VOA -- CONNECT
Episode 15
[AIR DATE: 04 27 2018]
[TRANSCRIPT]
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Hi Tech Health
((SOT))
How do we help someone at the first sign or symptom that they’re getting ill. How do we help them respond?? You grab a thermometer.
(Animation Transition)
((Banner))
Hi Tech Girls
((SOT))
There is fewer people, especially women, majoring in computer science in college now than there were 30 years ago.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Old Fashioned Vanitya
((SOT))
People have been obsessed with self-imagery, and taking their pictures, or drawing themselves, since people began drawing on cave walls.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((Banner: Always Learning))
((PKG)) FAKE NEWS CHECKOLOGY
((Banner: Spot the Fake News))
((Reporter: Deborah Block))
((Camera: Mike Burke, Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: United States / Virginia / Arlington))
((NATS))
How are You? What's the big deal about people being misinformed?
((ALAN MILLER, FOUNDER, NEWS LITERACY PROJECT))
I've really been struck by how students tend to see all information as created equal. If they're younger, they may think that if somebody put it on the Internet, they've verified it and it's all true. And they're inclined to believe it and to share it. By the time they're in high school, they're often more cynical and they may feel that it's all equally driven by bias, by agenda. What's missing is that critical thinking skill to know what to do with all of that information.
((PATRICIA HUNT, TEACHER, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
The activities in checkology and the kind of questioning that I engage with the students in, it’s skeptical. So, the students come in with a real healthy skepticism. So, instead of cynicism, its skepticism and they are questioning, and they want to know who are the sources, and where do they come from, and what might be their agenda?
((SIHIN YIBRAH, STUDENT, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
I learned about fact checking and ways to find false news, you know, by headlines and seeing if there are publishers.
((PATRICIA HUNT, TEACHER, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
I don’t think that the government should, you know, ban fake news like they did in Malaysia. I’m more inclined to think that students need to be taught and that that could be mandated, that that could be a requirement. In order for our democracy to survive, students need to be well informed. And today, students are bombarded with information, and they are also bombarded with so-called news, fake news, viral rumors and misinformation. So, it’s critical that students are able to distinguish between fake news and real news and misinformation and balanced sources and quality journalism.
((AMORY GANT, STUDENT, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
Now I know how to decipher what's real, and what's fake, and what to look for.
((ALAN MILLER, FOUNDER, NEWS LITERACY PROJECT))
What we want the students to take away is the ability to assess the credibility of all news and information they encounter.
((KEVIN FLORIMON, STUDENT, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
I think I will be able to, kind of, go through news a lot better. I’ll be able to, kind of, rest easier knowing that I'm not going to be tricked as easily.
((PATRICIA HUNT, TEACHER, WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL))
What used to take me hours and weeks and months to create is now in front of me and the students have access to it. It’s interactive. It’s engaging. It’s timely and it’s super important. The most important thing that I want them to get out of the class is to recognize the importance of citizenship and choosing to participate.
((ANIMATION W/ GFX, CAPTIONS))
EXPLAINER: FAKE NEWS
It’s easy to post fake news.
What’s worse: We’re not very good at spotting it.
It takes effort to detect a bogus post.
Warning signs for misinformation:
Untrustworthy source:
Deceitful web sites often look legitimate, sometimes making small changes to the URL of a legitimate news organization.
Appeal to political bias:
We are inclined to believe statements that confirm our own beliefs and discount statements that don’t.
Be suspicious when a story says what you want to hear.
Are they kidding?
Satire and humor are not always obvious.
Check other stories on a suspicious site.
Experts recommend the use of fact checking websites.
FactCheck.org
Snopes.com
Politifact.com
Many viral postings have already been confirmed or debunked.
((PKG)) URBAN MILLENNIAL FARM SCHOOL
((Banner: Learning about the Land))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: United States / Virginia / Loudon County))
((DOUG FABBIOLI, NEW AG SCHOOL))
So we got asparagus that we are growing, golden raspberries, black currants, red currants, gooseberries. We’re looking to find those that may want to be farmers in the future, those that are leaders that can help raise this up and also those that will be mentors to teach new people how to do this down the road. The AG School is really about growing farmers.
((LIAM MARSHALL BROWN, STUDENT, NEW AG SCHOOL))
It’s fun. I enjoy learning that stuff. I love being outside. I did an internship where I was inside a lot and I liked it, but I like being outside more.
((OLGA GOADALUPE ALFOSECA, STUDENT, NEW AG SCHOOL))
I learned a lot of stuff like (planting) hops, raspberries.
((DOUG FABBIOLI, NEW AG SCHOOL))
As far as what exactly I want to do, I’m just going to smooth it out. So, you want the roots from the plant down here.
Okay, so it’s important to see the difference.
Okay, so you’ve got these new shoots, right?
((OLGA GOADALUPE ALFOSECA, STUDENT, NEW AG SCHOOL))
We left just three?
((DOUG FABBIOLI, NEW AG SCHOOL))
But, if we sell the shoots that we don’t keep, that’s more money.
((DOUG FABBIOLI, NEW AG SCHOOL))
It involves some module work where we have a book with, it’s online as well. But we have it with the different steps, the basic steps and the skills to learn in order to plant things and grow things. Use the different pieces of equipment, how to clean and sanitize things and hospitality and how to be good for sales and good for your customers. We’re really trying to hit a lot of different aspects. Okay, so put some fuel in there and let’s see if we can get it started.
((MEAGHAN TARDIF, MENTOR, NEW AG SCHOOL))
As you can see, it is going up. I’m Meagan Tardif. I make the wine. My favorite part about being a mentor is I always give the student a chance to teach someone else. Leadership is everywhere. It’s not just in the work. It’s not with just your employees, but it helps you throughout your life.
((LIAM MARSHALL BROWN, STUDENT, NEW AG SCHOOL))
Hopefully I’ll get there and I’ll be running my own farm one day and having people work under me.
((DOUG FABBIOLI, NEW AG SCHOOL))
We are actually one of the richest counties in the nation. But the goal for folks in Loudoun, on a state level or on a community level, is to save the land, is to save the green space in western Loudoun. And we can do that by farming, but we need more farmers.
((PKG)) TECH AND GIRLS
((Banner: Bridging a Gap))
((Reporter/Camera: Elizabeth Lee))
((Map: United States / California / Los Angeles))
((NATS))
((CAITLYN CLABAUGH, PhD CANDIDATE, USC COMPUTER SCIENCE))
I’m Caitlyn Clabaugh. So, I’m studying computer science. I’m in the computer science department here, but my research is focused on machine learning applied to human robot interaction. For me, I really didn’t do computer science until I got into undergrad and I did it to avoid a math class. I was a Fine Arts major. I was not planning on doing this at all. When there is a clear application to a real human usage, it, sort of, bridged the gap for me. I was interested in the arts. I was interested in all these things and then I found that I could create with computer science.
((NATS))
This is KIWI. KIWI is a socially assistive robot. Currently the application that I’m focused on is children with autism spectrum disorder. So, KIWI has been deployed in multiple homes right now with children with ASD and it’s helping them do math exercises as well as recognize human emotions. Definitely focusing on special needs is very special to me. I’ve, like, struggled with dyslexia my entire life.
((NATS))
((KATIE MILLS, MANAGES USC ROBOTICS OPEN HOUSE))
Girls have different motivations, and they want to know that robots are helping society. You know that there’s fewer people, especially women, majoring in computer science in college now than there were 30 years ago. And there’re so many jobs, there are so many colleges that are searching for people to study computer science. I think that the message hasn’t been how robots and computers can benefit society and there was just that stereotype that it’s just a bunch of hackers in a dark room.
We have a really clear goal for the robotics open house and that is to excite students, teachers and families. To let them see the labs where the research and robotics is going on, this is going to be the stuff that’s going to be important in five or 10 years. And we feel that if the kids could actually see the robots, hear the PhD students and the faculty members talk about what their research is and why it’s important, how robots benefit society. We see through experience that the kids get really excited, then they go back to their classrooms and they go back to their homes more motivated to learn about coding, maybe do some robotics on their own or join an afterschool robotics club.
((HAYLIEE TAT, LOVES ROBOTS))
Personally, I have been in robotics and my team is Robogirls. To me, this is a great way to meet new people, learn more, and just have your creativity flow out.
((KATIE MILLS, MANAGES USC ROBOTICS OPEN HOUSE))
My whole job is to do STEM outreach to underprivileged minorities, underrepresented minorities. This is just one day out of the year. The other 364 days of the year, I’m working in local schools. It is super important to reach out to the schools that are under-resourced. They don’t, maybe, have enough robotics equipment or, maybe, they have teachers that are a little uncomfortable teaching computer science. We have some resources to help them learn and teach.
((HAYLIEE TAT, LOVES ROBOTS))
It’s like a fire. If you light a spark, it will go on forever.
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up….
((Banner))
Hi Tech Tracking
((SOT))
You grab a thermometer. That’s the only product that exists to confirm illness. Let’s turn a thermometer into a communication device.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((Banner: Technology and Health))
((PKG)) SMART THERMOMETER
((Banner: A Smart Thermometer))
((Reporter: Michelle Quinn))
((Camera: Deana Mitchell))
((Map: United States / California / San Francisco))
((NATS))
Now, open. Good
((INDER SINGH, CEO, KINSA))
How do we help someone at the first sign or symptom that they’re getting ill. How do we help them respond? You grab a thermometer. That’s the only product that exists to confirm illness. Let’s turn a thermometer into a communication device.
((NITA NEHRU, SPOKESPERSON, KINSA))
Imagine that it is the middle of the night and I am fast asleep in bed when my three year old daughter Anya comes into the room charging and she is wailing. The first thing I do is take out my Kinsa thermometer and I take her temperature. She didn’t have a fever today, but in the case that she does have a fever, can someone give you a little bit of guidance? This is actually a real school group where you can see that several children are sick and that there’s flu or strep throat going around. So, I’m a little bit more concerned and I take my child to the doctor the next day.
((SARAH PILEWSKI, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, KINSA))
If you are a business that is in the healthcare service industry or perhaps you are selling remedies for those that are falling ill, it can help me understand where I need to stock shelves.
((INDER SINGH, CEO, KINSA))
You can aggregate that up and give it to businesses. There’s a number of cough cold companies, disinfectant companies. Orange juice sales spike in the context of illness. Toothbrushes are most often purchased after an illness, a new toothbrush. They want to know when and where illness is striking on a general geolocation basis because they can do digital marketing because they can do inventory planning.
((SARAH PILEWSKI, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, KINSA))
Pulling in the real time illness information across the United States, you see the same plain states at the top of the list, but the Southeast is actually an area to watch. That’s where we’re seeing the greatest pace of change.
((NATS))
You want to play bubbles?
((INDER SINGH, CEO, KINSA))
So, we’ve got over a million users out there, spread across about 500 thousand households. We get about 25 thousand temperature readings per day and that allows us to know where and when an illness is spreading faster and more accurately than pretty much anyone out there.
((PKG)) CANCER DETECTING PEN
((Banner: A Cancer Detecting Pen))
((Reporter/Camera: Elizabeth Lee))
((Map: United States / Texas / Austin))
((AYDIN ZAHEDIVASH, CO-CREATER OF MASSPEC PEN))
So the MassSpec Pen can detect cancer really rapidly during surgery. Usually this process will take about anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour and that process usually will involve taking out some of the tissue which means cutting it from a patient. Our technology can detect cancer inside of a tissue without cutting it or altering it. It just takes a little bit of the fluid and within 20 seconds you have a diagnosis.
((UT Animation of how it works))
((Courtesy: “The University of Texas))
The least amount of harmful substances you use in a person the better, and we figured out that water works just fine. So the way it works is, It drops a tiny bit of water onto the tissue and with a really controlled set of valves, it will take the tissue back to the mass spectrometer machine and then from there, it will analyze the molecules inside the fluid and give you a diagnosis.
((UT photo of surgeon testing a piece tissue))
We’ve done testing on human tissues that have been taken out
((End Courtesy))
of patients and those have shown 96% accuracy detecting cancer from non-cancer. It’s a multi-disciplinary team between chemists, engineers and clinical faculty, and between the start of the idea and now it’s been about two and a half years, and since then we’ve 3-D printed all of the prototyping which allowed us to rapidly develop a design that works.
We’ll be testing the device…..
((UT photo of surgery))
((Courtesy: “The University of Texas))
…..in surgery at three different places.
((End Courtesy))
One over here at UT Austin at the Dell Medical school, at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and at the
((Animation of OR))
((Courtesy: “The University of Texas))
Baylor College of Medicine also in Houston, Texas.
Well, it’s a game changer because…..
((End Courtesy))
…..I was doing a case the other day with a surgeon and we had to wait an additional two hours because the current method takes that long. Being able to have this answer cancer or not will…..
((UT photo of OR))
((Courtesy: “The University of Texas))
…..really change how long someone has to stay in surgery and it will save people time because you get more of the cancer out the first time.
((End Courtesy))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up….
((Banner))
Self Self Self
((SOT))
People have been obsessed with self-imagery, and taking their pictures, or drawing themselves, since people began drawing on cave walls.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((Banner: Celebrating Self))
((PKG)) SELFIE MUSEUM
((Banner: Selfie Museum))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Mariah Espada))
((Map: United States / California / Los Angeles))
((TOMMY HONTON, CO-FOUNDER, THE SELFIE MUSEUM))
Selfies are not new. People like to say they’re new. Paris Hilton likes to claim she invented them. And while she may have made them more famous, they’re definitely not new. People have been obsessed with self-imagery, and taking their pictures, or drawing themselves, since people began drawing on cave walls. People have been drawing human figures. People have vanity, they have pride, they have excitement they want to share. Why do you get a portrait done? People like to get high school graduation portraits in the U.S. Why not compare that to the Mona Lisa? What’s the difference? If cameras existed back in the Renaissance, you can be sure people would have taken photos, and selfies.
((SARA STANZLER, MUSEUM VISITOR))
To me, I see pictures as capturing memories, and selfies are very convenient, because you can see how the picture is going to look, before, while it’s being taken.
((TOMMY HONTON, CO-FOUNDER, THE SELFIE MUSEUM))
The modern selfie is an image that you can take very easily. I can take a phone out of my pocket right now and capture a selfie in two seconds, whereas I have to sit for a portrait for many hours and days.
((CINTHYA CARMONA, ACTRESS))
And it’s also very fun see you take 70 pictures of yourself to pick that perfect one, because I know we all do it. I definitely do it, and when I find that perfect one, it always makes me really happy.
((FEDORA THE EXPLORER))
I think that through a selfie, you can learn to love your imperfections. It’s looking in a mirror. So, when I take a selfie sometimes, it’s not about the world. It’s about me, it’s about what I want to portray, and how I want to portray myself, and loving myself and my flaws and my imperfections.
((TOMMY HONTON, CO-FOUNDER, THE SELFIE MUSEUM))
You want to capture yourself in a very powerful moment. You’re young, you’re attractive, you want to capture that moment of who you are. But in reality too, you can capture a moment as well. You’re running a marathon, for example. And you cross the finish line. And after running 26 miles, you might feel proud of that accomplishment. You want to capture that exact moment, you run that finish line and cross over it. That’s powerful. You want to capture the joy of being with someone. You want to capture a very spontaneous powerful moment. You can do that now very quickly. And a selfie can represent that too. Yes, there’s pride. Yes, there’s vanity and narcissism. But sometimes you just want to capture a very cool experience and want to share with someone. What’s wrong with that?
((FEDORA THE EXPLORER))
The border is understanding that the people you see on Instagram, which is where the selfie, I guess, became popular. They’re not, it’s not real. It’s an image that you’re portraying. And, I think, we would do well to remind ourselves that that is what’s taking place. I think we know it but we forget it. And, I think, it’s important to draw the line between reality and social media. Because essentially social media is fantasy. People can put on whatever costume, makeup they choose to. Doesn’t make it authentic. It’s about authenticity, so you know, I think, that we have to remind ourselves.
((PKG)) WEDDING MOVIES
((Banner: Sharing the Love))
((Reporter/Camera: Tina Trinh))
((Adapted by: Bronwyn Benito))
((Map: United States / New York / New York))
((ANIMATION W/ GFX, CAPTIONS, PHOTOS))
EXPLAINER: WEDDING MOVIES
US couples spend an average of $33,391 on their weddings
with $1,912 on the videographer
Some couples spend a little more
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
Love Stories TV is the first and only platform for watching and sharing real wedding videos.
((NATS))
With seven billion people on the planet, you two found each other. It was a miracle.
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
We have thousands of wedding films from all over the world and they’ve all been contributed by newlyweds or filmmakers.
((JENNIFER THOMPSON, US Headquarters Director, NST PICTURES))
I’m the U.S. headquarters director for NST Pictures. We’ve been submitting videos since the beginning of Love Stories TV.
It’s really a great place to put our version of what a wedding story looks like out there.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
They’re cinematic. They look like feature film trailers, produced with cutting edge equipment. After my wedding, I immediately regretted not having a wedding video. I could remember the feeling of the day, but it goes by so quickly. It’s about the love story. Inevitably in a wedding film, it comes up how you met, how you fell in love. During your vows you say what you love most about each other.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
We want to feature all of the love stories. We have Muslim weddings that are bohemian-style. We have Italian weddings that are a gay couple. We have Jewish weddings in barns. We have every kind of combination you could ever think of, from all over the world. We have over 61 countries represented. The language doesn’t even matter. You just want to see, like, how do people arrange their day? How do people wear their hair? That is agnostic to country. That is agnostic to location.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
We have every wedding budget, shape, size, religion, culture, gender. And we think that’s really important, and it’s a lot of what’s driving our success. Because people come to us and they say, I’m Sri Lankan, and I’m planning a wedding in California, and I couldn’t find any brides or grooms that looked like me on some of the other wedding platforms. And that’s really powerful.
((NATS))
((JENNIFER THOMPSON, US Headquarters Director, NST PICTURES))
Those real moments that you had are authentic, and are what makes that film great, and made that day great.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
Different filmmakers have different styles.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
You walk away with just this overwhelming sense of joy and an interest in other people and their family.
((NATS))
You mentioned that you didn't like sushi, and I remember it always.
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
You’re watching these films like you watch reality television.
((NATS))
You told me later, the first time I met her, I knew she was the one. That’s the truth.
((JENNIFER THOMPSON, US Headquarters Director, NST PICTURES))
We really want it to feel natural when a client watches their film back. We’re looking for soft, beautiful movement to our images, great angles.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
People really care about experiences. And that’s why people are paying for a wedding film.
((NATS))
In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health…..
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
They’re saying what I actually care about is 10, 20, 30 years from now, my family being able to re-watch my wedding film with me.
((NATS))
((RACHEL JO SILVER, FOUNDER, LOVE STORIES TV))
When people exchange vows and talk about why they’re getting married and why they love each other, that’s what you walk away remembering. These videos are changing the way people think about weddings and about love. Bringing the joy back.
CLOSING ((ANIM))
(Join) Facebook, (Follow) Twitter, (Watch) YouTube
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
