Journal publisher bans Playboy centerfold Lena's image from research papers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a leading authority in computing research, has introduced a significant policy change. Effective from April 1, Lena Forsén's image will no longer be acceptable in new manuscript submissions. This decision marks a major shift in the image processing field that has relied on this 1972 Playboy centerfold picture for over half a century.
Announcement of the policy change by IEEE
The policy change was publicly announced by computer engineer Michael P. Frank. He shared a screenshot of an email he received from Terry Benzel, Vice President of the Technical and Conference Activities Board at IEEE. The email clarified that the Lena image, widely used in image processing studies, will no longer be deemed suitable for inclusion in research papers submitted to IEEE.
Take a look at Frank's post
Impact on the image processing field
The decision to exclude the Lena image from the new manuscript submissions represents a significant shift in image processing. For over fifty years, this 1972 Playboy centerfold image of Lena has been a staple in research and engineering studies. The policy change by IEEE, a major publisher of academic journals, will undoubtedly influence future research methodologies in this field.
How was the image discovered?
During the 1970s, a team of engineers at the Signal and Image Processing Institute embarked on a project to standardize test images used in research laboratories. Initially, they utilized photographs of fruits and vegetables. However, they seized the opportunity when an individual arrived at the lab carrying Playboy magazine's November 1972 edition featuring Lena. Engineers extracted the top 5.12-inch of the page, scanned it, and produced a 512x512 pixels image that has since become iconic in the computing community.
What does the subject want?
In more recent times, Lena has expressed her desire for the image not to be utilized further. In the 2019 documentary titled "Losing Lena," she stated, "I retired from modeling a long time ago. It's time I retired from tech, too. We can make a simple change today that creates a lasting change for tomorrow. Let's commit to losing me."