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THE FUZZY FIGHT
OVER ‘REAL’ IMAGES

Thursday, November 9, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we show ways to ID fake photos, learn why cats have so many facial expressions, get to the bottom of ‘leaky gut’ ... and find a nearby panda not headed back to China.

One of these is a real photograph by Nat Geo photographer Frans Lanting. The other is an AI-generated image produced with DALL·E 2 using the prompt “a National Geographic style photo of a cheetah in Africa.”

One of these is a real photograph by Nat Geo photographer Frans Lanting. The other is an AI-generated image produced with DALL·E 2 using the prompt “a National Geographic style photo of a cheetah in Africa.” Can you tell which one is which?

It’s getting harder and harder to figure out. There are some tells, however—and detecting fake from truth can be done, with some help.

So which photo is real? And how do you tell?

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A scanning electron microscope view of intestinal cells (purple), which are covered with microvilli (pink).

MICROGRAPH BY STEVE GSCHMEISSNER, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

What is ‘leaky gut’? Does it really cause all that stuff? (Above, a microscope view of intestinal cells.)

Now we know how COVID attacks your heart

Famously aloof, cats have 276 facial expressions. Why?

Do you have a morning routine? Here's how some historic figures kicked off their day

There’s new guidance on lung cancer screening. Here’s who is affected.

How a face transplant transformed a young woman’s life

A dog-size lizard is threatening the U.S. South. Can it be stopped?

No other food or medicine can do what olive oil can do

6 vitamin pairings that can help you live longer.

This palace represented a golden era, before it was conquered. Now, its wonders have been restored.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JENNIFER LEE BLANTON, GETTY IMAGES

Seasonal depression? You don’t have to suffer: Earlier nighttimes that took effect this week and shorter and shorter days can disrupt our circadian rhythm and sap our energy. Yes, seasonal depression is a thing, and yes, there are techniques and tools to help.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Businessman Alfine Fuad shows how he smuggled his family out of East Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie in 1976.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS HOFFMANN, PICTURE ALLIANCE/GETTY

On this day in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. But over the nearly three decades it stood as an ugly symbol of the Cold War, dividing East from West, some Germans found a way to escape. (Above, a family hides in the trunk of a car to sneak through an East German checkpoint.)

Related: Life behind the Berlin Wall in 1961
Related: How Nat Geo covered life stuck behind the Communist wall

BERLIN WALL FLASHBACK

LAST GLIMPSE

Reaching through the bars of her enclosure, a caretaker brushes Xin Xin.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEJANDRO CEGARRA

Where’s a panda? As China takes away its pandas on the U.S. mainland, Americans still have a way to see a panda—but it’s just a plane hop away. Meet Xin Xin (above), one of three pandas in the world not owned by China. Where is Xin Xin?

A. Vancouver
B. San Juan
C. Toronto
D. Mexico City
E. Honolulu

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANSWER

Today’s soundtrack: Bear With Me, Through The Roots

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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