Monthly Archives: July 2025

Parents who oppose sex education in schools often don’t discuss it at home

Parents who oppose sex education in schools often don’t discuss it at home

Public battles over what schools can teach about sex, identity and relationships, often framed around “parental rights,” have become more intense in recent years. Behind the loud debate lies a quiet contradiction. Many parents who say sex education should be taught only at home don’t actually provide it there, either. As a scholar of sex education, I […] … learn more→

Could electric brain stimulation lead to better maths skills?

Could electric brain stimulation lead to better maths skills?

A painless, non-invasive brain stimulation technique can significantly improve how young adults learn maths, my colleagues and I found in a recent study. In a paper in PLOS Biology, we describe how this might be most helpful for those who are likely to struggle with mathematical learning because of how their brain areas involved in this […] … learn more→

AI-powered assistive technologies are changing how we experience and imagine public space

AI-powered assistive technologies are changing how we experience and imagine public space

New applications and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with wearable devices are changing the way users interact with their environments and each other. The impacts and reach of these new technologies have yet to be fully understood. Connections between technologies and bodies is not a new thing for many disabled persons. Assistive technologies — tools […] … learn more→

Talking about the bastards of the Middle Ages as 21st-century historians: should we hide this word that we cannot see?

Talking about the bastards of the Middle Ages as 21st-century historians: should we hide this word that we cannot see?

In the Middle Ages, the term “bastard” did not always carry a stigma. In fact, it only acquired the full force of an insult from the 19th century onward .  In the past, social experiences of illegitimate filiations were far more complex than we imagine today, as highlighted by the research program “Medieval Filiations, Identity, and Otherness.” […] … learn more→

In LGBTQ+ storybook case, Supreme Court handed a win to parental rights, raising tough questions for educators

In LGBTQ+ storybook case, Supreme Court handed a win to parental rights, raising tough questions for educators

The Supreme Court tends to save its blockbuster orders for the last day of the term – and 2025 was no exception. Among the important decisions handed down June 27, 2025, was Mahmoud v. Taylor – a case of particular interest to me, because I teach education law. Mahmoud, I believe, may become one of the court’s most consequential rulings […] … learn more→

Tuning our brains like musical instruments: Does neurofeedback really work?

Tuning our brains like musical instruments: Does neurofeedback really work?

Would you like to see your thoughts live and try to change the ones you don’t like? In general terms, that’s what neurofeedback is all about . It’s a “training technique” that allows us to observe our brain activity in real time to learn how to modulate it voluntarily, thanks to the use of electroencephalography (EEG). Let’s imagine the brain as […] … learn more→

A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students

A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students

On Tuesday, some Australian university students got access to a new payment. The Commonwealth Prac Payment is available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. It will provide A$331.65 a week during compulsory professional placements, to help with living and study expenses. This could include travel, accommodation, uniforms and lost income from other employment. But […] … learn more→

Can digitalization accelerate the transition to a circular economy?

Can digitalization accelerate the transition to a circular economy?

We are consuming and depleting the planet’s resources at an ever-increasing pace . To address this problem, the need to abandon the traditional linear model based on producing, using, and throwing away has emerged in recent years, replacing it with a new production model: the circular economy, based on reducing the amount of resources used and reusing […] … learn more→

Doctorate: The invisible costs of the thesis, between overwork and anxiety

Doctorate: The invisible costs of the thesis, between overwork and anxiety

A true intellectual journey, the doctorate can also, due to the precariousness it entails, become a veritable daily obstacle course, lastingly weakening young researchers both psychologically and economically. A look back at the lessons learned from a survey of 15 career paths in the humanities and social sciences. With Le Vacataire , published in 2025, economist Thomas […] … learn more→

Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market

Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market

Colleges and universities are struggling to stay afloat. The reasons are numerous: declining numbers of college-age students in much of the country, rising tuition at public institutions as state funding shrinks, and a growing skepticism about the value of a college degree. Pressure is mounting to cut costs by reducing the time it takes to earn a degree from four years […] … learn more→