Monthly Archives: May 2015

Most people think ‘man’ when they think ‘scientist’ – how can we kill the stereotype?

Most people think ‘man’ when they think ‘scientist’ – how can we kill the stereotype?

Children learn to associate science with men at early ages. Over 40 years ago, less than 1% of American and Canadian elementary school children drew a woman when asked to draw a scientist. My latest research, published in Journal of Educational Psychology, shows that gender-science stereotypes persist even now, worldwide. Using data from nearly 350,000 […] … learn more→

New education stats show higher education climb has slowed

New education stats show higher education climb has slowed

The percentage of Americans with bachelor’s degrees has remained unchanged in spite of public policies to push this number up, and other trends portend more trouble ahead, new figures from the Department of Education show. A third of 25- to 64-year-olds had bachelor’s degrees last year, the same as the year before, the department reports. […] … learn more→

Do human rights increase inequality?

Do human rights increase inequality?

Imagine that one man owned everything. Call him Croesus, after the king of ancient lore who, Herodotus says, was so “wonderfully rich” that he “thought himself the happiest of mortals.” Impossibly elevated above his fellow men and women, this modern Croesus is also magnanimous. He does not want people to starve, and not only because […] … learn more→

The last 5%

The last 5%

Long time readers may have noticed that for the first time in 5 years I did not publish a post first thing on Wednesday morning. I just… well – I forgot. I felt terrible about this until @deblsda just pointed out on Twitter, a habit interrupted is not a habit broken. Five years is a […] … learn more→

LIBOR for the universities?

LIBOR for the universities?

This is a post I’ve been planning to write for a while, with various other CT members alternately encouraging me to do so, and sternly reminding me that the consequences will be entirely on my own head ;-). It’s based on a point I’ve been making over the last few years to all sorts of […] … learn more→

Meet the digital freedom fighters battling for your rights

Meet the digital freedom fighters battling for your rights

Those that fought long and hard for freedom in the past past are honored today through holidays, currency, and prestigious awards. While there are many still fighting for rights on a visceral, physical and social level, there’s also a new brand of hero laboring quite specifically over digital freedom — the right for privacy and […] … learn more→

The PhD = acquiring know how

The PhD = acquiring know how

We all know the term “know how” – if you have it, you can ‘do stuff’, because you have the required skills and expertise. Common sense suggests that the skills and expertise acquired during the PhD are those of doing research – designing a credible project; doing that project in ways that are defensible; communicating […] … learn more→

We can’t blame the loss of mid-level jobs purely on robots

We can’t blame the loss of mid-level jobs purely on robots

Several developed countries including the US, UK and Germany have seen their labour markets polarised in recent decades as the number of middle-skilled jobs has declined relative to that of low and high-skilled ones. Technology has been singled out as the main culprit: computers and automation have reduced the demand for mid-level skilled workers in […] … learn more→

Dispelling another lie about rising tuition

Dispelling another lie about rising tuition

Admin: “Due to cutbacks in funding, we need to freeze pay for faculty again this year…” –I probably hear this every other year. The excuse doesn’t stop admin from getting raises, of course. Tuition rises and rises, and admin is forever spewing lies about why tuition is ever skyrocketing up. One of the most common […] … learn more→

Who goes to university? The changing profile of our students

Who goes to university? The changing profile of our students

Higher education is a major determinant of a population’s knowledge and skills, workforce participation, employment, incomes, economic growth, immigration, family formation, and of the educational attainment and future prosperity of subsequent generations. The percentage of Australia’s population with a Bachelor’s degree is high by international standards. But who goes to university? And how are the […] … learn more→