For about 10 years now, I’ve had a profitable side hustle teaching writing. ANU has a generous external consulting policy, which means I can fly all over the country, and the world, teaching academics to be better writers. With the invention of ChatGPT (or as my sister Anitra dubbed it, ChattieG), I expected this work […] … learn more→

Imagine a room with seven powerful amplifiers centralized through a state-of-the-art computer. Each one plays a different sound source. The computer is configured by default with a program that executes these commands randomly: Devices 2 and 4: progressive activation of the volume up to its maximum intensity and immediate disconnection. Devices 1, 3 and 5: […] … learn more→

It is a classic in our libraries. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe tells the adventures of a hero shipwrecked on a desert island who learns to live by exploiting the resources of his environment. Since its publication in 1719, this story has been given to read to millions of children around the world. The fascination for elsewhere that […] … learn more→

Earlier this year, the removal of thousands of books to make room for renovations at Melbourne’s City Library prompted an outcry. Removing the books was “an absolute act of vandalism,” librarian Alice Bluer told The Age. The City of Melbourne argued the space was needed for other in-demand uses, such as “community meetings, study and co-working”. The collection would […] … learn more→

Judging by recent headlines and policy ideas, you might think screen time is the only lifestyle behaviour influencing teen wellbeing. But with young people struggling to deal with mounting mental health issues, it’s crucial we don’t get tunnel vision and instead remember all the lifestyle levers that can play a role. Our research, published today, tracked Australian high school students […] … learn more→

Summer is a time for educators and students to recharge. For educators, this opportunity to reflect and regroup often includes planning for how to support students in the next school year. It is becoming increasingly important that this support involves helping students navigate the impacts of the climate crisis. Doom and gloom discourses encountered at […] … learn more→

The laughter, noise and hubbub of children often resonate in the Faculty of Social Sciences of Manresa of the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia. An academic context for training teachers who are not afraid of contact with infant schoolchildren (from 3 to 6 years old), in which we have created a laboratory designed to […] … learn more→

When fiction’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, needed to solve a crime, he turned to his sharp observational skills and deep understanding of human nature. He used this combination more than once when facing off against his arch-nemesis, Dr James Moriarty, a villain adept at exploiting human weaknesses for his gain. This classic battle mirrors today’s […] … learn more→

Over 50,000 years ago, humans started speaking and we’ve not shut up since. Sometimes, though, we struggle to remember the name of an object, a place, or a person we want to talk about. The technical term for this phenomenon is “lethologica”. While severe word-finding difficulties can be due to serious neurological issues, such as […] … learn more→

Most adults never have to take an IQ test. But tests for assessing students’ cognitive abilities, such as the cognitive ability test (Cat), are used in schools around the world. These tests are very similar to IQ tests. Taking them may be a pain for kids. Possibly, it’s an even bigger pain for parents. Just for a […] … learn more→