problems

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

AI, TECHNOLOGY

Can AI Could Help Solve The Privacy Problems It Has Created?

The stunning successes of artificial intelligence would not have happened without the availability of massive amounts of data, whether its smart speakers in the home or personalized book recommendations. Artificial systems use reams of data to get a better profiles of individuals. And the spread of AI into new areas of the economy, such as AI-driven marketing and self driving vehicles, has been driving the collection of ever more data. These large databases are amassing a wide variety of information, some of it sensitive and personally identifiable. All that data in one place makes such databases tempting targets, ratcheting up the risk of privacy breaches. The general public is largely wary of AI’s data-hungry ways. According to a survey by Brookings, 49% of people think AI will reduce p...

Could Elon Musk’s Plans For Twitter Make Its Misinformation Problems Worse

27Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIAL MEDIA

Could Elon Musk’s Plans For Twitter Make Its Misinformation Problems Worse

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, acquired Twitter in a US$44 billion deal on April 25, 2022, 11 days after announcing his bid for the company. Twitter announced that the public company will become privately held after the acquisition is complete. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission for his initial bid for the company, Musk stated, “I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.” As a researcher of social media platforms, I find that Musk’s ownership of Twitter and his stated reasons for buying the company raise important issues. Those issues stem from the nature of the social media platform and what sets it apart from others. ...

Problems Must Be Overcome Before College Can Take Place In The Metaverse

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY

Problems Must Be Overcome Before College Can Take Place In The Metaverse

Higher education in the United States is in trouble. Spiraling tuition costs and a student debt crisis threaten to make college unaffordable to all but the wealthy. In an attempt to cut spending and control tuition hikes, American universities are relying more and more on temporary instructors who are underpaid, teach a heavy course load and often lack job security and health insurance. Many schools are also increasing class sizes and moving courses online in order to lower costs. And students are not happy: Online learning is less popular than in-person instruction, and dissatisfaction has only increased during the pandemic. On top of these problems, universities in the U.S. and other parts of the world are challenged by apprenticeship and boot-camp initiatives that question the relati...

Standardized Tests – Going Forth May Cause More Problems Than It Solves

5Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

LIFESTYLE

Standardized Tests – Going Forth May Cause More Problems Than It Solves

Despite the many ways that COVID-19 has disrupted schools, the U.S. Department of Education will not give states a pass on giving standardized tests to students this year as it did in spring 2020. That’s according to new guidance the department issued Feb. 22. The guidance invites states to request waivers to shorten tests, give the tests in the fall or do the tests remotely. It allows states flexibility around testing depending on the particular circumstances in their state. It also urges states not to place as much emphasis on the results. Some states, such as Georgia, Michigan and New York, had already requested waivers from testing in the spring before the Biden administration’s new guidance came out. In our view, as education researchers who specialize in science education, the lea...

Obesity Creates Problems For COVID-19 Vaccine

6Nov

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

Obesity Creates Problems For COVID-19 Vaccine

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the obesity epidemic once again into the spotlight, revealing that obesity is no longer a disease that harms just in the long run but one that can have acutely devastating effects. New studies and information confirm doctors’ suspicion that this virus takes advantage of a disease that our current U.S. health care system is unable to get under control. In most recent news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 73% of nurses who have been hospitalized from COVID-19 had obesity. In addition, a recent study found that obesity could interfere with the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine. I am an obesity specialist and clinical physician working on the front lines of obesity in primary care at the University of Virginia Health System. In t...

Want To Solve Society’s Most Urgent Problems? Cash Prizes Can Spur Breakthroughs

2Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

LIFESTYLE

Want To Solve Society’s Most Urgent Problems? Cash Prizes Can Spur Breakthroughs

Innovation is a critical part of tackling problems in areas as diverse as transportation, housing, public health and energy. But the scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs who might generate creative solutions often investigate issues or pursue economic opportunities in other less urgent fields. Incentives for science and innovation try to steer efforts toward the most pressing societal problems. Prizes – cash rewards for scientific, engineering and other achievements – are one form of incentive that has been around for a very long time. In the 18th century, for example, organizations such as the Royal Society in the U.K. awarded medals to scientists for their breakthrough research. Today, in addition to this type of scientific award, there are also prizes for solutions to diverse probl...

Will the new 15-minute COVID-19 test solve US testing problems?

2Sep

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

Will the new 15-minute COVID-19 test solve US testing problems?

On Aug. 26, the Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization to a new rapid antigen test for COVID-19 called the BinaxNOW test. I study public health policy to combat infectious disease epidemics. Testing is one of the most powerful tools available to fight the spread of COVID-19. The new test is inexpensive, rapid and easy to use. It will massively scale up access to testing, but hurdles remain in achieving widespread, frequent COVID-19 testing. The Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test claims to give results in 15 minutes. Abbott What type of test is BinaxNOW? The credit-card-sized test is an antigen test that detects a specific viral protein from SARS-CoV-2. It costs US$5 and doesn’t require a lab or a machine for processing. Performing the test is simple. A health...

We Create Our Problems and Our Solutions in Our World

3Aug

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIAL JUSTICE

We Create Our Problems and Our Solutions in Our World

Everyday, we are bombarded with news reports on terrorism, murder, rape, earthquake, accidents, failed marriages, joblessness, business failures, lack of finances, militancy, dead, etc. To most of us, government at various levels should be blamed for creating these problems, or what I love to call challenges. But, who is government? Truth is, government is you and I, whether military or civilian. We voted our civilian leaders into power. For the military leaders, they may have come into power through the barrel of the guns, or by any other means. Therefore, our leaders are supposed to be representing our interests, above their selfish, self-centered interests. In theory, this is fantastic. But in reality, records at the public domain shows that it is not always so. You may agree or dis...