I am generally a fun guy to be around, but you do NOT want to invite me to your Christmas party this year.
Excerpts from conversations at an event last weekend will make this abundantly clear ...
(I have changed the names of my conversation counterparts to Partygoer (PG) in order to protect the gullible.)
PG1: "Pretty cold out there tonight. I guess this is what happens with global warming."
RD: "Did you hear what you just said – it's cold...
5. Data mining and algorithms give us highly customized content ... which is why a lot of us believe that we are quite knowledgeable about certain topics, even though we are almost exclusively exposed to material that reinforces narrow-minded bias. Our myopic viewpoints then set us up perfectly to engage in destructive communication.
4. 24-hour news cycle – there simply are not enough amazing stories happening every day, so media outlets that produce a lot of content daily...
Two different but possibly connected encounters with criminal acts have me more convinced than ever that our society is far too soft on crime.
A few weeks ago, I witnessed a man stealing two large boxes of product from a Vancouver dollar store. As he escaped through the entrance door, I alerted an employee, who took about three steps toward the door, shrugged his shoulders, and returned to stocking shelves.
About three minutes later, the thief...
Laurie Weston recently wrote a series of three very cogent articles in BIG Media addressing science – the scientific method (Science – there is method to the madness), the manipulation of science for various causes (Manipulating science – activism and advocacy), and moral and ethical issues around the practice of science (Science and morality – ethics and judgment).
Often now when I read blogs, social media posts and even mainstream media, I think “this author...
In a court of law, witnesses swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This means they promise not to knowingly lie, leave anything relevant out of the story, or embellish what they know with something they think they know or assume to be true – with or without the intent to mislead. The spirit of this oath should be adopted by scientists and those who use science as...
BIG Media Ltd. has covered controversial issues including abortion, the decision to vaccinate or not, bioethics, the legality of drug use, misinformation, fracking, the energy transition, and climate change. Providing calm, objective news coverage to readers on these matters is a formidable challenge. In fact, readers might at times feel some of these topics are intractable.
Some of these issues – climate change, for example – are so difficult that they fall into a category...
No one has ever accused me of being normal, so it should not surprise you that I am doing this backwards.
Yesterday, I posted an article with a link to Laurie Weston’s talk titled “Beyond the Hysteria – a data-driven examination of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Today, I post my introduction to Laurie’s eye-opening presentation: (VIDEO LINK HERE)
My intro should help you understand why I feel so honoured to have Laurie on our editorial team, as well...
To say that COVID-19 is an important issue is, of course, an understatement. The disease has ended many lives and ruined countless more.
Differing perspectives on COVID-19 and how our elected and medical officials have reacted to the pandemic have ripped apart families, friendships, and communities.
Many have engaged in vitriolic debate without having anything resembling verifiable facts behind their arguments.
With the video linked here, I present an opportunity to ACTUALLY understand important facts about COVID-19....
Dear Media Friends,
PLEASE stop using phrases such as "the fight to stop climate change", "climate change deniers", and especially "climate denier". Seriously – you are embarrassing yourselves.
Anyone who made it past Grade 6 or who pays minimal attention to the lessons of history should be aware that climate change is a naturally occurring process on this planet that cannot be stopped by humans.
Of course, we should continue to work on developing strategies and technologies...
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling, which had determined in 1973 that the Constitution of the United States generally protects the right to choose to have an abortion.
It is speculated that about one-half of the U.S. states will legislate new bans or restrictions on abortion.This decision is of interest throughout the world, despite the fact that law in the United States only holds jurisdiction within that country. Canada has...
