Looking for an answer?
Online search can often get to an accurate, trustworthy answer quickly. But as you know, it really helps if you know a bit about what works.
One of the major tools has been Search-by-Image, through either Google, Bing, Tineye, or Yandex.
But now multimodal AI systems can analyze an image and tell you the story... or can they?
As a skilled and literate searcher, you should understand the differences. So let's give this Challenge a try to see what works, what doesn't work, and how you can tell the difference.
I was looking for a couple things the other day while traveling through Switzerland. When you try to find out the story of these images, where you able to use "regular" Search-by-Image, or did you use AI image descriptions? If so, what prompt did you use, and how well did it work for you?
1. While traveling in northwest Switzerland, I saw this emblem all over the city I was visiting. Can you tell me what city I was in? Just as importantly, what IS this thing?
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| On a box of chocolates... |
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| Carved into a stone wall |
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| Seen on a parade float |
2. In open green spaces all over Zürich I keep seeing this flower popping up--they're growing everywhere in vast numbers. What is it? Again, how do you know? What search method did you use?
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| A few flowers carpeting the lawn. What are they? |
The point of this week's Challenge is that I've had mixed results with both kinds of image searches. When you do searches like this, what works for you? Can you tell us HOW you got to the correct answer?
Lots more data next week. In the meantime...
Keep searching!
I decided to just try things the old fashioned way, with text search.
ReplyDelete1: I googled "Swiss City Emblem". The first result was a wiki for "Flags and arms of municipalities of Switzerland" and in the provided table was a clear example of this image for Basil.
The image is described as a "Argent, a crosier paleways sable" I wasn't sure entirely sure which of those terms was for the object because I always forget sable is a color, but after a false start "heraldry crosier" brought me to the wiki for Crosier, which is "is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot." And again the Basil arms appeared in this article.
This approach didn't work out with number 2. There are too many purple flowers out there and I don't have the vocabulary for more narrow description. In this case, right clicking on the image and Searching with Google Lens got me to a promising result quickly. The visual matches all looked very close. The first link was again to wikipedia, "List of basal asterid families." The handy table had pictures of each species, including Primulaceae, aka the primrose, and a follow along to that page seems to confirm that the common primrose is in fact what the image is of.
You can probably guess that I am still resistant to AI as plan A still. I prefer to be able to follow a train of thought in a way that might give me tools for a future problem. And generally /if/ a text search can quickly draw up the correct result, it makes everything simpler. But when image ID works it works amazingly well.
thought it might be easier to send some visuals - used lens(bernstaf) & bing image search(flowers) and then some 'regular' search to confirm - used images off a regular SERP. Did add some additional info to the lens search - that is harder with the MS image search...cropping makes a difference in results.
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/60eVJpr.png
https://i.imgur.com/ibu9l99.png
https://i.imgur.com/J5TB2Xi.png
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=4c91f5c75bbec554&sxsrf=AHTn8zoa7nEZejJYmBl71yiZawYhoTiNaA:1742491593382&q=Basel+stadt+baselland+reunification+symbol+meaning&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicicqDl5mMAxViIjQIHe17Ed8Q1QJ6BAhaEAE&biw=1366&bih=679&dpr=1
https://www.badische-zeitung.de/baselland-begraebt-fusionsplan-mit-deutlicher-mehrheit
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=4c91f5c75bbec554&sxsrf=AHTn8zq5b8ED5xvF6skMi8aEHMqXxLmdag:1742491235556&q=canton+emblem+bern+staff+symbol+bern+switzerland&uds=ABqPDvztZD_Nu18FR6tNPw2cK_RRkJOlbywV14DlTFW-fr5V3pfgwEG2YqM4hSnlT-9F-n4qQ8X-8peE-azW2aILP3w8uMC7OjffzK2HWe6axz1CXPwbry4pHAVGfEclW-rh9kzmZIuCSJ0SXoFzw0xQ4_R2bFnEp7O0jXbWv9qJJVuLuNYfInZBqVxqhFdpE8VdaHPkVzsf&udm=2&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiYl_rYlZmMAxUzJzQIHVwpHcgQxKsJegUIkQEQAQ&ictx=0&biw=1366&bih=679&dpr=1#vhid=wDQ76U2Zrz0YeM&vssid=mosaic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primula#:~:text=Primula%20(%2F%CB%88pr%C9%AA,auricula%20(auricula)%2C%20P.
1. Is this Basil Switerland, the object known as a Baselstab? 2. Is that a Primrose?
ReplyDeletefrom the parade - the "dragon"...
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilisk
https://confuzzledom.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/the-basilisks-of-basel/
https://www.swiss-spectator.ch/the-basilisk-of-basel/#:~:text=Basel%20is%20the%20city%20of,day%20where%20its%20powers%20worked.
https://accentform.com/en/referenzen/basilisk-sculpture/
https://www.google.com/search?q=basilisk+mythical+creature&oq=Basilisk&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDAgBEAAYQxiABBiKBTIPCAAQABhDGLEDGIAEGIoFMgwIARAAGEMYgAQYigUyDQgCEC4Y1AIYsQMYgAQyCggDEAAYsQMYgAQyCggEEAAYsQMYgAQyBggFEEUYPDIGCAYQRRg8MgYIBxBFGDzSAQg1MDkwajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=basilisk+mythical+creature+in+basel+canton&sca_esv=1ce1c2e72280d3ca&sxsrf=AHTn8zruH6IynuCOfddLHzmor4rjSlIXJw%3A1742493621730&ei=tVfcZ9elLO-c0PEP0sWw8Ao&ved=0ahUKEwiX1OLKnpmMAxVvDjQIHdIiDK4Q4dUDCBI&uact=5&oq=basilisk+mythical+creature+in+basel+canton&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiKmJhc2lsaXNrIG15dGhpY2FsIGNyZWF0dXJlIGluIGJhc2VsIGNhbnRvbjIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSMJ4UNsIWKRwcAF4AZABAJgBsgOgAZsiqgEJMC41LjYuMS40uAEDyAEA-AEBmAIRoALBI8ICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIOEAAYsAMY5AIY1gTYAQHCAhMQLhiABBiwAxhDGMgDGIoF2AEBwgIWEC4YgAQYsAMYQxjUAhjIAxiKBdgBAcICBRAAGIAEwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgKGB7CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFECEYqwLCAgUQIRifBcICBxAhGKABGAqYAwCIBgGQBhG6BgYIARABGAmSBwkxLjUuNC4zLjSgB6NssgcJMC41LjQuMy40uAemIw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
parade, 2023 -
ReplyDeletehttps://accentform.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/basler-fastnacht-basilisk-skulptur-jpg.webp
For the first question, I don't know if this is cheating, but I used Google Search (not Search-by-Image). I looked up [northwest Switzerland crests] and it gave me a convenient Wikipedia article that gave me the answer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_and_arms_of_cantons_of_Switzerland. The city of Basel and it's a crosier.
ReplyDeleteBut then I decided to try ChatGPT (GPT-4o) and asked "Can you tell me what city in northwest Switzerland this image is likely from?" with the second image of the symbol carved into the wall. And it gave me the answer and told me it's a Bishop's crozier as a bonus!
Both methods were very efficient.
used Gemini to generate...
ReplyDeletewas shooting for a "ground truth" feel
Create a dialogue between a native of Basel Switzerland and myself. Explaining why there are dragon sculptures throughout the city.
Sure, here it is!
https://i.imgur.com/DPghde2.png
https://i.imgur.com/or1uvH0.png
https://i.imgur.com/H05u8re.png
(The bishop's crozier symbol was tricky, only modest success)
Tourist: "Wow, I've seen so many dragon sculptures around the city. Is there a special reason for that?"
Native: "Ah, yes, the Basilisks! They're a big part of our history. You see, back in the day, there was a legend about a dragon terrorizing the city. It was said to be half-snake, half-rooster, and its gaze could turn anything to stone. The people were terrified, but then a brave knight came along and defeated the beast. To commemorate the victory, they built these sculptures as a reminder of the courage and resilience of the people of Basel."
Tourist: "That's a fascinating story! So, the dragons are like symbols of hope and strength?"
Native: "Exactly! They remind us that even in the face of fear, we can overcome any challenge. And that's why we keep the tradition alive, passing it down from generation to generation."
Tourist: "That's really inspiring. I'm glad I got to learn about this part of your history."
Native: "It's our pleasure to share it with you. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!"
I tried without success, as always since some months ago, to search by image using Chrome on Android Phone.
ReplyDeleteSearched the flowers. When I did with out opening the bigger photo. Results said: Search results for primrose. Zero results.
Then I opened the full image. Again searched by image. Results for crocus. Zero results
The Legend of the Basilisk
ReplyDelete(as imagined by Ernest Hemmingway, AI)
https://i.imgur.com/BkLScY5.png
(like the roosters in Key West?)
https://i.imgur.com/uNJju04.png
"The sun beat down. Fear in the air. Basilisk came. Scales shimmered. Eyes like burning coals. Hiss. People screamed. Fled. Too late. Teeth sank. Venom. One by one, they fell. Stone.
Then, boy. Shepherd. Staff. Rooster feather. Aimed. Basilisk hissed. Lunged. Dodged. Flick of wrist. Feather flew. Hit eye. Shriek. Fell. Writhing.
Cheers. Saved. Hero. Statue. Legend. Basilisk. Shepherd boy. Remembered.
The End"
the longer version starts like this:
"The sun beat down on the cobblestones of Basel, hot and heavy. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and fear. The people huddled together, their faces pale and drawn. The Basilisk had come.
It was a creature of legend, a half-snake, half-rooster, its eyes said to turn men to stone. It had come from the hills, slithering through the vineyards, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake." EH_AI
https://www.basellife.com/basels-basilisks/
a pseudo-facsimile
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/y1D3upw.png
". The use of the Baselstab in black as the coat of arms of the city was introduced in 1385. From this time, the Baselstab in red represented the bishop, and the same charge in black represented the city."
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel#:~:text=The%20staff%20is%20also%20represented,in%20black%20represented%20the%20city.
history
ReplyDeletehttps://confuzzledom.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/the-basilisks-of-basel/