploration, the release of water voles in the Lake District, the challenges of distinguishing real and deepfake voices, and the fascinating ways animals bend time.
The Luna 25 and Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft are exploring the Moon's South Pole to search for water, which could have significant implications for understanding the Solar System.
Research shows that deepfake voice technology is becoming more convincing, raising concerns about its potential misuse in fraud and deception. Individuals should be cautious and verify information.
Deep dives
Missions to the Moon's South Pole
Two spacecraft, Luna 25 from Russia and Chandrayaan 3 from India, are currently orbiting the moon. They aim to land on the Luna South Pole, a region that holds clues about the Earth's formation and the origins of water. As the moon lacks an atmosphere, its history remains preserved in its craters. The South Pole, in particular, is shadowed and contains deep craters that may still harbor ancient water ice. These missions will study the moon's craters, search for water, and gather valuable information about our planet's early evolution.
Advancements and Dangers of Deepfake Voices
New research from University College London investigates how well listeners can distinguish between real human voices and AI-generated deepfake voices. The study found that participants could correctly identify deepfake voices as fake about 73% of the time. However, it is concerning that more than 40% of participants mistook real human voices for deepfakes. The study demonstrates that deepfake voice technology is improving and becoming more convincing, raising concerns about potential misuse in fraud and deception. It is important for individuals to be aware of the possibility of deepfake audio and to verify information before making any hasty decisions or transactions.
Nature's Unusual Concepts of Time
Dr. Helen Pilcher explores fascinating insights about time in the natural world. Examples include the decomposition of a whale's body, fueling an entire ecosystem for up to 100 years, and the intriguing lifespans of various organisms. Some creatures, like the Mayfly, live only for a day, while others, like the Greenland shark, can reach astonishing ages of up to 390 years. Additionally, Dr. Pilcher delves into animals' altered perception of time. For instance, flies perceive time seven times more slowly than humans, allowing them to react swiftly. Swordfish modulate their perception of time to process more information during hunting. These unique perspectives on time shed light on the wonders of the natural world.
Two plucky spacecraft, one Russian and one Indian, are currently blasting towards the Moon’s South Pole. Both Russia’s Luna-25 and India’s Chandrayaan-3 are due to touch down next week. They’re heading to that particular region of the Moon in order to hunt for water, the presence of which could have huge implications for our further exploration of the Solar System. Victoria Gill talks to Dr Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford, to find out more.
Victoria then heads to the Lake District to witness the release of water voles into the ecosystem.
Next up, Professor Lewis Griffin, a computer scientist from University College London, tells us how bad we are at distinguishing between real and deepfake voices. He then reveals what implications this might have for scams.
Finally, Dr Helen Pilcher tells us all about the intriguing ways that animals can bend time. You can find out more in her book, How Nature Keeps Time.
Presenter: Victoria Gill
Producer: Hannah Robins
Content producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Research: Patrick Hughes
Editor: Richard Collings
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