The Download: learning from environmental DNA, and why we should welcome watermarks

Unlike previous techniques, which could identify DNA from, say, a single organism, the method also collects the swirling cloud of other genetic material that surrounds it. It can serve as a surveillance tool, offering researchers a means of detecting the seemingly undetectable. By sampling eDNA, or mixtures of genetic material in water, soil, ice cores, cotton swabs, or practically any environment imaginable, even thin air, it is now possible to search for a specific organism or assemble a snapshot of all the organisms in a given place. It offers a thrilling -- and potentially chilling -- way to collect information about organisms, including humans, as they go about their everyday business. The world of AI has produced some depressing headlines recently, from the Taylor Swift AI-generated porn scandal to the proliferation of political deepfakes as election campaigns get underway in many countries around the world.