Monthly Archives: April 2024

From side hustles to sleeping streams: The truth behind the passive income hype

From side hustles to sleeping streams: The truth behind the passive income hype

A growing cohort of TikTok influencers have begun building platforms by promoting passive income to their followers. Thousands of users regularly share their expertise, tips and advice for how their followers can, theoretically, achieve the same level of passive income without lifting a finger. One influencer claimed to have tried “about every side hustle that exists” […] … learn more→

To understand the risks posed by AI, follow the money

To understand the risks posed by AI, follow the money

Time and again, leading scientists, technologists, and philosophers have made spectacularly terrible guesses about the direction of innovation. Even Einstein was not immune, claiming, “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable,” just ten years before Enrico Fermi completed construction of the first fission reactor in Chicago. Shortly thereafter, the consensus switched to fears […] … learn more→

s this the dawn of a new era in women’s sports?

s this the dawn of a new era in women’s sports?

Though the college career of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark ended with a disappointing loss, the point guard’s record-breaking season helped fuel widespread interest in this year’s NCAA women’s college basketball tournament. The women’s Final Four garnered higher television ratings than the men’s Final Four. Then the women’s basketball championship game between South Carolina and Iowa didn’t just draw in more viewers (18.9 […] … learn more→

Is it a good idea to penalize spelling mistakes in university entrance tests?

Is it a good idea to penalize spelling mistakes in university entrance tests?

Let’s imagine that an 18-year-old student writes the following sentence on his university entrance exam: “The text does not demonstrate an exhaustive analysis of the problem.” How should having written those misspelled lines affect your final grade? Should we only measure the level of their knowledge, or their ability to transmit it in writing in […] … learn more→

College athletes still are not allowed to be paid by universities − here’s why

College athletes still are not allowed to be paid by universities − here’s why

Ever since July 1, 2021, student-athletes have been able to pursue endorsement deals. But when it comes to getting paid by the universities for which they play, the students have been shut down. Here, Cyntrice Thomas, a professor of sport management at the University of Florida, answers questions about the hurdles that stand in the way […] … learn more→

Research as creative practice – possibility thinking

Research as creative practice – possibility thinking

The late Anna Craft said that possibility thinking is moving from asking what something is, or does, to asking questions about what something might be or do or become. Possibility thinking is wondering, imagining, asking the question What if….? Possibility thinking is at the heart of creative practice. Possibility thinking is the way that ideas are […] … learn more→

Reasons to delay the retirement age at university

Reasons to delay the retirement age at university

It is objectively true, as supported by facts, figures and surveys among its users, that our public health and university systems are reasonably efficient. Even more so considering the limited resources they have. Likewise, it is no less true that both have suffered budgetary and personnel hiring restrictions in recent years. Such cuts have led to a worsening of […] … learn more→

Rural students’ access to Wi-Fi is in jeopardy as pandemic-era resources recede

Rural students’ access to Wi-Fi is in jeopardy as pandemic-era resources recede

Students in rural America still lack access to high-speed internet at home despite governmental efforts during the pandemic to fill the void. This lack of access negatively affects their academic achievement and overall well-being. The situation has been getting worse as the urgency of the pandemic has receded. Those findings are based on a new […] … learn more→

Writing like an artist

Writing like an artist

I’m working on the second edition of ‘How to fix your academic writing trouble’ with Katherine Firth at the moment. We’re doing a new chapter on writing process, specifically how to think with generative AI tools. For inspiration, I am thinking about Artist Studios and how they support making work. Artist studios are filled with tools and materials […] … learn more→

Music and AI: an unplayable score?

Music and AI: an unplayable score?

The year 2023 was marked by considerable media coverage around AI, notably with the arrival of ChatGPT, Midjourney, and in music, musical deepfakes , and other AI covers. . The song “Heart on My Sleeve” is the most resounding example, since we hear Drake and The Weeknd there, without either of them having recorded it. Their voices were in […] … learn more→