Monthly Archives: November 2024

Rethinking screen time: A better understanding of what people do on their devices is key to digital well-being

Rethinking screen time: A better understanding of what people do on their devices is key to digital well-being

In an era where digital devices are everywhere, the term “screen time” has become a buzz phrase in discussions about technology’s impact on people’s lives. Parents are concerned about their children’s screen habits. But what if this entire approach to screen time is fundamentally flawed? While researchers have made advances in measuring screen use, a detailed […] … learn more→

Why school police officers may not be the most effective way to prevent violence

Why school police officers may not be the most effective way to prevent violence

In 1975, only 1% of public schools had their own police officers. Today, 44% do. A large reason for the increase is the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which led to the creation of the federal Community Oriented Policing Services to oversee funds for the hiring of police in schools. Another reason is the Columbine […] … learn more→

AI feels like an unstoppable force. But it is not a panacea for businesses or society

AI feels like an unstoppable force. But it is not a panacea for businesses or society

In Greek mythology, Prometheus is credited with giving humans fire as well as the “spark” that spurred civilisation. One of the unintended consequences of Prometheus’s “gift” was that the need for celestial Gods diminished. Modern humans have been up to all sorts of things that present similar unintended consequences, from using CFCs that led to a hole […] … learn more→

Is it ever OK for scientists to experiment on themselves?

Is it ever OK for scientists to experiment on themselves?

\A virologist named Beata Halassy recently made headlines after publishing a report of successfully treating her own breast cancer by self-administering an experimental treatment. Having previously undergone a mastectomy and chemotherapy, Halassy informed her doctors that she wanted to treat her tumour by injecting it with viruses known to attack cancerous cells. This sort of approach is called oncolytic […] … learn more→

Waiting for exam results can be awful. Our research shows how best to manage the stress

Waiting for exam results can be awful. Our research shows how best to manage the stress

It’s that time of year when students are waiting for school and university results that could change the course of their lives. Uncertain waiting periods are among our most emotionally challenging experiences. In fact, research shows students are more stressed while waiting for their results than after finding out they have failed. This is because dealing with an […] … learn more→

Campus diversity is becoming difficult to measure as students keep their race and ethnicity hidden on college applications

Campus diversity is becoming difficult to measure as students keep their race and ethnicity hidden on college applications

When the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at American colleges and universities just over a year ago, many predicted U.S. campuses would become much less diverse. But in part due to students who decide not to disclose their race or ethnicity, coupled with universities’ selective use of statistics, it is not clear how much the decision has […] … learn more→

People can’t tell the difference between human and AI-generated poetry – new study

People can’t tell the difference between human and AI-generated poetry – new study

Has the bell finally tolled for Shakespeare and Byron? New research conducted by philosophers of science Brian Porter and Edouard Machery suggests that the latest AI-generated poetry is “indistinguishable from human-written poetry” and “rated more favourably”. Ten poets, from the medieval Geoffrey Chaucer to modern writer Dorothea Lasky, were successfully impersonated by AI chatbots, with most of the […] … learn more→

Why power transforms us

Why power transforms us

Confucius said: “If you want to know a person, give him power.” American President Abraham Lincoln also said something similar many years later: “Most of us can bear adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Does power really change us? And if it does, in what sense, for better […] … learn more→

Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments

Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments

Do the Ten Commandments have a valid place in U.S. classrooms? Louisiana’s Legislature and governor insist the answer is “yes.” But on Nov. 12, 2024, a federal judge said “no.” U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles blocked the state’s controversial House Bill 71, which Gov. Jeff Landry had signed into law on June 19, 2024. The measure would have required […] … learn more→

Researchers have invented a new system of logic that could boost critical thinking and AI

Researchers have invented a new system of logic that could boost critical thinking and AI

The rigid structures of language we once clung to with certainty are cracking. Take gender, nationality or religion: these concepts no longer sit comfortably in the stiff linguistic boxes of the last century. Simultaneously, the rise of AI presses upon us the need to understand how words relate to meaning and reasoning. A global group […] … learn more→