Summary
In this episode of Star Talk, host Neil deGrasse Tyson interviews physicist and MIT professor Max Tegmark about his project called Improve the News. The project was developed during the COVID-19 lockdown when Tegmark became concerned about the increasing signs of polarization and dysfunction in democracy. He attributes this to the fact that people have stopped reading newspapers and instead get their news from social media, which is manipulated by algorithms that show them things that elicit strong feelings, regardless of whether they are true or not.
Improve the News is an interface that filters news according to sliders that allow users to explore alternative viewpoints and choose the level of nuance and establishment criticism they want. The goal of Improve the News is to put users in the driver's seat and give them a more deliberative opportunity to choose their news. The software is free and open source, and it uses machine learning to classify articles into different categories. The software is not proprietary, and it does not create any copyright problems. The software is not biased, and it allows readers to see different perspectives on controversial topics.
The speaker discusses the power of technology and machine learning to create filter bubbles and manipulate individuals. However, he suggests that technology can also be used for good by helping individuals see through bias and manipulation attempts. He introduces a new app that allows users to see news stories covered from multiple perspectives and encourages users to provide feedback to improve the app.
In a conversation on Star Talk, Jeff Jarvis discusses the idea that objectivity in newsrooms is a construct of white racism, as it is often old white men who have the power to decide what is objective and what is biased. He argues that the media should strive to make strangers less strange and focus on understanding each other's perspectives to find common ground. He also suggests that journalism should look more like education and advocate for science, while still recognizing that both science and humanities are essential. The goal should be to serve society's conversation and make it more informed, respectful, and productive.
Overall, the episode explores the potential of technology to improve the quality of news and give readers more agency over the content they consume. It also highlights the importance of questioning authority and exploring different perspectives to combat polarization and dysfunction in democracy.
