Science fights the fakes

John, Chester, NJ — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:12:38 GMT

As with spam, the best defense against fake photographs may be for people to stop responding to them. I remember a photography magazine ran a cover article called something like "The end of photography as proof of anything". That was decades ago, but it still hasn't sunk in. As long as people automatically accept a photograph as the gospel truth, people will continue to make fakes.

Science fights the fakes

Dick, Illinois — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:34:02 GMT

I understand that the combining of two technologies is one way to defeat expert fraud detection. For instance, take a photograph doctor it up and then scan it into electronic format. Once converted to electronic format then seams or textures or whatever on the original doctored photo is unavailable. An expert in digital fraud is now looking at the jpeg or gif and he doesn't know anything about photo fraud. The reverse is also plausable. The electronic format could be photographed and then expert called to task would be a photo lab technician and unversed in photoshop modifications.

Science fights the fakes

R Teague, Kaneohe, HI — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:22:54 GMT

There is a better solution. It's called "film".

Science fights the fakes

TheFallibleFiend, Lorton, VA — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:19:39 GMT

I'm disappointed that you're not getting with the program.

See, these here so-called computer "scientists" can speculate all they want. It's ONLY a theory. After all, nobody was there to actually SEE these supposed fraudsters doctor the photos, therefore it's all JUST SPECULATION and inference. (Can I get a big "well, duh!")

Science fights the fakes

Kim, Glen Burnie, MD — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:12:19 GMT

It goes to prove that good old fashion film still has its place as it is a lot harder to make an excellent fake on a physical negative or slide, though not impossible obviously.

Science fights the fakes

Mark; Agawam;MA — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:08:32 GMT

Throughout the ages it's always been "Buyer Beware". Why should today be any different? How about "A fool and his money are soon departed"?

The first of anything, if it's of real value, should be in a museum. Why must we pretend to concern ourselves with micromanaging the commerce between two or more parties we hold very little trust in to begin with?

Science fights the fakes

Chris Eldridge CJE — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 04:16:58 GMT

I forget his name, but if you look on the collage I made of Apollo (the one with Kennedy, the vehicle assembly building etc.), I replaced some president in the painting behind Kennedy with the photo of the Russian scientist from ~1906 who was the first to propose liquid fueled rockets, stages, etc... :)

In general, I had a lot of time to kill at work and I'd often play with a basic photo editor. Some southern state was complaining about flooding when the water was barely a foot deep. I therefore took it upon my self to doctor the photo. I sank the cars down to the door handles, added rescue workers... I even remembered to lower the mailboxes. Perhaps adding a heavily armed Sarah Connor (from T2) to show a bit of civilian upheaval was a bit of overkill though... Ha-ha!