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JANUARY 2024 WWW.IDAHOFALLSMAGAZINE.COM 47 IF feeling good about understanding how to do something. If you want to get a rocket to Mars your calculations have to be perfect. Close just won't do! Today we have supercomputers and AI, but these are all still based on work initially done by humans. AI is pretty incredible at searching and gathering information together, but it still can't process context as well as we do. e amount of creative BS that AI comes up with is truly impressive. It understands the process but doesn't necessarily get the right answer. One of the guiding principles of the Project WILD curriculum that I have taught for years is that we try to teach people how to think and not what to think. In today's data-heavy, but strongly opinionated world, we get our information pigeonholed by algorithms that give us what we want to see. Nearly everything we receive becomes what is called confirmation bias. We process the data through our personal lenses and call the answer correct because we were part of the process, even though it may truly be the wrong answer scientifically or math- ematically. STEM education is important because it provides ex- periences that help to make sure that the basics of our observation and decision-making processes are based on solid facts. Knowing the basics of math and science helps to validate more complex processes. Part of the basics of learning is trying to gather all the information possible and weed through it until what you have le is valid for use in the decision-making process. e challenge is that not all decisions are based on pure science and logic. Otherwise, Star Trek's Spock would always have been right. Many issues are a complex mix of right and wrong and require the humanity of a Cap- tain Kirk to arrive at a solution that is a workable com- promise. e key is basing those emotional decisions on as much factual evidence as possible. Today's world faces many difficult issues. Perhaps the most challenging thing for us as humans to process is how they are all interconnected and how to prioritize what is truly important. In Japan, like in the United States and Europe, conflict between humans and bears is increasing because of con- flicts between human activities rebounding bear pop- ulation numbers. Giving people the basic information about how bears live is the first step towards solving the problem. Bears will be bears, but humans are capable of change. Making sure people have all the facts is critical. It is important we all never stop learning. Hopefully, a few more people in Japan have the information they need to make decisions to benefit both men and bears. Driving the Conversation The Jolyn Thomas Show Monday - Friday 4 to 6 p.m. 4824-19RichBroadcasting14v.indd 1 4824-19RichBroadcasting14v.indd 1 6/30/23 1:00 PM 6/30/23 1:00 PM

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