Death March (New York Times)
South African journalist Jonny Steinberg, in a new book about the AIDS epidemic in Africa, wanted to find out why people in his country still aren't getting tested for HIV and/or obtaining treatment for AIDS, despite the presence of strong AIDS treatment programs in certain areas. His answers are a stark reminder of how much the practice of medicine is a function of culture as well as science.
Wednesday, February 20
Thursday, January 24
An election solution
A Paper Trail for Voting Machines (New York Times)
I have read about some pretty sophisticated systems for creating verifiable election results, but the system described in this article is my new favorite. It's reliable, it's easy to explain, it doesn't depend too heavily upon technology, and it's powered by the average citizen. What an elegant solution!
Earlier: Elections we can trust
I have read about some pretty sophisticated systems for creating verifiable election results, but the system described in this article is my new favorite. It's reliable, it's easy to explain, it doesn't depend too heavily upon technology, and it's powered by the average citizen. What an elegant solution!
Earlier: Elections we can trust
Sunday, January 20
Lost and found
Driver cited in Bedford train-car crash caused by GPS mishap (The Journal News, NY)
Satellite navigation systems send trucks down the wrong routes in Britain (Christian Science Monitor)
Don't get me wrong, I love my GPS. Even though it can be a minor visual distraction, I maintain that it makes me a safer driver because (1) I get lost less frequently, and so it becomes less likely that I will speed in order to avoid being late; and (2) I don't have turn my attention away from the road to look at printed maps or directions.
Unfortunately, there are inherent risks when you become overdependent on a technology, and GPS is no exception. The stories linked above are recent examples, but there have been other instances in which disaster may have resulted from relying too heavily upon computer-generated directions. For instance: James Kim and his family became trapped in the Oregon wilderness during a 2006 snowstorm because their route led them down a road that was closed for the winter; he died after eight days when he left to find help. Although it now appears that faulty computer-generated directions may not have been to blame in this particular instance, it is not at all unlikely that a similar situation could happen in the future.
Satellite navigation systems send trucks down the wrong routes in Britain (Christian Science Monitor)
Don't get me wrong, I love my GPS. Even though it can be a minor visual distraction, I maintain that it makes me a safer driver because (1) I get lost less frequently, and so it becomes less likely that I will speed in order to avoid being late; and (2) I don't have turn my attention away from the road to look at printed maps or directions.
Unfortunately, there are inherent risks when you become overdependent on a technology, and GPS is no exception. The stories linked above are recent examples, but there have been other instances in which disaster may have resulted from relying too heavily upon computer-generated directions. For instance: James Kim and his family became trapped in the Oregon wilderness during a 2006 snowstorm because their route led them down a road that was closed for the winter; he died after eight days when he left to find help. Although it now appears that faulty computer-generated directions may not have been to blame in this particular instance, it is not at all unlikely that a similar situation could happen in the future.
Tuesday, January 15
An alternative reality
Even in a Virtual World, 'Stuff' Matters (New York Times)
Ever since I heard about the growing popularity of Second Life and other online virtual worlds, I have been curious about what attracts people to them and what exactly you "do" there. This New York Times article is easily the most interesting and accessible one I have read on the topic, and it provides some great insights into how the real world can (unexpectedly) be reflected in a virtual world.
Ever since I heard about the growing popularity of Second Life and other online virtual worlds, I have been curious about what attracts people to them and what exactly you "do" there. This New York Times article is easily the most interesting and accessible one I have read on the topic, and it provides some great insights into how the real world can (unexpectedly) be reflected in a virtual world.
Friday, January 11
State of the Union
The Mac is back (Economist)
The Comeback Kid, part two (Economist)
There is an absolute deluge of media surrounding this year's Presidential race, and I expect the pace of news will not slow until the nominees for each party have been all but decided. These two articles provide a smart analysis of how each party's candidates are currently stacking up, with typical Economist wit and flare -- and are a great way to cut through all the fluff coverage that's out there.
Earlier: Elections we can trust
The Comeback Kid, part two (Economist)
There is an absolute deluge of media surrounding this year's Presidential race, and I expect the pace of news will not slow until the nominees for each party have been all but decided. These two articles provide a smart analysis of how each party's candidates are currently stacking up, with typical Economist wit and flare -- and are a great way to cut through all the fluff coverage that's out there.
Earlier: Elections we can trust
Monday, January 7
Not just a game
Why We Compete (Washington Post)
A fantastic series exploring the question of why sports continue to thrive, despite the huge variety of diversions available in today's world. Post writer Eli Saslow penned all eight pieces, profiling sports ranging from the traditional (golf) to the extreme (BASE jumping) to the ancient (the ba' in northern Scotland). My favorite story in the series examined the Barkley Marathon, a 100-mile race so ridiculously difficult that only six competitors have ever completed it in the 60-hour time limit.
Why do you compete?
A fantastic series exploring the question of why sports continue to thrive, despite the huge variety of diversions available in today's world. Post writer Eli Saslow penned all eight pieces, profiling sports ranging from the traditional (golf) to the extreme (BASE jumping) to the ancient (the ba' in northern Scotland). My favorite story in the series examined the Barkley Marathon, a 100-mile race so ridiculously difficult that only six competitors have ever completed it in the 60-hour time limit.
Why do you compete?
Thursday, January 3
The sky is falling!
In 2008, a 100 Percent Chance of Alarm (New York Times)
A good counterpoint to the new "conventional wisdom" that every anomaly in our weather (hurricanes, wildfires, record temperatures) is inexorably linked to the global climate crisis.
Even if this provocative article isn't well-balanced, it reminds me of two truths about today's media giants: (1) they capitalize on our fears in order to draw in bigger audiences; (2) in a world of round-the-clock news, they have no choice but to create interesting stories out of nothing in order to constantly provide the new content we demand.
Earlier: Hacking climate change
A good counterpoint to the new "conventional wisdom" that every anomaly in our weather (hurricanes, wildfires, record temperatures) is inexorably linked to the global climate crisis.
"Today's interpreters of the weather are what social scientists call availability entrepreneurs: the activists, journalists and publicity-savvy scientists who selectively monitor the globe looking for newsworthy evidence of a new form of sinfulness, burning fossil fuels."
Even if this provocative article isn't well-balanced, it reminds me of two truths about today's media giants: (1) they capitalize on our fears in order to draw in bigger audiences; (2) in a world of round-the-clock news, they have no choice but to create interesting stories out of nothing in order to constantly provide the new content we demand.
Earlier: Hacking climate change
Saturday, December 29
Race, Crime, and DNA
The Inconvenient Science of Racial DNA Profiling (Wired)
A condensed version of this article (Wired)
DNAWitness, a test offered by the Florida genetics company DNAPrint Genomics, claims to be able to identify (with 99% accuracy) the ancestry of a human based on a sample of their DNA. It has been used in over 150 criminal cases to help the police narrow down their suspect lists based on race. In the case described in this article, a serial killer in Baton Rouge was only found after DNAWitness determined that he was Afro-Carribean or African American; until then, the police had been focusing exclusively on Caucasians.
Such a tool would seem to be of great utility to law enforcement, and yet it appears that this test has failed to gain acceptance in the field. Price is cited as a barrier, but a $1500 to $3000 price tag would hardly seem to be prohibitive, especially for assistance is solving a case that has already been worked on substantially. Accuracy is obviously a concern, but blind trials have apparently shown the test to be highly accurate. The real issue here is whether this test represents a type of "racial profiling" that we should use to assist law enforcement. Even using the term "racial profiling" in this context seems questionable: not only because of the highly emotional associations we all have with the term, but also because narrowing the scope of an investigation based solely upon generic assumptions about which races commit which crimes is a far cry from basing that decision upon the genetic markers contained in DNA found at a specific crime scene.
Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely that such a tool will take off in the near future given the very sensitive racial climate we inhabit, in which emotion (sometimes rightfully so) comes first and reason comes second. In the long term, however, I hope that these tests will be proven highly and consistently accurate, and will ultimately become one more tool in the arsenal of effective law enforcement.
A condensed version of this article (Wired)
DNAWitness, a test offered by the Florida genetics company DNAPrint Genomics, claims to be able to identify (with 99% accuracy) the ancestry of a human based on a sample of their DNA. It has been used in over 150 criminal cases to help the police narrow down their suspect lists based on race. In the case described in this article, a serial killer in Baton Rouge was only found after DNAWitness determined that he was Afro-Carribean or African American; until then, the police had been focusing exclusively on Caucasians.
Such a tool would seem to be of great utility to law enforcement, and yet it appears that this test has failed to gain acceptance in the field. Price is cited as a barrier, but a $1500 to $3000 price tag would hardly seem to be prohibitive, especially for assistance is solving a case that has already been worked on substantially. Accuracy is obviously a concern, but blind trials have apparently shown the test to be highly accurate. The real issue here is whether this test represents a type of "racial profiling" that we should use to assist law enforcement. Even using the term "racial profiling" in this context seems questionable: not only because of the highly emotional associations we all have with the term, but also because narrowing the scope of an investigation based solely upon generic assumptions about which races commit which crimes is a far cry from basing that decision upon the genetic markers contained in DNA found at a specific crime scene.
Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely that such a tool will take off in the near future given the very sensitive racial climate we inhabit, in which emotion (sometimes rightfully so) comes first and reason comes second. In the long term, however, I hope that these tests will be proven highly and consistently accurate, and will ultimately become one more tool in the arsenal of effective law enforcement.
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