Monthly Archives: October 2025

What’s the difference between passwords and passkeys? It’s not just the protection they provide

What’s the difference between passwords and passkeys? It’s not just the protection they provide

Passwords are the keys to our digital lives – think how many times you log in to websites and other systems. But just like physical keys, they can be lost, duplicated and stolen. Many alternatives have been proposed in recent years, including passkeys. These offer a significant improvement in terms of user friendliness and potential […] … learn more→

What is “anxiety scrolling”?

What is “anxiety scrolling”?

The term “doomscrolling,” which first appeared in 2018 , gained currency during the Covid pandemic. In the scientific literature, it refers to a digital habit: compulsively checking news feeds, often on smartphones, with a focus on worrying, depressing, or negative content . How can this phenomenon be explained? First, through negativity , which focuses our human attention on harmful content […] … learn more→

Building confidence during your PhD

Building confidence during your PhD

Doing a PhD can feel like wandering through a forest with no map. You’re constantly questioning whether you’re smart enough, working hard enough or heading in the right direction. If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone. More importantly, you’re not broken. The PhD is designed to push you to the edges of what you […] … learn more→

How to ensure youth, parents, educators and tech companies are on the same page on AI

How to ensure youth, parents, educators and tech companies are on the same page on AI

Artificial intelligence is now part of everyday life. It’s in our phones, schools and homes. For young people, AI shapes how they learn, connect and express themselves. But it also raises real concerns about privacy, fairness and control. AI systems often promise personalization and convenience. But behind the scenes, they collect vast amounts of personal data, make predictions […] … learn more→

Fear of Missing Out: Between Social Brain and Collective Anxiety

Fear of Missing Out: Between Social Brain and Collective Anxiety

You’ve probably felt it before: that distinct sensation that your phone has just vibrated in your pocket. You quickly pull it out. No notification. Another scenario: You’re going away for the weekend, determined to “disconnect.” The first few hours are pleasant. Then anxiety mounts. What’s happening on your emails? What conversations are you missing? You’re […] … learn more→

There is little evidence AI chatbots are ‘bullying kids’ – but this doesn’t mean these tools are safe

There is little evidence AI chatbots are ‘bullying kids’ – but this doesn’t mean these tools are safe

Over the weekend, Education Minister Jason Clare sounded the alarm about “AI chatbots bullying kids”. As he told reporters in a press conference to launch a new anti-bullying review, AI chatbots are now bullying kids […] humiliating them, hurting them, telling them they’re losers, telling them to kill themselves. This sounds terrifying. However, evidence it is happening is […] … learn more→

College faculty are under pressure to say and do the right thing – the stress also trickles down to students

College faculty are under pressure to say and do the right thing – the stress also trickles down to students

Heavy teaching loads, shrinking university budgets and expanding workload expectations have fueled stress and burnout among professors and other university employees in recent years. Now, an increasingly polarized political climate, as well as emerging concerns around university funding cuts, self-censorship and academic freedom, has created new pressures for university and college employees. The result is an academic profession caught in the crosscurrents […] … learn more→

A new online game helps imagine life on Earth in 2100

A new online game helps imagine life on Earth in 2100

What will the world look like in 2100? This question is central to a new free online game called FutureGuessr. Launched in June 2025, this new form of climate communication combines gameplay with visual climate imagery and encourages players to explore future scenarios. Players are shown an image from the future and asked to guess the location. […] … learn more→

AI heavyweights call for end to ‘superintelligence’ research

AI heavyweights call for end to ‘superintelligence’ research

I have worked in AI for more than three decades, including with pioneers such as John McCarthy, who coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1955. In the past few years, scientific breakthroughs have produced AI tools that promise unprecedented advances in medicine, science, business and education. At the same time, leading AI companies have the stated goal to create superintelligence: not merely smarter tools, […] … learn more→

Even before they can read, young children are visualizing letters and other objects with the same strategies adults use

Even before they can read, young children are visualizing letters and other objects with the same strategies adults use

What do puzzles, gymnastics, writing and using maps all have in common? They all rely on people’s ability to visualize objects as they spin, flip or turn in space, without physically moving them. This is a spatial skill that developmental psychologists call mental rotation. Whether a person is navigating a new city or doing a cartwheel, […] … learn more→