In November 2012, during my first year as a PhD student, a 23-year-old medical student knocked on my door. Earlier that day, we had been discussing our ages in our shared kitchen. At 30, I had stayed silent, feeling a sharp sting of embarrassment next to my 20-something housemates. But this student was determined to […] … learn more→
Another kind of student debt is entrenching inequality
Copying, pasting, plagiarizing? Copyright explained to students (and others)
Did Guillaume Musso plagiarize Diana Katalayi Ilunga’s work, as she claims? Is the Christmas video featuring the wolf from Intermarché a plagiarism of the children’s book *Un Noël pour le loup * by Thierry Dedieu? Is the song * On va s’aimer *, performed by Gilbert Montagné, a plagiarism of the song * Une fille de France *, performed by Gianni Nazzaro? These […] … learn more→
What is scientific integrity today?
Scientific integrity is a widely accepted institutional priority. Beyond detecting and addressing scientific misconduct, most higher education and research institutions now share the common goal of promoting a culture of good research practices. It is tempting to place this culture in a historical perspective: the priority given to integrity today is only one moment in […] … learn more→
Digital illiteracy: the difficulties young people face with digital technology
Less than half of students possess the expected digital skills upon completion of their bachelor’s degree, according to a study by the Pix Observatory , reported in late 2025 by various national media outlets . These findings highlight what can be called digital illiteracy among young people, a far cry from the “digital native” stereotype often associated with this generation born in […] … learn more→
Artificial metacognition: Giving an AI the ability to ‘think’ about its ‘thinking’
Have you ever had the experience of rereading a sentence multiple times only to realize you still don’t understand it? As taught to scores of incoming college freshmen, when you realize you’re spinning your wheels, it’s time to change your approach. This process, becoming aware of something not working and then changing what you’re doing, […] … learn more→
The loneliness of students who drop out: a few months of training and already facing failure
Three years after their initial enrollment in a bachelor’s degree program in 2020-2021, only 55% of high school graduates are still enrolled. In other words, nearly one in two young people experiences, at some point in their studies, an interruption, a change of direction, or a setback. During this period, the feelings experienced and the solutions considered […] … learn more→
OpenAI will put ads in ChatGPT. This opens a new door for dangerous influence
OpenAI has announced plans to introduce advertising in ChatGPT in the United States. Ads will appear on the free version and the low-cost Go tier, but not for Pro, Business, or Enterprise subscribers. The company says ads will be clearly separated from chatbot responses and will not influence outputs. It has also pledged not to sell […] … learn more→
Reducing the cost of your digital academic life
Before I start this post – a quick announcement. My business partner and pod cohost, Dr Jason Downs, is visiting the UK in late April. If you’d like to meet and chat with him about the products we have planned for On The Reg Team in 2026, shoot us an email to [email protected] with the subject line […] … learn more→
‘Expertise’ shouldn’t be a bad word – expert consensus guides science and society
A growing distrust of expertise is reshaping the terrain of science in the United States. Since the pandemic, the partisan divide over science has widened dramatically. While 77% of Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence that scientists act in the best interests of the public, that breaks down to 90% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans. […] … learn more→
‘Technostress’ at university: being tech-savvy isn’t everything
Imagine an average university student: they open their laptop to check an assignment, but first they have to deal with messages from the class group, three emails from the university platform, and a notification about a change in the due date. None of this requires great digital skills, but it does require attention that is […] … learn more→