Reader

2024 is opening before us and we can be sure that we will be exposed to an incredible number of deceptive stories and pronouncements. But forgeries and fakes are nothing new. Thinking people have been exposed to them for ages and, yes, we have fallen for them. But fortunately, someone seems to come along who challenges them and the truth shines through.

A brief history of deception

1725 - Beringer's Lying Stones: A series of stones with images of plants and insects that Professor Beringer took to be genuine fossils. His colleagues had carved them.

Circa 1903 - The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: A document, forged by the secret police of Tsar Nicholas II purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. It was used as propaganda to fuel anti-Semitic conspiracy theories to discredit reformists and revolutionaries. It was later used by the Nazis.

1912 - Piltdown Man: Fraudulent fossil remains of a supposed early human. It misled scientists for over 40 years before it was exposed as a combination of human skull with an orangutan’s jaw.

1930s - Vermeer Forgeries: Han van Meegeren created a series of Vermeer paintings in the 1930s and 1940s. His most famous forgery, “The Supper at Emmaus” was considered a genuine Vermeer until van Meegeren was caught and he confessed.

1971 - The Tasaday Tribe: this was an alleged Stone Age tribe discovered in the Philippines. It actually was a group of modern people who had been instructed to behave as members of a tribe isolated from civilization.

1980s - The Hitler Diaries: This was a series of diaries that falsely purported to be the diaries of Adolf Hitler. Stern magazine, a German publication, published parts of the diary and experts even authenticated them. They were forgeries created by Kenrad Kajau.

1999 - The Archaeoraptor: A fake fossil that was claimed to be the missing link between dinosaurs and birds. It was even featured in National Geographic magazine. It was actually a composite of different fossils.

2024 – Get ready for deep fakes.

This term refers to a synthetic media in which a person in an existing picture or video is replaced by someone else’s likeness using AI technologies. The term is a combination of “deep learning” (an AI capability) and “fake.”

Our eyes and ears WILL deceive us. AI has negated the term “I’ll believe it when I see it.” We have no choice but to remain skeptical of much of what will be presented us in “election year 2024.” Someone will lie to us to get our vote.

Defend yourself – search for the truth.

It would be nice if we could just trust what is presented to us. But that would be STUPID. People and organizations are out to deceive us. Not all, but some. And we don’t necessarily know who the bad guys are.

It would be nice if we could just trust the experts. But they get fooled as well.

Sorry, but you have work to do. You must take responsibility for your truth. The truth is out there, but you have to find it.

Here are a few things to consider:

• Check the credibility and the biases of the source providing the information. (Supermarket tabloid?)
• Look for multiple sources that confirm the statement. Consistency across various reputable sources often indicates accuracy. (Internet blog or reference librarian?)
• Look for and evaluate the evidence or data supporting the statement. Statements backed by clear, verifiable evidence or data are more likely to be true. (Opinions without data?)
• Is the statement logically coherent and does it contradict well-established facts or principles. (Auto engines that run on water?)
• Are there any potential biases in the source or in your own perspective that might affect the interpretation of the statement. (Do you only listen to Fox or CNN?)
• Is the information current and up to date, especially in fast-changing fields. (AI, Ozempic, and Covid-19)

Reminder

We are launching our Directed Dialogues series this month.

January 18 – Crossing the River of Time.

We often think and write about “the” past, or “the” future as a set fixture. But time is not static; it flows minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and week-by-week. Time is a river. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow and the past is always influencing today. We’ll comment on the challenges of crossing this river and have a nice conversation.

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84381397493. No password, just a “waiting room.”

Best wishes for a nice 2024.

Bill