Comments on: Logic, logic, logic!

By: Zeeshan Hamid

Zeeshan Hamid — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:17:08 +0000

I enjoy reading Discover Magazine's blog on Worst Science Articles of the week. That can be pretty hilarious as well.You can see the lack of understanding of scientific method when you see people arguing statistics based on anecdotes. Combine that with lack of understanding of probability and I think that's why some people (especially in Southern American States) have such a hard time understanding evolution.

By: Emma

Emma — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:51:51 +0000

I teach part time at U of T, and my very favourite class to teach is research methods and design. One of the class assignments I always do is require each student to find a newspaper article about a scientific study, find the actual research article the news report is based on, and compare the two. It’s an eye-opening experience for many of them to learn that just because the news report says one thing doesn’t mean that the actual science is even remotely the same.

Logic and critical thinking and, I think, scientific literacy are all really important, and are all things we don’t teach very well. My course is a third year course and at the beginning of the term many if not most of the students are pretty weak on understanding the scientific method.

By: Zeeshan Hamid

Zeeshan Hamid — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:38:45 +0000

I think the next generation will have much different views on privacy than the previous generation did. City of Toronto, for instance, put up all financial contributions as a public record. So I can quickly go and see that Fred is a registered who donated money to and voted in the election. In the US which party you belong to, your full address, house price you paid and when you bought the house etc. are all public records often available online for free.

My pet peeve is similar to yours. It’s not about what opinion one holds about privacy, but rather how inconsistent people are.

By: Fredd75

Fredd75 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:23:07 +0000

PRIVACY.. that’s my big one. I won’t even mention where I stand on this personally, but it is SO often you hear people wanting to protect certain information about themselves, but EXPECT to have access to certain information about others for safety reasons (or other). (E.g. some people are against national ID cards, and believe their internet browsing traffic should not be monitored, but they also believe in gun registries, and knowing the addresses of convicted criminals, and GPSing their 18yr old daughter’s boyfriend at all times (Sure, there are valid arguments for both sides)

…BUT THEN they’ll open a facebook account and tell us who their friends and relatives are, post pictures of their kids talking about their hobbies, fears, and school schedule, details on where they work, why their dog is sick, what they just ate for lunch, and when they’re going on extended vacations. SERIOUSLY?