Difference between revisions of "Class Journal Week 7"

Revision as of 05:13, 16 October 2015

Nicole Anguiano

1. Were you aware of the Duke case of research fraud before viewing this video? Were you aware of the Volkswagen case?
   • I was aware of the Duke case before viewing the video, as it was studied in the Bioinformatics class I took last year. I was also aware of the Volkswagen case, and have been closely following the news behind it.
2. What are your initial reactions to hearing about both of these?
   • My initial reaction to hearing about the Duke case was horror. The fact that the research was allowed to continue despite the number of issues that had been raised was both shocking and saddening to me. While it was deeply saddening that the ineffective treatment had potentially contributed to the deaths of some of the patients, it is also devastating that the patients were led to believe that this treatment was going to save them. The false hope given to those who were terminally ill, in many ways, is one of the most appalling parts of the entire situation.
   • TO DO
3. What role did data sharing play in uncovering both of these frauds?
   • TO DO
4. What additional information would you like to know about the Duke case in particular? (We will be visiting it again in subsequent weeks in the course.)
   • TO DO
5. How are these two cases similar and different from each other?
   • TO DO

Nanguiano (talk) 14:13, 13 October 2015 (PDT)

Lena Olufson

1. Were you aware of the Duke case of research fraud before viewing this video? Were you aware of the Volkswagen case?
   • I was not aware of the Duke case research fraud before viewing this video, but I am glad that I have been exposed to it because it is a very relevant and relatable issue in our current society that needs to be exposed to the public more. I had read about the Volkswagen case in the news about a week ago, but I did not know as many details about it as the article explained.
2. What are your initial reactions to hearing about both of these frauds?
   • I am very shocked that the Volkswagen case went undetected for so long. It is crazy to me that they were able to design a software for the cars in the first place that allowed a car to tell when it was being tested! This honestly kind of made my stomach turn a little because it shows how technology is starting to develop a mind of its own in a way since machines and other electronic devices are becoming ‘smarter’ and able to trick us as humans. It is also sad to me that companies would do these kinds of things just for money. Volkswagen’s actual emissions are absurd and are ruining the environment tremendously, and the leaders of the company were well aware of their actions. In a time where our planet is slowly starting falling apart and become unsustainable, it is scary and upsetting to learn about how the top companies in the world are trying to cheat their way out of helping Earth. In response to the Duke video, it is horrible that Potti would create such a false thing and then use it on humans. It is very unethical and it is so sad to hear about the stories of the patients who underwent the clinical trial and then found out that everything was a fraud. I am happy to know that there are people out there that are on the look out for cheating and fraud manipulation of data.
3. What role did data sharing play in uncovering both of these frauds?
   • Data sharing allowed the German and the United States labs to discover and expose the Volkswagen fraud. By analyzing the test data from the cars and looking over many years of data taken from the company, the analysts were able to spot the cheating and incorrect information given. This would not have been possible without data sharing since data sharing allows for people to gain access to data that would otherwise remain solitaire. Data sharing also aided the Duke case because it allowed the outside sources to access the specific files and data for the clinical trial and then they were able to analyze it very precisely. By sharing the data, the fakeness of the trial was exposed and brought to the attention of the public.
4. What additional information would you like to know about the Duke case in particular?
   • I would like to know more about how the people who detected the fraudulent data were able to figure out that it was fake. It would be interesting and cool to see the data files first hand and learn the ways they were able to prove that the cancer drug treatments were incorrect.
5. How are these two cases similar and different from each other?
   • The two cases are similar in the sense that they both dealt with data manipulation in order to achieve money. The Volkswagen company lied about the car emissions by a means of creating software that can detect when it is being tested. The Duke scam was a group of researchers and doctors who lied about the validity and accuracy of their software. Both cases were able to be called out and discovered by outside sources due to the sharing of data, however in both cases I would say it was a little too late before the fraud was discovered. Peoples’ lives were and are at stake in both cases and for this reason I think that the cases are very serious issues that need to be addressed and used as examples in our society in order to prevent further corruption in the technology world.

Lenaolufson (talk) 22:13, 15 October 2015 (PDT)