IB Theory of Knowledge - an ongoing list of interesting finds

An emotional and though-provoking feature article that explores the efforts of Israel's Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem ("A Memorial and a Name"), who, since 1954, have been working to recover the names of all the victims, and to date has managed to identify some 4.7 million. Dr Alexander Avram, director of Yad Vashem's Hall of Names and the Central Database of Shoah [Holocaust] Victims' Names states that "Every new name we can add to our database is a victory against the Nazis, against the intent of the Nazis to wipe out the Jewish people. Every new name is a small victory against oblivion." The Hall of Names is a haunting memorial to those who were lost during the Holocaust - a literal collection of names, facts and stories about individuals who perished.  A daunting task as much is based on memory and piecing together of information, and yet is highly symbolic in terms of what it represents.  The memorial and the efforts behind it beg the question ...

Thanks to Liora for this suggestion - Dan Brown's thriller Angels and Demons  combines history, science (although both are somewhat distorted at times) and religion in this exploration of the apparent and ongoing controversy between religion and science. The text is an entertaining read - it takes place around a "24-hour" style action-packed life-and-death scenario.  Science threatens religion, which threatens science.  With a few ironic turns of events, the main characters, educated and well-respected members of the historical and scientific communities, find themselves working with the Catholic Church and the Vatican to solve the mystery and save key religious figures from the figure who has decided to use science as a weapon against faith. A controversy surrounding the novel is that, while Brown is creating a work of fiction and thus to a degree is awarded "artistic licence," the liberties he has taken with presenting historical or scientific information ...

Activision is about to release further information on the new Call of Duty: WWII - while reviews illustrated that gamers were becoming more alienated by the technological advancements as the game moved further into the future, it seems Activision is changing course and returning the game to the "boots on the ground" experience of the original games. As is stated in the Guardian article , "This game is likely to be one of the largest pieces of historical entertainment ever released." An exciting time for the video game industry!

On Earth Day this past weekend, demonstrations were held around the world in defense of science. An idea that many find absurd in its necessity, but in many major cities across the globe, scientists and science-advocates rallied together to take a stand against seemingly perpetuating ignorance. Central knowledge questions that arise surrounding this event are: In what ways can the WOKs faith and emotion cause significant and ongoing controversy surrounding widely accepted scientific theories?  In what ways are the natural sciences irreconcilable with specific AOKs or WOKs?  Explore the following articles to gain a sense of the purposes behind, and the sudden necessity for, a unified front in the face of things like "alternate facts" and "fake news." Also take note of the witty and inspiring signs that were the highlight of the mass demonstrations. " 21 of the best March for Science protest signs ." Resources : Burdick, Alan. " The Use...

"Truth was the first casualty of the Great Depression. Reflecting the anguish of the time, propaganda was manufactured on an unprecedented scale. As economic disaster threatened to trigger shooting wars so, as George Orwell said, useful lies were preferred to harmful truths. He went further, declaring that history stopped in 1936; after that there was only propaganda." A feature article that explores the blurring of lines and the manipulation of truth. An international collection of propaganda posters from before and during the second world war. Composite: UIG/VGC via Getty Images Death of truth

An intriguing look at the idea of history repeating itself in current events and politics. While there is a common understanding that history plays a significant role in helping us avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, there are many who argue that the human pattern unfortunately illustrates the opposite. With links to historical examples of fascism and Nazism, and then current political climates, the article attempts to illustrate a blindness that we have to the warning patterns of history. Are you paying attention?

“Mathematical concepts are not wired into the human condition. They are learned, acquired through cultural and linguistic transmission. And if they are learned rather than inherited genetically, then it follows that they are not a component of the human mental hardware but are very much a part of our mental software—the feature of an app we ourselves have developed.” The Smithsonian interviews Caleb Everett "to learn more about the invention of numbers and the enormous role they’ve played in human society." How Humans Invented Numbers

Maps are effective as models - these can be used to illustrate historical understandings.  A historical article exploring knowledge gained from maps during the exploring of the "new world." This piece provides insights into historical perspectives, experiences and interpretation of the world. In 1502, as Europeans hungrily looked to the vast new continent across the Atlantic Ocean, innovative maps of these unfamiliar territories became objects of power and intrigue. Alberto Cantino, an Italian spy, acquired a Portuguese map showing stunning finds in the New World. Knowledge is power—and no knowledge was more assiduously coveted by European nations in the early 16th century than the information recorded on nautical maps. Coastlines, harbors, rivers, resources: Details about these features could give a nation a distinct advantage in trying to stake a claim to new lands. The “Cantino Planisphere,” completed in 1502, is the second known chart to have depicted the New Wo...

"But reviving a dying language is not easy. One main challenge is that Kristang is mostly a spoken language and has rarely been recorded. There is no standardised spelling or pronunciation system - one word can have dozens of variations. The word for four, quartu, can be spelt and pronounced in 20 different ways. And because it has been in decline for so long, it has huge gaps in its vocabulary... To solve this problem, his group invented new words with mash-ups of Kristang's root languages." This article raises questions about the efforts required to revive a language that so few speak today. With significant ties to heritage and culture, the question of whether a language in its "dying days" so to speak is a futile effort, or an attempt at cultural revival. How to revive a 500-year-old dying language

Have you ever felt a little mbuki-mvuki – the irresistible urge to “shuck off your clothes as you dance”? Perhaps a little kilig – the jittery fluttering feeling as you talk to someone you fancy? How about uitwaaien – which encapsulates the revitalising effects of taking a walk in the wind? These words – taken from Bantu, Tagalog, and Dutch – have no direct English equivalent, but they represent very precise emotional experiences that are neglected in our language. And if Tim Lomas at the University of East London has his way, they might soon become much more familiar. ‘Untranslatable’ emotions

"Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? 'Wrongologist' Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility." Why do we get stuck inside this feeling of being right and why is this such a problem ? An entertaining talk drawing on our own insecurities and fallibility.

In this piece, philosopher Bertrand Russell tackles a very personal question about whether he considers himself to be an atheist or an agnostic.  He addresses practicalities such as that of evidence  of a God as well as the ideal that one should be able to believe in whatever they believe in. An interesting and reflective personal debate on a highly controversial topic. Atheist or Agnostic? 

"Just as the English language constantly grows, so does the dictionary. More than one thousand new words have been added, including terms from recent advances in science, borrowings from foreign languages, and words from tech, medicine, pop culture, sports, and everything in between. This is a significant addition to our online dictionary, reflecting the breadth of English vocabulary and the speed with which we seek information." Words and phrases added that illustrate our ever-evolving language include: Seussian, face-palm, throw shade, photobomb and first world problem. New words in the dictionary

Mayim Bialik (PH.D in neuroscience and star of comedy series "Big Bang Theory") explains how she is able to reconcile her devotion to scientist with her religious beliefs.

Feature article exploring a central frustrating question - and posing somewhat counterintuitive reasonings, such as those with a higher level of education resulting in using scientific knowledge to "reinforce beliefs that have already been shaped by their worldview." Doubting Science

This one cataclysmic event gave rise to our entire Universe, but it seems we can never truly know what it looked like Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains why we cannot see the Big Bang to BBC Earth. Big Bang

“Is there a right length of time to look at – or engage with – an artwork?” asks Linda Kennedy in this video from Art Basel Hong Kong. “What’s worth a glance? What deserves a gaze?” How to look at a work of art

This video addresses the controversy of falsification in the sciences and why this logic does not or should not always apply. Science writer and astrophysicist Adam Becker explains how science really works. Why you should mostly trust what science tells you

New York art world bitterly divided over ‘ cultural appropriation ’ of 1955 photograph of murdered 14-year-old Emmett Till "It is one of the most powerful images to emerge from the racism that infected the southern states of America in the 1950s – the photograph of a badly beaten 14-year-old boy, lynched after being falsely accused of flirting with a white woman, lying in a funeral casket. Now protests over a painting based on the photograph, included in a New York museum show, are dividing the city’s art world amid claims of racist exploitation and censorship. At the centre of the battle over cultural appropriation is artist Dana Schutz’s expressionist painting Open Casket (2016), a gruesome depiction of Emmett Till, lynched in Mississippi in 1955. The painting, on display at the Whitney Biennial exhibition, initially drew swift condemnation from critics who claimed Schutz, who is white, was taking advantage of a defining moment in African American history." Ar...