Nicholas Wade, New York Times; A Journal’s Statement May Aid a Harvard Researcher Accused of Misconduct:
"In a positive development for Marc Hauser, the Harvard researcher whom the university accused last year of eight charges of scientific misconduct, the journal Science said Monday that he had replicated an experiment he published in 2007."
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Treasures Pose Ethics Issues for Smithsonian; New York Times, 4/24/11
Kate Taylor, New York Times; Treasures Pose Ethics Issues for Smithsonian:
"Kimberly L. Faulk, a marine archeologist and vice chairwoman of the nongovernmental Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, said in an e-mail that by proceeding with the exhibition the Smithsonian — which is a research institution as well as a network of museums — would be violating its own set of professional ethics and promoting the looting of archaeological sites."
"Kimberly L. Faulk, a marine archeologist and vice chairwoman of the nongovernmental Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, said in an e-mail that by proceeding with the exhibition the Smithsonian — which is a research institution as well as a network of museums — would be violating its own set of professional ethics and promoting the looting of archaeological sites."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Pay Wall’s the Thing; New York Times, The Ethicist,4/22/11
Ariel Kaminer, New York Times, The Ethicist; The Pay Wall’s the Thing:
"I’m a 24-year-old freelance journalist who’s still somewhat dependent on my parents. And I’m on nytimes.com dozens of times a day. My parents are print subscribers and thus have access beyond the pay wall. Need I buy my own subscription? Also, if I buy online access, can I share the password with my live-in girlfriend, even if I move to New York for the summer? What about our other housemates? KEVIN CHARLES REDMON, MINNEAPOLIS"
"I’m a 24-year-old freelance journalist who’s still somewhat dependent on my parents. And I’m on nytimes.com dozens of times a day. My parents are print subscribers and thus have access beyond the pay wall. Need I buy my own subscription? Also, if I buy online access, can I share the password with my live-in girlfriend, even if I move to New York for the summer? What about our other housemates? KEVIN CHARLES REDMON, MINNEAPOLIS"
[Podcast] Greg Mortenson; CBS's 60 Minutes, 4/17/11
[Podcast] CBS's 60 Minutes; Greg Mortenson:
"He has written inspiring best sellers, including "Three Cups of Tea," but are the stories all true? Steve Kroft investigates."
"He has written inspiring best sellers, including "Three Cups of Tea," but are the stories all true? Steve Kroft investigates."
[Podcast] The Problem of Sock Puppets; OnTheMedia.org, 4/22/11
[Podcast] OnTheMedia.org; The Problem of Sock Puppets:
"This month, a user on the website Metafilter started a thread critiquing Dilbert creator Scott Adams. Other site regulars piled on, but one newly registered user mounted a strident defense of Adams. The new user reminded everyone that Scott Adams was a “multi-millionaire,” that Scott Adams possessed a “certified genius IQ” and that Scott Adams’s detractors were angry haters. Metafilter moderator Josh Millard talks to Brooke about what you do when a celebrity joins your website anonymously in order to attack his critics."
"This month, a user on the website Metafilter started a thread critiquing Dilbert creator Scott Adams. Other site regulars piled on, but one newly registered user mounted a strident defense of Adams. The new user reminded everyone that Scott Adams was a “multi-millionaire,” that Scott Adams possessed a “certified genius IQ” and that Scott Adams’s detractors were angry haters. Metafilter moderator Josh Millard talks to Brooke about what you do when a celebrity joins your website anonymously in order to attack his critics."
Stumbling Into Bad Behavior; New York Times, 4/20/11
Max H. Bazerman and Ann E. Tenbrunsel, New York Times; Stumbling Into Bad Behavior:
"Regulators, prosecutors and journalists tend to focus on corruption caused by willful actions or ignorance. But in our research, and in the work of other scholars who study the psychology of behavioral ethics, we have found that much unethical conduct that goes on, whether in social life or work life, happens because people are unconsciously fooling themselves. They overlook transgressions — bending a rule to help a colleague, overlooking information that might damage the reputation of a client — because it is in their interest to do so."
"Regulators, prosecutors and journalists tend to focus on corruption caused by willful actions or ignorance. But in our research, and in the work of other scholars who study the psychology of behavioral ethics, we have found that much unethical conduct that goes on, whether in social life or work life, happens because people are unconsciously fooling themselves. They overlook transgressions — bending a rule to help a colleague, overlooking information that might damage the reputation of a client — because it is in their interest to do so."
The Crash and Burn of an Autism Guru; New York Times, 4/20/11
Susan Dominus, New York Times; The Crash and Burn of an Autism Guru:
"In Britain, the General Medical Council revoked Wakefield’s medical license after a lengthy hearing, citing numerous ethical violations that tainted his work, like failing to disclose financing from lawyers who were mounting a case against vaccine manufacturers. The Lancet, which published the original Wakefield paper, retracted it. In a series that ran early this year, The British Medical Journal concluded that the research was not just unethically financed but also “fraudulent” (that timelines were misrepresented, for example, to suggest direct culpability of the vaccine)."
"In Britain, the General Medical Council revoked Wakefield’s medical license after a lengthy hearing, citing numerous ethical violations that tainted his work, like failing to disclose financing from lawyers who were mounting a case against vaccine manufacturers. The Lancet, which published the original Wakefield paper, retracted it. In a series that ran early this year, The British Medical Journal concluded that the research was not just unethically financed but also “fraudulent” (that timelines were misrepresented, for example, to suggest direct culpability of the vaccine)."
Roommate Faces Hate-Crime Charges in Rutgers Case; New York Times, 4/20/11
Lisa W. Foderaro, New York Times; Roommate Faces Hate-Crime Charges in Rutgers Case:
"A New Jersey grand jury on Wednesday indicted the roommate of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University freshman who killed himself in September, on hate-crime charges in using a webcam to stream Mr. Clementi’s romantic encounter with another man on the Internet in the days before the suicide."
"A New Jersey grand jury on Wednesday indicted the roommate of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University freshman who killed himself in September, on hate-crime charges in using a webcam to stream Mr. Clementi’s romantic encounter with another man on the Internet in the days before the suicide."
Busy Job of Judging Video-Game Content to Be Ceded to Machines; New York Times, 4/17/11
Seth Schiesel, New York Times; Busy Job of Judging Video-Game Content to Be Ceded to Machines:
"Starting on Monday the ratings board plans to begin introducing computers to the job of deciding whether a game is appropriate for Everyone, for Teens or for Mature gamers (meaning older than 16). To do this the organization has written a program designed to replicate the ingrained cultural norms and predilections of the everyday American consumer, at least when it comes to what is appropriate for children and what isn’t."
"Starting on Monday the ratings board plans to begin introducing computers to the job of deciding whether a game is appropriate for Everyone, for Teens or for Mature gamers (meaning older than 16). To do this the organization has written a program designed to replicate the ingrained cultural norms and predilections of the everyday American consumer, at least when it comes to what is appropriate for children and what isn’t."
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Nevada senator Ensign resigns under ethics cloud; Reuters, 4/21/11
JoAnne Allen, Reuters; Nevada senator Ensign resigns under ethics cloud:
"Nevada Republican John Ensign, who admitted having an extramarital affair with a campaign staff member, said on Thursday that he would resign from the Senate on May 3."
"Nevada Republican John Ensign, who admitted having an extramarital affair with a campaign staff member, said on Thursday that he would resign from the Senate on May 3."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sandra Day O'Connor Faulted By Critics On Ethics; Associated Press via HuffingtonPost.com, 4/10/11
Mark Sherman, Associated Press via HuffingtonPost.com; Sandra Day O'Connor Faulted By Critics On Ethics:
"Hellman, the Pittsburgh ethics expert, said he finds the court reception particularly troubling because "we're talking about political activity. It's a lobbying effort and she is lending her considerable prestige to that effort."
Another ethics professor, Stephen Gillers of New York University, said that if the speeches were not about advocacy, then the event itself probably does not pose an ethical problem for O'Connor. On the other hand, Gillers said it is possible O'Connor would have to step aside from any appellate case involving the groups that sponsored the reception...
Supreme Court justices are not covered by the ethics rules that apply to all federal judges. Still, justices generally adhere to those rules, Hellman said."
"Hellman, the Pittsburgh ethics expert, said he finds the court reception particularly troubling because "we're talking about political activity. It's a lobbying effort and she is lending her considerable prestige to that effort."
Another ethics professor, Stephen Gillers of New York University, said that if the speeches were not about advocacy, then the event itself probably does not pose an ethical problem for O'Connor. On the other hand, Gillers said it is possible O'Connor would have to step aside from any appellate case involving the groups that sponsored the reception...
Supreme Court justices are not covered by the ethics rules that apply to all federal judges. Still, justices generally adhere to those rules, Hellman said."
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch 'urged Gordon Brown' to halt Labour attacks; Guardian, 4/9/11
Toby Helm and James Robinson, Guardian; Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch 'urged Gordon Brown' to halt Labour attacks:
"Rupert Murdoch used his political influence and contacts at the highest levels to try to get Labour MPs and peers to back away from investigations into phone hacking at the News of the World, a former minister in Gordon Brown's government has told the Observer."
"Rupert Murdoch used his political influence and contacts at the highest levels to try to get Labour MPs and peers to back away from investigations into phone hacking at the News of the World, a former minister in Gordon Brown's government has told the Observer."
Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It’s Your Facebook Wall; New York Times, 4/9/11
Jenna Wortham, New York Times; Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It’s Your Facebook Wall:
"My problem is emblematic of the digital era. It’s known as FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” and refers to the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram...
SHERRY TURKLE, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of “Alone Together,” says that as technology becomes ever more pervasive, our relationship to it becomes more intimate, granting it the power to influence decisions, moods and emotions...
We are struggling with the always-on feeling of connection that the Internet can provide, she said, and we still need to figure out how to limit its influence on our lives. I asked Professor Turkle what people could do to deal with this stress-inducing quandary. She said she would tell herself to “get a grip and separate myself from my iPhone.”"
"My problem is emblematic of the digital era. It’s known as FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” and refers to the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram...
SHERRY TURKLE, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of “Alone Together,” says that as technology becomes ever more pervasive, our relationship to it becomes more intimate, granting it the power to influence decisions, moods and emotions...
We are struggling with the always-on feeling of connection that the Internet can provide, she said, and we still need to figure out how to limit its influence on our lives. I asked Professor Turkle what people could do to deal with this stress-inducing quandary. She said she would tell herself to “get a grip and separate myself from my iPhone.”"
Erasing the Digital Past; New York Times, 4/1/11
Nick Bilton, New York Times; Erasing the Digital Past:
"The company he used, Reputation.com, is among a growing corps of online reputation managers that promise to make clients look better online. In an age when a person’s reputation is increasingly defined by Google, Facebook and Twitter, these services offer what is essentially an online makeover, improving how someone appears on the Internet, usually by spotlighting flattering features and concealing negative ones.
“The Internet has become the go-to resources to destroy someone’s life online, which in turn means their offline life gets turned upside, too,” said Michael Fertik, the chief executive of Reputation.com, which is in Redwood City, Calif., and is among the largest in this field. “We’ve reached a point where the Internet has become so complicated, vast and fast-paced, that people can’t control it by themselves anymore. They now need an army of technologists to back them up online.”"
"The company he used, Reputation.com, is among a growing corps of online reputation managers that promise to make clients look better online. In an age when a person’s reputation is increasingly defined by Google, Facebook and Twitter, these services offer what is essentially an online makeover, improving how someone appears on the Internet, usually by spotlighting flattering features and concealing negative ones.
“The Internet has become the go-to resources to destroy someone’s life online, which in turn means their offline life gets turned upside, too,” said Michael Fertik, the chief executive of Reputation.com, which is in Redwood City, Calif., and is among the largest in this field. “We’ve reached a point where the Internet has become so complicated, vast and fast-paced, that people can’t control it by themselves anymore. They now need an army of technologists to back them up online.”"
Saturday, April 9, 2011
British Tabloid Accepts Blame in Cell Hacking; New York Times, 4/8/11
Sarah Lyall, New York Times; British Tabloid Accepts Blame in Cell Hacking:
"Faced with a cascade of lawsuits and a widening police investigation into illegal hacking of phone messages by the News of the World tabloid, its parent company on Friday publicly admitted wrongdoing, apologized and offered to pay damages to some of the people who are alleged to be victims of the paper."
"Faced with a cascade of lawsuits and a widening police investigation into illegal hacking of phone messages by the News of the World tabloid, its parent company on Friday publicly admitted wrongdoing, apologized and offered to pay damages to some of the people who are alleged to be victims of the paper."
Author’s Heirs Uncensor a Classic War Novel; New York Times, 4/4/11
Julie Bosman, New York Times; Author’s Heirs Uncensor a Classic War Novel:
"When the classic novel “From Here to Eternity” was published in 1951, a few things were gone that had been in the original manuscript: explicit mentions of gay sex and a number of four-letter words...
Sixty years later Mr. Jones’s estate has made a deal to reissue a digital version of the book that restores those cuts. The book is still in print."
"When the classic novel “From Here to Eternity” was published in 1951, a few things were gone that had been in the original manuscript: explicit mentions of gay sex and a number of four-letter words...
Sixty years later Mr. Jones’s estate has made a deal to reissue a digital version of the book that restores those cuts. The book is still in print."
Dark Past in Balkan War Intrudes on New Life; New York Times, 4/3/11
Malcolm Gay, New York Times; Dark Past in Balkan War Intrudes on New Life:
"“Anything she done, it was army connected,” said Ms. Loman, who said she believed that her friend was a fundamentally good person whom the horrors of war had forced to make impossible moral choices...
“I don’t think she’s guilty of anything but being a human being,” said Eli Vires, a neighbor. “They should just let her out of jail and be done with it.”...
“I was always taught an eye for an eye, but this woman is whacked,” said Ms. King, who has never met Ms. Basic but who like so many others in town has followed the case closely."
"“Anything she done, it was army connected,” said Ms. Loman, who said she believed that her friend was a fundamentally good person whom the horrors of war had forced to make impossible moral choices...
“I don’t think she’s guilty of anything but being a human being,” said Eli Vires, a neighbor. “They should just let her out of jail and be done with it.”...
“I was always taught an eye for an eye, but this woman is whacked,” said Ms. King, who has never met Ms. Basic but who like so many others in town has followed the case closely."
Meet the New Ethicist; New York Times, 3/11/11
Ariel Kaminer, New York Times; Meet the New Ethicist:
"I wasn’t hired because I am a paragon of ethics or a role model, but because the editors hoped I might be able to help lead an open, ongoing conversation about these issues. I hope you’ll stay tuned and that you will let me know your thoughts as we proceed.
Now tell me: how would you describe your personal approach to ethics?"
"I wasn’t hired because I am a paragon of ethics or a role model, but because the editors hoped I might be able to help lead an open, ongoing conversation about these issues. I hope you’ll stay tuned and that you will let me know your thoughts as we proceed.
Now tell me: how would you describe your personal approach to ethics?"
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Paterson Teacher Suspended Over a Post on Facebook; New York Times, 4/1/11
Winnie Hu, New York Times; Paterson Teacher Suspended Over a Post on Facebook:
"Jonathan Zimmerman, a New York University history professor who has written about education, said teachers, like other professionals, had responsibilities. He compared the episodes to a doctor talking loudly about cases on a crowded train. “It seems to me with professional responsibility comes a duty to exercise discretion,” he said."
"Jonathan Zimmerman, a New York University history professor who has written about education, said teachers, like other professionals, had responsibilities. He compared the episodes to a doctor talking loudly about cases on a crowded train. “It seems to me with professional responsibility comes a duty to exercise discretion,” he said."
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