You're not seeing what you think you're seeing
February 23, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
Incredible, mind-blowing technology is being used in movies these days that convinces you you’re seeing something that’s not really there, as this series of back-lot scenes from TV-shows and movie sets reveals.
From an entertainment standpoint, I think all this is truly marvelous. I love how they can simulate anything, any location, any situation using green-screen shoots overlaid with computer graphic illustration (and other such technically devised illusions). But this is also a cause for concern if this grand technology were ever employed nefariously in an effort to deceive people on a wide scale — e.g., to make them think they are seeing, let’s say, something menacing or enticing in the sky.
Don’t get me wrong. I am happy to see these amazing advances in technology which allow us to expand our ability to imagine. I’m just a little leery about the potential for its misuse. In any case, sit back and enjoy a few minutes of cinematographic magic.
If you were on jury and the only evidence were photographic or video would you vote to convict?
The rules of evidence require authentication of photographic evidence. That is, to be entered into evidence, you have to have an eyewitness to the event who testifies that what is depicted in the photograph truly and accurate portrays the actual event.
Patrick, I think you have done a great job of “futuring” with you comments on how this type of technology can be misused to deceive. Fantastic and wonderful on many levels but like most things, we must be guarded and stay educated as to its uses.
How easily we are deceived when the only thing we accept is the evidence we can see.
Reminds me of Orson Welles and War of the Worlds.
If there ever were a great miracle in our times, like at Fatima and able to be televised, I wonder how many people would doubt it simply based on the ability of technology to recreate anything. I doubt the authenticity of most of the pictures I receive in email, just because of Photoshop.
But I thank God for the Catholic Church that gives us reason to believe without seeing 'miracles' or visions.
If you were on jury and the only evidence were photographic or video would you vote to convict?