## Step 5 - Reading

Reading
Some people wanted to discover the mystery behind Banksy’s identity and so they tried to find out who he (or she) is.
Now we’re going to read about how they think they have discovered who he is.
Which definition is correct for the description geographic profiling:

1. a way of finding out where a person is at any time in the present time.
2. a tracking system to locate people especially criminals and their families.
3. a way of finding out the residence by connecting places that a person has visited.

Click on this link to read about geographic profiling.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/
Read again and choose the most appropriate word.

Read the article quickly. Choose the best title.

1. Come out Banksy. We know who you are.
2. Banksy unmasked?
3. Who is Banksy?

Now read the text 'Banksy unmasked?' and answer the questions.

Banksy unmasked? Scientists use maths and criminology to map artist's identity
British academics have used combinations of maths, criminology and geographic profiling to back up a theory over the identity of mysterious street artist Banksy. Scientists at Queen Mary University of London said the pattern of how Banksy’s artworks were distributed suggested he was artist Robin Gunningham.
Gunningham was first named as Banksy by the Daily Mail newspaper in 2008.
Banksy’s politically-themed street art has made him a celebrity in Britain, despite his true identity never having been confirmed. His most high-profile recent project was Dismaland, a “bemusement park”, located in southwest England.
Geographic profiling is a technique used in fields from criminology to the study of patterns of infectious disease. The research, published in the Journal of Spatial Science, analysed a series of locations of Banksy’s artworks in London and Bristol and mapped them against “anchor points” such as the homes of people suspected of being Banksy to draw conclusions about possible identity.
“Our analysis highlights areas associated with one prominent candidate (e.g. his home), supporting his identification as Banksy,” the paper said.
“More broadly, these results support previous suggestions that analysis of minor terrorism-related acts (eg graffiti) could be used to help locate terrorist bases before more serious incidents occur, and provides a fascinating example of the application of the model to a complex, real-world problem.”
One of the research team, Steve Le Comber, told the BBC: “I’d be surprised if it’s not (Gunningham),
even without our analysis, but it’s interesting that the analysis offers additional support
for it.”
The BBC also reported that Banksy’s legal team had contacted staff at the university with concerns about
how the research was to be promoted.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/

Questions

1. What methods did the British academics use to suggest an identity for Banksy?
2. What is the irony in the ‘bemusement’ park called ‘Dismaland’?
3. What was geographic profiling used for, according to the article?
4. What are ‘anchor points’?
5. What information did the team already know about Banksy?
6. How can the methodology be used in the wider world?