I think this post is a terrific example of both the benefits and dangers of social media as a form of informal learning. We're pointed to a headline called "Why I am not worried about Japan’s nuclear reactors." This headline has gone viral. Pop it into Google, with quotes, and see 79,200 hits.

As with any viral blog, we need to treat it with caution, especially since it's already highly politicized. This is part of the new media cycle. We have lots of traditional media, lots of partisan media and then lots of social media that feeds into both (but especially the latter). I honestly don't know if this helps or hurts the truth-seeking process. I suppose it doesn't really matter, however, since it's just the way things are these days.

As for this particular story, there's only an edited version placed with a caveat at Mitnse: "Note that the title of the original blog does not reflect the views of the authors of the site." It also eliminates statements such as, "The plant is safe now and will stay safe."

In the end, yes, a viral blog can serve as a jumping off point for learning. And the author here might even be right "not to worry." Time will tell. I personally think the public is served by such blogs but we should keep in mind just how difficult it can be to separate fact from opinion in the age of social media, especially with complex technical issues where the facts on the ground are in flux. This represents part of the danger of trying to learn from social media.

It's a danger worth living with, in my opinion, but we should put aside all Utopian thoughts. Learning this way can be tricky, messy, and time-consuming. There ain't no free lunch when it comes to knowledge.

The only real advantage is that there can be a sort of "self-correction" mechanism for the truly open minded. But my sense is that people who come at these issues with a real desire to learn (as opposed to a desire to prove their own point of view) are few and far between.