Is Each Fingerprint On Your Hand Unique?
10:00 minutes
We often think about each fingerprint as being completely unique, like a snowflake on the tip of your finger.
But a new study shows that maybe each person’s fingerprints are more similar to each other than we thought. Researchers trained artificial intelligence to identify if a thumbprint and a pinky print came from the same person. They found that each of a person’s ten fingerprints are remarkably similar in the swirly center.
Ira talks with study author Gabe Guo, an undergraduate at Columbia University majoring in computer science, based in New York City.
Further Reading
- Read coverage of this story from Guo’s classmates via the Columbia Daily Spectator.
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Segment Guests
Gabe Guo
Gabe Guo is a computer science undergraduate at Columbia University in New York, New York.
Segment Transcript
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@iraflatowIra Flatow is the host and executive producer of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.