Do you know what the Apple logo looks like? Chances are, you think you do. It’s ubiquitous and iconic. How could you not know it? But when tested, it turns out very few people can remember all the features of the logo. One study of 85 people found that only about half could pick the correct logo […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Most people don’t know what they don’t know, but think they do – correcting your metaknowledge can make you a better teacher and learner
Should we really fear Mythos, the AI capable of detecting and exploiting cybersecurity vulnerabilities?
Much has been said about Mythos (Anthropic’s LLM, a large language model focused on reasoning, coding, and cybersecurity) and Anthropic’s cult of secrecy. However, the company has published a technical report on Mythos’s capabilities, the analysis of which puts some of the apocalyptic pronouncements circulating online into perspective . The researchers describe the breakthroughs that Mythos makes possible: detecting zero-day vulnerabilities in […] … learn more→
Button‑pushing explorers: How to grasp that AI agents can do amazing things while knowing nothing
The nonprofit ARC Prize Foundation on May 1, 2026, released the results of a new benchmark: a test of an AI system’s ability to solve a game. The results were striking – humans scored 100%, while the most advanced AI systems scored under 1%. At first glance, this may be surprising to users of AI who are impressed […] … learn more→
Why I quit my academic job to study photography
People often imagine life-changing career decisions as a single dramatic moment: a sudden epiphany, a bold declaration, a clean break. My decision to quit my academic job and step away from my work in artificial intelligence (AI) training was nothing like that. The truth is that the moment had been building for years. It started […] … learn more→
Writing for well‑being: How it could be a new way to teach the essay and resist AI
Writing the dreaded English essay spikes anxiety for thousands of students, but is there a way for writing to boost students’ well-being instead? I wanted to know if a new approach to teaching literary studies could tap into the feel-good side of writing and make essays a path to wellness, so I designed an English course […] … learn more→
From AI companions to climate action, we undervalue what lies ahead
Millions of people around the world now use AI companions — for friendship, emotional support, mental health counselling and romantic interactions. This includes 72 per cent of adolescents, according to one study from the United States. Meanwhile, human-caused climate change has already led to widespread impacts and rising risks, some of them irreversible. Yet emissions […] … learn more→
From thesis to monograph
There’s nothing quite like holding your first book in your hands. The tactile nature of the object somehow emblemises the years of hard work. It has weight. Physically turning each page feels satisfying. Black symbols on bright white paper stand as a beacon of hard-earned knowledge. If the Great Gatsby novel emblemised the jazz age, in a […] … learn more→
Is an A still an A? The truth behind grade inflation
Recently, a spate of news coverage has raised concerns about grade inflation in schools across Canada. These concerns stem in part from policies stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was widespread cancellation of large-scale tests, freezing of grades during school closures and “compassionate” grading practices that accounted for students’ personal situations. Together, these changes […] … learn more→
Hackers just stole data from 9,000 schools and unis around the world. How can we protect student privacy?
This week, US-based education technology provider Instructureannounced a significant cybersecurity incident affecting its Canvas system. This is used by schools and universities around the world, including in Australia. Cyber crime group ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility. On Thursday, the group claimed it had breached Instructure in another attack. Almost 9,000 educational institutions, involving 275 million students, […] … learn more→
College students are noticing their AI‑smoothed writing sounds strong — and not like them
Generative AI has become a part of everyday student life in Canada. While institutions focus on misconduct and detection, a deeper shift is happening, one that concerns identity. A recent KPMG Canada report finds that 73 per cent of students use generative AI for schoolwork, and nearly half say it is their “first instinct.” Also significant is […] … learn more→
