# Data Ethics Club meeting 31-03-21, [1-2pm GMT+1](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Data+Ethics+Club+-+Dataism+is+Our+New+God&iso=20210331T13&p1=299&ah=1)
<!-- 
TODO:
- [ ] Change to a new branch (DD-MM-YY_meeting)
- [ ] Copy this template to meetings/YEAR/DD-MM-YY_meeting.md (put in actual year + date)
- [ ] Put in the Event time on: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedform.html and copy result to LINK-TO-TIMEDATE
- [ ] Change all ALL-CAPS placeholders in this form
- [ ] Add link to the new file in MEETINGS.md
- [ ] Pull request!
- [ ] Create or edit the calendar invite to copy and paste this info over and send it/send an update.
- [ ] Maybe tweet it? #DataEthicsClub @jgiBristol

Repeat meeting link is currently: https://bristol-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99654848727?pwd=dzUvQUErTGREYUNzb3ExMnJON3pDUT09

Usual time 13:00-14:00
-->
## Meeting info

### Quick links

Zoom link: https://bristol-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99654848727?pwd=dzUvQUErTGREYUNzb3ExMnJON3pDUT09

Link to content: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/npqu.12080 

If you can't access the paper, please email Nina or Natalie. 
Definitely don't go to [sci-hub.tf](https://sci-hub.tf/) and search for the DOI (https://doi.org/10.1111/npqu.12080), as that get you convenient and free access to the paper, which would be illegal.

### Description
You're welcome to join us for our next Data Ethics Club meeting on Wednesday the 31st March at [1-2pm GMT+1](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Data+Ethics+Club+-+Dataism+is+Our+New+God&iso=20210331T13&p1=299&ah=1).
You don't need to register, just pop in. This time we're going to read [Dataism is Our New God](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/npqu.12080) by Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari. 
It is in the format of an interview with the author, where he discusses "dataism" as a new organising principle of humanity. "When big data is married to biology... it will reduce the biological organism to a set of 
information that can be organized by programmed algorithms to seek a desired outcome." 

Natalie suggested this week's content, and Nina will be leading the meeting.

### Discussion points

There will be time to talk about whatever we like, relating to the paper, but here are some specific questions to think about while you're reading.
- What do you understand 'dataism' to be, based on this piece?
- In the battle between privacy and health, will health win? Is improved health care what makes us believe in 'dataism'?
- Harari says that algorithms will no longer discriminate against us for belonging to a particular group, but because of patterns it sees in us that deviate from the norm. He goes on to say that this will make it difficult to create political movements to fight oppression because your oppression will be indivdiualised. What are your thoughts on this perspective?

Note: The author has their own views around what religion is - when in discussion groups please remember to be respectful on all sides of this topic.


## Meeting notes

### Meeting write up
[Available here](https://hackmd.io/@nataliethurlby/DEC-dataism)

### Who came
Number of people: 15

### What did we think?
91% (10/11) thought it sparked interesting discussion
55% (6/11) would recommend this content to others