The idea that Facebook can replace religious communities is “a delusion”, a Church of England bishop has said, as the social network surpasses global Christianity in numbers. Source: Facebook ‘delusion’ can’t replace religion, says Church of England bishop as social network’s numbers surpass Christianity
Survey finds nearly half of Americans reporting they feel alone, isolated, or left out at least some of the time. Source: Loneliness Rivals Obesity, Smoking as Health Risk
I wish I had something to say about this past year, something exciting or maybe some stunning travels pics. But truth be told, my current situation keeps me within about a 100 mile radius of the city in which I eke out my living. No big trips. No wild romances. Just a year of steadily… Read More Happy New Year! | Earthpages.org
The idea of the meme was introduced in Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene (1976). Adapted by the philosopher Daniel Dennet and the psychologist Susan Blackmore,¹ the theory took off with the notion of the internet meme–-that is, anything on the web that replicates like a virus. The term “viral” itself is a meme. Essentially, a meme is a… Read More The Meme – Will we awake from our zombie sleepwalk?
Technology can be a pain in the neck when it comes to pollution, job loss and social alienation but it’s also a wonderful thing with so much potential. It just depends on what level you approach it, I guess. This morning I came across a delightful blog called Book Worms which, initially, I thought was… Read More No more guessing and groping in the dark – Google Translate now at Earthpages
It’s actually very hard to find photos of people with their eyes closed. Bulin/Shutterstock.com Siwei Lyu, University at Albany, State University of New York A new form of misinformation is poised to spread through online communities as the 2018 midterm election campaigns heat up. Called “deepfakes” after the pseudonymous online account that popularized the technique… Read More Detecting ‘deepfake’ videos in the blink of an eye
Hardly mentioned today, there was a time when the cultural theorist Marshall Herbert McLuhan (1911-80) was a big deal among academics and savvy media pundits. One could say he was the Jordan Peterson of the 60s, 70s and early 80s. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, McLuhan founded the University of Toronto‘s Centre for Culture and Technology… Read More Marshall McLuhan – Yesterday’s media guru still has something to say
Researchers have created an A.I. system that can tell the difference between real and fake news — often with better success rates than its human counterparts. Such a system may help social media platforms and search engines filter out articles meant to misinform. Source: Algorithm Outperforms Humans at Spotting Fake News | Digital Trends
Following uproar in conservative press, Rutgers says historian’s screed against gentrification in Harlem (and the white people like himself it attracts) violates university policy. Others see free speech. Source: Professor accused of antiwhite racism; others say it’s free speech
Source: Tech industry accused of using unethical techniques to hook kids | Lifestyle from CTV News
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