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Mobile phones exposes human habits
Posted by Manictastic • 6/05/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Scientists have followed the movements of moe than hundred thousand mobile phone users to see how they moved around on this planet. The results showed that humans tended to frequent the same spots over and over again and didn't move further than 10 kms away from there center.
The scientists are very happy with the results because now they can better analyse human movement and work out plans to stop contagious diseases from spreading.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7433128.stm
I, however, wonder why they needed science for this. Isn't it logical that people frequent the same spots all the time. Like going to work or school, going to your usual grocery story, going to your favourite bar and that those usually tend to be within a reasonable distance from your home and not like be at the other side of the world.
Do you think that in the name of science we should make our cell phones little monitoring stations and thus revealing where we are all the time, or do you think it's about time all this tracking of individuals is stopped?
User Comments
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This must've been done in Europe. Where I live - town is about 10 km away - and work is significantly longer.-
That's exactly what I was going to ask. Almost everyone I know works a LOT more than 10 km from home. -
It indeed was in an unspecified European country. The researchers didn't want to say which country they had investigated, but they did reveal it had more than 6 million mobile phone users. It was thus one of the smaller Europeans countries. Let's call Hercule Poirot to find out which nation's privacy was sacrificed to find out this pretty straight forward information.
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Not to mention it neglects all the truckers who drive across country - constantly! Or people who work in businesses that require a lot of travel.
I do however, agree that it scientifically shows that most humans are creatures of habit - but like you said Mani, that's nothing new.
I would much prefer that tracking of people through cell phones, blackberries and computers be put to a stop, however. It isn't necessary, and it is very very creepy in a big brother sense.
Then again, I don't have a cell phone or a blackberry, and maybe that's why
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No but scientists have a lot of power and they can get millions in funding for the most stupid of things. Then they make money from that for their own personal gain obviously. That is why this whole study is complete farce. I could have told you that without studying hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users.
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