From the leading medical journal The Lancet:
Writing in London's Guardian newspaper on May 6, the columnist Simon Jenkins rails against how the dangers of the current influenza A H1N1 outbreak have been exaggerated by the mass media and scientists. He calls for an inquiry into “this fiasco” and, paraphrasing Voltaire, suggests shooting the occasional virologist and perhaps an editor too, “to encourage the others”. Although nominations of colleagues to take a bullet to restore the damaged reputation of our professions may be many, Jenkins seems to have confused scientific uncertainty with hype.
Rather than dealing with immutable truths, science explores the limits of uncertainty. Thus, when asked to speculate on what course the H1N1 outbreak might take—for example, on number of deaths—influenza specialists have given a range of possible scenarios. When translated into headlines, it is hardly surprising that the upper end of the possible range is emphasised. Our impression is that mass media coverage of the H1N1 outbreak has—barring some chequebook journalism and a few unnecessary superlatives—been balanced and rational. Perhaps the media could be criticised for failing to put the outbreak into context, in that the morbidity and mortality associated with H1N1 has, until now, been inconsequential compared with the thousands of lives taken every day by—for example—AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, sepsis, and even seasonal influenza. The general public seems to have passed its own judgement on the dangers of H1N1 in that there have been no signs of panic on the streets, and the story has already started to slip down the news agenda. Nevertheless, we are prepared to risk accusations of hype in saying that now is not the time to be complacent about H1N1. At the time of going to press on May 8, WHO reported 2384 confirmed cases in 24 countries with 44 fatalities. Among these, 1112 cases and 42 deaths were reported from Mexico. In the USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 896 confirmed cases, spread over 41 states, and two deaths. 214 cases have been confirmed in Canada across 13 provinces. Outside North America, no deaths have been reported, and the worse affected countries are Spain (81 cases) and the UK (34). There are early indications that the epidemic peak has passed in Mexico, but WHO has accepted that the outbreak will continue to spread internationally. Although the illness caused by H1N1 appears to be mild, we must still bear in mind that this is a new form of the virus to which most human beings have little pre-existing immunity. Therefore, the potential for a pandemic has not gone away. The virus may yet cause illness in a sufficient proportion of the population to produce economic disruption. Indeed, since community spread of infection, rather than severity of disease, is the criterion for determining whether a full pandemic should be declared (phase six on the WHO scale), such a decision might not be far away. If a pandemic is declared, WHO will have to decide whether to begin manufacture of a vaccine against the pandemic virus. As reported in a Newsdesk article by Priya Shetty on page 339, the H1N1 strain will not be incorporated into the next seasonal influenza vaccine. Manufacture of pandemic vaccine will, therefore, impinge upon the capacity to make seasonal vaccine...
The full article is posted in the Flutrackers forum.
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I'm not sure which is more surprising: the fact that the new Star Trek movie was fantastic or the discovery that Microsoft's new, "free" operating system (Windows 7 Release Candidate) is fast, stable, and just plain fun to use.
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Tonight, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles unexpectedly killed off one of the show's major characters: Derek Reese. Just when Brian Austin Green (of 90210) was proving he had some acting chops, his character was shot in the head by a newly discovered T-888. For fans of the program, his death was simultaneously disappointing (because he was a great character) and awesome (because it demonstrates that the show's writers are willing to take risks).
Let's just hope that Derek's sacrifice was not in vain. Fox, please don't cancel this program.
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Thanks to Brad at Phone Losers of America for incorporating this song in his most recent podcast:
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Can't say too much about this in advance without spoiling the effect. Further discussion is appended in the comments section.
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Possibly the most awesome YouTube parody video ever...
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During the past two weeks, students in a Trinity University seminar on hacking have been experimenting with the educational applications of collaborative web surfing. Students have been using a tool called PMOG to create "missions" related to topics such as RFID chips, social engineering, geek subcultures, anonymity, and brain hacking.
On Sunday, March 1st, PMOG changed its name to Nethernet. (Arguably, this a more catchy name.) Nethernet "lets you play, create and explore vast new layers of the Internet: lay traps, create connections between sites, and gift friends with just a click of a button! Turn your web browsing into an adventure!"
There are still a few bugs in the system, and the most interesting features are only available to higher level users, but the system definitely has potential. Check it out at: http://thenethernet.com.
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Public Relations
Tenure Track Assistant Professor
Fall 2009
Department of Communication Communication: Trinity University. Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Communication, Fall 2009. Ph.D. required by August start date. Teach six undergraduate classes per year (nine contact hours per semester) with primary teaching responsibilities in the practical application and critical examination of public relations. We are particularly interested in candidates who can speak knowledgably about the realities facing industry professionals, the ethical obligations of all communication practitioners, and the field’s deeper theoretical foundations while also teaching specific skills and practices. Candidates would be expected to develop both theoretical and applied courses in their area of specialization, and be active in teaching core Communication courses. Embracing the liberal arts and sciences mission of Trinity University, our department stresses an integrated, non-sequenced approach to communication. Typical course sizes in the department are 15 students (for courses emphasizing media production) and 25 students (for media studies and media management courses.) Our core is composed of three courses: Mass Media (focusing on structural relationships within mass media industries), Media Interpretation and Criticism (emphasizing communication theories regarding aesthetics, interpretation and criticism), and Media Audiences (exploring how audiences use and are affected by media). In addition to core courses, the major is composed of three content areas: Media Studies (classes focusing on such topics as "Magazines in America," "The Role of Hackers in Popular Culture,” “International Communication,” “Violence, Sex and Media Effects,” “Film Noir,” and “Media Fandom”), Media Management (courses preparing students for organizational and managerial responsibilities in media industries), and Media Messages (courses combining hands-on production with critical analysis). The major culminates in a Senior Capstone Experience in which students synthesize their understanding of communication theories and practices with a substantial academic paper, professional project, or creative work. Trinity University is a highly selective liberal arts and sciences institution with a primary focus on undergraduate education. Undergraduate enrollment is approximately 2,500, including students from all areas of the United States and many foreign countries. For more than 15 years, Trinity has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide in the category of institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate programs as well as select master’s programs in the Western part of the United States. Boasting a $1 billion endowment, Trinity has an ideal student-faculty ratio and excellent facilities, equipment and services. Salary is competitive. San Antonio, located at the edge of the Texas Hill Country, is an attractive city of more than one million people offering diverse cultural opportunities and an appealing year-around climate. It is the center of a diversifying and vibrant South Texas economy. In a 2009 Pew Research study, San Antonio was ranked among the top 10 metropolitan areas where people would like to live. In 2008, Forbes Magazine placed San Antonio near the top of its list of cities characterized by affordable housing and robust job growth, noting that "Austin and San Antonio lead the list of places where your money goes the farthest." Deadline for receipt of applications is March 16, 2009. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, graduate institution transcript(s), and teaching evaluations (if not available, additional letters of reference specifically addressing teaching abilities and experience) to Dr. William Christ (wchrist@trinity.edu), Chair, Search Committee, Department of Communication, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212-7200, Fax: 210-999-8355. Electronic submissions preferred. EEO Employer
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A student in the propaganda course mentioned that she was impressed with this commercial, so we watched it during class. This powerful piece of video left me speechless, which doesn't happen very often.
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Reprinted from an excellent academia-related web comic posted at http://www.phdcomics.com
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"It has 50 sensors and a series of motors to help it move and has been built to help pensioners and disabled people move better. Japanese boffins from Tsukuba University developed the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) suit using flexible silicon skin. And robotics company Cyberdyne Inc are set to start making it on a mass scale on Friday." (Full article at: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1777667.ece) In addition to the overall creepiness of the robot (see the video on the tabloid's site), there are other red flags which suggest that this might be a promotional alternate reality game (ARG). HAL is the name of the artificially intelligent computer in 2001, and Cyberdyne is the name of the evil company that cranks out human-exterminating robots in the Terminator series.
A new Terminator movie (starring Christian Bale) is on the horizon, and the (totally awesome) Sarah Connor Chronicles just started its second season. Therefore, all signs point to this being part of an alternate reality game. Right?
There's just one small problem: Cyberdyne is a real company and it has been garnering headlines for the past four years. An article in Japan Times on August 13, 2004 discussed the HAL suit and describes it as a "culmination of science fiction dreams." An article about the HAL suit and Cyberdyne appeared in London's Daily Telegraph on April 4, 2006. The Nikkei Weekly noted on September 3, 2007 that Cyberdyne was opening an Amsterdam branch to handle European accounts. An article about the company's bionic super-suit appeared in New Scientist on April 9, 2005. (See: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18624945.800)
These are not mocked-up HTML pages, but actual newspaper articles in the Lexis/Nexis database. So, there seem to be two possible explanations: 1. This is part of an elaborate alternate reality game that has been planned for the past several years, or
2. There is actually a company called Cyberdyne that specializes in creepy, life-like robots and bionic super-suits that can increase an individual's strength by a factor of ten. Either explanation is fairly mind-boggling. What do you think?
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 The New York Times just published a great review of The Whiskey Rebels, the new book by David Liss. Noting that Liss "makes some telling observations that are startlingly relevant to today’s financial turmoil," the reviewer describes the book as "a fabulous new work of historical fiction."
Although the book was not officially published until September 30th, more than 40 readers have already posted glowing reviews on Amazon.
In light of the current financial crisis, the book may be on its way to becoming a best-seller. Stay tuned...
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While pulling together readings for the course on MMORPG ethnography, I stumbled across this gem from David Fetterman's (1989) book Ethnography: Step by Step. When it comes to fieldwork technologies, a few things have changed since 1989.
The good news is that the rest of Fetterman's book is timeless.
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Even for those who strongly support Senator McCain, this surprising news must seem like little more than a gimmick.
An anonymous web surfer said it best in the comments thread of a posting on Politico:
"If you cannot multi-task, you have no business being our leader."
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Stumbled across this clip this morning when preparing slides for the propaganda course. During an interview with Fletcher Markle, Alfred Hitchcock explains (and demonstrates) the manipulative power of the Kuleshov Effect. The clip is only 78 seconds long, and well worth the time it takes to view it.
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The handful of people who occasionally read this blog might have noticed that postings have been irregular during the past eighteen months. Now that I'm back at Trinity after a year of academic leave, I'm hoping to blog at least once or twice a week.
The past two years were a blur. In August 2006, I launched a virtual world start-up company with some friends and former students. I left that agency in November of last year to launch a new virtual world consultancy with my colleague Jennifer Henderson. Elastic Collision specializes in the use of virtual worlds for education and workplace collaboration, and the company has been active. During the past year, we've had the chance to work with Fortune 500 companies, local non-profit groups, a public television station, Federal Government agencies, and several colleges and universities. We have also been designing some exciting game-related projects that I hope to blog about in the near future, but our lips are sealed until after the launch.
My academic leave is over and I've returned to my post at Trinity University. I'm thrilled to be back in the classroom, and am excited about teaching courses on media interpretation, political propaganda, and a course on using ethnographic research methods to study on-line role-playing games. This semester, students will investigate the game Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. It feels good to dip into the game-worlds again, and I'm excited about the student research projects. My only regret is that it was too late to order Richard Bartle's Designing Virtual Worlds as a required text. The reading list is packed with excellent articles, including his classic piece on player-types, but DVW provided a great historical and conceptual framework for the course as a whole.
Meanwhile, I'm in the final round of pulling together materials for my tenure application. The entire package, including the personal statement, the CV, and the infamous "tenure box," is due in just four days, so I'll be much more relaxed when September 16th rolls around.
In other news, I was married in February of this year and am happily savoring the thrills of domestic life. My wife is brilliant, beautiful, and funny, and it's awesome to be married to her. We share many of the same passions and temperamental quirks, but we are different enough from other to keep things interesting. I've also become a step-father to an intensely smart, cool, and creative second grader, and this has transformed my world-view in countless positive ways.
Emma (our cat) also seems pretty pleased about these changes on the home front.
OK. Enough procrastination. It's time to get back to finishing my personal statement. To friends or colleagues whose e-mails have not been answered in weeks (or months), please accept my deepest apologies for the delayed replies. Life has been hectic, but things should start to stabilize once the tenure box is filed.
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 For months, the blogosphere was buzzing with rumors that Google was designing a virtual world. Speculation ran rampant among metaverse developers. Some suggested that Google would create a world even more powerful than Second Life. Others predicted the technology giant would join IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Linden Lab in their efforts to improve security, usability, and stability of the Second Life grid.
Hopes that Google would take the industry to the next level were dashed when the company’s new virtual space was unveiled earlier this month. Dubbed Lively, Google’s platform is a browser-based three dimensional chat room that has more in common with IMVU and Habbo Hotel than with Second Life. Lively users can select one of ten preset avatars, they can decorate their personal spaces with pre-created furniture, and they can choose from a limited range of avatar animations. However, the new environment does not permit users to create three dimensional objects, it lacks a scripting language, and there is no in-world economy. Google says it might eventually open things up, but Lively content is currently limited to items created by “a small number of trusted testers, vendors and creative agencies.”
(Read full story on the Flow TV site at: http://flowtv.org/?p=1571
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The UK tabloid newspaper The Sun recently published an 
amused