January 1st has something of a “psychological switch” about it. Suddenly, it seems easier to imagine and commit to an improved version of yourself: more active, more organized, healthier. It’s as if the calendar offers a clear starting line and, with it, a sense of control: “I’m starting from scratch,” “this is the time,” “this […] … learn more→

In artificial intelligence, 2025 marked a decisive shift. Systems once confined to research labs and prototypes began to appear as everyday tools. At the center of this transition was the rise of AI agents – AI systems that can use other software tools and act on their own. While researchers have studied AI for more […] … learn more→

Artificial intelligence (AI) is made up of data, chips, and code, but also of the stories and metaphors we use to represent it. Stories matter . The imagery surrounding a technology determines how the public understands it and, therefore, guides its use, design, and social impact. That’s why it’s worrying that, according to most studies , the dominant representation […] … learn more→

Language learning is often a daunting prospect. Many of us wish we had learned a language to a higher level at school. But even though adults of all ages can do well in acquiring a new language, fear – or the memory of struggling to memorise grammar at school – can hold us back. We […] … learn more→

A popular New Year’s resolution is to take up meditation – specifically mindfulness meditation. This is a healthy choice. Regular mindfulness practice has been linked to many positive health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep and quicker healing after injury and illness. Mindfulness can help us to be present in a distracted world and to feel […] … learn more→

Imagine trying to fill a water bottle with a fire hose at full pressure. Most of the water would spill out, and the bottle would still be half empty. Something very similar happens in our brains when we try to learn by rote memorization, which is why we’ve all found ourselves reading a text over […] … learn more→

Over the course of 2025, deepfakes improved dramatically. AI-generated faces, voices and full-body performances that mimic real people increased in quality far beyond what even many experts expected would be the case just a few years ago. They were also increasingly used to deceive people. For many everyday scenarios — especially low-resolution video calls and […] … learn more→

As Canadian federal election candidates prepared for their final debate in April 2025, youth across the country were preparing for collaborative conversations around timely and potentially divisive issues for the National Ethics Bowl at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. Ethics Bowl Canada is a non-profit organization that hosts competitions where high school and university students […] … learn more→

Between 2014 and 2024, the proportion of people aged 16–24 in England experiencing mental health issues rose from 19% to 26%. This means over 1.6 million young people – enough to fill Wembley Stadium 18 times over – are affected by mental ill-health today. Social media is often at the centre of conversations about what’s driving this trend. […] … learn more→

“But what were you thinking? How could you not have considered the consequences this would bring?” These are phrases that have probably been uttered more than once in any home where teenagers live. Beyond the ability of the adults (parents, relatives, teachers) who surround us at this stage of life to educate us, when we […] … learn more→