Is Shoplifting from Grocery Stores Morally Permissible?
No. Right? The increasing cost of living and bad corporate behavior might have us thinking otherwise.
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Do You Need Empirical Support to Be Happy?
There is no shortage of advice online about how to be happier. But recent research suggests that the most common happiness-increasing strategies may not be backed by robust empirical support. What should happiness researchers and happiness-seekers do?
Sometimes other people know your pain better than you | Ideas
We all experience physical pain. While some causes of, and remedies for, pain are obvious – eg, I wasn’t careful chopping onions and now I need a bandage, or I celebrated a bit too much last night and now I need water and a nap – the types of pain that can be experienced are diverse and, in some cases, poorly understood. Can we look to others to better understand our own experiences of pain?
The antidote to fake news is to nourish our epistemic wellbeing | Ideas
We typically think about ‘wellbeing’ in terms of physical and mental health. To improve your physical wellbeing, it might be best to exercise; to increase your mental wellbeing, consider putting your phone down once in a while. There is another, less noted way in which we should think about our wellbeing: in terms of knowledge. Knowledge is good for us not only because we generally want to know the truth, but because knowledge dramatically affects our ability to navigate the world and accomplish
Dangerous beliefs | Kenneth Boyd
Our beliefs about the world guide our actions in it. Likewise, our actions reveal our beliefs. But are there beliefs we hold in theory, but would never act on? Such a distinction can be dangerous and irresponsible, writes Kenneth Boyd.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be ripe source material for those looking to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories throughout social media and elsewhere online. One does not have to look far before finding people defending beliefs that the virus was m
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be ripe source material for those looking to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories throughout social media and elsewhere online. One does not have to look far before finding people defending beliefs that the virus was m
Archive
Do You Need Empirical Support to Be Happy?
There is no shortage of advice online about how to be happier. But recent research suggests that the most common happiness-increasing strategies may not be backed by robust empirical support. What should happiness researchers and happiness-seekers do?
Black-Box Expertise and AI Discourse
We rely on expertise, but not all experts are forthcoming for the reasons behind their opinions. A kind of black-box expertise is prevalent in AI discourse, but that can create big problems for those who are looking to cut through the hype.
Specious Content and the Need for Experts
Specious content seems plausible on first glance, but is full of flaws upon closer inspection. While it's always existed online, AI has started to produce it in mass quantities. Instead of trying to identify it ourselves, we need to rely on experts now more than ever to help us figure out which information is trustworthy.
What’s Wrong with AI Therapy Bots?
Powered by new artificial intelligence technology, therapy bots promise to offer affordable and accessible mental health therapy to the masses. But what are the ethical implications?
Calibrating Trust Amidst Information Chaos
With so many changes happening on social media platforms it can be hard to keep up. But beyond the introduction of sometimes confusing news features, the rapidly changing social media landscape has the potential to make the problems of finding trustworthy information online even more difficult.
AI Writing and Epistemic Dilution
AI is getting better at writing, but what are the epistemic consequences? The ability to produce coherent writing instantly and in mass quantities could make an inhospitable information environment even worse.
Should You Outsource Important Life Decisions to Algorithms?
When you make an important decision, where do you turn for advice? Friends, family, or maybe your own gut instinct? Or would you put your happiness in the hands of a machine?
Corporate Responsibilities after Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has raised numerous legal and moral questions. Making access to abortion an issue to be decided by individual states has already become a complicated legal matter, as some state courts have challenged so-called “trigger laws” – laws meant to make abortion illegal the second the Supreme Court decision came into effect. Many states had already made their intentions clear with regard to access to abortions when the draft Supreme Court memo was in
What Is Unwoke Capitalism?
What is "woke capitalism", and what are the alternatives? Critics of woke capitalism preach economic doom and gloom, but is "unwoke capitalism" merely a rejection of "woke" values, or is it something else entirely?
Are Politicians Obligated to Debate?
In the leadup to the provincial election in Ontario, many members of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party have been avoiding the debates taking place in their respective ridings. In fact, 22 out of 34 Conservatives have recently failed to show up to debates in which members of their rival parties were participating, a number that greatly exceeds the absences from all other parties combined. Do these absences represent a failure of politicians to fulfil a democratic duty?
Virtual Work and the Ethics of Outsourcing
A recent event involving Canadian outlets of restraint chain Freshii has raised some ethical concerns about the nature of virtual work. Are these new problems, or are we just uncomfortable looking a controversial business practice in the face?
Information Deficits and Not Enough Civics Majors
It feels like it’s been a pretty bad year when it comes to people having a basic understanding of civics. Over the past few months, my home country of Canada has seen numerous reactions based on misunderstandings of how the government and legislative processes work.
Russia, Ukraine, and Digital Sanctions
Russian aggression towards Ukraine has prompted many responses across the world, with a number of countries imposing (or at least considering imposing) sanctions against Russia. In the U.S., Joe Biden recently announced a set of financial sanctions that would cut off Russian transactions with U.S. banks, and restrict Russian access to components used in high tech devices and weapons.
Informed Consent and the Joe Rogan Experience
The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast was again the subject of controversy when a recent episode was criticized by scientific experts for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations. It was not the first time this has happened: Rogan has frequently been on the hot seat for espousing views on COVID-19 that contradict the advice of scientific experts, and for entertaining guests who provided similar views.
The Ethical and Epistemic Consequences of Hiding YouTube Dislikes
YouTube recently announced a major change on their platform: while the “like” and “dislike” buttons would remain, viewers would only be able to see how many likes a video had, with the total number of dislikes being viewable only by the creator.
Aaron Rodgers, “Critical Thinking,” and Intellectual Humility
NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers made headlines recently when he was sidelined for having contracted COVID-19 and it became public knowledge that he has not been vaccinated. While Rodgers is far from the only unvaccinated NFL player, controversy ensued when it came out that he had misled reporters and the public into thinking that he had, in fact, been vaccinated.
The Ethics of Protest Trolling
There is a new Trump-helmed social media site being developed, and it’s been getting a lot of attention from the media. Called “Truth Social,” the site and associated app initially went up for only a few hours before it was taken offline due to trolling. Turns out, the site’s security was not exactly top-of-the-line: users were able to claim handles that you think would have been reserved for others – including “donaldjtrump” and “mikepence”.
Why You Should (Almost) Always Give a 5-Star Rating
One type of business that has not only survived but thrived during the pandemic is home grocery delivery. In addition to many grocery stores themselves offering delivery, there are app-based services, like Instacart, which work on a system much like other gigging apps like Uber or Lyft. People can sign up as a contract worker – or “shopper,” as they’re known in the Instacart world – where they can accept orders, pick them up from the relevant store, and deliver them to the customer.
Should Scientists De-Extinct the Woolly Mammoth?
The startup Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences made headlines recently when they announced that they had received $15 million in funding for their project that is looking to “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth. The idea is to edit the DNA of an Asian elephant, resulting in the creation of an embryo that would be a hybrid of woolly mammoth and Asian elephant.
Can We Heckle Unvaccinated Athletes?
A lot of the pleasure I take in watching sports comes not only from seeing the teams and people I like succeed, but also from seeing those I dislike fail. For instance, I will gladly watch the Blue Jays players hit an impressive string of dingers, but will equally enjoy seeing Ben Roethlisberger get sacked. Being a sports fan means feeling both pride and schadenfreude, and it comes with the territory of being a professional athlete that some people are going to love you, and some just aren’t.
Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, and the Dangers of Scientific Preprints
There is a new drug of choice among those who have refused to get vaccinated for COVID-19, or are otherwise looking for alternative treatments: ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug that is used primarily in farm animals. The drug recently made headlines in the U.S. after a judge in Ohio ordered a hospital to treat a patient with it, and a number of countries in Latin America and Europe have begun using it, as well. It is not the first time that a drug that was developed for something else entirely
The Higher and Lower Pleasures of the French Culture Pass
French president Emmanuel Macron recently introduced a “culture pass,” what amounts to €300 for each 18-year-old in France to spend on cultural activities – like going to the movies, seeing a play, or going to a museum – or for buying items that are of cultural or artistic value – such as books, art materials, membership in classes, etc. The French youth need only download an app, and then they have 2 years to spend the funds on whichever of the above they see fit. Some have praised the initiati
Sha'Carri Richardson and the Spirit of the Game
Sprinter and Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines recently when she was suspended from the US women’s team after testing positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana. Using marijuana is in violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) World Anti-Doping Code, which includes “all natural and synthetic cannabinoids” on its prohibited list. Richardson has accepted responsibility for violating the rules, and while she stated that she is not looking to be excused, she explained
An End to Pandemic Precautions?
I feel like I have bad luck when it comes to getting sick. Every time there’s a cold going around, I seem to catch it, and before I started regularly getting the flu shot, I would invariably end up spending a couple of weeks a year in abject misery. During the pandemic, however, I have not had a single cold or flu. And I’m far from alone: not only is there plentiful anecdotal evidence, but there is solid scientific evidence that there really was no flu season to speak of this year in many parts
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