IB Theory of Knowledge - an ongoing list of interesting finds

Why we have to forget to remember "When we forget something, it often feels like a failure. But according to psychologist Oliver Hardt, if we lost the ability to forget, we might also lose the ability to remember."

"Scientists in India have hit out at speakers at a major conference for making irrational claims, including that ancient Hindus invented stem cell research. Some academics at the annual Indian Science Congress dismissed the findings of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Hindu mythology and religion-based theories have increasingly become part of the Indian Science Congress agenda. But experts said remarks at this year's summit were especially ludicrous...." An Indian scientist said that Albert Einstein (pictured) was wrong and that gravitational waves should be renamed "Narendra Modi Waves"

Have a look through some of the following pieces to explore why the discovery of a previously unknown sketchbook by the famous artist has led to widespread controversy.  Addressing issues of consistency and authenticity, but also tackling the ever-difficult-to-explain role of intuition, the controversy illustrates the fierce battles that can ensue when one's personal knowledge of art, meaning or style is called into question.  Resources : Cain, Abigail.  " 'Unprecedented' Van Gogh Sketchbook Controversy, Explained. "  Editorial. Artsy.com.   November 16, 2016. " Found Sketchbook With Drawings Is Not By Van Gogh, According To Van Gogh Museum ."   The Van Gogh Museum.  Press Release.  November 15, 2016. Siegal, Nina.  " Sketchbook Attributed to van Gogh Pits Scholars Against a Museum ."  New York Times: Art & Design.  November 15, 2016.  " Van Gogh: Dispute over sketches book ."  BBC News: Ent...

Obviously still a highly contested concept, the idea that our genetics do not support common perceptions of race or racial divides is one that can be uncomfortable on various levels.  Geneticist and author Adam Rutherford tackles the science behind "race" in his 2015 article " Why racism is not backed by science " - touching also on issues of evolution of language and controversial theories on race.  He acknowledges in another piece, " Why scientific truth may hurt ," that his ideas on the biological non-existence of “race” prompted anger and online abuse from readers, however continued to focus on the idea that: Modern genetics has unearthed a treasure trove of information about humans that was previously veiled or indecipherable, one of which is that some sets of genetic signatures broadly correlate with large land masses, especially ones bound by oceans. But these are neither exclusive nor essential associations with the way we use the term “ra...

We should all know that memory can be unreliable - influenced by our own perspectives, selection, interpretation and emotions, it can be difficult to be "certain" of our powers of recollection.  But "false memory"? Delve briefly into this concept via the links below to explore the ways in which memory can not only be problematic , but also wrong.  Resources : Bryce, Emma. " False memories and false confessions: the psychology of imagined crimes ." WIRED.  July 22, 2017.  " False memory syndrome ." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. July 18, 2013. " Elizabeth Loftus and Eye Witness Testimony ."  BBC Sounds. Interview. Web. April 17, 2011. Fraser, Scott.  " Why eyewitnesses get it wrong ."  TEDxUSC. TED. May 2012. Hogenboom, Melissa.  " Why does the human brain create false memories? "  BBC Science & Environment.  September 29, 2013. Loftus, Elizabeth. " How reliable is your ...

It sounds a bit like a fairy tale, when you think about it.  The idea that in today's world, there would still be areas that believe in the likes of elves, or as they are called in Iceland,  huldufólk .  Have a look at how the "hidden people" of Iceland have influenced construction, roadworks and a deep regard for the natural world.

You are leaking data, and absorbing it, says Yale historian Timothy Snyder . But for whose benefit?