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False Memories and Fake News
Here’s yet another reminder that our memories are reconstructed fabrications our brains use to reinforce existing narratives. A new study of 3,140 participants finds that exposing people to fake news...
View ArticleThe Science Wars
In an ideal world (not the one we live in) science should be apolitical. In fact, it should be completely protected from political and other ideological influence. By this I mean the conduct of...
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Spoofing the Lede in Science Journalism
In journalism “burying the lede” means that the truly newsworthy part of a story is not mentioned until deep in the story, rather than up front where it belongs. I tried to find if there is a term that...
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News vs Commentary
The line between news and commentary has arguably become more blurred in recent decades. This has implications for libel law, which also reflects the shifting media landscape. A recent lawsuit...
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Do Your Own Research?
A recent commentary on Forbes advises: You Must Not ‘Do Your Own Research’ When It Comes To Science. I agree with everything the author, Ethan Siegel, says in the piece. It was a good start – but did...
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Miscibility Gaps Alloy Thermal Storage
I was recently sent this article about a new miscibility gaps alloy (MGA) thermal storage material. The technology is, perhaps, an incremental advance and may be useful for grid storage, but the...
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Review of The Social Dilemma
I just watched the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, and found it extremely interesting, if flawed. The show is about the inside operation of the big social media tech companies and the impact...
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Joe Rogan and the Media Algorithm
The latest controversy over Joe Rogan and Spotify is a symptom of a long-standing trend, exacerbated by social media but not caused by it. The problem is with the algorithms used by media outlets to...
View ArticleClickbait and Misinformation
Which is worse – clickbaity headlines for news articles that are factually correct, but may be playing up a sensational angle, or straight-up misinformation? It depends on what you mean by “worse”. A...
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Framing and Global Warming
When we talk publicly about the effects of human activity on the climate should we refer to “global warming”, “climate change”, the “climate crisis” or to “climate justice”? Perhaps we should also be...
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