https://newslit.org/ Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link). How to Debunk: 1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories. 2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information. 3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help. 4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers. 5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.
"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news. "Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive." "Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda." Sander van der Linden Social Psychologist University of Cambridge Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021
The temperatures have dropped a bit, but the midday conditions have been extraordinarily mild. The temperature today was listed at 8 degrees C and the swells have been no higher than 3.5 meters (you can figure it out!). You see small whitecaps, but the ship’s side-to-side motion has been limited to a gentle swaying.
Starting to establish a bit of a routine. I got up this morning for a 0630 workout on the Heliport pad up on the top deck (7) with Anne, Laura and Paul. Anne, Laura and their husbands met Paul on a Safari trip to Botswana and enjoyed each so much that they decided to try it again. It was the kind of temperature that made you want to keep moving. Perfect for what we were attempting to do. It had been over four days since I’d had any significant or even marginal exercise, so the workout felt great.
Alex Fillipenko did a talk on Eclipses at 0915. It was informative and entertaining. Then came a general lecture by Michael Jackson, a retired high school Science teacher. It was very good. Sandwiched in between those, our Gentoo group got our COVID tests. Everyone is thinking “Negative” thoughts!
It was Day 2 of Citizen Science Birding this afternoon. Getting to know the several different types of Albatross and petrols that tag along behind in our wake. It was another good sized group as discerning the subtle differences in these two species continues to evolve.
Once again, the food was excellent for Breakfast and Lunch and I expect that there will be a special something on the menu for Thanksgiving. By the end of the passenger day tomorrow, we should be in the vicinity of South Georgia Island. I’m getting to know my photography equipment as I hang around with people who really know what they are doing. In addition to the staff Photographer, there are several very accomplished Photographic folks on board including Lisa the Ornithologist. I’m starting to get more comfortable with the gear and it’s a good thing because South Georgia Island is approaching.
The rooms are cozy, but comfortable and the staff has been “helpful, friendly, courteous and kind.” This evening is the Captain’s Dinner and we will get a chance to meet the crew. We conclude the day with a program on Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton and a documentary by Aussie Tim Jarvis who recreated Shackleton’s journey.
I follow each one of your report : how interesting amazing wonderful!!! Thank you Bruce for sharing your experience, it makes us dream and we are right there with you.