Category: TECHNOLOGY

How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed


It doesn’t have to be this way. Fake information is truly truly easy to spot — if you know how. Contemplate this your New Media Literacy Guide.

1. Does the tale arrive from a odd URL?

Zimdars states websites with peculiar suffixes like “.co” or “.su,” or that are hosted by third party platforms like WordPress should really raise a red flag. Some pretend web pages, like Countrywide Report, have legitimate-sounding, if not overly general names that can very easily trick persons on social web sites. For instance, several faux studies from abcnews.com.co have gone viral ahead of getting debunked, like a June write-up that claimed President Obama signed an buy banning assault weapon profits.

2. Does the headline match the details in the posting?

Mantzarlis suggests 1 of the most significant factors bogus news spreads on Facebook is mainly because people get sucked in by a headline and really don’t bother to click on by means of.

Just this 7 days, a number of dubious corporations circulated a tale about Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi. “Pepsi Inventory Plummets Following CEO Tells Trump Supporters to ‘Take Their Company Elsewhere’,” trumpeted just one these types of headline.

Having said that, the article content by themselves didn’t contain that quote nor proof that Pepsi’s stock observed a major drop (it failed to). Nooyi did make recorded remarks about Trump’s election, but was under no circumstances quoted telling his supporters to “choose their organization in other places.”

3. Is it a modern story, or an old a person that has been re-purposed?

Often authentic news stories can be twisted and resurrected a long time right after the fact to build a false conflation of functions. Mantzarlis remembers an erroneous story that essentially cited a legitimate piece of information from CNNMoney.

A web site named Viral Liberty lately described that Ford had moved manufacturing of some of their vehicles from Mexico to Ohio since of Donald Trump’s election earn. The tale promptly caught hearth online — immediately after all, it appeared like a terrific win for the domestic car marketplace.

It turns out, Ford did move some production from Mexico to Ohio — in 2015. It experienced nothing to do with the election outcomes at all.

4. Are the supporting movies or images verifiable?

Pics and movies can also be taken out of context to support a bogus claim. In April, the liberal web page Occupy Democrats posted a movie that purportedly showed a young lady having taken off from a rest room by police for not looking feminine adequate. This was for the duration of the peak of the HB2 “rest room monthly bill” controversy, and the article plainly linked the two. “IT Commences,” examine the headline.

Nonetheless, there was no day on the movie or evidence that it was shot in North Carolina, wherever the “rest room invoice” was to be handed.

In simple fact, according to Snopes, the very same video was printed to a Facebook site in 2015, this means it predated the HB2 controversy.

5. Does the short article cite most important sources?

It’s not just political news that can be bogus. Now8Information is one of the most notorious faux-but-appears to be-authentic website, specializing in the type of unusual news stories that typically go viral.

One such report claims Coca-Cola recalled Dasani h2o bottles right after a “very clear parasite” was identified in the h2o. There was even an accompanying gross-out image that allegedly confirmed the parasite, although some primary Googling reveals it is most most likely a picture of a younger eel.

Irrespective, the article experienced no statement or assert from any firm. Evidently this would be a massive story. Dasani or any selection of buyer advocacy teams would publish statements or information releases about it, proper? There are none to be found — simply because the story is 100% bogus.

6. Does the tale aspect estimates, and are they traceable?

A favourite meme of Liberal Fb teams functions a pretend quote from Donald Trump that is allegedly from a Folks Magazine interview in 1998:

“If I ended up to operate, I would run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the nation. They imagine something on Fox News. I could lie and they’d continue to take in it up. I bet my quantities would be wonderful.“

This a person is simply debunked if you just take even a minute to believe about it: People today.com has substantial archives, and this estimate is nowhere to be identified in them.

7. Is it the only outlet reporting the story?

Throughout this election time, Pope Francis was roped into three tremendous viral, and fully phony, stories. According to different (fake) internet websites, the Pope endorsed 3 US Presidential candidates: Very first, Bernie Sanders, as “documented” by Countrywide Report and USAToday.com.co. Then, Donald Trump, as “noted” by bogus news internet site WTOE 5 Information. Lastly, a different fake news site KYPO6.com claimed he had endorsed Hillary Clinton!

In all of these circumstances, subsequent studies all circled again to the phony types. It is really usually good to trace a story back to the initial supply, and if you obtain on your own in a loop — or if they all guide back again to the same dubious web-site — you have explanation to question.

8. Is your own bias getting in the way?

How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed

The two Zimdars and Mantzarlis say confirmation bias is a big explanation bogus information speads like it does. Some of that is crafted into Facebook’s algorithm — the a lot more you like or interact with a specific fascination, the extra Facebook will clearly show you similar to that desire.

Similarly, if you hate Donald Trump, you are much more very likely to imagine destructive stories about Donald Trump are genuine, even if there is no proof.

“We find out information that presently fits with our founded beliefs,” says Zimdars. “If we arrive into get in touch with with information and facts we do not agree with, it still might reaffirm us due to the fact we will endeavor to come across faults.”

So if you obtain an outrageous article that feels “too fantastic to be accurate,” use warning: It just could possibly be.

9. Has it been debunked by a dependable truth-checking organization?

Did you know there is basically an Worldwide Point-Checking Network (which Mantzarlis prospects)? And that it has a code of ideas? The code consists of the beliefs of nonpartisanship and transparency, among the other individuals. Internet sites like FactCheck.org, Snopes and Politifact abide by this code, so if you see a debunking there, you know you happen to be getting the true deal. Perspective the whole listing listed here.

10. Is the host on a checklist of unreliable news sites?

This is wherever factors can get difficult. There is certainly of course a big variation between “deceptive” information, which is ordinarily based mostly in reality, and “faux” information, which is just fiction disguised as actuality. Zimdars’ now-well-known checklist addresses both sorts, as effectively as satire and internet sites that capitalize on clickbait-form headlines. Snopes also maintains a list.

Even though Zimdars is happy her record has gotten so considerably notice, she also cautions that wholly writng off some of the internet sites as “phony” is not precise. “I want to make absolutely sure this list will not do a wonderful disservice to the greatest objective,” she states. “It can be appealing that some of the headlines [about my list] are just as hyperbolic as the kinds I am analyzing.”



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‘Roborace’ car makes street track debut in Marrakech

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
‘Roborace’ car makes street track debut in Marrakech



Autonomous vehicle revolution

A new robot race auto collection is set to get underway in 2017.

Autonomous automobile revolution

Autonomous motor vehicle revolution

Autonomous motor vehicle revolution

The battery-powered prototype can get to speeds of 215 mph (350 kph), in accordance to Roborace.

Autonomous car or truck revolution

The “Roborace” collection is scheduled to start off in 2017 and will see 10 autonomous cars all competing on the identical track.

Autonomous vehicle revolution

The automobile productively navigated the track at Formulation E’s Marrakech ePrix in November. The all-electric race sequence will host robotic races through ePrix weekends.

Autonomous auto revolution

The motor vehicle has been created by a compact staff of engineers and laptop researchers. “With this motor vehicle we have many varieties of sensors,” Sergey Malygin, Roborace’s Synthetic Intelligence developer, explained to CNN. “Very first of all there are lasers measurements — mild-primarily based, so we have data about the 3D objects all over us.”

Autonomous automobile revolution

“Also we have cameras, radars, ultrasonics to get the info about other autos and base stations,” Malygin proceeds. “We also have exact positioning programs and optical velocity sensors.”

Autonomous vehicle revolution

“To get this info inside of (the motor vehicle), process it and get a precious understanding of what is occurring all around us which is anything that desires a great deal of computing electric power,” Malygin describes. The uncooked knowledge is then deciphered by algorithms which tells the automobile where by the walls are and wherever other cars are on the road.

Autonomous vehicle revolution

Roborace engineer, Matas Simonavicius, suggests each individual wheel is separately run, providing much more stability and basic safety.
“A person motor drives one wheel,” Simonavicius advised CNN. “This way you can do torque vectoring — you can control the power to wheels a lot far better, how it drives and the general performance it provides out. It is much more innovative than the traditional stability handle Ab muscles.”

Autonomous automobile revolution

But are driverless automobiles a fantastic concept?
“I believe, indeed,” Simonavicius states. “What is the most significant lead to of mishaps at the minute? It is really human error.”

Autonomous vehicle revolution

“That’s why we want to provide this automobile into a controlled natural environment in which you can’t hurt any individuals and you can show that it functions,” Simonavicius argues.

Autonomous motor vehicle revolution

“We’re hoping to transform people’s perspective of it. So they will see it at races and see it really is safe and sound and does all these interesting things.”



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This NASA astronaut voted from space

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
This NASA astronaut voted from space


Story highlights

  • Shane Kimbrough is a NASA astronaut
  • He voted in the 2016 election
Shane Kimbrough, a NASA astronaut currently dwelling on board the Intercontinental Space Station, submitted his ballot in Tuesday’s presidential election, according to a Tumblr post by NASA.
NASA instructed Yahoo Information that Kimbrough submitted his ballot in the 2016 election from the house station someday above the previous couple days.

For astronauts who will be in place on Election Day, the voting method commences a 12 months before start. At that time, they are capable to decide on the elections in which they want to participate.

Then, 6 months ahead of the election, astronauts are offered with the type “Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Ask for — Federal Write-up Card Application.”

NASA astronaut David Wolf was the first American to vote in place though on the Russian Mir House Station in a 1997 nearby election, according to NPR.



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Cell phones and screens are keeping your kid awake

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
Cell phones and screens are keeping your kid awake


For young children and teenagers, making use of mobile telephones, tablets and personal computers at evening is affiliated with shedding slumber time and rest good quality, new study finds. Even young children who do not use their telephones or the other systems littering their bedrooms at evening are dropping shut-eye and turning into inclined to daylight sleepiness, the analysis posted these days in JAMA Pediatrics finds.

The examination observed “a steady sample of influence throughout a vast array of international locations and options,” explained Dr. Ben Carter, lead creator and a senior lecturer in biostatistics at King’s College or university London.

Carter and his colleagues weeded through the professional medical literature to identify hundreds of relevant scientific tests conducted concerning January 1, 2011, and June 15, 2015. They selected 20 investigate stories involving a overall of 125,198 young children, evenly divided by gender, with an common age of 14½ a long time. Immediately after extracting pertinent knowledge, Carter and his co-authors done their possess meta-analysis.

Handful of mothers and fathers will be shocked by the results: The workforce located a “sturdy and consistent association” in between bedtime media gadget use and insufficient slumber quantity, very poor snooze good quality and abnormal daytime sleepiness.

Amazingly, although, Carter and his crew found out that little ones who did not use their devices in their bedrooms continue to had their rest interrupted and were probable to go through the similar problems. The lights and seems emitted by the know-how, as nicely as the content alone, could be as well stimulating.

Even though Carter admits that a weak spot of the assessment was “how the facts was collected in the principal reports: self-described by mothers and fathers and little ones,” lots of of us will likely realize our individual families’ practices mirrored in the studies.

Digital bedroom

A massive-scale poll done in the United States by the National Rest Basis (PDF) noted in 2013 that 72% of all little ones and 89% of teenagers have at least one system in their slumber atmosphere. Most of this technological know-how is applied near bedtime, that same report observed.

According to Carter and his co-authors, this omnipresent engineering negatively influences children’s sleep by delaying their rest time, as they end observing a film or perform one particular far more video game.

Mild emitted from these devices might also have an effect on the circadian rhythm, the inside clock timing organic procedures, which includes overall body temperature and hormone release, the researchers make clear. 1 precise hormone, melatonin, induces tiredness and contributes to the timing of our snooze-wake cycles. Electronic lights can hold off the release of melatonin, disrupting this cycle and generating it more challenging to fall asleep.

Carter and his co-authors also advise that on-line information may well be psychologically stimulating and continue to keep youngsters and teenagers awake much earlier the hour when they flip off their equipment and attempt to sleep.

“Snooze is very important for kids,” mentioned Dr. Sujay Kansagra, director of the pediatric neurology snooze medicine system at Duke College Professional medical Center, who was not concerned in the new assessment. “We know that snooze performs a critical function in mind development, memory, self-regulation, awareness, immune purpose, cardiovascular overall health and a great deal far more.”

Kansagra, creator of “My Child Would not Sleep,” pointed out that the interval of biggest mind enhancement is in our initial 3 decades of daily life, which corresponds to when we need to have and get the most snooze. “It is tough to think that this would be a coincidence.”

Kansagra stated it is feasible that mom and dad underreported children applying products at night time, but a lot more very likely, the technology is only interfering with slumber hygiene. “For illustration, kids who are allowed to continue to keep units in their area may well be extra most likely to stay clear of a good sleep regimen, which we know is practical for sleep,” he stated.

Working towards great sleep cleanliness

Dr. Neil Kline, a consultant of the American Sleep Affiliation, agrees that slumber plays an integral position in a kid’s nutritious development, even however “we don’t know all of the science powering it. There is even some investigation which demonstrates an affiliation in between ADHD and some slumber conditions.”

In many respects, the findings of the new study are no shock. “Sleep hygiene is becoming significantly impacted by technologies, especially in the teenager decades,” said Kline, who bases his view not only on research but on his have “individual encounter and also the anecdotes of quite a few other rest experts.”

Sleep cleanliness — ideas that aid facilitate excellent, continuous and adequate snooze — include things like having a area that is tranquil. “And that would signify taking away goods that interfere with snooze, together with electronics, Television and even animals if they interfere with rest,” Kline said.
One particular extra critical idea will come from the National Rest Basis, which endorses at the very least 30 minutes of “gadget-totally free changeover time” just before bedtime. Electrical power down for far better sleep.

Other tips for good rest cleanliness consist of not exercising (bodily or mentally) too near to bedtime creating a typical slumber agenda limiting exposure to mild prior to snooze staying away from stimulants these types of as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine in the hrs prior to bedtime and making a darkish, comfy and tranquil slumber natural environment.



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Brightest supermoon since 1948

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
Brightest supermoon since 1948



The moon rises over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on November 14. A supermoon occurs when the moon becomes full on the same days as its perigee, which is the point in the moon’s orbit when it is closest to Earth. Supermoons generally appear to be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons. Kin Cheung/AP

The moon appears over the Binhe Yellow River Bridge in Yinchuan, China, on November 14. Qi yingtao/Imaginechina/AP Images

Evergreen trees are silhouetted on the mountain top as a supermoon rises over a ranch in Silverthorne, Colorado, on November 14. Jack Dempsey/AP

The supermoon is seen behind the Soyuz spacecraft at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 14. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images

The supermoon is seen in Beijing on November 14. Imaginechina/Stringer/Ap Images

A man rides a horse past people watching the supermoon in Chennai, India, on November 14. ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images

The supermoon rises behind the Propylaea above the Ancient Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece, on November 14. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

The supermoon is seen above a statue in Vienna, Austria, on November 14. JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

The moon rises behind the Almodovar castle in Cordoba, Spain, on Sunday, November 13. Miguel Morenatti/AP

The supermoon appears behind the MesseTurm tower in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 13. FRANK RUMPENHORST/DPA/AFP/Getty Images

A passenger plane passes in front of the moon, as seen from Whittier, California, on November 13. Nick Ut/AP

People stroll along the Tagus riverside as the moon rises in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 13. Armando Franca/AP





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Girls to design Africa’s first private space satellite

Nicole Sirizolli TECHNOLOGY
Girls to design Africa’s first private space satellite


They are part of a group of substantial faculty women from Cape City, South Africa, who have made and crafted payloads for a satellite that will orbit above the earth’s poles scanning Africa’s surface.

The moment in place, the satellite will gather information on agriculture, and foodstuff security in just the continent.

Applying the information transmitted, “we can consider to figure out and forecast the complications Africa will be struggling with in the upcoming”, describes Bull, a college student at Pelican Park High University.

“The place our food items is growing, wherever we can plant extra trees and vegetation and also how we can keep an eye on distant locations,” she suggests. “We have a good deal of forest fires and floods but we never usually get out there in time.”

Facts gained two times a day will go towards disaster avoidance.

It’s section of a challenge by South Africa’s Meta Financial Improvement Firm (MEDO) doing the job with Morehead State University in the US.

Bold to start with

The girls (14 in complete) are staying experienced by satellite engineers from Cape Peninsula College of Engineering, in a bid to motivate extra African women into STEM (science, technologies, engineering, arithmetic).

If the start is prosperous, it will make MEDO the to start with private firm in Africa to develop a satellite and send it into orbit.

“We be expecting to obtain a superior signal, which will permit us to obtain responsible knowledge,” declares an enthusiastic Mngqengqiswa, of Philippi Large College. “In South Africa we have seasoned some of the worst floods and droughts and it has genuinely impacted the farmers extremely terribly.”

Drought and environmental effects from local climate transform have ongoing to plague the country in new a long time. An El Niño induced drought led to a shortfall of 9.3 million tons in southern Africa’s April 2016 maize output, according to a UN report.

“It has brought on our financial system to drop … This is a way of hunting at how we can improve our financial system,” states the young Mngqengqiswa.

Inspiring women

The girls' satellite will have a detailed vantage point of South Africa's drought crisis which led to a shortfall of 9.3 million tons in southern Africa's April 2016 maize production.

Initial trials concerned the women programming and launching little CricketSat satellites applying large-altitude weather balloons, just before sooner or later aiding to configure the satellite payloads.

The girls learning science in defiance of Boko Haram

Compact format satellites are small price techniques of gathering details on the planet swiftly. Checks so much have included accumulating thermal imaging data which is then interpreted for early flood or drought detection.

“It can be a new field for us [in Africa] but I consider with it we would be able to make constructive changes to our financial system,” says Mngqengqiswa.

In the long run, it is hoped the venture will involve girls from Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Mngqengqiswa arrives from a solitary parent home. Her mom is a domestic worker. By turning into a area engineer or astronaut, the teenager hopes to make her mom happy.

“Discovering room and observing the Earth’s ambiance, it is really not some thing a lot of black Africans have been in a position to do, or do not get the option to glimpse at,” states Mngqengqiswa.

The schoolgirl is correct in half a century of space travel, no black African has journeyed to outer area. “I want to see these points for myself,” claims Mngqengqiswa, “I want to be ready to practical experience these points.”

Her group mate, Bull agrees: “I want to demonstrate to fellow girls that we don’t will need to sit around or restrict ourselves. Any vocation is doable — even aerospace.”



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