Hurricane Irene or Hurricane Hype?

How does media coverage based on scientific predictions influence our knowledge and perception of an upcoming event?

Subject: The media coverage preceding Hurricane Irene

When I turned on the CNN news channel early Friday evening I was shocked to see the coverage of the gloom associated with the impending hurricane Irene. I wondered why such nice normal names were given to personify a non human freak of nature. The reports were out, Irene was to be the largest and most destructive hurricane in over 50 years. A time frame that I and many other people would not have been born to remember. The scientific reports were out, data analysis had been conducted and the meteorologists had been working overtime with the statistics that could frighten the pants of even hardened soothsayers, the results were not for the faint hearted. Winds of over 100 miles were hour were to reach New York Sunday morning, with extensive flooding of the Hudson River into down town Manhattan. The windows of skyscrapers would be shattered, power would be down and there would be damage amounting to billions of dollars. A state of emergency was declared and hundred of thousands of people would be evacuated from their homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. All this in the time that the US is still reeling under the effects of the recession. My heart went into my mouth. This was not just another news report about the usual war in a distant land, this affected my life, physically and emotionally. I lived my formative years in down town, Battery Park which was next to the river and scheduled to be badly affected. My grandparents resided there and were at risk of bodily harm and my next trip to New York would be affected. As reporters continued the shocking coverage, as the shops started boarding up and the streets of New York became a ghost town, my mind filled with images fueled by the pictures on the news. I remember seeing movies on hurricanes and my imagination went into overdrive as I imagined the worst, a scene straight out of a Summer Blockbuster movie. I imagined the park I strolled in being turned into a river, the trees and landscape destroyed, benches and trees overturned, the koi fish in the pond floating out to sea and the lobby of my apartment building flooded knee deep. And as if unable to keep away from a car wreck, I continued to watch mesmerized both in awe and fear at the power of Nature.

Hudson River Laps Over in Battery Park City, New York City

Or was it more the power of the media. Sunday morning came and the hurricane which on hitting the city immediately became downgraded to a storm passed without a whimper. People walked their dogs along the beach a few hours after the storm passed despite the prediction that the aftermath of flooding could go on for days. Yes, I understand that we have to err on the side of precaution. But honestly the non stop coverage seemed to be more hype than fact. Did the media relish the thought of this breaking news story and milk it for all it was worth. Did not the ratings go sky high and did they along with hardware and grocery stores not benefit from this. Science can after all predict the weather to a certain amount of accuracy along with its outcome. But we believe science and the news and react with an emotional response. We make the event real in our mind and in doing so with media encouragement we blow the event out of proportion. We think we have a pre-determined knowledge of the future based on science and media coverage and be have blind faith and belief. Along with herd mentality, we follow what others are doing such as boarding up as fear breeds fear and we reason they must have the knowledge and must be right. We follow rather than reason.

I was relieved that on the whole all ended well in my home town, but I almost wanted to shout out to the media channel; hey I was promised a hurricane and I want my money back!

Samenow, Jason. "Hurricane Irene hype: over the top media coverage or justified? - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post." The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. N.p., 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/hurricane-irene-hype-over-the-top-media-coverage-or-justified/2011/08/29/gIQA77denJ_blog.html>.

Anna Hazare is India

How does the romanticizing of truth and values of a protest against an unethical government influence the youths’ perception and reaction?

Subject: Anna Hazare’s 3 Fold Protest against Indian Government

We all have grown up with the romantic images of Gandhi with his peaceful protests and hunger strikes against injustice and oppression, whether it be, through historical studies, movies or the media at large. Though we were not old enough to witness how he inspired a nation first hand these images stay in our minds and hearts. Today, with the onslaught of the Indian media coverage of the elderly activist dressed in wholesome white, protesting against the corruption in the Indian government we are reminded of these images, and feel we have a second chance to witness the Gandhi phenomenon first hand.

The Youth of India Protests for Anna's Campaign at India Gate, New Delhi

Newton Law’s state that for every action there is a reaction. So in that spirit when we see someone our grandfathers age fasting in peaceful protest we react. But as the youth of today, set up all night candle light vigils, and inundate facebook and twitter to garner support and wear the outdated and not fashion trendy hat as a symbolic gesture of our support, I wonder how much is based on factual knowledge and deductive reasoning, or how much is an emotive response.? The youth tend to love a herd mentality. They will gladly support the latest fashion trend to be cool and be part of the hot and happening crowd. So facebook gladly lends itself by its nature to likes and signing of petitions by way of the domino effect. Everyone jumps on to the bandwagon of support to show unity and groupism. In fact the youth will support any cause whether it be save the tiger, or decrease the legal age of drinking without any real claim or association, to prove they are citizens with a social conscience. Often though, they appear to enjoy rebelling against authority, as they are suppressed by parents, laws, teachers and alike and therefore indulge in the freedom that these protests allow them. In pursuit of removing their shackles they become rebels without a cause.

While the issues that Hazare holds and his values and belief system are very real, I wonder at the depth of knowledge of his young supporters who spend more time watching MTV than politics. Perhaps the youth without experience, or concrete evidence are showing an emotional response to the facts presented to them. This may be based on their trivial experiences such as having to bribe a policeman who caught them speeding. Are they protesting indirectly that they were forced to bribe themselves out of a stick situation, not realizing that revenge is unjustified as they were breaking the law? I am sure a college poll would show that not many protestors have a real grasp or handle of the political issues at hand and at best have amassed a general gist through the media whether it be print or electronic. This romanticizing by the media is further exasperated when popular cine stars suddenly come out of wood work in support little belying the fact their movie is up for release and they could do with the free publicity.

Another aspect is cultural response and ethical values. In India the youth are taught to respect their elders and Hazare, represents everyone’s Uncle or grandfather who should be revered and whose word is god.

In actual fact the youth need to research and study the facts acquire knowledge and see the pros and cons and then offer support based on real knowledge, explanation and interpretation. Any protest against real injustice and oppression is justified and a single voice needs to set an example. But there are lessons to be learnt and one of these important lessons is: love may be blind but support should never be.

Joseph , Bijoy . "The Hindu : Opinion / Open Page : Anna Hazare: the role model for the youth." The Hindu . N.p., 28 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article2403860.ece>.

Comments

I commented on the following peers blogs;

1) http://mdurston.hsblogs.aes.ac.in/2011/05/05/justice-with-michael-sandel/

2) http://abulch.hsblogs.aes.ac.in/2011/05/04/cannibalism/

3) http://theliteraturemachine.com/anushka/2011/05/08/the-mother-has-a-right-to-decide-what-shall-happen-in-and-to-her-body/

4) http://theliteraturemachine.com/komali/2011/05/08/putting-a-price-tag-on-life/

Justice with Michael Sandel!

The Harvard lecturer Michael Sandel gave thoughtful and amusing anecdotes to discuss the moral issue of ethics. The bottom line of his examples were, is it ethically acceptable to sacrifice a life voluntarily through the action of pre-mediated murder (which is unlawful and universally accepted as immoral), if it meant saving more than 1 life? Is that one act of wrong now become a right? Have we turned the tables on morality if the end justifies the means? In fact there is no right or wrong answer to this question, any more than “which came first, the chicken or the egg.” It is not a mathematical equation that can be solved or a scientific theory that can be proven. It is about a personal emotional response to a dilemma, and we are all wired to react differently to matters pertaining to the heart or even head. It is a moral choice, and people stand differently on ethics. For example should we feel sorry for a serial killer as he faces the death sentence or not?  If we take religion/ theology into hand then it is safe to assume that all religions universally do not condone murder. In fact religiously we cannot even take our own life, as God has given us life and only he has the power to take away our life. Murder and suicide or even euthanasia is a sin. Some religions do not even allow abortions even under the circumstance of rape cases or if the foetus will be born with severe disabilities. But if life and death is in the hands of God, why do we perform surgery? Some may argue a surgeon may perform surgery but the outcome is in God’s hand and not the doctors. Murder is murder and there is no middle ground. And yet legally we have separated murders into first and second degrees and manslaughter, and given provisions for temporary insanity that excuses a person for their actions. When do we take the moral high ground, and who has the right to judge us? If two twins were conjoined and both shared a heart and both would die but one would live through separation, is that separation acceptable, and how would you decide which twin lives? If a mother giving birth has complications and only 1 can be saved where is the answer and who has the right to choose. The baby has no voice, but his life is on the line? The baby has not had a chance of life the mother has already lived a full life for 30 Years and yet the mother’s death will have greater mourning as no one knows the unborn, unnamed child? A difficult choice indeed, where we are caught between a rock and a hard place. I personally feel whenever we can we should leave the decision to God or fate. For example in the given lifeboat story, how did the sailors know that they would not have been saved by a passing ship the same day they killed the boy. They did not, so they decided their own fate, instead of leaving the choice to fate. In a burning building there are 3 people, a man, a woman and a child and there is time only to save 1? The scenarios are endless and the possibilities are infinite. Sometimes to coin a phrase we have to be cruel to be kind.  Certainly this debate can go on and on. When the decision is made the lecture explained we look at consequentalism (locates morality in the consequences of the act) versus categorical (locates morality in certain duties and rights). However the reality is a little simpler. Any decision you make that you are not haunted with is the right one, as you have to spend a lifetime with that choice, and face the man in the mirror before you face your detractors. A president may send his troops to war knowing there will be fatal causalities but he makes this decision for the good of national security as he sees the bigger picture. If you can make a decision to take a life, and sleep soundly at night, and you have peace of mind, then my friend you made the right decision.

TED - The Birth of a Word

We all take for granted our ability to learn to talk, and after the excitement of a child’s first illegible gibberish, dies down we no longer marvel at our art of communication through our vocal cords. In fact our ability to link our train of thought from our cerebral hemisphere to audible language form consisting of a library of millions of words is highly complex.  As the video of Ted showed the millions of wires that connect to allow us the power of language and allow us to connect and communicate is mind boggling. It is interesting to note that before our ability to form words children are still able to vocalize their wants and needs to their parents. They learn quickly to get attention by screaming, crying or using baby talk. They demonstrate anger, frustration or happiness from a variety of sounds ranging from loud shrieks to gentle gurgles and we learn to distinguish and recognize what they are trying to say. The first step to talking is in fact not our mouths, but our ears. We need to listen and then through repetition mimic, almost parrot fashion, we learn to speak. In fact some researchers go as far as to say that children while still in the womb should be talked to or music should be played as the embryos are able to listen. Both inside and eventually outside the womb very young babies are prone to stress and distress by being subjected to loud aggressive sounds such as angry voices or traffic, as monitored by researchers. We in fact never stop learning and through our lives aquire new vocabulary and add these new words to our already extensive data base.  What is quite amazing though is how children brought up in a bilingual household are able to clearly distinguish between two different languages, for example English and French even though they hear and learn then simultaneously, and despite the fact the two or more languages are very different. It would be interesting to know how many languages the child of normal ability is able to pick up simultaneously simply by the power of listening to them at home as opposed to formally being taught them. It is known though that the power to learn a language is much faster when simply exposed to that language environment rather than through formal education.

The power of language is certainly complex and thought provoking and should never be taken for granted. So next time you pick up the phone and have a conversation think and marvel at the power of speech as Ted did.

Lost in Translation.......

All living beings need to communicate with one another, whether it be by signs or language. The power of the verbal communication is all powerful as behind this we have a voice. Yes, in scientific terms as we explore physics we find that talk has real torque. In fact we can question the saying , " the pen is mightier than the sword " and change it to ," verbal speech is mightier than the sword" . Who knows this better than our politicians?  Can anyone forget the power behind the deep lucid tones of Barack Obama as he sailed into the white house with his talk of change. The same can be said of many leaders from Julius Caesar to Martin Luther King, and even the notorious Adolf Hitler. All these leaders may have had different purposes but they all had one thing in common; they knew and used wisely the power behind their words to inspire a nation. However, sometimes language can be misinterpreted and in effect can get lost in translation....

We live in a world of multitude of creeds, colors, races, religions, cultures and of course languages. Thus the simple act of communication involves overcoming many barriers and when we fail to do so we are faced with the consequences. Connotations can often seriously affect our understanding of the truth. Many court trials of rape cases have stalled with the accused claiming innocence, " I misinterpreted her signals, I really thought no meant yes ". In fact a spade is not always a spade, it depends on your view points. In the war in Iraq the men trying to defend their country from US invasion were called the insurgents or terrorists by the US when technically speaking they could be described as freedom fighters. There are obviously powerful political connotations associated by our choice of words. Often, name calling can be hurtful and racist when used out of context. For example calling a person from New York a New Yorker is neither racist or insulting to the said person, however a person of Pakistani origin being sneer fully called a Paki is taken as a derogatory term which incites hate and racial prejudice. We need to be careful in our choice of words as sometimes between cultures the same word can hold two very different meanings. Again there are far too many examples to mention but one that comes to mind is the word rubber. In anglicized English this means an eraser while in American English it means a condom and of course wrongful usage can have unintended meanings. However, truth is often an arbitrary term and is often based on view point and interpretation. Language is like a genetic code, remove one letter or codon and the meaning changes. Imagine sending a text which reads "I am now leaving" and then mistyping to "I am not leaving."

But in the world of mass communication across the globe at lightening speed millions have been able to overcome these barriers and language has often become universal especially among the young and those young at heart. So our levels of understanding have increased leaving less scope for ambiguity. And we can take heart in this. Otherwise we would really be lost in translation.........

Knowledge Is Power Which Should Not Be Abused

The article written by a former college student, Jenny Samuel laments that she is taking a class this semester where the professor has a reputation for forcing his liberal political views down the throat of his students. She laments that this is unfortunate and damaging to the students as college is meant to be about  finding yourself and formulating your own opinions.

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/16786/professors-should-leave-bias-out-of-classroom

Knowledge Issues

Is bias on knowledge an issue of ethics or an issue of perception?

Should one man's perception on a subject matter effect another man's knowledge?

Is prejudice and discrimination propagated by listening to the biased one sided perceptions of an authority figure?

There are many sides to any story, and this is graphically illustrated when we look at cards of silhouettes  of the kind that psychiatrists hold up and ask us what is the first thing we see. On closer inspection we see there is another hidden image. This holds true of opinions, there is never a right or wrong in many cases simply a personal view point. This view point or perception of seeing something is often bathed in the experiences we have had in the past. 

We grow up with the authority figure firstly of our parents, grandparents and then teachers. And since these are our earliest influences we value and hold their words of wisdom as gospel. However, the article, "professors should leave bias out of classroom" complains that college level professors should not influence or force their opinions down the throat of impressionable college kids. College is the final stage of a students formal learning curve and is designed that students should think out of the box. We no longer need to color within the lines. Knowledge is now not about being handed out ideas but by doing research and putting a spin on events. We are encouraged to invent and create and not assimilate information and repeat it parrot fashion. But how damaging is if when strong opinions in college or prior to college come from an authority figure. After all, it goes against upbringing to defy or challenge. We are taught to respect authority. But does this influence cause us to become prejudiced, biased reaching the scales of discrimination and racist? Yes, if we don't have the time to formulate our own opinions then our influenced opinions can make us have a one sided way of looking at the world. For example, if your college professor rants and raves about nuclear disarmament then due to respect we believe these one sided  arguments and never see the other side of the coin. Racial, religious discriminations are borne of our environment and background and are more the more dangerous as they are passed down from generation. It fine to hear someone else's opinion but true knowledge comes from analysis and from making counter arguments rather than blind acceptance. 

Knowledge is power and those who hold this power should not abuse it.

Samuels, Jenny. "Professors should leave bias out of classroom - CollegiateTimes.com." Virginia Tech, Blacksburg & New River Valley News - CollegiateTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .