Monthly Archives: June 2024

Quantum computers are like kaleidoscopes − why unusual metaphors help illustrate science and technology

Quantum computers are like kaleidoscopes − why unusual metaphors help illustrate science and technology

Quantum computing is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get. Quantum phenomena – the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels – are not definite, one thing or another. They are opaque clouds of possibility or, more precisely, probabilities. When someone observes a quantum system, it loses […] … learn more→

School interventions offer best shot at reducing youth violence

School interventions offer best shot at reducing youth violence

Black youth show up in emergency rooms with gunshot wounds or other violent injuries at an alarming and disproportionate rate in the United States. Some hospitals have violence interventions that can be effective in keeping these kids safer after they are treated, but in most cases victims are sent back into the world to continue their struggles. What if […] … learn more→

Key Insights: Reusable Elastomeric Respirators

Key Insights: Reusable Elastomeric Respirators

At the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, there was a significant scarcity of disposable N95 respirators, which required healthcare staff to adopt unusual steps to increase their supply. On the other hand, there are respiratory protection products that are designed to be reused and have filter effectiveness equivalent to, if not higher than, disposable N95 […] … learn more→

The key to raising secure children: Why parental sensitivity matters for fathers and mothers

The key to raising secure children: Why parental sensitivity matters for fathers and mothers

Have you ever heard of children’s attachment or attachment theory? If you are a parent, caregiver or an educator, chances are that it rings a bell. Children’s attachment refers to a strong emotional bond that children develop toward people who care for them. A lot of research in recent decades highlights the importance of positive […] … learn more→

What to do if you, or someone you know, is targeted with deepfake porn or AI nudes

What to do if you, or someone you know, is targeted with deepfake porn or AI nudes

This week, about 50 female students from Victoria’s Bacchus Marsh Grammar School had fake, sexually explicit images of them shared without their consent on Instagram and Snapchat. Images of their faces, purportedly obtained from social media, were stitched onto pornographic images using artificial intelligence (AI). Deepfake porn, or what our team calls “AI-generated image-based sexual abuse”, involves the use […] … learn more→

The fear of failing, an obstacle to overcome in Physical Education classes

The fear of failing, an obstacle to overcome in Physical Education classes

The heart begins to accelerate, the tremors are recurrent, the clock passes slowly and we can only think about the remaining turns to make that jump, that 100 meter dash or that somersault that everyone is going to judge… Can anyone remember? A similar situation in physical education class? Fear of failure, understood as the […] … learn more→

Deepfake AI pornography is becoming more common – what can parents and schools do to prevent it?

Deepfake AI pornography is becoming more common – what can parents and schools do to prevent it?

A Victorian school community is reeling after fake, sexually explicit images of female students were generated using artificial intelligence and then shared on social media. About 50 high school students at Bacchus Marsh Grammar had their images altered. A teenage boy has been arrested and released pending further inquiries. Parents have described the images as “incredibly graphic” and “sickening”. […] … learn more→

Shakespeare, Beowulf and Chaucer could be back in the NZ English curriculum – should they be?

Shakespeare, Beowulf and Chaucer could be back in the NZ English curriculum – should they be?

For the second time in as many years, New Zealand’s secondary school English curriculum will be rewritten, a move which has generated disquiet from teachers and academics alike. The revised year 7-13 English curriculum, to be released in July, is expected to include compulsory Shakespeare and grammar lessons, as well as a recommended reading list ranging […] … learn more→

How game worlds are helping health-care workers practise compassionate clinical responses

How game worlds are helping health-care workers practise compassionate clinical responses

A game world is a fantasy universe based on a story and a theme. In learning contexts, such as in schools or professional continuing education, game worlds permit us to teach complex subjects in an engaging way by rehearsing competencies and roles in a fictional narrative. But games also invite game users into contemplation. In the […] … learn more→