How to Read Smartphone Science News

Understanding inherent biases
is essential for building discernment
about what news is trustworthy

 

What smartphone user has not scrolled through news headlines when spare moments allow it? We all do. It’s important to know why you are seeing what’s on your phone’s news feed.

For one thing, sophisticated algorithms have been tracking you. Both Google News and Apple News are aware of your interests based on your habits: the headlines that you look at longer than usual, and especially the ones you open and read. If you read about Mars, for instance, you are likely to get more stories about the red planet. This is mostly due to their business model. Embedded in the stories you like, advertisers target the readers more likely to become customers, because Google and Apple make money by selling your information to businesses.

An AI engine (Leo, on the Brave browser), explains how smartphones deliver science articles:

Smartphones and the apps they host use various methods to select and deliver science news to users, often relying on algorithms that prioritize content based on user behavior and source credibility. For instance, Google News identifies major stories of the moment, including science news, by analyzing content across the web and selecting pieces based on factors like the prominence, freshness, and authoritativeness of the source. This system surfaces content that is widely reported by reputable publishers, ensuring users see significant science stories relevant to their region and language settings….

While these systems aim to deliver relevant and timely science news, concerns exist about the spread of misinformation. For example, some science news apps have been noted to include fake science news, highlighting the importance of source verification. Overall, the selection process is driven by a combination of algorithmic analysis, user preferences, and platform design, with the goal of maximizing engagement and relevance. [Bold added.]

Catchy headlines and graphics in smartphone science articles are carefully designed to attract the eyes with clickbait. That suits advertisers but may not be healthy for your mind.

Warning: Evolutionary Bias

Another thing to be aware of is that Google and Apple, like secular science sites on the internet, are strongly biased toward materialistic evolution and against creation and intelligent design. They have been sold the idea that all the smart scientists are Darwinists, so only sources that censor Darwin skeptics are considered “authoritative.” If you have indicated an interest in scientific fields, you are likely to get a steady stream of headlines from Big Science and Big Media asserting evolution over millions and billions of years.

Note: This bias has been going on long before smartphones were invented. Since the Scopes Trial, newspapers and bookstores always sided with Darwin and the moyboys in their “science” material. In his book Silencing the Darwin Skeptics, Jerry Bergman exposed the many ways that influencers in the culture promote the false dichotomy that ‘evolution is science’ and ‘creation is religion.’ For instance, bookstores are instructed to put pro-Darwin books in the Science section, and Intelligent Design books in the Religion section, even if the ID book is non-religious and was authored by a scientist with a PhD. This goes on in smartphone algorithms as well.

With this background, consumers must identify worldview bias, and learn to sift fact from philosophy. One key principle to keep in mind: if it is about observable, repeatable science, it’s probably good or at least neutral. If it is speculative, treat it like fiction till proven otherwise. If it involves politics, expect a liberal/progressive/leftist slant. If it’s about fossils, origins, or cosmology, expect a Darwinian tale involving millions and billionsss of yearzzzz. In every article, focus on the parts that involve observational evidence, if any.

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A Science News Sampler

Let’s look at some of the science headlines that showed up on the Editor’s Android phone today. Note: emojis are not meant to indicate that an article is 100% good, 50-50 neutral, or 100% baloney, but it tends to fall into one of those categories.

First device based on ‘optical thermodynamics’ can route light without switches. This article is about technology based on well-known physical laws that are finely tuned, and supports engineering (i.e., intelligent design) for human good.

NASA rover uncovers possibility of life on Mars. Any chance that NASA astrobiologists would conclude that life on Mars, if found, was created? You know the answer. They will claim that life emerged from the soil. (Just like the rover did?)

Scientists discovered Norway spruce needles in Finland contain gold nanoparticles… this finding could lead to greener gold exploration and metal recovery techniques. Good; an unexpected discovery with potential human benefits.

“Insane” – bizarre fish discovery flips long-standing assumption in evolutionary biology. Don’t be fooled. They’re not dumping evolutionary biology. They’re replacing one evolutionary story with another evolutionary story.

How the southern ocean controlled climate and carbon atmospheric carbon dioxide during the lukewarm interglacials. Every smartphone news item about climate is sure to push the consensus view of anthropogenic global warming. These ‘lukewarm interglacials’ they say were hundreds of thousands of Darwin Years ago.

Scientists find hidden brain damage behind dementia. Many headlines address Alzheimer’s disease, but unless and until a working treatment is discovered, much of it is clickbait about possibilities that won’t help anyone right now.

A fossil footprints (sic) might belong to the oldest spider ever to walk the earth. Evolution and 260 million unobserved Darwin Years. Skip it.

Generations of bearded vultures stashed humans’ treasures, including a 650-year-old sandal, in these bird nests. The story fits within recorded human history, so somewhat interesting FWIW.

Oceanic fish transitioned to freshwater multiple times, paleontologists say. Correction: evolutionary paleontologists say this. You’ll never see a response to this miracle story from a Darwin skeptic.

EPA moves to roll back drinking water standards. Embedded assumption: the old standards were better. Most “science” articles overlapping with politics are biased against conservatives. This one from Newsweek reeks of TDS.

Honey vs sugar: which is better for heart health and blood sugar? Probably OK, but realize that most health science gets overturned if you wait long enough.

Research shows Sierra Nevada glaciers, some dating back to the Ice Age, are melting rapidly and are projected to disappear by the end of the century due to climate change. Impossible to observe. Moyboy assumptions and climate consensus bias cloud this article.

Rare intersex spider among new species discovered in Thailand. A story with observations and some evolutionary assumptions. Why are they using the word intersex? The facts about this spider may be intriguing, but is there an ulterior motive to make intersex appear normal for humans? We are not spiders except for Spider-Man.

Why do women outlive men? A study of 1,176 species points to an answer. The question is interesting to us all, but the answer—you guessed it—is a Darwinian answer, with a just-so story about how longevity evolves.

Galaxies with high radio emissions could be home to many advanced civilizations. High perhapsimaybecouldness index. Let them come back when they find an advanced civilization, because astrobiology and SETI have a dismal track record of 100% failure. Do you see the evolutionary bias in the story, too? Advanced civilizations were not created; they must have evolved like we supposedly did.

Now that you have experience in baloney detecting science headlines on your smartphone, try it out on your own device. And beware: any articles you open will feed the algorithm to send you more articles like them loaded with ads.

Here are the stages of discernment when you read smartphone science news:

• • Freshman: Recognition of evolutionary bias somewhere in the headline or article.
  • Sophomore: Ability to detect the specific bias and filter it out, salvaging any worthwhile facts that remain.
  • Junior: Ability to write comments below the article or complain to Google or Apple about the bias.
  • Senior: All the previous, plus ability to express disappointment to the advertisers for supporting fake science.
  • Graduate school: Ability to become an influencer in the culture and to overcome evil with good.

The naive believes everything, but the sensible person considers his steps (Proverbs 14:15).