It’s not news that higher education in the United States is in crisis. Student fees are out of control. Enrollment growth is slowing. Executive pay is skyrocketing. Faculty hiring and job security are plummeting. Nothing is working the way it is supposed to. Looking closely at the American system, the new government in Australia has […] … learn more→

We will examine the three major challengers to Birnbaum\’s Theory of Potential as the overarching cosmic theory? First, let us identify Potentialism. Founded by David Birnbaum (see ExaminerPurpose.com), an independent metaphysicist, Potentialism is covered in his three part work – Summa Metaphysica I (Ktav, 1988), Summa Metaphysica II (New Paradigm Matrix, 2005), and Summa Metaphysica […] … learn more→

If you’re going to fall, injure yourself and need help, where is a good place to do it? Should you choose a busy thoroughfare or a deserted backstreet? Statistics and experiments in social psychology will tell you that if you need help, you should avoid dropping in a busy street, even if hundreds of people […] … learn more→

I’ve lived in Boston for five years—two of them spent at Harvard—thankfully unaware that the term “H-bomb” existed. I now know better, thanks to a recent Slate piece, which also taught me that NOT mentioning my place of work is worthy of criticism. Yes, Ivy League grads sometimes try to hide where they got their […] … learn more→

This year could well see a new record set for the extent of Antarctic sea ice – hot on the heels of last year’s record, which in turn is part of a puzzling 33-year trend in increasing sea ice around Antarctica. Unsurprisingly, these records have provided fodder for those wishing to cast doubt on climate […] … learn more→

So many stupid things are written about higher education that it’s refreshing when one man’s idiocy on the topic rises to new heights. I bring you Rick Karlgaard in Forbes: “In May 2014 several American universities and colleges appeared on the verge of French-like suicide. Student hissy fits at Brandeis, Haverford, Rutgers and Smith caused […] … learn more→

Conversations about what we need to know about higher education, both to rate college and university performance and to provide information to prospective students and their parents, leave one word largely unspoken: faculty. A recent report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, \”Mapping the Postsecondary Data Domain,\” mentions faculty members only once—as users, not […] … learn more→

“I don’t understand. My students almost all turned in blank papers for their tests. It wasn’t like this at the previous school.” –one state university had standards fall very quickly for a few years, leading to severe shocks when new faculty came in and saw that the school was basically bogus. The turnover was heavy […] … learn more→

I love books on writing. I have many, many books on the subject, but I continue to buy more because, well – I simply can’t resist them. Just as it’s more relaxing to watch people cook and do gardening on the TV, often reading about writing is so much nicer than actually doing it. One […] … learn more→

Before you take off on your first road trip of the summer, evaluate how you can improve your fuel economy. From being diligent about routine maintenance to clearing out your trunk, there are plenty of simple things you can do without going to extremes like your hypermiling neighbor. Be green while saving green and implement […] … learn more→