Using Data to Predict Short-Term Demise

Can a test tell you when you will die?


(Shuuterstock)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/us-health-death-prediction-idUSKBN0OJ31A20150603

1)  In what ways is data collected through survey unreliable?  Why might this be immoral to give to children?  How can statistics and probability be used to distort the truth?

2)  Why might a CEO of a company view this differently than a priest?  Why might a 15 year old view this differently than an 80 year old?  Why might a British citizen view this differently than an American?  

3)  In what ways is this connected to fortune telling?  In what ways is this connected to mathematics?  Philosophy?
  
4)  How might one be affected if the results of this test give a life expectancy of less than a year?  What if this test was mandatory for hiring?

5)  What is the significance of this test?  How can this affect the economy?  Health care?

Extension Activities

1)  Students can research what questions are illegal to ask during job interviews and try to find some of the tricks future employers use to get the wanted info?

2)  Students can research determinism, libertariaism, and other issues associated with free will to provide an understanding of this test's philosophical implications.

AOK-Math, Ethics
WOK-Reason, 

Man Loses over $700k to Fortune Teller

Misfortune in New York

(Dave Sanders for The New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/nyregion/he-went-to-the-fortuneteller-now-his-fortune-is-gone.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 

1)  How can we evaluate truth claims of psychics?  Is this a story of individual responsibility or a crimianl action?  At what point does this type of activity become illegal?  What is the difference between a psychic, medium, and a fortune teller?    

2)  In what ways might a hypnotist hired for parties feel differently about this than a psychologist?  Why might an author sympathize with the psychic in this case?  Why not?     

3)  In what ways is this connected to entertainment?  To what degree is this connected to horocopes?  Is this a religious issue?  

4)  What if the amount was less than $100?  What if the victim wants to continue his relationship with the fortune teller?  How can the headline of the story be written to seem more favorable to the fortune teller?     

5)  What are the consequences of this story?  Whose responsibility is it to prevent this from happening in the future? 

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the ways that scams have evolved in the age of the internet and show how they are linked to scams of the past.

2)  Students can research James Randi and the Randi institute's $1,000,000 contest to find legitimate evidence of the paranormal.  Students evaluate the rules of the contest to see if they are reasonable.

AOK-Human Sciences, Ethics

WOK-Reason, Intuition

The President is on Twitter

President Obama Sends First Presidential Tweet

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

http://www.newser.com/story/207029/the-president-has-arrived-on-twitter.html

1)  How do we know the President actually sent the tweet himself?  How can we tell if other accounts are fake?  What proof is required for authenticity?  

2)  Why might Sasha Obama feel differently about this than the White House Press Secretary?  The same?  To what extent might Biz Stone be more excited about this than Mark Zuckerburg?  

3)  In what ways is this connected to the first Presidential telephone call?  First train ride?  In what ways is this connected to the concept of democracy?

4)  To what extent would it change the perceptions of the President's political party?  What if a Republican had been the first President to adopt Twitter?  

5)  Why is is relevant that the President has a Twitter handle?  In what ways is this significant to the future of his fundraising abilities?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can trace Presidential firsts and create a timeline of these events and place them on a scale of importance

2)  Students can write a news story from the future where a future President marks a major milestone for a future technology (first ride in a driver-less car, first trip to the moon).

AoK:  Human Sciences

WoK:  Language

Attention Spans Comparable to Goldfish

Canadians now have shorter attention span than goldfish thanks to portable devices: Microsoft study

 (AP Photo/Peter Ponzio) 

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadians-now-have-shorter-attention-span-than-goldfish-thanks-to-portable-devices-microsoft-study

1)  What evidence is convincing in this article?  What might be the limits to surveying different populations?    

2)  Why might a Canadian view this differently than a Moldovan?  In what ways would a CEO and a worker have similar views on this issue?    

3)  How is this connected to the school day?  In what ways is this a science issue rather than a moral?
4)  In what ways would this study be different with a smaller sample size?  What if t was sponsored by Apple?  By the National Education Association?  By Wal Mart?  

5)  What is the significance of this study on new parents?  For future generations?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can create a time log of their online and mobile activities.  Students can analyze their collected data and develop a plan of action associated with their attention and multi-tasking goals.  

2)  Students can study the Stanford Marshmallow Test and identify the characteristics they feel are necessary for improvement in this area on a personal or societal level.

20 Year Old Elected to Parliament

UK Elects Youngest Lawmaker Since 1667 

 (David Cheskin/PA via AP)

1)  What is an appropriate age for legislating?  Why?  What prevents a similar situation from happening in the US? What evidence do we have that makes the laws in our country?  How do we know the ages they prescribed are appropriate?  How reliable are the accounts of 1667's parliamentary sessions?  

2)  Why might her father feel differently than the Prime Minister of the UK?  Than a leader of Saudi Arabia?  How might her competitor feel similarly to her mother?  

3)  In what ways is this connected to human rights?  How is this related to Math? Sports? 

4)  What if this story was of a young man?  What if this paves a way for younger citizens to be elected?  How would this story be different if she studied biology?  

5)  What is the significance of this event?  What are the long term consequences?  On which issues will she most likely be effective?  To what degree will the future of Scotland be affected?     

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the youngest rulers of all time and rank their effectiveness or trace their rise to power.

2)  Students can write a fictional diary of a citizen living in country where there are age maximums for public service.  

Modern Day Treasure Hunt goes Awry

$2 Million Treasure Hunt "Out of Control"

http://www.newser.com/story/206208/hunt-for-authors-treasure-chest-out-of-control.html

1)  Why should we believe that the clues are real?  The treasure itself?  Do you believe his reasoning for the contest?  Why? What questions of evidence in this article are not associated with the treasure itself?

2)  Why might his relatives feel differently than others about this contest?  To what degree should the New Mexico Tourist Board promote this contest?  Why might the director of a non-profit feel differently than a stock broker about this?

3)  How is this connected to gym class?  In what ways is this connected to "pirate treasure hunts"?  Is this more geography or math?

4)  What if someone else got injured in the search?  What if it's never found?

5)  What are the long-term effects of this story?  What should be done by the person who finds the treasure?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the value of the coins and create an itinerary to find the treasure and see if it is worth it?

2)  Students can compare this to famous searches for treasure (real or fiction) and rank which would have the highest value?

Asking PBS to Ignore Slave-Owning Family Past

Ben Affleck Asked PBS to Not Televise Family Past

Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/19/ben_affleck_asked_pbs_to_ignore_slave_owning_family_past_in_finding_your.html

1)  How do historians get a sense of the past?  What is the most reliable evidence in genealogy?  To what degree should you trust a historian hired by PBS over one from the History Channel?  

2)  Why might Ben Affleck want to have his ancestors' activities hidden from the public?  Who might take offense if Ben Affleck has slave-owning relatives?  Why?   Why might someone be more likely to see his next movie because of his request?  Less likely?  Why might an employee at ancesty.com be excited at this news?          

3)  In what ways is genealogy connected to the Batman story?  How is this connected to science?  To the debate of whether to call the actions of Turks against Armenians 100 years "genocide" or not?    

4)  What might happen if the information was shown on TV?  What if celebrities are hesitant to go on these shows for fear of public response?

5)  To what degree are we responsible for the actions of our ancestors?  Can injustice be meaningfully forgiven many years after the fact?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students will research their own backgrounds and pick out their most admirable ancestor and the one they might be most likely to keep hidden.

2)  Students may create a fake family tree for a favorite fictional character and describe in biographical detail two ancestors that the fictional character would want to highlight.

3)  Students can research "pedigree collapse" and describe in mathematical terms why it's virtually impossible to not be related to a random celebrity (political, movie, sports, historical)