Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.
In this week’s episode, we discuss:
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Irish unease
Brexit was pushed down the news agenda by the second wave of Covid, but its consequences are being felt most keenly in a corner of the UK which voted to remain in the UK. The Irish border is no longer just a border between the north and south of a contested island, but also the EU’s frontier - and the Brexit agreement added a customs border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The result is that no one is happy - and paramilitary groups are increasingly restive.
AI deepfakes
Viral apps such as Wombo and Deep Nostalgia are highlighting how advances in deepfake video technology mean almost anyone can now create false footage - and heightening fears about the threats posed. So just what does this new era of AI trickery mean for society and how can we distinguish fact from fiction in our digitally connected world?
Seeing round corners
Researchers have shown that it is now possible to see around corners from a distance of more than a kilometre. The ideas behind it - using an ultra-fast laser to bounce light onto walls near a hidden object - have been around for a long time, but technology including fast lasers, algorithms and computer processing power is only just catching up. Uses include military intelligence but also self-driving cars and space exploration.
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JD Vance wades into choppy religious waters about wife UshaTHE EXPLAINER By emphasizing his hope that the Second Lady convert to Christianity, the Vice President of the United States is inviting controversy from across the religious spectrum
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Dentures and witch gear left at hotelsTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
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AI puts fortune tellers out of businessfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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TikToker turns up to his own funeralfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Company teaches mask-wearers to smile againfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Beano comics sent to Australiafeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Hitler speeches broadcast in Austrian trainfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Unicycle, fake blood and self-respect left in Ubersfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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The Week Unwrapped: Korean succession, terror by algorithm and German disquietpodcast Could a 10-year-old girl rule North Korea? Will an Isis victim upend web law? And why is Germany upset with its Oscars contender?
