A fascinating conversation with Ketan Joshi, Climate Activist and Communicator.
It’s this really tense balance between the side that treats data as if it’s almost reality itself, it’s so accurate and precise, and empirical, that it’s almost like you’re holding the real world in your hand… on the other hand you have the overly sceptical side which is basically someone who has been burnt in the past, like they looked at the background and history of some data and found it was full of caveats. I wish everybody knew about the constantly evolving and shifting tension between those two extremes.
You often find yourself having to either defend or attack a piece of data because it’s been assumed to snap to one of those two extremes.
Can we all just accept that data is just as imperfect a way of describing reality as doing a drawing of someone?
Related
Published by Dr Linda McIver
Dr Linda McIver pioneered authentic Data Science and Computational Science education with real impact for secondary students and founded the Australian Data Science Education Institute in 2018. Author of Raising Heretics: Teaching Kids to Change the World, Linda is an inspiring keynote speaker who has appeared on the ABC’s panel program Q&A, and regularly delivers engaging Professional Development for Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Educators across all disciplines. A passionate educator, researcher and advocate for STEM, equity and inclusion, with a PhD in Computer Science Education and extensive teaching experience, Linda’s mission is to ensure that all Australian students have the opportunity to learn STEM and Data Science skills in the context of projects that empower them to solve problems and make a positive difference to the world.
View all posts by Dr Linda McIver
