20-April-10 HMW: Mathematical Knowledge

1. How might the misleading information slant a reader's perspective (if the reader is not careful)? http://googleearthdesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/misleading-graph-bbc-on-house-prices.html//////// The misleading information is a very subtle tactic or mistake concocted by BBC. The simple, yet devious change of size would have definitely been crafted to make the searing information slightly less dreadful. However the significance is minimal (from what I assumed), because the downfall is very sharp anyways. If the news station deliberately intended to mislead readers, they may have had harmless intentions to regain the hopes of the nation.
2. Why might someone want to slant information on purpose? As the smartest living creatures on Earth with a fathomless emotional capacity, humans have an expansive inherent drive, mainly the desire for success, love, truth, and pleasure. With these compelling emotions, humans have many reasons why they would deceive others to gain what they want; drives such as purely capitalist motives or even purely self-empowering intentions.
3. What can you do to protect yourself from purposeful (agenda-driven) misinformation?The most one can do is be fully aware of the different techniques that people can utilize to promote indirect propagandas. Through online exercises, one can learn to view graphs in a more adept and alert manner. Other techniques that one can follow, is rationally questioning the motives of politicians; instead of being gullible and pervious to all persuasions. These skills of identifying propagandas are typically inborn or learned through maturation, however after thoroughly reading hints on defending oneself from agenda-driven information, one can learn to be less oblivious.