The other day, my good friend Professor Narelle Lemon sent me a link to an academic paper called “AI and its implications for research in higher education: a critical dialogue” because it cited … one of my old blog posts. It’s a good paper, and open access, so I recommend having a read. It’s written as a debate between […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: August 2024
Academic cyborgs and bullshit reading
The ten signs of people who practice resilience
Many historical figures we know for their exemplary lives share a character trait such as resilience. Perhaps one of the most notable examples is that of the American Helen Keller : the fact that she became deaf and blind a few months after birth did not prevent her from having a full life. She actively participated in […] … learn more→
International students will offer a big boost to the US economy this back-to-school season
Of the millions of young adults heading off to college this fall, many will be international students. If trends continue, about 1 million students from around the world will come to the U.S. to pursue higher education this year. These young scholars make a big economic impact. Altogether, they pump more than US$40 billion into the U.S. economy and support […] … learn more→
Summer holiday science: turn your home into a lab with these three easy experiments
Many people think science is difficult and needs special equipment, but that’s not true. Science can be explored at home using everyday materials. Everyone, especially children, naturally ask questions about the world around them, and science offers a structured way to find answers. Misconceptions about the difficulty of science often stem from a lack of […] … learn more→
All for one, not one for all: The promise and challenges of personalized medicine
Personalized medicine describes a treatment tailored to one or a few individuals who have potentially deadly health conditions, such as cancer that no longer responds to chemotherapy, or an infection resistant to multiple antibiotics. Although personalized medicine is promising, it is labour-intensive and expensive, and the pathways for its regulatory approval and reimbursement are complicated, since the […] … learn more→
‘Will this degree lead to a job?’ is the wrong question. Here’s what you should ask instead
It is the season of university open days and study decisions for Year 12 students. As an academic, the question I get asked most by students and parents is, “will this degree lead to a job?”. It is understandable. However, it isn’t necessarily the right question to ask as young people consider what course will suit them best. Focusing […] … learn more→
Category is – limitations, part 2 – the thesis conclusion
Imagine that you are an examiner. You are reading a doctoral thesis. And you’ve nearly got to the end. You’ve read a lot of carefully crafted words which have explained what the research is and why it is as it is. You’ve read the results and what these mean and how they fit with the current […] … learn more→
This anthropology course looks at building design from the standpoint of different species
Title of course: Space/Power/Species What prompted the idea for the course? A few years ago, I came across the architect Joyce Hwang’s artificial habitat for bats at the Griffis Sculpture Park in upstate New York. Titled “Bat Tower,” this outdoor installation was designed to house the little brown bat, an endangered species threatened by a fungal infection […] … learn more→
AI could be the breakthrough that allows humanoid robots to jump from science fiction to reality
Humanoid robots have long been a staple of science fiction, but there is now real progress being made. A range of new models made by or backed by the likes of Boston Dynamics, Tesla and OpenAI are able to walk and move like humans, as well as perform feats of agility and dexterity. But it’s the ability to incorporate artificial […] … learn more→
Playing to prosper: How sports participation leads to long-term success for girls
The 2024 Paris Olympics mark the first gender-equitable Olympic Games in history, with equal numbers of men and women athletes. Audiences today are being exposed to the phenomenal accomplishments of women athletes more than ever before. This year also saw the launch of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, the Northern Super League, is set to […] … learn more→