Impossible physics: objects that float, merge or do not fit
Ask whether the scene could exist. Generated images break rules a camera cannot.
A camera only records what is there. A model can produce a fork with four handles, steam that flows down, or a cup that is both in front of and behind a plate.
Look at places where objects touch or overlap. Contact points are where generated images fail most: feet that sink into the floor, a bag strap that passes through a shoulder, a spoon fused to a bowl.
Scale is another tell. Food can be too big for the plate, a dog too small for its collar, a car door shorter than the person getting in.
Checklist
- Find every place two objects touch and check that it makes sense.
- Compare sizes against things you know, like doors, cups and phones.
- Look at liquids, smoke and fabric. Do they move with gravity?
False alarms
Forced perspective and long lenses make real scenes look impossible. Street photographers do this on purpose.
Test yourself
Put it into practice in the daily AI or Real game or the endless quiz.