Boy tells his dad 'I'm so proud of you'

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Sunk Cost Fallacy

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We all have seen the sunk cost fallacy in action at some point, whether it be sitting through that bad movie because we have already paid for it or finishing that awful book because we were already halfway through. Everyone has been in a situation where they ended up wasting more time because they were trying to salvage the time they had already invested. A sunk cost, also known as a retrospective cost, is one that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered by any additional action. The sunk cost fallacy refers to the tendency of human beings to make decisions based on how much of an investment they have already made, which leads to even more investment but no returns whatsoever. Sometimes, hard as it is, the best thing to do is to let go.

A way to save yourself from this cognitive bias is by focusing on future benefits and costs rather than the already lost past costs. You have to develop the habit, hard as it is, of ignoring the previous cost information.   

Rahul Agarwal writing in Built in

Recent Articles about Data Science

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Articles of Interest about the virus & schools - July 27

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***THE VIRUS 

Confusion Reigns Nationwide Amid Conflicting Coronavirus Rules

College gyms, workout equipment are covered in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Which mask works best? We filmed people coughing and sneezing to find out

***VACCINES 

Every Single COVID-19 Vaccine In Development, Tracked  

Confusion spreads over selection of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccines 

***HIGHER ED SPORTS & THE VIRUS

Rutgers quarantines football team after six more positive tests for coronavirus 

Entire Michigan State football team in quarantine after positive COVID-19 tests

***THE FALL SEMESTER 

‘I see a disaster in the making.’ Professors slam reopening plans at Illinois colleges amid COVID-19 crisis, prompting some schools to reverse course

Legal Expert: Don’t sign COVID-19 liability waivers

Colleges are walking back reopening plans — but can they keep campus employees safe?

Database shows the plans for the fall of about 2,000 colleges 

Colleges Spent Months Planning For Fall, But A COVID-19 Surge Is Changing Everything

***FALL PLANS AT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS 

Historically Black public college in St. Louis, has shut down its campus after eight administrative employees tested positive for COVID-19 

Pepperdine University To Conduct All Fall Classes Online

California colleges, fearing enrollment loss this fall, are trying hard to bond with students this summer

Clemson University said that it, too, would begin the fall term online Aug. 19 but planned to bring students back to campus a month later, on Sept. 21. 

New Mexico governor asks colleges to postpone fall sports

UC Berkeley fall semester will be online for all students

Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College move to virtual learning for fall semester

Wash State moves classes online for fall due to coronavirus

***LIVING ON CAMPUS THIS FALL 

Concerns are growing among students and faculty members about plans by some colleges to keep residence halls at full capacity this fall

Some colleges invite a fraction of their students to live on campus this fall. But is that approach truly safer?

***K-12 

Gallop Survey of what teachers think about returing to the classroom

Schools are moving toward closing for the fall. That is not their fault. ($)

Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid? 

We asked 20 medical experts whether they're sending their own kids back to school. Here's what they had to say

Florida lawyers offering free living wills to teachers returning to school during the pandemic

Face it. Most kids are not going to school next month

Here's What Science Says About How Safe it Really is to Reopen Schools in the Pandemic

Parents turn to "pods" as a schooling solution

Here’s what dozens of educators across Illinois say about schools reopening

***LAYOFFS & FURLOUGHS

Colleges Move to Lay Off Faculty as COVID-19 Decimates Budgets

Cal State Univ system chancellor expects future furloughs because of revenue reductions

***HIGHER ED 

Cal State Approves Ethnic Studies Requirement

Cal Poly ethnic studies experts oppose new CSU course requirements. Here’s why

***COLLEGE FINANCE

Higher ed faces pressure from students to cut tuition 

This Chart Predicts Which Colleges Will Survive the Coronavirus

***HIGHER ED IN COURT

Parents Of Special Education Students File Lawsuits Over Poor Remote Education

Judge orders Lincoln University president reinstated

***TEACHING ONLINE 

Just add blank slides: a simple remote teaching idea

Higher ed institutions are using Otter's AI technology to transfer lectures into notes

Survey hints at long-term impact of spring pivot to remote learning

***WORKING FROM HOME

How to ask your boss to let you work from home: Advice from experts ($)

***ONLINE CHEATING 

200 students accused of cheating on Statistics final at NC State University

Is technology the best way to stop online cheating? No, experts say: better teaching is.

Chegg's Biggest Challenge: How To Clamp Down On Cheating And Account Sharing

Don't underestimate cheating in online courses (letter) 

***ACADEMIC LIFE 

Edgewood College reinstates 6 laid-off professors

Two teens charged with murder in death of missing U.S. professor

Former University of North Carolina Wilmington professor who resigned amid controversy found dead in his home

Adjunct Professors: Jobs Are Low on Pay and Health Benefits With High COVID Risk 

COVID Crisis Endangers Adjunct Professors 

San Diego State considers a policy on revoking emeritus status when retired professors hurt the university's reputation 

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS  

PacWest, Point Loma Nazarene postpone fall sports to 2021

Cal Lutheran University will not play contact sports in the fall

Southwest Baptist University announces blueprint for fall classes

Azusa Pacific will conduct fall semesters online

Tennessee Christian college revokes student’s admission after learning he’s gay

***RESEARCH 

Are replication rates the same across academic fields?

The best time to argue about what a replication means? Before you do it 

***RESEARCH FRAUD 

Time to address Wiki-Plagiarism

It’s Time to Get Serious About Research Fraud

Fake journals in the age of fake news: the dangers of predatory publishing

How to Identify Flawed Research Before It Becomes Dangerous

***COVID-19 RESEARCH

Validate the integrity of research data on COVID 19 

An immunization program against the COVID-19 infodemic 

Retracted coronavirus papers

COVID-19 pandemic shakes up the world of scientific publishing

***STUDENT LIFE 

Colleges Are Getting Ready to Blame Their Students

NC college requires COVID-19 tests for $129. Students could get stuck with the bill

Fraternity chapter suspended for a statement on ties to Confederacy

Articles of Interest about the virus & religion - July 23

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***THE VIRUS 

Herd Immunity Response To COVID-19 Pandemic Can Be Problematic

Can You Become Reinfected With Covid-19? It's Very Unlikely, Experts Say ($) 

Open Courses teach the basics  of contract tracing 

Growing Body Of Evidence Suggests Masks Protect Those Wearing Them, Too

***RELIGION & THE VIRUS 

After a Tennessee church became a superspreading hotspot, its pastor says he should have made everyone wear masks

Communities Struggle To Decide Whether To Resume In-Person Worship

Hundreds of kids exposed to COVID-19 at Dallas-Fort Worth church camp, parents say

***RELIGION  

J. I. Packer, ‘Knowing God’ Author, Dies at 93

Christian author Matthew Paul Turner comes out as gay, announces divorce

Manning-Up America's Evangelicalism (opinion)

Canadian pastor fired after coming out as transgender during sermon on Zoom

***POLLS ABOUT RELIGION  

70 Percent of Evangelical Churchgoers Say 'People Are Basically Good,' Poll Shows

People’s thoughts on whether belief in God is necessary to be moral vary by economic development, education and age

***RELIGION & RACIAL ISSUES

Young Asian American Christians Are Finding Their Voice on Racial Justice

Why Black Christians are bracing for a 'whitelash'

***DENOMINATIONS

Teen abuse victim sues prominent Southern Baptist church

Atlanta Church Splits With SBC for Downplaying Racial Issues

America is seeing a surge in anti-Catholic vandalism 

***MEGACHURCHES 

Bank forecloses on Megachurch founder's estate 

This Megachurch Used Its Sunday Service to Spread QAnon Conspiracy Theories

Atlanta megachurch cancels in-person services until 2021

Articles of Interest about the virus & schools - July 20

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***THE VIRUS 

Oxford coronavirus vaccine triggers immune response, trial shows

The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic

U.S. companies fear workplace coronavirus precautions do not address airborne risk

How Long Does COVID-19 Immunity Last?

The New Stability: From Yale–New Haven Hospital Neurology (New England Journal of Medicine) 

***MASKS

Delta to Passengers Who Say They Can’t Wear a Mask: Prove It

Don’t shame people who don’t wear masks. It won't work

Face masks with filters add another layer of protection, experts say

***THE FALL SEMESTER 

Colleges walk back their fall plans as coronavirus cases spike

Schools Contemplate Fall Semester As COVID-19 Cases Rise In Many States

Key threatening developments that colleges should consider if planning on reopening for the fall semester (opinion) 

This college president won’t open campus this fall, to avoid ‘inevitable spread’ of coronavirus ($)

Thousands of college students won't be going back to their dorms this fall

NYU professor predicts hundreds of universities will shutter, possibly for good, if they reopen in the fall

***FALL PLANS AT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS

UT Will Close Campus if a Student—But Not an Employee—Dies From COVID

Illinois colleges plan students’ return to campus

Tulane threatens expulsion for partygoers as schools struggle to keep students safe from coronavirus

***VIRUS TESTING ON CAMPUS

On some college campuses, a new fall rite: coronavirus testing ($)

As campuses reopen, the logistics of preventing an outbreak are posing thorny questions: Who to test? How often? And will students buy in?

***COLLEGE SPORTS

Five More College Conferences Cancel Some Or All Fall Sports

Universities should not sacrifice athletics due to tight budgets (opinion)

***K-12 

What The U.S. Can Learn From Other Countries About Reopening Schools in a Coronavirus Pandemic

How to Reopen the Economy Without Killing Teachers and Parents

Study: Middle, high schoolers can spread coronavirus as well as adults

Many schools aren’t reopening in the fall. Now what? 

Most Big School Districts Aren’t Ready to Reopen: Here’s Why

School in a coffee shop? A different approach to teaching and learning during the pandemic (Opinion)

***K-12 TEACHERS

America’s Teachers Face An Impossible Choice

Until teachers feel safe, widespread in-person K-12 schooling may prove impossible in US

Back To School: Teachers Are Ready To Quit Rather Than Put Their Lives At Risk

***K-12 IN SPECIFIC STATES

Healthcare pros and school board members warn Arizona governor returning to school isn't safe

Texas: Religious schools can ignore local health officials on the coronavirus

California announces strict rules that will keep most schools closed

***LAYOFFS & FURLOUGHS 

Colleges Face a No-Win Dilemma: To Cut or Not to Cut Tuition? ($)

RISD and its faculty reach agreement, avoid layoffs

Budget ‘Bloodbath’ at University of Akron: Governing board votes to eliminate 97 full-time faculty positions

 ***HIGHER ED 

Ransomware criminals are targeting US universities (opinion)

RISD and its faculty reach agreement, avoid layoffs  

Pennsylvania state college system might combine six of its 14 universities

***COLLEGE FINANCE 

Another Revenue Hit For Colleges: Cancelled Summer Camps

Will the Pandemic Blow Up College in America?

***HIGHER ED IN COURT

Harvard, Duke, Other Schools Turn to Big Law in Virus Suits

The Republican Senate is moving toward making it harder for students and workers to sue colleges if they contract the coronavirus

***FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS

USC finally updates free expression policy it promised to fix: It’s even worse now

US Supreme Court to hear case involving Georgia Gwinnett College

***TEACHING 

What comes after Zoom fatigue

"Pass/No Credit" and Signaling | Confessions of a Community College Dean

Zoom announces Zoom for Home to enhance remote collaboration, learning, and more 

*** CHEATING 

Strategies to defuse cheating during remote instruction

California mom gets 5 weeks in prison for son’s online class cheating 

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS 

Christian college in Michigan holds in-person graduation ceremony in defiance of state orders

Suspended LU professor found guilty for filming teens in a bathroom at his home

Why an evangelical college president quit after Trump got elected

Largest Evangelical Archaeology Program Finds New Home in Nashville

Grand Canyon University pushes back start date for in-person classes an entire month

Liberty University files $10M defamation suit against NY Times: 'Bigoted bunch of liars'

***RESEARCH 

Genius or Fraud? Kid’s PhD-Level Science Project Raises Eyebrows 

A comparison of how institutions in China and Europe handle cases of reserach misconduct.

Translation plagiarism, which occurs when the work of one author is republished in a different language with authorship credit taken by someone else.”

***ACADEMIC LIFE

More Faculty Fears About the Fall

Professor Criticizes Book, 'White Fragility,' As Dehumanizing To Black People

***STUDENT LIFE

This May Be the Worst Season of Summer Melt in Memory. Here’s How Some Colleges Are Fighting It.

College Students Share Tips for Online Class

Most college students would return to campus if allowed, poll finds

USC will award $4,000 scholarships per semester to students who stay at home

For First-Generation Students, a Disappearing ‘College Experience’ Could Have Grave

Students say they'll sacrifice fun if they can return to campus

Two Unhealthy Ways of Relating to the World

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Most people who come to see a psychiatrist are suffering from what is called either neurosis or a character disorder. Put most simply, these two conditions are disorders of responsibility, and as such they are opposite styles of relating to the world and its problems. The neurotic assumes too much responsibility ; the person with character disorder not enough. When neurotics are in conflict with the world they automatically assume that they are at fault. When those with character disorders are in conflict with the world they automatically assume that the world is at fault. 

Even the speech patterns of neurotics and those with character disorders are different. The speech of the neurotic is notable for such expressions as “I ought to,” “I should,” and “I shouldn’t” indicating the individual’s self0image as an inferior man or woman always falling short of the mark, always making the wrong choices. The speech of a person with a character disorder, however ,relies heavily on “I can’t,” “I couldn’t” “I have to,” and “I had to” demonstrating a self-image of a being who has no power of choice, whose behavior is completely directed by external forces total beyond his or her control.

As might be imagined, neurotics, compared with character disordered people, are easy to work with in psychotherapy because the assume responsibility for their difficulties and there fore see themselves as having problems. Whose with character disorders are much more difficult, if not impossible, to work with because they don’t see themselves as the source of their problems; they see the world rather than themselves as being in need of change and there fore fail to recognize the necessity for self-examination.

M Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

 

Articles of Interest about the virus, journalism and frauds – July 19

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***THE VIRUS 

A Detailed Map of Who Is Wearing Masks in the U.S.

Coronavirus Deaths Are Rising Right on Cue

How Herd Immunity Happens

Almost all Covid-19 patients with symptoms had at least one of these three, small CDC survey says

Coronavirus data has already disappeared after Trump administration shifted control from CDC  

How to fix the Covid-19 dumpster fire in the U.S. 

A Lot of Athletes Seem to Have the Coronavirus. Here Are Some Reasons ($)

***THE VIRUS: PROTECTING YOURSELF

How Do I Protect Myself If The Coronavirus Can Linger In The Air?

My Gym Is Reopening. Is It Safe To Work Out There?

***WRITING & READING

Dana Canedy Is First Black Person To Head A Publishing Giant

***JOURNALISM

Republicans and Democrats read a lot of the same news: What they do with it is a different question

Here’s Why BLM Protesters Have Asked Journalists Not To Show Their Faces

Neo-Nazi group leader pleads guilty to ‘swatting’ minorities, journalists

HIPAA is being weaponized to prevent access to patient information

How to report on internet culture and the teens who rule it 

***LOCAL NEWS

The Constitution Doesn't Work Without Local News

Hundreds of hyperpartisan sites are masquerading as local news. This map shows if there’s one near you

***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM 

Want to read a local newspaper on a Monday morning in Wyoming? The last one still printing is about to stop

Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith joins CNBC as chief general news anchor with new evening show 

***STUDENT MEDIA 

Mapping U.S. colleges' fall 2020 plans - put together by the Univ of Penn student media!

A high school newspaper was cut during the pandemic. Is it a sign of things to come?

***FAKES & FRAUDS

It’s time to assign misinformation a diagnostic code

Head of NYPD union gives Fox News interview with QAnon mug in background

What It's Like to Escape the Mindset of a Conspiracy Theorist

Nurses Who Battled Virus in New York Confront Friends Back Home Who Say It's a Hoax 

The QAnon Candidates Are Here. Trump Has Paved Their Way. ($)

Is there a hyperpartisan outlet masquerading as local news near you?

***SOCIAL MEDIA 

With friends like these - Facebook has been bending to the will of Arab despots 

The science behind why everyone is angry on Twitter on Mondays

***LANGUAGE

Is It Enough To Remove Words With Racist Connotations From Tech Language? Hint: No

Space travel could create language unintelligible to people on Earth

Sexual Repression

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The media has contributed to the confusion in our culture between repression and suppression. "Poster after poster, film after film, novel after novel, (CS) Lewis notes, “associate the idea of sexual indulgence with the ideas of health, normality, youth, frankness, and good humour.” He claims this association gives a false impression and is a lie. “Like all powerful lies,” Lewis explains, “it is based on a truth.. that sex in itself.. is ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’.. the lie consists in the suggestion that any sexual act to which you are tempted at the moment is also healthy and normal.” Lewis adds that human sexuality, like gravity or any other aspect of our universe, cannot in itself be moral or immoral. Sexuality, like the rest of the universe, is given by God and therefore good. How people express their sexuality, on the other hand, can be moral or immoral. 

Armand Nicholi, The Question of God