My recent revisit of Penn State, where over a decade of whispers about what was going on in the showers there was systematically silenced, led me to consider the most striking parallel with the current big whispering campaign, called Pizzagate. Now, before I go any further I’ll state that, looking at all the evidence, if […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: February 2017
Penn State and Pizzagate: A familiar silence
Could your Fitbit data be used to deny you health insurance?
Wearing a fitness tracking device could earn you cash from your health insurance company. At first, this sounds lucrative for the people who participate, and good for the companies, who want healthier insurance customers. But it’s not quite so simple. Under the program, people who have certain health insurance coverage plans with United Healthcare can […] … learn more→
(Your) Penn State scandal cost at $237 million
So Sandusky’s son has been arrested on pedophilia charges. It’s curious how easy it is to get into these situations with underage girls…but you think this guy of all people would eschew just things. In addition, we should probably consider there’s an infrastructure here–how exactly does he find underage girls to do this to? The […] … learn more→
Research that languishes in journals represents an opportunity lost
Publications matter. And not just journal papers. For research aimed at improving people’s health by changing how international health services are delivered, other publications such as operational guidelines for managers, practice guides for doctors, and materials for the public that explain diseases, treatments or lifestyle changes in simple language, are just as important. These are the […] … learn more→
A guide to zero waste on campus: 5 rules to follow
With іnсrеаѕіng pressure on our рrесіоuѕ rеѕоurсеѕ, соllеgе саmрuѕеѕ have соmе tо play аn іmроrtаnt rоlе in environmental ѕtеwаrdѕhір. Thіѕ guіdе рrоvіdеѕ аn оvеrvіеw оf strategies fоr the іmрlеmеntаtіоn аnd development of a college rubbish removal, campus recycling аnd zero wаѕtе program. It іnсludеѕ tооlѕ and rеѕоurсеѕ tо іnѕріrе соllеgіаtе zеrо waste advocates everywhere. There […] … learn more→
How robots could help chronically ill kids attend school
Over the past century, American schools have integrated an ever-more-diverse group of students. Racial integration is most prominent, but it’s not just Native Americans, blacks and Latinos who have been brought into public education. Schools today serve children with conditions on the autism spectrum, Down syndrome and many other medical issues. But there is one […] … learn more→
Your dog can remember more than you think
Any dog owner will tell you how smart they think their dog is. What we usually think of as smartness in dogs is measured or observed in their external behaviour. Being able to respond to commands, for example, or remember the location of a hidden toy. Scientists have long wondered whether what underlies “smart” behaviour […] … learn more→
“Design thinking” can prepare graduates for the real working world
At first glance, it looks as though the group of young adults is building Lego. But these are actually students at the University of Cape Town’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design Thinking, and they’re using the colourful blocks to design a prototype. It represents policy reform ideas around transitioning from informal to formal economies. It’s […] … learn more→
Education behind bars: why university students are learning alongside prisoners
With reports of increasing violence and drug use, along with high levels of suicide and a lack of staff, prisons in the UK are currently seen to be in a state of crisis. In recent years, the condition of British prisons has come under political, academic and public scrutiny. But what a lot of people […] … learn more→
Universities: building understanding as hate speech proliferates
When an imam admits that he faces accusations of treachery from within his community simply for talking to a rabbi, you get some sense of just how dangerously divided our cities and countries are becoming. We face a real moment of crisis. Wherever we look, the growing tolerance of differences that we had for so […] … learn more→