by Stuart Grudgings | 7 Dec 2021 | Decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Technology
They can fluctuate wildly in value. They can be hard to spend. They devour energy. But crypto currencies are here to stay and will surely bring changes. Photo by STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2021 1/21/21, courtesy of AP Photos In the past few weeks, an iconic Los Angeles sports...
News Decoder is committed to explaining, in simple terms, complicated stories that appear over and over on front pages and in news broadcasts. For lack of time, money and space, most mainstream news organizations don’t take the trouble to explain the background to complicated issues and assume readers and viewers understand why the story matters. How many of us say to ourselves when running across a story on crypto currencies: “I need to educate myself about these things because they are not going away.” In his decoder, Stuart Grudgings explains how crypto currencies emerged, how they work and why they are with us to stay.
Exercise: Ask students to debate whether crypto currencies will eventually replace traditional money.
by Stuart Grudgings | 18 Jan 2021 | Donald Trump, Educators' Catalog, Fake News, Future of Democracy, Media Literacy, Technology
Fake news is already eroding our shared sense of reality. Now, deepfakes and AI stand to fuel disinformation and imperil democracy. An image of a deepfake video of former U.S. President Barack Obama (AP Photo) The unprecedented mob assault on the U.S. Capitol on...
Technology permeates students’ lives and has contributed many economic benefits to the world while bringing far-flung communities closer together. But what of the downsides? The polarization of society? The dangers of spending too much time on social media? Citizens being hoodwinked into believing the unreal? One of the biggest questions facing policymakers around the world today is how to protect democracy without infringing on free speech. It’s a question that is not going to go away and which students would do well to start considering today. In this article, Stuart Grudgings introduces us to some of the disturbing possibilities of deep fake technology and begs the question of what to do about it.
by Stuart Grudgings | 23 Mar 2020 | Climate change, Environment, Globalization, Health and Wellness, Nationalism, Technology
The coronavirus has turned life upside down for billions of people around the world. It’s bound to have a lasting impact once the pandemic subsides. Hikers maintain distance at Vista View Point, Los Angeles, 20 March 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The...
by Stuart Grudgings | 4 Jun 2019 | Asia, China, Decoders
The South China Sea has become one of the world’s most dangerous flash points. So far, the dispute has not resulted in military conflict. But it could. A globe showing islands in the South China Sea with China’s nine-dash line, Singapore, 13 July 2018 (AP...
by Stuart Grudgings | 12 Sep 2018 | Americas, Future of Democracy, Immigration, Refugees
Venezuela’s economic crisis has sent millions of refugees into surrounding countries, stirring regional tensions and fanning populist anger. A woman and a boy, both Venezuelan refugees, sit in a hammock at a shelter in Pacaraima, the main entry point for...
