In the News: A Photo Detection Problem

It's all over the news. How could war crime suspect and Serbian national Radovan Karadzic go unnoticed while practicing as an alternative medicine doctor? Take a close look at the two photos of him by searching his name in quotes in Google Images. All it took was a few extra pounds, long hair, a beard and glasses. It's a natural disguise. There are folks who don't believe it's really him, but you can follow that story in the news. When I saw the images of him it made me think about all the people hiding in plain sight in your boxes of family photos. A new beard and a weight gain or vice versa can easily change a person's appearance. When comparing photos pay attention to the details that don't change--ears and noses for instance.