Latest news with #InformationAge
CBC
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
The internet is full of misinformation. That's by design, experts say
This current time period we're in has been called the Information Age, and it's easy to see why. This year, the global amount of data generated is expected to reach 181 zettabytes — or 181 trillion gigabytes — up from just two zettabytes in 2010. Some studies say that there is now more data out there than there are stars in the observable universe. But all this information comes at a cost. "We're living at a time that I've categorized as a knowledge crisis," says University of Alberta law professor Tim Caulfield. "We have access to more information now than ever before in human history ... despite that, we've never been more misled, more confused." A 2023 Statistics Canada survey said 43 per cent of Canadians feel that it's getting harder to decipher what's true and what's fake online — and that was even before the rise of AI and deepfakes. Several recent scientific studies have attempted to quantify just how much of this information is actually real. "Our information environment is completely manipulated, and often people don't realize the degree to which that is the case," said Caulfield. Analyzing TikTok, Amazon, and search engines In a 2024 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Caulfield and his colleagues looked at the quality of books about cancer on Amazon. "We found 49 per cent of the books had misleading content in it, and some of it was just completely atrocious," said Caulfield. They also found that on the first page of results on Amazon, 70 per cent of the content was misleading. "And once again, sometimes just hardcore bunk," he adds. A study published in March, led by University of British Columbia PhD student Vasileia Karasavva, took aim at health information presented on TikTok. The researchers analyzed the top 100 TikTok videos by view count that mentioned ADHD, and shared them with clinical psychologists working with ADHD patients, who reported that half the videos contained some sort of misinformation. "We sort of saw that a lot of this information didn't match up with the diagnostic criteria," said Karasavva. "They were presenting things that have more to do with normal human behaviour as symptoms of ADHD." The team also looked at the creators themselves, and found that half of them stood to make financial gain from this content, posting direct sales links to supposed cures. Everybody is fighting for your attention, and that makes all of us vulnerable. - University of British Columbia psychologist Friedrich Götz In another study from March, Tulane University assistant professor Eugina Leung investigated how results on search engines like Google, Bing and ChatGPT differ depending on the search terms used. "What we find is that people tend to use search terms that lean toward what they already believe is true," said Leung. "Imagine, we asked participants to search for health effects of caffeine. If they believe that caffeine is quite likely to be harmful, then they're more likely to come up with search terms like dangers of caffeine, caffeine side effects, caffeine health risks." These narrow search terms, Leung said, mean that the users are just receiving results that are tied to their beliefs. "When we try to search for information online, a lot of times we actually are looking to learn something new," said Leung. "With the design of a narrow search engines and also our tendency to come up with a narrow search term, the combination of this means that we're often not actually learning something new." 'We are all susceptible' A 2024 paper by computer scientist Boleslaw Szymansky, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, argues that we should consider our information space as part of our natural environment — and acknowledge just how badly it's being polluted by this "data smog." Our inability to decipher what's true and what's false online is limiting people's capacity to evaluate information and make timely decisions, the authors write, and cites research that suggests this costs the U.S. economy over a trillion dollars annually due to lost productivity. "We live in a time where the attention economy is dictating a lot of our experiences. So everybody is fighting for your attention," says University of British Columbia psychologist Friedrich Götz. "And that makes all of us vulnerable." In his research, Götz wanted to understand who was most susceptible to false information online. In a global study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences in March, Götz and his team asked over 66,000 participants to discern between fake headlines and real ones. Most people did poorly. "The biggest takeaway is that nobody is immune," he said. But the study found certain groups were more susceptible than others. This includes women, people with lower levels of education, people who lean conservative politically, and Gen Z. He points to education, and specifically the development and practicing of critical thinking skills, as being a defining factor in who fell for fake news more often. Caulfield echoes the need for more critical thinking skills to help people navigate information in the attention economy, and suggests something as simple as taking a moment to stop and process information can often help. "I think that's because it creates this break between your initial emotional response to the content and it allows, even for that moment, your rational mind to kick in." Researchers also point to other mitigation strategies in the works, such the University of Cambridge's Bad News Game and other programs that walk people through the mechanics of manipulation. There's also Concordia University's SmoothDetector, which harnesses AI and algorithms to parse through the data smog to find misinformation. "We are now at a stage where I think the interventions could be implemented at scale. They have been tested," said Götz.
Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
How Judy Blume's books became a hot commodity in Hollywood, 50 years later
When Mara Brock Akil was a little girl, she voraciously read Judy Blume. Looking back, she sees her obsession as the start of her becoming a writer. So when Akil heard that Blume was allowing her work to be translated to the screen, she was ready: 'My little girl hand just shot up, 'I want to do that!'' says Akil. She adds that while this generation's youth can search the internet for information — and, sometimes, misinformation — Blume was her own trusted source. 'The Information Age linked us and let us see things that we weren't able to see or know, and Judy was that for us,' says Akil. 'Judy was writing from a place that was really grounded and gave full humanity to young people and their lives. She took their lives seriously.' Akil has channeled her affection for Blume's work into a new adaptation of the author's 1975 novel 'Forever...,' which premiered Thursday on Netflix. Focused on two teens falling in love, the book contains sex scenes that placed it on banned lists from its inception — and Blume, whose work offers frank discussion of subjects like masturbation and menstruation, remains no stranger to banned book lists, despite selling more than 90 million books worldwide. But as censorship ramps up again, Blume has become something of a hot commodity in Hollywood. In addition to the documentary 'Judy Blume Forever,' a feature film based on her novel 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' was released in 2023, an adaptation of 'Summer Sisters' is in development at Hulu and an animated film based on 'Superfudge' is in the works at Disney+. Akil's 'Forever,' set in 2018 Los Angeles, stars Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone as the teenage leads — though the roles are gender-swapped from the novel. In 2020, while Akil was developing the adaptation, she tried to think of who the most vulnerable person is in society. 'I posit that the Black boy is the most vulnerable,' she says. 'My muse is my oldest son, and through the portal of him I got to go into the generation and just really start to look at what was going on.' While working on the project, she realized there are few depictions of boys and young men whose story is anchored in love, rather than relegating love to a side plot. 'Mentally, emotionally, physically — they too deserve to fall in love and be desired and have someone fall in love with them,' she says. 'And for Keisha — his honesty was attractive to her. How often do we ever really see that level of vulnerability be the leading guy?' In true Blume style, Akil also incorporated a central issue affecting people today — technology. 'The phone is a big character in the show, because there's a lot of duality to the phone,' she says. Throughout the series, the characters use phones to connect and disconnect via blocked messages, lost voicemails and unfinished texts. In the premiere, the drama revolves around the dreaded disappearing ellipsis — that feeling when you can see someone typing and then it stops. Akil laughs when I bring it up: 'At any age, that ellipsis will kick your butt.' And when you add sex into the mix, everything becomes more charged. 'The phone in the modern times is an extension of pleasure in sexuality, when used in a trusting way, and then it can be weaponized,' says Akil. 'It can be so damaging to this generation's future at a time in which mistakes are inherent in their development.' It's this keen awareness that the mistakes haven't changed but the consequences have that grounds Akil's version of 'Forever.' 'There's a lot of real fear out there and real tough choices that parents are going through,' says Akil. 'And in this era of mistakes, kids can make a mistake and die by exploring drugs or —' She stops herself. 'I get very emotional about the state of young people and their inability to make a mistake,' she says, 'because I think most young people are actually making good choices.' Akil says Blume and her family have seen the episodes more than once and told the showrunner she really enjoyed them. Akil remembers first meeting Blume. 'I was nervous. I wanted to be seen by her,' she says. 'I fangirled out and she allowed it and then was, like, sit your soul down. We had a conversation, and it felt destined and magical. I was grateful that she listened, and it allowed me to come to the table saying, 'I know how to translate this.'' I ask Akil why she thinks Blume's work continues to resonate, lasting for decades in its original form and spawning new projects to attract the next generation of viewers and, hopefully, readers. 'She's relevant because she dared to tell us the truth,' says Akil. 'And the truth is forever.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Semiconductor Stock to Consider Right Now and 2 to Turn Down
Semiconductors are the core infrastructure powering the Information Age. Still, they're subject to swings in the broader economy because customers often stockpile chips ahead of demand, and investors seem to believe that inventory levels are correcting - over the past six months, the industry has shed 23.5%. This drawdown was noticeably worse than the S&P 500's 5.2% loss. The elite companies can churn out earnings growth under any circumstance, however, and our mission at StockStory is to help you find them. Taking that into account, here is one semiconductor stock boasting a durable advantage and two we're passing on. Market Cap: $3.52 billion The result of a spinoff from Sanken in Japan, Allegro MicroSystems (NASDAQ:ALGM) is a designer of power management chips and distance sensors used in electric vehicles and data centers. Why Should You Sell ALGM? Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 7.6% annually over the last two years Earnings per share fell by 19.8% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable Free cash flow margin dropped by 9.4 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up At $18.74 per share, Allegro MicroSystems trades at 38.1x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering ALGM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Market Cap: $4.34 billion Operating through a largely Asian facility footprint, Amkor Technologies (NASDAQ:AMKR) provides outsourced packaging and testing for semiconductors. Why Should You Dump AMKR? Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 5.6% annually over the last two years Demand will likely be weak over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue Gross margin of 14.6% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D Amkor is trading at $17.70 per share, or 8.6x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why AMKR doesn't pass our bar. Market Cap: $91.35 billion Founded in 1980 by David Lam, the man who pioneered semiconductor etching technology, Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the leading providers of wafer fabrication equipment used to make semiconductors. Why Are We Positive On LRCX? Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 29.6% operating margin, and it turbocharged its profits by achieving some fixed cost leverage LRCX is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and its recently improved profitability means it has even more resources to invest or distribute ROIC punches in at 63.1%, illustrating management's expertise in identifying profitable investments Lam Research's stock price of $71.64 implies a valuation ratio of 18.9x forward price-to-earnings. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Semiconductor Stock to Consider Right Now and 2 to Turn Down
Semiconductors are the core infrastructure powering the Information Age. Still, they're subject to swings in the broader economy because customers often stockpile chips ahead of demand, and investors seem to believe that inventory levels are correcting - over the past six months, the industry has shed 23.5%. This drawdown was noticeably worse than the S&P 500's 5.2% loss. The elite companies can churn out earnings growth under any circumstance, however, and our mission at StockStory is to help you find them. Taking that into account, here is one semiconductor stock boasting a durable advantage and two we're passing on. Market Cap: $3.52 billion The result of a spinoff from Sanken in Japan, Allegro MicroSystems (NASDAQ:ALGM) is a designer of power management chips and distance sensors used in electric vehicles and data centers. Why Should You Sell ALGM? Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 7.6% annually over the last two years Earnings per share fell by 19.8% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable Free cash flow margin dropped by 9.4 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up At $18.74 per share, Allegro MicroSystems trades at 38.1x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering ALGM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Market Cap: $4.34 billion Operating through a largely Asian facility footprint, Amkor Technologies (NASDAQ:AMKR) provides outsourced packaging and testing for semiconductors. Why Should You Dump AMKR? Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 5.6% annually over the last two years Demand will likely be weak over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue Gross margin of 14.6% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D Amkor is trading at $17.70 per share, or 8.6x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why AMKR doesn't pass our bar. Market Cap: $91.35 billion Founded in 1980 by David Lam, the man who pioneered semiconductor etching technology, Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the leading providers of wafer fabrication equipment used to make semiconductors. Why Are We Positive On LRCX? Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 29.6% operating margin, and it turbocharged its profits by achieving some fixed cost leverage LRCX is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and its recently improved profitability means it has even more resources to invest or distribute ROIC punches in at 63.1%, illustrating management's expertise in identifying profitable investments Lam Research's stock price of $71.64 implies a valuation ratio of 18.9x forward price-to-earnings. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Sign in to access your portfolio
Axios
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
U.S. trails China in race to utilize biotech on the battlefield
A critical avenue of U.S.-China competition has slipped under the public's radar despite its potential outsize impacts on economies, militaries and weaponry: biotechnology. Why it matters: Better body armor, dynamic camouflage, foods synthesized in trenches, super soldiers, landmine-detecting bacteria and sabotaged materials shipped to the enemy are all promises of this field. And a new report concludes that Beijing is ascending to biotech dominance, at great risk to Washington. Driving the news: The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology filed that report to Congress this month after two years of research and debate. Commissioners include Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), also a member of the intelligence committee; Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO; and Michelle Rozo, a vice president at In-Q-Tel and former principal director for biotechnology at the Pentagon. Here's a taste of the report's many findings, recommendations and warnings: China is sprinting ahead after prioritizing biotech 20 years ago. The U.S. must course correct in three years. Washington should dedicate $15 billion minimum over the next five years to supercharge the sector. Beijing's advancements are fueled by military-civil fusion. But the U.S. "should not try to out-China China; that is a losing strategy." There is "every reason to believe" the Chinese Communist Party will "weaponize biotechnology." Drone warfare "will seem quaint" the day the People's Liberation Army debuts genetically enhanced troops. Opportunities for greater collaboration already exist, namely through NATO's innovation accelerator, DIANA. Congress should require the Defense Department to incorporate military-relevant biotech into wargaming and exercises. What they're saying: U.S. leadership should consider biotech a distinct domain of warfare, according to Young, a Marine Corps veteran. "Imagine if we could, in theater, biomanufacture shelf-stable blood, thereby seizing on that golden hour in which we need to provide emergency medical attention to warfighters who are under duress," he told Axios. "Imagine a world in which we are able to develop new energetics through biological means, with far more thrust — power — to extend the range of our existing missile systems." "That would, obviously, change all sorts of calculations of warfare." Reality check: There's a lack of stateside industrial capacity. And moving from lab to market is an expensive ordeal, a red flag for increasingly risk-averse investors. What we're watching: What makes it into the National Defense Authorization Act, a logical home for this report's suggestions. The bottom line: "Just like the Industrial Age, just like the Information Age, this is the Biotechnology Age. Most people do not know that," Paul Arcangeli, a commissioner and former House Armed Services Committee staff director, said in an interview.
