IB Theory of Knowledge - an ongoing list of interesting finds

Want to get up close and personal with famous artwork? Want to zoom in closer to van Gogh's "Starry Night" than any protective art collector would allow? Wishing you could tour rooms of famous museums from the comfort of your own laptops? Mr. Weatherell showed me this site where you can do each of these things and more!  Google has a wide range of virtual artistic and cultural exhibits on this website for those who need an immersion in the Arts (or an RLS for, say, an upcoming TOK assessment!) Google Arts & Culture

This piece presents the thoughts of professor AC Grayling on the "post-truth" campaign trend and why it is so controversial.  Grayling blames part of the trend on the 2008 financial crisis and "warns of the "corruption of intellectual integrity" and damage to "the whole fabric of democracy." The article also delves into the narcissism of social media and the problems that arise now that everyone can publish their opinions on the internet and that there seems to be an "online culture that can't distinguish between fact and fiction." What does post-truth mean for a philosopher?

In this 2008 talk, digital artist Chris Jordan illustrates what he sees as a problem in the United States - a "kind of anesthesia" where people are ignoring significant social issues and have seemingly lost their "sense of outrage...anger and...grief" about concerning cultural patterns. Using graphics, Jordan presents a series of supersized images that illustrate the "reality" of the enormous statistics and data surrounding these problematic patterns (numbers that we simply cannot imagine or comprehend). Through his art, he attempts to present the data in "a more universal language, that can be felt"  in order to evoke emotion and emphasize the dire need for social change. Turning powerful stats into art

As populations rise, and technology increases in terms of pervasiveness, so do algorithms become more and more used within society. This article looks at what they are, and the way in which they are being used. From the controversial "predictive policing" using compiled crime statistics over time, to influence on the stock market, from dating websites, to predicting hit records or influencing retail marketing, this article explores the methods through which we are making use of the plethora of data now available to us.  Dr Ian Brown, the associate director of Oxford University's Cyber Security Centre, says "We now spend so much of our time online that we are creating huge data-mining opportunities." How algorithms rule the world

"Historic buildings in the Islamic world are often covered with breathtakingly intricate geometric designs. Both artists and mathematicians have long puzzled over them, wondering how the patterns were created. Now, a Harvard physicist has some new ideas about the designs and the advanced math behind them." Complex patterns like this one, found in the archway of a Turkish mosque, were created by Islamic artisans in the 1400s. A pattern from a Turkish mausoleum, circa 1200 C.E. A reconstruction of the tile templates is overlaid at the bottom. Medieval Mosques Illuminated by Math