IB Theory of Knowledge - an ongoing list of interesting finds

Elizabeth Loftus, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, is the most influential female psychologist of the twentieth century ( New Yorker feature article ) "Her work helped usher in a paradigm shift, rendering obsolete the archival model of memory—the idea, dominant for much of the twentieth century, that our memories exist in some sort of mental library, as literal representations of past events. According to Loftus, who has published twenty-four books and more than six hundred papers, memories are reconstructed, not replayed." Also, check out this interview with Loftus from the American Psychological Association, where Loftus discusses  how our recollections of events and experiences may be subject to manipulation. 

A feature article on how one particular group is mitigating the ongoing natural crises of flooding and fires throughout Australia.  "What’s the solution to mitigating these disasters? More technology, more fire fighters, more flood-proofing? Those may sound like reasonable, modern fixes, but many believe the answer really lies in the past. Indigenous communities in Australia have dealt with wildfires for millennia using natural technology, namely fire itself." Photographed by Talei Elu.

Languages around the world are dying, and dying fast .  "The grimmest predictions have 90 percent of the world's languages dying out by the end of this century. Although this might not seem important in the day-to-day life of an English speaker with no personal ties to the culture in which they’re spoken, language loss matters." National Geographic's page entitled " Enduring Voices " is a great resource to learn more about endangered languages.

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."

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

Crossinng the TOK / Lang & Lit boundary - a  different perspective on "beauty" and how our own preferences/standards not only change, but might be shifted for us  as the brain processes new information and patterns. 

He’s Sailing the World Using Just the Wind, Stars, and Waves More than 40 years ago, Nainoa Thompson joined a movement of young Hawaiians interested in reviving the traditional art of Polynesian navigation known as wayfinding. They learned to sail across open waters using just the wind, sky and waves as their guide, voyaging without modern navigation tools. Since then, Thompson has honed his craft navigating Hōkūleʻa, a traditional Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Today, Hōkūleʻa is sailing the world to spread the message that we must live sustainably and protect our earth. Over three years, the crew will travel thousands of nautical miles years to connect with communities across the world.

In this National Geographic Photo Essay, "Cutting-Edge Science Meets Centuries-Old Tradition," have a look at how the two worlds of Science and Indigenous Knowledge overlap in trying to document the historical and current knowledge of Mo'orea.

A brief informational pamphlet on defining the term "indigenous" - would be a good starting point for looking at RLSs focused on such topic / groups.

Interestingly, following our discussion last class about the ethics surrounding the "study" of nomadic tribes, National Geographic has published a feature article this month addressing some of the same difficult topics raised. The feature presents quite a detailed look at the influence of modern societies/technology on indigenous tribes in both Peru and Brasil, delving into where the two worlds either overlap or collide.  The pictures in the piece show a very rural, indigenous lifestyle, but the feature also makes mention of tribes having access to smartphones and guns, or offering their expertise as armed "guardians" of their territory. Quite an engaging look at a very complex ongoing controversy.

"To speak our language is to preserve who we are. It is the most profound expression of our Rapa Nui and Polynesian spirit.”  - Rapa Nui linguist Viki Haoa Cardinali Easter Island remains a remote island quite isolated from the world around it and as it was formed less than a million years ago, it remains one of the youngest inhabited areas of the world.  "Over centuries, Polynesian explorers braved the Pacific Ocean in search of new worlds. By 1200 AD, settlers had reached Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, bringing crops, customs and language with them.... Clues to the complex society that emerged on Rapa Nui can be found everywhere; the island’s volcanic landscape boasts one of the richest collections of rock art in Polynesia. But barely a trace remains of what is Rapa Nui’s most tantalising cultural legacy: a mysterious form of writing called Rongorongo." Efforts to decode the language have been met with frustration and failure.  Since the ...

Politically correct? Or just plain ridiculous? "'Brainstorming', the buzzword used by executives to generate ideas among their staff, has been deemed politically incorrect by civil servants because it is thought to be offensive to people with brain disorders." " Now brainstorms are off the agenda " (McDonald, Henry.   The Guardian , June 26, 2005).

Was it really that crazy for a newspaper to reject the mistaken spelling? In this entertaining column, Bill Walsh, a copy editor at the Post, discusses what his issues are with evolving language - especially when it is incorrect in form .  While criticized at times for fighting against trends in language, Walsh identifies some reasons why some of these changes were so slowly accepted. Once central reason had to do with structure and sound:   "Still, mic is an aberration. Words like that aren’t pronounced like that. A bicycle is a bike, not a bic. Bic, as in the pens, rhymes with Mick. So do hic and Nic and pic and Ric and sic and tic and Vic. That’s how short forms work: They’re intended to be pronounced, and so they’re spelled phonetically. You don’t just start subtracting letters until you’re left with something approximate. A refrigerator is a fridge; frig is a mild curse word that rhymes with pig." He also addresses the ongoing and controversial question of " w...

"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...

"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

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