I was watching CNN tonight and they had a brief story about this viral video.  Apparently, the video made its way around the CNN offices and they were shocked….imagine, if cell phone waves can make popcorn, what can it do to your brain?  Here is the video -

Obviously, the video is a fake.  If you ever used a cell phone, you might have noticed your head getting warm.  Even if that wasn’t enough, you could easily test this.  After all, “extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence.*”  Many of this reporter’s office mates - reporters trained to be fact seekers- found it so easy to just accept what they saw as “amazingly true” instead of wondering if a Youtube video might be faked.  How many kids were fooled?

Dan Pinkasserts that the “right brain is rising” and we need to prepare students to be creative and innovative thinkers.  However, we need to remember that this can’t be done at the expense of the “left brain.” Students need to be skeptical consumers of information, they need analytical skills, they need the power of reason.  Without these left brains skills, they might be creative, but they won’t be innovative. 

*Thanks Carl Sagan!