Fighting the Sandy Hook Lies

"You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts."

A battle currently pits parents still mourning the loss of their children in the Sandy Hook school shooting against purveyors of the most mean-spirited and outlandish of myths. 

1) What are the lies about Sandy Hook?

2) Why do conspiracy theories like this persist?

3) Why are these lies so painful to parents of the deceased?

4) Is the Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory the only one?  List 5 more.

5) What steps can we take to fact check conspiracy theories?

News You Can't Use

Polls... don't get me started.

News consumers complain more about inaccuracy than cowardice.  More than half the people polled in a 2009 Pew study believed news stories are rife with inaccuracies and 79% believe news outlets try to cover them up.  A poll's precision is 'seductive and soothing;'  but it can also be a 'snare and delusion.'

Donald Trump's campaign launched often vitriolic attacks on minorities, Muslims, women and pretty much anyone else – and yet his populaarity just kept on climbing. He led the race to win the Republican nomination and ultimately the White House, defying the polls.
1) Why were the 'polls' so wrong about Donald Trump?

2) How did Donald Trump use the media to get out his message and win the election?

Are Video Games Really That Bad?

The video game industry is a global phenomenon. There are over 1.2 billion gamers across the planet, with sales projected soon to pass $100 billion per year. But their very popularity fuels the controversy that surrounds them. They frequently stand accused of corrupting the young - of causing violence and addiction. But is this true?

Recent headlines of a shooting at a gaming event in Jacksonville Florida would seem to reinforce these arguments.  Or do they?

Horizon reveals a scientific community deeply divided. Some are convinced that video games incite aggression. Others insist they have no effect whatsoever on real-world violence. But away from the controversy, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests video games may help keep the brain sharp, and could soon revolutionise how we combat mental decline as we age.

Does Secrecy Still Make Us Safer?

CNN's Kate Bolduan reads the entire op-ed in the New York Times written by an unnamed senior Trump administration official.

1) Is the anonymous author a 'hero' for calling out the President, or a 'gutless loser' as Trump claims?

2) Should we have secrets from our Government? Explain.

3) Should our Government have secrets from us? Explain.

4) Where does our right to 'privacy' end and the Government's right to 'know' begin?

5) Who do you think the anonymous author is?