The fault
/The fault may not be so much that they hate life as that they do not hate the sinful part of themselves. M. Scott Peck
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
Too Weak
/Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased. -CS Lewis
14 Data Science & AI articles from November
/Methods to effectively group data in R, a crucial step in data analysis and visualization
Create Stunning Data Viz in Seconds with ChatGPT
The 4 soft skills every data scientist needs
List comprehensions in Python are super helpful one-liners but if overused, not so much
Exploring the Use of R in Data Science
How the Koreas’ race to launch a spy satellite has ramifications beyond the peninsula
Disruptive Innovation
/Innovation distance explains why so many of those who turn an industry upside down are outsiders, even outcasts. To understand this point we need to grasp the difference between the two types of innovation. Sustaining innovations are improvements that make the product better, but do not threaten its market. The disruptive innovation, conversely, threatens to displace a product altogether. It is the difference between the electric typewriter, which improved on the typewriter, and the word processor, which supplanted it.
Another advantage of the outside inventor is less a matter of the imagination than of his being a disinterested party. Distance creates a freedom to develop inventions that might challenge or even destroy the business model of the dominant industry. The outsider is often the only one who can afford to scuttle a perfectly sound ship, to propose an industry that might challenge the business establishment or suggest a whole new business model. Those closer to - often at the trough of - existing industries face a remarkable constant pressure not to invent things that will ruin their employer. The outsider has nothing to lose. But to be clear, it is not mere distance, but the right distance that matters; there is such a thing as being to far away.
Tim Wu, The Master Switch
10 Articles about Teaching & AI
/Confused About Which AI Tools to Use? These Teachers Have Advice – Education Week
The Sentient Syllabus Project – a collaborative effort launched by Professor Boris Steipe
4 Steps to Help You Plan for ChatGPT in Your Classroom -Chronicle of Higher Ed
Is ChatGPT being embraced in classrooms this semester? – Semafor
AI Guidance for Faculty from Harvard’s Office of Undergraduate Education – Harvard
Schools Need to Help Students Use AI Tools Effectively, Expert Says – EdWeek
What I Learned From an Experiment to Apply Generative AI to My Data Course – EdSurge News
Why You Should Rethink Your Resistance to ChatGPT – Chronicle of Higher Ed
1 in 10 teens already use ChatGPT for school. Here’s how to guide them. – Washington Post
Microsoft unveils first professional certificate for generative AI skills – ZDnet
Fooling Folks
/You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, and them’s pretty good odds. (unknown)
To be alive
/To be alive is to be vulnerable. –Madeleine L’Engle (born Nov. 29, 1918)
11 Recent Articles about AI & Politics
/Inside U.S. Efforts to Untangle an A.I. Giant’s Ties to China – New York Times
The who's who of the tech world will gather on Capitol Hill to focus on AI – NPR
ChatGPT leans liberal, research shows – Washington Post
Will the federal government regulate A.I.? History suggests it could take a while. – New York Times
Who Is Going to Regulate AI? – Harvard Business Review
Google to require disclosure for AI in election ads – Axios
AI Chatbots Are Invading Your Local Government—and Making Everyone Nervous – Wired
On AI: What Should We Regulate? – Battlelle Media
Argentina’s AI election heralds a new future for politics – Semafor
Here’s what it might look like if A.I. is deployed to sway elections—And what we can do to stop it - Fortune
Don’t be surprised
/If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten.
25 free (mostly one hour) Journalism courses
/Free short online courses to strengthen your skills and add a line to your resume. Most of these Poynter courses are one-hour in length or less.
Journalism Fundamentals: Craft & Values - A five-hour, self-directed course that covers basics in five areas: newsgathering, interviewing, ethics, law and diversity.
Telling Stories with Sound - Learn the fundamentals of audio reporting and editing in this self-directed course.
How to Spot Misinformation Online - Learn simple digital literacy skills to outsmart algorithms, detect falsehoods and make decisions based on factual information
Understanding Title IX - This course is designed to help journalists understand the applications of Title IX.
Clear, Strong Writing for Broadcast Journalism - One-hour video tutorial
Powerful Writing: Leverage Your Video and Sound
In this one-hour video tutorial, early-career journalists will learn how to seamlessly combine audio, video and copy in captivating news packages.
Writing for the Ear - In this five-part course, you’ll learn everything you need to write more effective audio narratives.
Fact-Check It: Digital Tools to Verify Everything Online
News Sense: The Building Blocks of News - What makes an idea or event a news story?
Cleaning Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More - Finding and fixing the most common style, grammar and punctuation errors.
Avoiding Plagiarism and Fabrication - For authors, editors, educators, journalists, journalism students, news producers and news consumers.
The Writer’s Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use - Ethics of Journalism Build or refine your process for making ethical decisions.
Conducting Interviews that Matter
Make Design More Inclusive: Defeat Unconscious Bias in Visuals
Online Media Law: The Basics for Bloggers and Other Publishers - Three important areas of media law that specifically relate to gathering information and publishing online: defamation, privacy and copyright.
Freedom of Information and Your Right to Know - How to use the Freedom of Information Act, Public Records Laws and Open Meetings Laws to uphold your right to know the government’s actions.
Journalism and Trauma - How traumatic stress affects victims and how to interview trauma victims with compassion and respect.
How Any Journalist Can Earn Trust (International Edition) - What news audiences in various parts of the world don’t understand about how journalism works.
Is This Legit? Digital Media Literacy 101 - MediaWise’s Campus Correspondents explain the fact-checking tools and techniques that professionals use in their day-to-day work.
The On-Ramp to Media Literacy - Center for Media Literacy
How Any Journalist Can Earn Trust
Dignity and Precision in Language
The Path
/The path to sainthood goes through adulthood. - M Scott Peck
9 Free Webinars about Journalism, Media, AI, Content Creation, & More
/Mon, Nov 27 - Reporting on addiction accurately and ethically
What: This webinar will pinpoint some of the errors reporters make most often and present the research-informed viewpoints of experts, strategies and tips journalists can apply to solutions-based coverage of addiction treatment and related topics. The panel will also delve into how to incorporate into reporting the lived experience of people struggling with addiction.
Who: Katti Gray is AHCJ’s health beat leader for behavioral and mental health; Ashton Marra, M.S., is co-founder and co-director of Reporting on Addiction; Jonathan J.K. Stoltman, Ph.D., Opioid addiction and recovery researcher.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists
Tue, Nov 28 - The Learning Impact of Generative AI and Spatial Computing
What: Learn to: elevate cognitive performance with generative AI “co-pilots”, boost hands-on performance with VR “flight simulators”, enhance the physical workplace with spatial “head-up displays” of digital performance support, optimize organizational productivity by giving humans superpower in the flow of work with these reality-bending headsets and mind-blowing language models.
Who: Brandon Carson, Global Head of Learning Development and Partner Experience, Starbucks; Simon Brown, Chief Learning Officer, Novartis; Peter Sheppard, Head of Global Learning Ecosystem; Anders Gronstedt, President, The Gronstedt Group.
When: 9 am, Pacific
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Training Magazine
Tue, Nov 28 - Social Media 102
What: Advanced social media tips and tricks, elevate your social media presence through micro strategies and activate your advocates.
Who: Kiersten Hill Director of Nonprofit Solutions
When: 2 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Firespring
Wed, Nov 29 - How to Use New Features in Adobe Express to Develop Your Social Channels
What: How to harness the power of Express's newest tools, including animation, multiple page templates, content scheduler, generative fill, text to image, text to template, and more.
Who: Jordan Ellis Adobe Express Community Manager
When: 12 pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
Wed, Nov 29 - The immigrant health beat: A practical and ethical guide
What: This webinar will provide an overview of the state of immigrant health and ethical issues that journalists should be aware of when reporting on the health status of immigrants in the U.S. For instance, foreign-born people from the same country may have different socioeconomic backgrounds and legal immigration statuses. Reporters who interview undocumented immigrants need to be conscientious about the legal consequences that their sources may face if they use their names or images in stories.
Who: Margarita Martín-Hidalgo Birnbaum is AHCJ’s health beat leader for healthy equity; Stella M. Chávez covers immigration for KERA, the NPR member station in Dallas; Adriana Menéndez is the social services manager at the Rural Women’s Health Project.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Association of Health Care Journalists
Thu, Nov 30 - A Chat with Brian Stelter
What: Brian Stelter will talk about His New Book "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy.
Who: Brian Stelter is the New York Times bestselling author of three books: "Top of the Morning” and "Hoax." Previously, Stelter was a media reporter at The New York Times, the chief media correspondent for CNN Worldwide, and the anchor of "Reliable Sources." He is currently a special correspondent for Vanity Fair.
When: 6 pm, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Press Club of Long Island
Thu, Nov 30 - How to Cover Academic Research Fraud and Errors
What: Journalists will learn what constitutes research misconduct and why more newsrooms need to cover it. They’ll also get practical tips and resources to help them.
Who: Ivan Oransky, editor in chief of The Transmitter and co-founder of Retraction Watch; Elisabeth Bik, a microbiologist whose work has resulted in 1,069 retractions and 1,008 corrections; Jodi S. Cohen, a national award-winning reporter at ProPublica.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free, but registration is required
Sponsor: Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy
Mon, Dec 4 - AI for Impact: Risks and Opportunities for Nonprofits
What: We’ll discuss how AI can empower nonprofits to enhance your work and achieve your mission more effectively. Whether you're looking to enhance storytelling, generate compelling content, or drive engagement, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge and tools to unlock the power of AI in making a positive impact.
Who: George Weiner, Whole Whale Founder
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Whole Whale, a leading nonprofit digital agency
More Info
Tue, Dec 5 - Google News Lab — Visualizations
What: Learn how to use Google’s tools to visualize your stories, from making simple GIFs to building a range of engaging graphics in Flourish. We’ll also look at Google’s mapping tools and the Google Earth suite of products, including how to create storytelling projects, fly-over animations and timelapses.
When: 11 am, Central
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Environmental Journalists
10 Articles Worth Reading about AI's Use by Colleges
/Attainment with AI: A Compendium of Practical Applications for Generative AI in Higher Ed – Complete College America
Why Educators Should Lean in to AI to Better Support Students - EdSurge News
The sheer growth in computing power behind generative AI raises the question of whether this technology could be the turning point – Chronicle of Higher Ed
Why I chose OpenAI over academia: reflections on the CS academic and industry job markets – Rown Zellers
Teaching Philosophy in a World with ChatGPT – Daily Nous
ChatGPT could eventually cause powers-that-be to think that writing is less of a university-wide essential skill down the road - Chronicle of Higher Ed
Top Law School Welcomes The Use Of ChatGPT In Its Admissions Process – Above the Law
Ban or Embrace? Colleges Wrestle With A.I.-Generated Admissions Essays – New York Times
AI writing tools will not fix HE's language discrimination – Times Higher Education
Using artificial intelligence to assess personal qualities in college admissions – Science
Always
/It’s always too soon to quit. - V. Raymond Edman
11 Recent Articles about the Dangers of AI
/A New Study Says AI Is Eating Its Own Tail – Popular Mechanics
Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built – The New Yorker
How AI fake nudes ruin teenagers’ lives - The Washington Post
IAC warns regulators generative AI could wreck the web – Axios
AI can imitate people and make them do things on screen and in reality it wasn’t even them – The Guardian
Cutting-edge AI raises fears about risks to humanity. Are tech and political leaders doing enough? - The Washington Post
A.I. Muddies Israel-Hamas War in Unexpected Way - The New York Times
AI-generated child sexual abuse images could flood the internet. A watchdog is calling for action - The Washington Post
AI Search Is Turning Into the Problem Everyone Worried About – The Atlantic
Sam Altman's firing fuels myth of AI restraint – Axios
Global Leaders Warn A.I. Could Cause ‘Catastrophic’ Harm – The New York Times
Justified Anger
/To be “angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way -that is, not within everybody's power and is not easy.” The Greek philosopher Aristotle offered that observation more than 2000 years ago.
Justified anger revolves around boundary violations, but sometimes, a proper boundary is never put into place or maintained. In their book Boundaries, Henry Cloud and John Townsend write about how a person’s skin is the first boundary. People who are sexually abused as children are often confused about maintaining that boundary, not realizing that it is appropriate for them to claim ownership.
There are other psychological boundaries we fail to set. Regular violations of that psychological marker make it hard to see things for what they are.
One way to gain clarity is to think about your children. If a boyfriend, boss, etc, treated our child the way they treat us, how would we respond? This is when anger is justified.
Seeing a situation from a different angle—putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes—helps us to work around our distorted boundaries and more clearly see the situation for what it really is.
Stephen Goforth
8 Articles about How Companies are using AI
/The Creepy AI-Driven Surveillance That May Be Infiltrating Your Workplace – Digg
Inside the consulting industry's race to become AI rainmakers – Business Insider
ChatGPT provided better customer service than his staff. He fired them. – Washington Post
AI investments are a top priority for U.S. CEOs, KPMG survey finds – Axios
Your employer is (probably) unprepared for artificial intelligence - Economist
Amazon’s New AI Will Make Its Junk Problem Even Worse – Washington Post
Meta’s Free AI Isn’t Cheap to Use, Companies Say – The information
Growth Requires
/Spiritual growth requires the acknowledgement of one's need to grow. -M Scott Peck
10 Articles about AI & Academic Research
/Generative AI – the latest scapegoat for research assessment – London School of Economics
How ChatGPT and other AI tools could disrupt scientific publishing – Nature
Editors’ Statement on the Responsible Use of Generative AI Technologies in Scholarly Journal – Wiley Online
Scientists prefer feedback from ChatGPT to judgement by peers – New Scientist
Will ChatGPT Transform Research? It Already Has, Say Nobelists – Inside Higher Ed
‘We’re All Using It’: Publishing Decisions Are Increasingly Aided by AI. That’s Not Always Obvious. – Chronicle of Higher Ed
A machine-learning tool can easily spot when chemistry papers are written using the chatbot ChatGPT – Nature
Who Published It? – Asian Scientist
Transparency in research: An analysis of ChatGPT usage acknowledgment by authors across disciplines and geographies - Taylor & Francis Online
Science journals overturn ban on ChatGPT-authored papers – Times Higher Ed
Virtue
/Virtue, even attempted virtue, brings light; indulgence brings fog. - CS Lewis