Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

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translation-business-and-technology-concept-male-translator-or-businessman-with-laptop-computer-thinking-at-office-over-greeting-words-in-different-foreign-languages-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
translation, business, and technology concept - male translator or businessman with laptop computer thinking at office over greeting words in different foreign languages
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post
Author
News
Date
January 7, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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#10 AI Success!: Translation Gets Faster and Better

Machine translation, properly used, can help us communicate better
News
January 7, 2021
5
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Once again, our Walter Bradley Center director, Robert J. Marks, is back with Jonathan Bartlett and Eric Holloway —this time to to discuss real advances in AI in 2020. Readers may recall that we offered a fun series during the holidays about some of the oopses and ums and ers in the discipline (typically hyped by uncritical sources). Now it’s time to celebrate the real achievements! Let’s start with how machine translation, properly used, can help us communicate better. https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-116-Jonathan-Bartlett-Eric-Holloway.mp3 Our story begins at 03:11. Here’s a partial transcript. (Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link to the complete transcript.) Robert J. Marks: Okay, let’s get started with the countdown of AI smash hits of the last Read More ›

cropped-shot-of-radio-host-speaking-in-microphone-in-broadcasitng-studio-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
cropped shot of radio host speaking in microphone in broadcasitng studio
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post
Author
Stephen Berger
Date
January 6, 2021
Categorized
Global Technology, Programming
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Radio Is Changing From Hardware to Software: New Policies Needed!

Perhaps surprisingly, theology may play a role in determining how radio will be used
Stephen Berger
January 6, 2021
10
Global Technology, Programming

As I noted in an article earlier this week, dynamic spectrum access networks (DySPAN), implementing policy-based radio, are defining the future of wireless. The new networks are based on ontologies. Ontology is the study of the essential nature of a subject. It identifies the objects or variables that are involved. It then identifies the relationships between them. An ontology identifies the variables and how they relate to one another. That knowledge is then used to develop solutions. The initial ontology focuses on the variables that may result in one radio service interfering with another. The subject is the transmission level. The purpose is to improve coexistence. The goal is to get transmitters to share the same spectrum with a minimum Read More ›

basketball-scoring-basket-at-a-sports-arena-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Basketball scoring basket at a sports arena
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post
Author
Jay Cordes and Gary Smith
Date
January 4, 2021
Categorized
Sports
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Steph Curry Got Red Hot and Torched the “Hot Hand Fallacy”

Many statisticians dismiss remarkable streaks like his as the Hot Hand Fallacy. Are they right?
Jay Cordes and Gary Smith
January 4, 2021
5
Sports
Is “Hot Hands” really a fallacy, as some claim? Steph Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. In 2020, during practice the day after Christmas, Curry demolished that record by making 105 consecutive 3-point shots. Read More ›
vintage-microphone-and-headphones-with-signboard-on-air-broadcasting-radio-station-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Vintage microphone and headphones with signboard on air. Broadcasting radio station concept.
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post
Author
Stephen Berger
Date
January 4, 2021
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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We Are Running Out Of Radio Spectrum But AI Might Help

Future generations of wireless (radio wave) communications will depend on artificial intelligence (AI)
Stephen Berger
January 4, 2021
6
Artificial Intelligence

Today’s wireless (radio wave) communications are already vastly different from those of previous generations. One difference is the move to much more adaptable hardware controlled by software—software defined radio or reconfigurable radio. Future generations of the technology will move increasingly to dynamic spectrum networks (DySPAN), using adaptive spectrum access techniques. One outcome might be an improvement in transmission priority. Most people would agree that a call to 9-11 should get priority routing as opposed to routine calls to friends and businesses. The networks will reason not only about its transmission options but the needs of the underlying content. AI enables these possibilities. But here’s the problem: Based on traditional methods of spectrum management we have run out of spectrum. The Read More ›

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Storage
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post
Author
News
Date
January 2, 2021
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Artificial Intelligence
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Our #1 AI Hype of 2020!: Elon Musk Will Fix Your Brain!

The device has been tried on rats, mice, and pigs.
News
January 2, 2021
9
Artificial Intelligence

In #2 of our Top Ten AI Hypes, a guy left his day job to help make AI that thinks like people. Honestly, some of us were stuck for what we could do to top that! Well, our nerds came through for #1!: How about “Elon Musk wants to connect your BRAIN to a computer this year as ‘awesome’ Neuralink mind-chip prepares to launch” (The Sun) ELON Musk has tweeted that his brain-computer chip company Neuralink is working on an “awesome” version of the device. The kooky billionaire believes his brain interface tech will turn humans into a genius super race. Charlotte Edwards, “Elon Musk wants to connect your BRAIN to a computer this year as ‘awesome’ Neuralink mind-chip prepares Read More ›

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Trust Concept
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Author
News
Date
January 1, 2021
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Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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#3 AI, We Are Now Told, Knows When It Shouldn’t Be Trusted!

Gödel's Second Incompleteness Theorem says that, for any system that can reliably tell you that things are true or false, it cannot tell you that it itself is reliable.
News
January 1, 2021
6
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Okay, so, in #4, we learned that Elon Musk’s utterly self-driving car won’t be on the road any time soon. What about the AI that knows when it shouldn’t be trusted? (As if anyone does!) Our nerds here at the Walter Bradley Center have been discussing the top twelve AI hypes of the year. Our director Robert J. Marks, Eric Holloway and Jonathan Bartlett talk about overhyped AI ideas (from a year in which we saw major advances, along with inevitable hypes). From the AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part III, here’s #3: AI that knows when it shouldn’t be trusted: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-115-Jonathan-Bartlett-Eric-Holloway.mp3 Our story begins at 12:57. Here’s a partial transcript. Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link Read More ›

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Tired man sitting in car, wearing in sleeping mask
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post
Author
News
Date
January 1, 2021
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Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance
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#4 Elon Musk: This Time Autopilot Is Going To WORK!

Jonathan Bartlett: I have to say, part of me loves Elon Musk and part of me can't stand the guy
News
January 1, 2021
7
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance

Our nerds here at the Walter Bradley Center have been discussing the top twelve AI hypes of the year. Our director Robert J. Marks, Eric Holloway and Jonathan Bartlett talk about overyhyped AI ideas (from a year in which we saw major advances, along with inevitable hypes). From AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part III, here’s #4: Elon Musk’s fully self-driving software is finally going to work: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday that the test version of the company’s Autopilot system will be released in “a month or so.” While he didn’t describe its capabilities, Musk said that once it’s out, “you’ll see what it’s like. It’s amazing. It’s clearly going to work.” Chris Woodyard, “Elon Musk says Tesla’s full Read More ›

robot-with-artificial-intelligence-observing-human-skull-in-evolved-cybernetic-organism-world-3d-rendered-image-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Robot with Artificial Intelligence observing human skull in Evolved Cybernetic organism world. 3d rendered image
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post
Author
News
Date
January 1, 2021
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Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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#2 Computers Can Be As Smart As Humans If We Crowdfund Them!

Eric Holloway: Y Combinator's Sam Altman is taking a crazy movement to its logical conclusion
News
January 1, 2021
11
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

So, in #3, AI knows when it shouldn’t be trusted? even though no one else does? But now, what about #2?: Sam Altman’s leap of faith!, that an AI will think like people: Earlier this year, founder-investor Sam Altman left his high-profile role as the president of Y Combinator to become the CEO of OpenAI, an AI research outfit that was founded by some of the most prominent people in the tech industry in late 2015. The idea: to ensure that artificial intelligence is “developed in a way that is safe and is beneficial to humanity,” as one of those founders, Elon Musk, said back then to the New York Times. The move is intriguing for many reasons, including that Read More ›

backside-graduation-hats-during-commencement-success-graduates-of-the-university-concept-education-congratulation-graduation-ceremony-congratulated-the-graduates-in-university-during-commencement-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
backside graduation hats during commencement success graduates of the university, Concept education congratulation. Graduation Ceremony ,Congratulated the graduates in University during commencement.
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post
Author
News
Date
December 31, 2020
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Artificial Intelligence, Education
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Will Machine Learning Disrupt Academic Rankings?

A case study in the best computer science and artificial intelligence programs
News
December 31, 2020
26
Artificial Intelligence, Education

Note: Our author, Ross Gulik, an educational consultant who closely follows the academic ranking industry, offers us a look at how such rankings are created and how they might be improved. 1 Introduction to AcademicInfluence.com AcademicInfluence.com is a new website that claims to do academic rankings right. Getting academic rankings right has become a pressing concern for higher education. As AcademicInfluence.com correctly observes on its methodology page, schools face enormous pressure to perform well in the big annual rankings. The big academic ranking organizations (such as US News and Times Higher Education) carry enormous weight. If a school slips in these annual rankings, it can affect student enrolments, the bottom line, and the prestige of the institution. This pressure leads Read More ›

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Top view of attractive young woman sleeping well in bed hugging soft white pillow. Teenage girl resting, good night sleep concept. Lady enjoys fresh soft bedding linen and mattress in bedroom
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post
Author
News
Date
December 30, 2020
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Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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#5 AI hype: AI Could Go Psychotic Due To Lack of Sleep!

Well, that’s what we can hear from Scientific American, if we believe all we read
News
December 30, 2020
5
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Our nerds here at the Walter Bradley Center have been discussing the AI hypes of the year. Our director Robert J. Marks, Eric Holloway and Jonathan Bartlett have been talking about 12 overyhyped AI ideas. From AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part II, here’s #5 AI: can go psychotic due to lack of sleep! Our story begins at 16:03. Here’s a partial transcript. Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link to the complete transcript. The story started at Scientific American Some types of artificial intelligence could start to hallucinate if they don’t get enough rest, just as humans do… The change will come when (and if) AI systems that mimic living brains are incorporated into the wide range Read More ›

the-concept-of-biased-views-judged-by-appearances-various-miniature-people-standing-behind-the-glasses-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
The concept of biased views judged by appearances. Various miniature people standing behind the glasses.
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post
Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
December 30, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance
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How Bias Can Be Coded Into Unthinking Programs

MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini started the project as a trivial “bathroom mirror” message
Heather Zeiger
December 30, 2020
7
Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance

Coded Bias, a new documentary by 7th Empire Media that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, looks at the ways algorithms and machine learning can perpetuate racism, sexism, and infringements on civil liberties. The film calls for accountability and transparency in artificial intelligence systems, which are algorithms that sift large amounts of data to make predictions, as well as regulations on how these systems can be used and who has access to the data. The documentary follows the path of MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini. Buolamwini took a class on science fiction and technology in which one of her assignments was to create a piece of technology that isn’t necessarily useful but is inspired by science fiction. Buolamwini Read More ›

more-candles-more-light-in-the-dark-night-stockpack-unsplash.jpg
More candles, more light in the dark night.
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post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
December 30, 2020
Categorized
Information Theory
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Is Technology Always Progress? Let’s Talk About That

Tradition itself is a type of technology
Jonathan Bartlett
December 30, 2020
7
Information Theory

We often make a sharp distinction between “traditional” and “modern.” We view tradition with distrust, assuming that we are simply latching ourselves onto arbitrary decisions from yesteryear. Technology, on the other hand, is viewed as progressive. Rather than entrenching us in the past, technology is supposed to propel us into the future. Technology is the way that we structure our environment in order to maximize our productivity and happiness. We use technology to automate away the bad and boring parts of work, and emphasize the fun parts more predominate. We use technology to boost our productivity to make sure that everyone has everything that they need. What most people miss is that tradition itself is a type of technology. Tradition Read More ›

chat-bot-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Chat bot concept
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post
Author
News
Date
December 29, 2020
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Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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#6 A Conversation Bot Is Cool —If You Really Lower Your Standards

A system that supposedly generates conversation—but have you noticed what it says?
News
December 29, 2020
8
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Our Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks has been interviewing fellow computer nerds (our Brain Trust) Jonathan Bartlett and Eric Holloway about 12 overhyped AI concepts of the year. From AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part II. Now here’s #6. A means of generating copy from AI: “GPT-3 Is “Mindblowing” If You Don’t Question It Too Closely So what about the bot that replaces conversation? https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-114-Jonathan-Bartlett-Eric-Holloway.mp3 Our story begins at “09:03. Here’s a partial transcript. Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link to the complete transcript. Robert J. Marks: GPT-3. Those are four alphanumeric letters that rhyme. GPT-3. And, there was a headline that says there’s a subreddit populated entirely by AI personifications of other subreddits. First Read More ›

watermelon-pacman-eating-small-red-round-pieces-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Watermelon Pacman eating small red round pieces
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post
Author
News
Date
December 28, 2020
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Arts & Culture
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#7 AI Can Create Great New Video Games All by Itself!

In our 2020 "Dirty Dozen" AI myths: It’s actually just remixing previous games
News
December 28, 2020
6
Arts & Culture

Our Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks has been interviewing fellow computer nerds (our Brain Trust) Jonathan Bartlett and Eric Holloway about 12 overhyped AI concepts of the year. From AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part II. Now here’s #7. Computers can create their own video games, no imagination involved! Or maybe… wait … don’t invest just yet … https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-114-Jonathan-Bartlett-Eric-Holloway.mp3 “Computers can create their own video games” starts at 05:07. Here’s a partial transcript. (Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link to the complete transcript.) Robert J. Marks: Okay. Number seven. AI can implement video games just by watching. This was from an article called “Learning to simulate dynamic environments with gameGAN.” Eric Holloway (pictured): Yeah but Read More ›

giving-a-helping-hand-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Giving a helping hand.
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post
Author
News
Date
December 27, 2020
Categorized
Ethics, Science
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And Walter Bradley Reached Out His Hand …

J. P. Moreland recalls Walter Bradley, who was there when it really mattered
News
December 27, 2020
2
Ethics, Science

In the Foreword to For a Greater Purpose, philosopher J. P. Moreland recalls an incident when both he and Walter Bradley were young football players: I had never suffered a concussion in my life, but there I was, laying on my back in the middle of a field, with a twilight wooziness that made me want to faint. Suddenly, I noticed a hand enter my cloudy visual field and a voice asked me how many fingers he was holding up. Three, I said, and as I did, I began to come out of it. I was able to see to whom the hand belonged: Butch (we used to call him that) Bradley! … Walter Bradley reached out his hand to Read More ›

female-doctor-consoling-senior-woman-wearing-face-mask-during-home-visit-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Female doctor consoling senior woman wearing face mask during home visit
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post
Author
News
Date
December 25, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health
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#8 in our AI Hype Countdown: AI Is Better Than Doctors!

Sick of paying for health care insurance? Guess what? AI is better ! Or maybe, wait…
News
December 25, 2020
7
Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health

Merry Christmas! Our Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks has been interviewing fellow computer nerds (our Brain Trust) Jonathan Bartlett and Eric Holloway about 12 overhyped AI concepts of the year. From AI Dirty Dozen 2020 Part II. Now here’s #8. Sick of paying for health care insurance? Guess what? AI is better! Or maybe, wait… “Is AI really better than physicians at diagnosis?” starts at 01:25 Here’s a partial transcript. Show Notes and Additional Resources follow, along with a link to the complete transcript. Robert J. Marks: We’re told AI is going to replace lawyers and doctors and accountants and all sorts of people. So, let’s look at a case of the physicians. This was a piece on Read More ›

mannequin head
Hairdressing mannequin located on a wooden table.
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post
Author
News
Date
December 24, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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Erica, Robot Film Star, is Pretty Typical Modern-Day Puppeteering

It may be a good film, to be sure, Jonathan Bartlett stresses, but there is little new AI in there
News
December 24, 2020
3
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Yesterday, we looked at Erica the Robot, our #9 technology hype of 2020. While Erica, described as the star of a film, b, to start production in 2021, may be more sophisticated than some, clever animatronics have actually been around for decades (think Muppets… ). So Robert J. Marks and Eric Holloway talked about the question of how much of the Erica puff signifies something really groundbreaking and how much is the usual AI hype. Jonathan Bartlett (pictured) gets back to us with some further thoughts on that very question: The hype around Erica starts with the simple description of her role in the film. Many articles about the film say that Erica was “cast” in the role. However, being Read More ›

digital-binary-code-matrix-background-in-graphic-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Digital binary code matrix background in graphic concept
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post
Author
News
Date
December 24, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Science
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Smith and Cordes’ Phantom Pattern Problem A Top 2020 Book

Published by Oxford in 2020, it deals with the “patterns” Big Data throws up that aren’t really there
News
December 24, 2020
5
Artificial Intelligence, Science

David Auerbach has picked The Phantom Pattern Problem (2020) by Gary Smith and Jay Cordes as one of the top books of 2020 in the science and tech category. Auerbach, who describes himself as “a writer and software engineer, trying to bridge the two realms,” is the author of BITWISE: A Life in Code (2018). He has an interesting way of choosing books to recommend: Those that resist the “increasingly desperate and defensive oversimplification” of popular culture: I hesitate to mention too many other books for fear of neglecting the others, but I will say that of the science and technology books, several deal with subjects that are currently inundated with popularizations. In my eye, those below are notably superior Read More ›

mannequin actors
Group of head mannequin or dummy in fashion shop.
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post
Author
News
Date
December 23, 2020
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture
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#9: Erica the Robot Stars in a Film. But Really, Does She?

This is just going to be a fancier Muppets movie, Eric Holloway predicts, with a bit more electronics
News
December 23, 2020
7
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Our Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks has been interviewing fellow computer nerds (our Brain Trust) Jonathan Bartlett and Eric Holloway about 12 overhyped AI concepts of the year. Lots of stuff happened and it’s the time of year for fun and entertainment! So here’s #9: Erica the Robot, from Japan, is to star in a film (filming begins in 2021): #9 starts at about 16:58 A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. A link to the complete transcript follows the Additional Resources. Robert J. Marks: Okay. We are counting down the Dirty Dozen hyped AI stories of 2020, and we’re at #9. In June 2020 in The Hollywood Reporter, we learned of the robot in the Read More ›

junk-science-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Junk Science concept
Type
post
Author
Gary Smith
Date
December 23, 2020
Categorized
Medicine and Health
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The British Medical Journal’s Top Picks in Offbeat Medical Science

In its legendary Christmas edition, the Journal highlights interesting findings that are often junk science
Gary Smith
December 23, 2020
9
Medicine and Health

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious medical journals. Each Christmas, they take time off from the usual dry academic papers and publish studies that are noteworthy for their originality: “We don’t want to publish anything that resembles anything we’ve published before.” Although the papers are unusual, BMJ’s editors state that: While the subject matter may be more light-hearted, research papers in the Christmas issue adhere to the same high standards of novelty, methodological rigour, reporting transparency, and readability as apply in the regular issue. Christmas papers are subject to the same competitive selection and peer review process as regular papers. The articles are often goofy, and four have won the dreaded satiric Read More ›