Years ago, Tom Clancy (currently deceased), wrote a book, “Debt of Honor” which postulated a modern war between the United States and Japan. As the climax of the war nears, the USS John C. Stennis and the USS Enterprise are in dry dock in Pearl Harbor, while a CNN reporter tells the world that both ships are significantly damaged and unable to oppose the new Japanese aggression in the western Pacific.

Except that they aren’t. In fact, one of them, despite the live news feed from Honolulu looking over the city at the Pearl Harbor base with both carriers clearly in view, isn’t even there.

That was my first introduction to the idea of “fake” news and my first real understanding of Green screen technology. Yes, I know it was around long before then, but this was the first time I’d ever considered using it for something other than local meteorologists bringing me the 6pm weather report.

Today we are being inundated by the claims of “Fake News” by both sides. In most cases, it’s pretty easy to figure out what is the truth and what is not the truth. It’s obvious when facts are cherry-picked and confirmation bias is clearly at work. But what happens when it is no longer so clear?

Once upon a time, it was “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” Now we have far too many people today willing to believe whatever they see, without thinking or logic.