STS THX and WFX : Last Reading Assignment

Greetings Fellow Sentients from THX and WFX:

Please reed:

The Golem: What You Should Know About Science (Canto Classics) 2nd Edition
by Harry M. Collins and ,Trevor Pinch
Link
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238342346_The_Golem_What_You_Should_Know_about_Science

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WFX 2nd Sem 2017-2018 Group Project

WFX Group Project

I. TOPIC AND ARTICLES APPROVED

Grp 1 “Data Augmentation of Wearable Sensor Data for Parkinson’s Disease Monitoring using Convolutional Neural Networks”

Grp2 FOMO, Digital Dementia, and Our Dangerous Experiment

Grp 3 Meet ‘Norman,’ the Darkest, Most Disturbed AI the World Has Ever Seen

Grp 4 The Health Risks of Lead and Cadmium in Foodstuffs for the General Population of Taiwan by Ching-Chang Lee, Han-Ting Huang, Yi-Chen Wu, Ya-Chen Hsu, Yi-Ting Kao and Hsiu-Ling Chen

Grp 5 ?

Grp 6 Politics of Scientific Knowledge

Grp 7 Architecture – How floating architecture can save at risk cities

Grp 8 Sex Differences in Sports Interest and Motivation: An Evolutionary Perspective

Grp 9 Performance indicators for a circular economy: A case study on post-industrial plastic waste (Huysman et al., 2016

Grp 10 A newly discovered prime number makes its debut

Grp 11 Adding Fish Oil to Whey Protein , Leucine, and Carbohydrate Over a Six-Week Supplementation Period Attenuates Muscle Soreness Following Eccentric Exercise in Competitive Soccer Players.

Grp 12 How bilinguals process languange by University of California – Riverside

Grp 13 For health: Scientists found a ‘new organ,’ but it might not be what you’re expecting: The interstitium helps hold our organs together, but it might do more than that.

Grp 14 For animals: Frog skin secretions offer the first ray of hope in a deadly fungal epidemic

Grp 15 ?

Grp 16 Ethics for Robots as Experimental Technologies

Grp 17 Fluorescent Chemosensors as Future Tools for Cancer Biology

Grp 18 Press media reporting effects on risk perceptions and attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) food

Grp 19 A ‘bridge of stars’ connects two of our closest galaxies

Grp 20 Technology-Enhanced Learning in Sports Education Using Clickers: Satisfaction, Performance and Immediacy’

II. Task/Outputs

1 One article about the study
2. For format see the following :

— Grammar, spelling and punctuation – http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/news-style-guide/article/art20130702112133530

— Style — http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/news-style-guide

— Scientific Notation to be used in citing reference see link —

3. Read and view the following before doing your project :

— WRITING FOR A GENERAL AUDIENCE: SCIENCE JOURNALISM – http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/pechenik/documents/scienceJournalism.pdf

— How to write a science news story based on a research paper — https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/mar/28/news-story-research-paper-wellcome-trust-science-writing-prize

— Secret of Good Science Writing (Several articles) https://www.theguardian.com/science/series/secrets-science-writing

— Bill Bryson: ‘Science is fundamentally amazing’ – video

4. The article should be in a word document.and at least 1000 words.
5. One audio or video presentation should accompany the biography. Minimum of 5 minutes and maximum of 15 minutes.
6. Photos properly attributed should also be included
7. The Coordinators will also submit an appraisal spreadsheet of the group members. The appraisal should include contribution of each member and score ( 1 to 25)
8. The group members will also submit an appraisal spreadsheet of the coordinators. The appraisal should include contribution of each member and score ( 1 to 25)
8 The Group Project file is to be submitted on the last day of class saved in a thumb drive. Thumb-drives will be made available.
9. Deadline for the group project is on May 16

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Facebook and its fact checkers: More harm or otiose?

I think the moves of Facebook to partner with Fact Checkers is an attempt to salvage their reputation, which as of late has been suffering from a series significant setbacks that has tarnished its image and if not remedied will negatively affect their business. The news that Facebook in the Philippines has partnered with Rappler and Vera Files has brought this issue in fact checking in a social media platform to the fore. Here are some interesting articles, posts and media that I think is helpful in this topic:

How fact checking works on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/get-started/fact-checking

Facebook begins fact-checking news for users in India, one of its largest markets — https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/17/17246658/facebook-third-party-fact-checking-india

Way too little, way too late’: Facebook’s factcheckers say effort is failing —
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/13/way-too-little-way-too-late-facebooks-fact-checkers-say-effort-is-failing

Noam Chomsky – The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine

FB and FACT CHECKERS Will it be effective ? Will it even matter?

A few things come to my mind about this partnership:

First, Is this a partnership with monetary compensation?

Second, How effective and credible will fact checkers like Rappler and Vera Files when in a hyper partisan political environment they carry the label as critics of the government? A similar concern would be raised if FB had chosen known media that are pro-government.

Third, How would fact checkers treats post and articles that are commentary or satire. Would there be an instance when they would be tagged as fake news? What would be consequences?

Fourth, The Internet, Digital Media and Social Media has circumvented the notion of the gatekeeper of news, information and knowledge. Trying to gatekeep on Facebook is as effective as cupping a corpse or like Canute commanding the waves to stop. News, information and knowledge will always find a way within and outside of Facebook.

Fifth, More concern should be given on how FB and other companies have been harvesting and using BIG Data because at its most core Big Data is made up of personal data — an individuals information and actions logged and tracked.

Sixth, Facebook and other companies that harvest and use BIG DATA should be more transparent in their use. Governments should have stronger anti-trust regulations on these companies and not freedom of expression.

Seventh, In the end though the best champion or paladin against these things is … us individually — critical thinking (or ability to ask why and demand proof for whatever idea or thought ppsted) and the realisation that the Internet, Digital Media and Social Media is a business and we are the commodity.

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