0:00:09.242,0:00:13.662
In 2013, riding the wave[br]of Google Flu Trends,

0:00:13.663,0:00:15.510
our research group found

0:00:15.511,0:00:20.421
that Google search queries from Thailand[br]could actually be predictive

0:00:20.422,0:00:24.572
of the number of cases[br]of malaria in Thailand.

0:00:25.422,0:00:28.492
But what would happen[br]when we looked a little bit closer

0:00:28.493,0:00:30.881
is we found that some of the key queries

0:00:30.882,0:00:34.912
that were matching what happened[br]in terms of the number of cases,

0:00:34.913,0:00:39.464
actually had to do with[br]microscopes and not malaria.

0:00:39.766,0:00:43.376
People were searching about[br]the function of a microscope

0:00:43.377,0:00:46.579
or about different components[br]of a microscope.

0:00:46.580,0:00:49.232
So what is the moral of this story?

0:00:49.452,0:00:54.239
Well, more data can be good,[br]predictive, real-time,

0:00:54.240,0:00:57.282
but if we actually want[br]to understand what's happening,

0:00:57.283,0:00:59.539
we have to look a little closer.

0:00:59.540,0:01:02.710
In this case, we had[br]laboratory technicians

0:01:02.711,0:01:04.768
who were using microscopes

0:01:04.769,0:01:08.404
to actually diagnose malaria[br]from blood smears

0:01:08.405,0:01:11.404
or the ones who are doing[br]a lot of the googling

0:01:11.405,0:01:13.651
and when there are more cases of malaria,

0:01:13.652,0:01:17.107
we saw more Google searches[br]about microscopes.

0:01:17.108,0:01:19.967
Is this something that's only relevant

0:01:19.968,0:01:23.452
to the world of global public health,[br]or research, and academia?

0:01:23.453,0:01:25.082
Actually no.

0:01:25.083,0:01:29.467
This concept is affecting us,[br]each one of us, every day.

0:01:30.187,0:01:33.287
That's because we're[br]in this new knowledge society.

0:01:33.288,0:01:36.913
So what does the knowledge[br]society even mean?

0:01:36.914,0:01:41.250
We can look to technical definitions[br]which talk about

0:01:41.251,0:01:45.465
when an economy is more driven[br]by knowledge than previously

0:01:45.466,0:01:49.225
such as things by agriculture[br]or other industries.

0:01:49.226,0:01:55.263
But actually, each one of us is facing[br]this giant change on everyday basis.

0:01:55.264,0:01:59.603
This is what we're seeing:[br]social media posts from our friends,

0:01:59.604,0:02:03.471
2477 breaking news on the television,

0:02:03.472,0:02:07.336
emails from our mom[br]about bananas that can cure cancer,

0:02:08.216,0:02:12.388
rankings about where we should potentially[br]send our children to school,

0:02:12.389,0:02:15.439
TEDx talks from all around the world.

0:02:15.440,0:02:18.336
So how do we manage to use[br]all of this information

0:02:18.337,0:02:20.314
we're being bombarded with?

0:02:20.315,0:02:24.294
How do we make our journey[br]through the knowledge society?

0:02:24.295,0:02:30.423
How do we turn data[br]into information, into knowledge?

0:02:30.424,0:02:33.871
Previously, this was[br]a lot more straightforward

0:02:33.872,0:02:37.040
when we had a more[br]hierarchical system of things;

0:02:37.041,0:02:40.017
for example, if I wanted[br]to look up something,

0:02:40.018,0:02:42.629
there was one encyclopedia I could go to;

0:02:43.139,0:02:45.998
if I wanted to ask[br]a health related question,

0:02:45.999,0:02:49.573
I would just wait[br]and talk to my doctor or nurse.

0:02:49.574,0:02:54.896
But now, if I want to look up something,[br]I can go to Wikipedia, I can go to Google;

0:02:54.897,0:02:56.852
if I have a health-related question,

0:02:56.853,0:03:01.223
you or I can just,[br]right at home, access WebMD

0:03:01.224,0:03:06.159
and learn about common symptoms[br]and treatments for different conditions.

0:03:07.809,0:03:13.036
We actually made use of this[br]real-time and accessible features

0:03:13.037,0:03:15.079
of the new knowledge society

0:03:15.080,0:03:17.059
through our project "Go Viral"

0:03:17.060,0:03:20.142
in which we were able to get[br]a more comprehensive sense

0:03:20.143,0:03:23.624
of what's happening in terms[br]of disease in the community,

0:03:23.625,0:03:27.664
so by connecting individuals[br]through Internet and their mobile tools,

0:03:27.665,0:03:33.478
we can actually understand who is sick[br]and also what types of viruses they have

0:03:33.479,0:03:38.612
rather than just waiting for information[br]from doctors offices and hospitals,

0:03:38.613,0:03:42.161
which might generally capture[br]only the most severe cases

0:03:42.162,0:03:47.036
and those who are able to access[br]these in healthcare institutions.

0:03:48.176,0:03:52.929
But alongside all of these benefits,[br]of course, there are challenges.

0:03:52.930,0:03:56.607
It's a two-sided coin, like many things.

0:03:56.608,0:04:01.213
While we have real-time,[br]geo-location. high-resolution.

0:04:01.214,0:04:03.835
The ability to capture[br]our daily footprints,

0:04:03.836,0:04:07.442
we now also have challenges of privacy.

0:04:07.443,0:04:10.212
Here we have access to diverse opinions,

0:04:10.213,0:04:14.321
but that can also lead to what some dubbed[br]"the post-facts society,"

0:04:14.322,0:04:18.341
where we have a lot of opinions[br]going around with no evidence.

0:04:18.341,0:04:21.654
We can also have[br]major gaps in our knowledge

0:04:21.654,0:04:24.655
by only being centered on certain sources.

0:04:26.714,0:04:28.704
But this is not a new problem.

0:04:28.705,0:04:31.971
Scientists have been looking[br]at and assessing information

0:04:31.972,0:04:34.370
for centuries, if not longer,

0:04:34.371,0:04:37.459
so there are a few themes[br]that we might be able to learn

0:04:37.460,0:04:39.414
from how they accomplish this

0:04:39.415,0:04:42.246
then we can incorporate[br]into our daily lives.

0:04:42.966,0:04:47.977
One of them is critical thinking,[br]assessing content and being critical of it

0:04:47.978,0:04:49.613
instead of getting satisfied

0:04:49.614,0:04:54.314
with just a superficial snapshot[br]or a bit of information.

0:04:54.894,0:04:57.859
Another is references and sources -

0:04:57.860,0:05:02.709
actually looking at why something[br]is being said, from every source,

0:05:02.710,0:05:06.526
instead of just accepting[br]or dismissing content

0:05:06.527,0:05:09.647
based on the name or words from.

0:05:09.648,0:05:12.108
Finally, data and research -

0:05:12.109,0:05:15.438
looking towards evidence[br]for what is being said

0:05:15.439,0:05:18.586
instead of simply accepting every opinion.

0:05:19.692,0:05:21.977
These are all great things in theory,

0:05:21.978,0:05:24.228
but it's not an easy problem.

0:05:24.229,0:05:27.822
There's not a list of five websites[br]we can always go to

0:05:27.823,0:05:32.027
and numbers and types of information[br]are always growing.

0:05:32.401,0:05:36.603
How do we translate this into[br]our daily lives; some of this theory?

0:05:38.156,0:05:42.155
One approach is that we can assess[br]what our values are

0:05:42.156,0:05:46.155
and then let that guide what we do[br]and keep us centered

0:05:46.156,0:05:49.725
just like these whirling dervishes[br]have to keep centered on something

0:05:49.726,0:05:51.986
in order to keep going around.

0:05:52.229,0:05:56.108
So for example, this can take[br]a lot of different approaches.

0:05:56.109,0:06:00.608
One: do we really want[br]to accept diverse opinions?

0:06:00.609,0:06:03.148
If so, do we assess what we have

0:06:03.149,0:06:07.149
and actively search out information[br]that we might be missing?

0:06:07.539,0:06:10.528
What do we want to do[br]with all this information?

0:06:10.529,0:06:14.218
Do we want to achieve[br]monetary gain and sell things,

0:06:14.219,0:06:18.219
or do we also want to be open[br]to helping people or other outcomes?

0:06:18.949,0:06:21.448
Finally, do we want to take responsibility

0:06:21.449,0:06:24.728
for what we share as part[br]of the knowledge society

0:06:24.729,0:06:27.628
and take that time[br]to look through content

0:06:27.629,0:06:30.198
that we're actually sourcing

0:06:30.199,0:06:34.199
instead of just passing the buck[br]and hitting 'Send' on the next email.

0:06:35.129,0:06:37.838
So this is not a TEDx talk[br]with all the answers.

0:06:37.839,0:06:41.838
It's not sexy, I don't have[br]three lessons, lifelong lessons for you.

0:06:41.839,0:06:45.198
But hopefully, we showed[br]how you and I are actually part

0:06:45.199,0:06:48.818
of this knowledge society[br]every minute of every day.

0:06:48.819,0:06:51.029
We're the ones that make it up.

0:06:51.290,0:06:53.989
This talk will hopefully inspire you

0:06:53.990,0:06:57.019
to think about how you want[br]to make that journey.

0:06:57.020,0:06:58.319
Thank you.

0:06:58.320,0:06:59.620
(Applause)