How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Jan 21, 2011 at 5:43am
A plane crashes, anywhere: Headline news.
This happens every day: Not news at all.
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May '10
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
Edited on Jan 21, 2011 at 6:53aminfinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
That, Trace, is exactly what I felt (although obviously I didn't put it quite so well). However, it was a human being who did put it so well, proving the same point.
May '10
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
What strikes me about that video is how similar South America is to Africa.
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
I'm one third through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin historical novels, which follow a Royal Navy captain and his surgeon friend on their exploits during the Napoleonic Wars (hat tip to Ricochet's Professor Rahe, who recommended the series before Christmas). One of the most striking elements of the tales, something that seeps into the reader's marrow, is the the difficulty of travel. A Royal Navy warship in 1805 was the absolute apotheosis of transportation, a high-tech marvel capable in good weather of covering as many as 200 nautical miles in 24 hours. The infrastructure required to enable this feat, the manpower, the effort is well nigh indescribable in 200 words (read O'Brian's books).
Now I regularly sit in an air-conditioned cocoon seven miles above the earth and make a journey in a single night that not long ago took six months or more, if you didn't die during the voyage.
Remarkable times.
Edited on Jan 21, 2011 at 8:28amAug '10
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
George Savage: I'm one third through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin historical novels, which follow a Royal Navy captain and his surgeon friend on their exploits during the Napoleonic Wars (hat tip to Ricochet's Professor Rahe, who recommended the series before Christmas). One of the most striking elements of the tales, something that seeps into the reader's marrow, is the the difficulty of travel. A Royal Navy warship in 1805 was the absolute apotheosis of transportation, a high-tech marvel capable in good weather of covering as many as 200 nautical miles in 24 hours. The infrastructure required to enable this feat, the manpower, the effort is well nigh indescribable in 200 words (read O'Brian's books).
Now I regularly sit in an air-conditioned cocoon seven miles above the earth and make a journey in a single night that not long ago took six months or more, if you didn't die during the voyage.
Remarkable times. · Jan 21 at 8:26am
Edited on Jan 21 at 08:28 am
Dr Savage,
Check this one out as well: http://www.amazon.com/Cochrane-Master-Commander-David-Cordingly/dp/1582345341
Safe journeys.
May '10
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
I don't know if that kind of media emphasis is such a bad thing. We design systems, small and large, human and mechanical, to work well so we don't have to spend time worrying about failure, death, and destruction. Then we can go on and spend our time doing something constructive.
When something does go wrong and people get hurt, it deserves our attention so we can mourn, comfort the stricken, and analyze what happened to see if there's a way to improve things. But it's important to keep it in perspective, which requires critical thinking and objective reporting by large numbers of journalists.
Ok, I see your point.
Edited on Jan 21, 2011 at 10:05amJan '11
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
For a while I was obsessed with watching "Air Crash Investigation" (episodes available on YouTube). Fascinating insights into how small human errors can result in tragedy.
I would not have otherwise come across this particular video - this alone has made my subscription worthwhile, so I'll renew next year. Thanks so much Claire!
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
Erik Larsen: For a while I was obsessed with watching "Air Crash Investigation" (episodes available on YouTube). Fascinating insights into how small human errors can result in tragedy.
I would not have otherwise come across this particular video - this alone has made my subscription worthwhile, so I'll renew next year. Thanks so much Claire! · Jan 21 at 10:14am
Oh, you're so welcome! I'm so glad that video delighted you as much as it did me. I watched it about a hundred times, by the way.
Jan '11
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
CB - it was only on my 101st viewing (I'm a bit slow) that I delighted in seeing the time of day/ sunlight, and flight activity
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
flownover
Dr Savage,
Check this one out as well: http://www.amazon.com/Cochrane-Master-Commander-David-Cordingly/dp/1582345341
Safe journeys. · Jan 21 at 9:20am
Thanks for the link. Fascinating character. I've added this one to my future reading stack.
May '10
Re: How the Media Completely Distorts Our Perpective
Just very awesome. And sadly, those at Ricochet are kind of self-selecting when it comes to appreciation. Do you think the average American, particularly, the average young American even thinks this is a little amazing? I hope so, but I wonder...