CO2 Emissions Per Capita
Truth Goggles
According to Neiman Journalism Lab:
“Dan Schultz, a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab (and newly named Knight-Mozilla fellow for 2012), is devoting his thesis to automatic bullshit detection. Schultz is building what he calls truth goggles — not actual magical eyewear, alas, but software that flags suspicious claims in news articles and helps readers determine their truthiness. It’s possible because of a novel arrangement: Schultz struck a deal with fact-checker PolitiFact for access to its private APIs.”
(via Bull beware: Truth goggles sniff out suspicious sentences in news » Nieman Journalism Lab.)
It’s a fascinating idea. Imagine browsers having a plug-in that is able to fact check all sorts of data using sources such as Wikipedia. It could have a huge impact on the future of news media. Imagine reading an article on, say, climate change in The Australian, and this “truth goggles” plug-in pointing out all of the inconsistencies in their reporting.
Or imagine reading Hilary Clinton ramping up the case for invading Iran because they are weaponising uranium, but have “truth goggles” pointing out that there is no evidence to support this claim.
Of course, this process doesn’t *need* to be automated with an algorithm. Chrome extensions like “Glass” allow people to comment on websites. For example, see this screenshot of a comment I left using Glass on a story in the Brisbane Times today about News Ltd corruption allegations from former QLD senator Bill O’Chee.
Could we all use tools like Glass to subvert the ability of the mainstream media and certain blogs to spin bullshit to their readers? Of course there is always the comments section of most sites these days, but perhaps they tend to get moderated and news sites promote comments by their faithful believers. Would Glass-like tools also get corrupted by flame wars? How do we keep them clean and useful? User moderation ala Wikipedia?
No Illusions Podcast #34 – The Decade’s Biggest Scam
On today’s podcast, I look at why conservative white males are ignorant, how Wall Street scammed America, why capitalism is doomed, and why religion in Australia is in decline.
Links:
Conservative White Male Effect on Climate Change Measured
How Wall Street Aristocracy Got $1.2 Trillion in Loans from Fed
Smokers and the obese cheaper to care for, study shows.
Religion becoming extinct in NZ & Australia
Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes?
The American Christian Pastor Who Wants To Start An Atheist Register
Photo by mel!nka.
Music by D-funk (featuring Snoop Dogg).
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Find me on the interwebs at:
No Illusions 23 – “Atomic” Rod Adams on Fukushima
As I mentioned on episode #22, Rod Adams (@atomicrod) is a self-professed nuclear energy “obsessive” since 1981. He writes at the Atomic Insights blog and has produced the Atomic Show podcast on TPN since 2005. He chatted with me tonight about Fukushima – why the risk to human health is extremely small, how it’s different from Chernobyl, what to do with nuclear waste (see ‘Traveling wave reactor’ below) and his theories on why we’re seeing so much hysteria about it in the mainstream media.
Shownotes:
The nuclear accident underway in Japan does not raise doubts about the safety of nuclear power, and calls to abandon it altogether are just another example of the strange irrationality that surrounds the issue. – Cosmos Magazine
Traveling wave reactor – Wikipedia
IAEA warned Japan over nuclear quake risk: WikiLeaks
Whatever Happens Next, Lets Think Clearly About Nuclear Risks
Japan worst-case scenario unlikely to cause catastrophic radiation release
BTW, have you seen Stitcher yet? It’s a great iPhone app that STREAMS podcasts – no need to sync with iTunes! Listen to No Illusions on Stitcher here.
No Illusions 22 – News Roundup for March 15, 2011
Show notes for this episode:
A Different Perspective on Fukushima from Atomic Insights by @atomicrod
Atomtronics, Or Atoms Spun By Laser Beams, Could Replace Electronics
Glenn Greenwald: WH forces P.J. Crowley to resign for condemning abuse of Manning
The liberal game of silencing the messenger by John Pilger
Ross Garnaut says science on climate change is stronger
As we sleep, speedy brain waves boost our ability to learn
Melvyn Bragg & The Philosophers on Free Will
The Feds Poisoned Alcohol during Prohibition and Murdered at Least 10,000 People
No Illusions 20 – John Cook from Skeptical Science
My guest IN THE STUDIO today is John Cook, astrophyscist, web developer, and founder of Skeptical Science, an absolutely brilliant resource for anyone needing to refute the common climate change denialist.
We talk about what motivates climat change denialists (and the difference between being a SKEPTIC and a DENIALIST) and some of the refutations of their most common arguments.
Follow John on Twitter at @skepticscience.