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I always thought philosophy is not a subject I would be enjoying studying since I mainly focusing on subjection relates to computer. However, after learning PHIL145(Critical thinking) it really clears many of my question about human biases and created scientific controversy.

I read two books during the class (both are mandatory)

1. Created Scientific Controversies: Uncertainty and Bias in Science and Society -- Hacker David
2. How to lie with statistics - Darrell Huff

I am not going to lie. At the beginning of the class I decided not going to read the book, instead just going to the class and take notes from what professor think it is important (basically what's going to be on the exam)

However, after skipping three classes because of midterm weeks, I have to starting reading the book.

Points to remember from the first book

1. While we're often not aware of it, our reasoning is predictably irrational:
   • We preference arguments and evidence that conform with prior belief (confirmation bias)
   • We are unduly influenced by what's easiest to recall (what's repeated most often)
   • We place too much confidence in our own abilities and too much emphasis on the evidence we remember (bad decision making)
   • We are not good at admitting our vulnerabilities to cognitive biases (our decision making isn't rational)
2. With any arguments, we should reflect on the quality of the evidence being utilized, the extend to which it supports the conclusion and the possibility that competing explanations are better supported by available evidence
3. Reliable argument evaluation is extremely hard work, only by carefully developing good critical thinking skills, learning to identify informal fallacies and becoming better informed can we hope to reach sensible judgements on complicated issues
4. The appearance of uncertainty within some scientific community may not represent actual uncertainty
5. Magnifying uncertainty is central to spreading public doubt.
6. It's easy to cherry-pick experts/data, people re complicated, including scientist, so we shouldn't be surprised that some defend conclusions that are regarded by the rest of the scientific community as implausible and without merit. If a large proportion of scientist all agree not he basic issue, then focusing attention not he exceptions is unreasonable (Majority is wrong does not work here)

Three criteria to identify scientific controversy

1. Motivation: financial, religion, etc
2. alternative: should have a positive alternative
3. engagement: only talking to the public instead of publishing paper = created controversy

Real world created controversy

• Support to Vaccinations and autism

  • Solid evidences suggest no correlation between these two
  • No scientific article support vaccinations causes autism

• Counter to Climate change:

  • Answers are provided but ignored (problems with data, models etc)
  • The majority of climate science scepticism is directed simply towards undermining the prevailing view
  • Weak objection being repeated to mislead the public about the state of the science

• Support to Intellectual Design

  • Motive: Religious motivation
  • Alternative: Yes no sound Imperial evidence to support
  • Engagement: No polish peer review in science

• Counter to Genetically modified organism (GMO)

  • No evidence suggest human eat GMO food causes health issue
  • Engagement: only talks to the public spreading doubt instead of publish papers
  • Financial motive

What I learned from PHIL145 will help me identify created scientific controversy in the future. I think It is important for me and the public to have a critical thinking skills. Companies and Media are using created scientific controversy to fulfill their motivation. Children died because their parents believe vaccines causes autism. People died in hunger because their leader believe GMO food are bad for health. Since I cannot be a expert in every fields, I chose to believe in the majority of the scientific community.

My Lecture Notes

It is very hard(expensive) to know the truth of a story or news. people don’t care about the truth. Media will purposely modified(extravagant) the story to get more views.

TL;DR

I am going to change my life style

Yesterday I have just finished my final exam which I think did pretty well. I waited nervously until midnight and the marks came out for three of my exams. Surprisingly enoughI passed ECE318 and ECE356 which I thought I did really bad on the final exam. After realize I officially finished my 3B term I have been think about what I would like to change in my future work term as well as setting goals for myself to find a better job in the next co-op and future full-time job.

Eat

I have never had a chance to eat health. Although most of time I can make my own food, I always go for the easy way make some quick delicious but unhealthy food. My favourite food is pasta with meat and salary. I decided to change in the next 4 month. I am going to use a smoothie machine to make health vegetable and fruit smoothie. Use slow cooker to make meet and vegetable so that when I get home from work I something to eat rather than buying food from outside. My body is little bit over-weight and I think I could make it better in the next few month.

Work out

I have been wanting to work out since 8 month ago. I did some running and went to some gym but I am having trouble to keep it up for more than 3 weeks. I purposely found a apartment with a free gym inside so that I wouldn't have any excuse of not going(too cold, or money) It is easy to go to gym for two days, or even a week but in order to make some real change to my body I have to commit to myself and keep going to gym. I think I can do it

Study

I am not very smart compare to many people I met in my class at UW. This is good because I can see my limit. I have wanted to do coding question but all I did before is justing doing simple question and look at the answer of hard question. I have start coding in University compare to other who may start coding in elementary school. I have set myself several goal to improve my coding skill in the next 4 month of internship. It is going to be hard for me since I always want to relax myself after a hard day of work. But the interviews I had with google really crashed me that give a reminder of how far I am from a good developer. Without the right coding mind, it is going to be difficult for me to solve hard coding questions. Thus, I finally going to read the book a bought 2 years ago and study some data science in python.

I am going to blog during the next 4 month, try to keep my goals.

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

I have been busy during the first two weeks of my co-op. I will break down into categories.

Life

I don't believe in god, but I believe things happened for a reason. I did a stupid, awful thing after Christmas. After two days I slipped and fall which twisted my left ankle. Part of my ligament is broken. I was in lots of pain and canceled two chances of snowboarding. I had to go see doctors and took x-ray which cost me almost 600. I am actually relieved that I slipped because what I did this is probably least worst karma can happen to me. What I learned after my ankle sprain is that only your parents care about you from the bottom of their heart. People including me only cares about themselves which make sense because we are selfish.

Living

This term I still co-op in Toronto, but I rented a most expensive room among all my co-ops and study terms(1200/month). Its near lake and near work. Before I lived in China town as well as other area which most of people who live their are poor. This time I am living with "rich" people which I assume they are. The differences are significant, the people I walked by looked more educated as well as dressed well. The environment are clean and nice. I am closer to work so I don't have to take subway and waste time on transportation. I feel like I am living in a different world even thought it is still Toronto and I walked passed by this area countless time during previous co-ops. I just had a sauna and a nice swimming tonight, the equipment is even better than the one I had in University of Waterloo. However, I feel lonely after swim, usually I don't feel lonely possible because I am most vulnerable after workout. I feel like it will be nice to have someone talk to.

Work

This probably is my best work term so far. I got a macbook pro as well as standing desk which I always dreamed of. My supervisor is super nice and I had the privilege of designing something really awesome. Building stuff from scratch and have total authority of using what frameworks as well as working with other co-ops can really help me to learn from mistake and improve my communication skills. We build a prototype during the first week, and the CEO of the company came by and watch our demo. That is why I said at the beginning aim for apple but settle for other opportunities. Aim for Apple gives a motivation of being better to met the highest standard in the industry. However, I love working at a small environment where your opinion as well as your contribute matters to the company. People always want to work for the Big 4. Me too to be honest, but maybe I think I enjoy the startup environment more than the big company. I wanted to be taking seriously at workplace instead of being someone who can be replaced at anytime. I had my first team exercise last week (board games night). I had lots of fun everyone is very friendly, I love working here.

Thoughts and Future

I haven't been study python for the past two weeks. I have many reasons (works, feet etc) but I know that I am being lazy. Find excuses are always easy, the trick part is to do stuff. I met many people at UW. Many of them went to US Apple, google, facebook etc. I would be lying if I say I am not jealous. But I know they are so much better than me. I feel like finding a job is like finding a girlfriend. You got to have some impressive skills or attributes. You are not too smart? thats OK since you have great people skills. I know I am not very smart, not very charming, but I know I can do better. I wanted to be better by improve myself everyday. Someday I may achieve what I wanted. (I didn't proof read my blog, there maybe mistakes Sorry!)