Oct 21 - Surviving the Misinformation Age

In the past, information was scarce, but generally high quality. Conversely, in the last 10-15 years, the amount of information produced by humanity has skyrocketed while simultaneously being made accessible to nearly every human being on the planet. Tonight, Professor David Helfand discussed the challenges that this firehose of data presents to society. 

The internet is full of mis-information that is easily accessible and appears vetted. Prof. Helfand told us about the tendency for people to cherry-pick data, i.e. selecting only evidence that fits their pre-determined argument, rather than assessing or even accepting all the available evidence. He also critiqued the "echo chamber" that can be created in online spaces. He urged the audience to be skeptical and listen to a variety of sources, and to search out the evidence behind claims they read or hear. Prof. Helfand's talk was based on his new book, "A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age."

Despite the clouds, graduate student Aleksey Generozov and a team of volunteers showed off the big dome and telescope. On the 13th floor, undergraduate student Richard presented movies on our 3D wall. 

-- Stephanie Douglas (graduate student)