Beltway Science Scientists talking policy

If ever there was an issue where there is more heat than light, it’s gun violence in the United States. Emotion is great, but it should fuel our desire to get the data right, and draw evidence-based conclusions. On the other hand, if no one is convinced by more or better data, how should we use it? How precise do you really need to be convinced there's a problem?

Ben Zalisko is on the sound board for this episode, but can't help pouncing on Asa's asteroid chatter. Sit down, Ben...

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Participants:
Dr. Laura Van Berkle, @Laura_VanBerkel
Dr. Asa Rubin, @asarubin2
Dr. Sujata Emani, @SassySujE
Dr. Ben Issacoff, @bpisaacoff

NPR story about the Department of Education’s faulty data:
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/08/27/640323347/the-school-shootings-that-werent

Secret Service “Mass Attack” report: https://www.secretservice.gov/forms/USSS_NTAC-Mass_Attacks_in_Public_Spaces-2017.pdf

Gun Violence Archive
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/charts-and-maps

Gun Violence Statistics - National Institutes of Justice
https://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/gun-violence/pages/welcome.aspx

American Psychological Association Report on Gun Violence
https://www.apa.org/pubs/info/reports/gun-violence-prevention

2009 NIJ Report on School Shootings
https://www.nij.gov/journals/262/pages/critical-incidents-in-schools.aspx

National Criminal Justice Reference Service Report (2018) https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2018/info_flyers/fact_sheets/2018NCVRW_MassCasualty_508_QC.pdf

Pub Chatter:

Info about Ben’s NASA budget story https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/6/7/18656865/trump-moon-mars-tweet-artemis-whaaa

Asa’s asteroid chatter: https://www.livescience.com/65703-asteroid-psyche-probe-iron-mission.html

Sujata’s chatter about the first South-Asian American to preside over the House: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/446898-pramila-jayapal-becomes-first-south-asian-american-woman-to-preside-over-house

Laura’s arctic chatter: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/science/arctic-sea-ice-expedition-to-study-climate-change/?utm_term=.f32897d4a9bb&noredirect=on

Artificial Intelligence is a futuristic fantasy that's been around for decades. It is a banal technology with extraordinary results. It will eliminate and create jobs... probably, maybe, definitely not really. For chatter, mother nature is viscous, but you can always escape to a McDonalds embassy. BenZ can't resist talking T Rex.

Ben Isaacoff's take on the AI national strategy: http://spie.org/news/national-strategy-for-ai?SSO=1

Check out this old video of Ben Zalisko talking about Sue at the Field Museum: https://youtu.be/WhqBXSWuNr8

Participants:
Dr. Ben Issacoff, @bpisaacoff
Dr. Ben Zalisko, @benzalisko
Dr. Laura Van Berkle, @Laura_VanBerkel
Dr. Asa Rubin, @asarubin2