This isn't the Nature Podcast — how deepfakes are distorting reality
Sep 27, 2023
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Learn about the dangers of AI deepfakes and the efforts being made to combat them. Discover ultra-accurate measurement of Earth's day-length and the unique survival tactic of snow flies. Uncover evidence of ancient woodworking and its implications for early hominins. Explore the excitement and precautions surrounding the landing of the Osiris Rex mission capsule. Discuss the future of sample return missions and the importance of protecting archaeological sites.
AI-generated deepfakes pose real-world threats, and researchers are developing tools to detect and tag synthetic content to mitigate their impact.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of advanced woodworking skills in ancient hominins, providing insights into their technology and shared knowledge.
Deep dives
The Rise of AI-generated Deepfakes
AI-generated deepfakes, manipulated reality through edited photos, altered audio, and faked videos, have become increasingly prevalent due to the accessibility of generative artificial intelligence technologies. Deepfakes have real-world impacts, from financial scams to causing stock market fluctuations. Researchers and companies are working on two technological solutions: tagging content to indicate AI generation and developing algorithms to detect synthetic content. However, neither solution is perfect, and regulation is needed to enforce safety standards. Additionally, education and awareness are crucial in helping people recognize and protect themselves from deepfakes.
Evidence of Ancient Woodworking
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of ancient woodworking at the Colombo Falls site in Zambia. The waterlogged deposits at the site have preserved wooden artifacts, including a possible wooden structure made by early hominins around 476,000 years ago. This suggests advanced woodworking skills and tool use in our ancient human relatives. The discovery could provide insights into the technology, materials, and shared knowledge of the time. Protecting and preserving the site is essential for further study and promoting national pride and identity.
NASA's Osiris Rex Sample Return Mission
NASA's Osiris Rex mission has successfully collected samples from the asteroid Bennu and returned them to Earth. This mission marks the first time samples have been collected from this type of celestial object. The collected samples, amounting to about 250 grams in total, could provide valuable information about the early solar system, including the raw ingredients, delivery of water, and building blocks of life. Scientists will analyze the materials in specialized laboratories to unlock the secrets of our solar system's origins.
The Future of Sample Return Missions
Sample return missions, such as Osiris Rex, are complex and expensive but offer invaluable insights into the composition and history of celestial objects. Future missions include sample returns from Mars and the Martian moon Phobos. Mars sample return missions seek to bring back rocks collected by the Perseverance rover to gain a deeper understanding of the Red Planet's geology and potential for past life. These missions present scientific and logistical challenges but promise significant scientific rewards.
It has long been possible to create deceptive images, videos or audio to entertain or mislead audiences. Now, with the rise of AI technologies, such manipulations have become easier than ever. These deepfakes can spread misinformation, defraud people, and damage economies. To tackle this, researchers and companies are developing tools to find and label deepfakes, in an attempt to rob them of their potential to wreak havoc.
14:04 Stacked timbers might be evidence of ancient woodworking
Ancient stone tools are well preserved in the archeological record, and are used by researchers to understand the lives of ancient hominins. But other materials like wood are less common, since they will only preserve under specific conditions. Now researchers have found a trove of wooden artefacts in Zambia dated to be around 476,000 old. In particular, stacked timbers from the site could be the earliest known wooden structure, perhaps implying that ancient hominins had a greater capacity for woodworking than previously thought.
22:00 OSIRIS-REx brings haul of asteroid dust and rock back to Earth
This week, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx successfully landed a capsule containing rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu. We talk with reporter Alex Witze, who was on the ground in Utah when the samples landed, to find out what these ancient rocks could reveal about the origins of the Solar System.