Some more links

You might find Ben Goldacre's writing quite interesting. he is also a really good stand up comedian, if you ever get a chance to listen to him ranting about things!

These are good podcasts:

...and finally, explore Ted for some really stimulating and exciting lectures from today's top thinkers and doers. This hyperlink takes you to journalist Evgeny Morozov talking about how the internet aids dictatorships rather than promoting democracy. Fascinating stuff, and do explore the site for more fabulous talks.

Philosophy bites

Become more intelligent whilst walking the dog!

No, really, it works for me in the gym, anyway. I download these podcasts from Philosophy Bites and find that although sometimes they put me to sleep, at other times they offer fascinating insights into a world I have never really thought about much before. And then I wonder about what these people do every day in their offices!

Introducing knowledge issues

Click on the link to find the article entitled 'Pearls before breakfast' from the Washington Post. It is an excellent example of a real life example which poses many Knowledge Issues. You might like to watch the YouTube extract from Technorati Buzz TV again first. After you have read the article, think about what KIs are posed by it. Use the handouts to help you, and perhaps focus your attentions on these areas: Knowledge issues regarding sense perception; Knowledge issues regarding the arts; knowledge issues involving the experiment itself and its media coverage.
Good luck!

Reasons for TOK

Descartes

www.mathematik.ch/mathematiker/Descartes.jpg

Reason is a way of knowing that occurs in all aspects of our life. IB2 spent some time discussing the relative merits and disadvatages of formal logic, inductive reasoning and Descarte's ideas on absolute certainty.

Mark Steel's illuminating lecture on Descartes provided some light relief . Students might be interested in pursuing some of his other lectures, wither via Youtube or his website.

"I think, therefore IB"

US Elections

Let's play 'Spot the Knowledge Issue' with these videos:

From one side, and this

from the other.
And then for some light entertainment, here's everyone's favourite Alaskan...