Can we train in experimental work in chemistry by sitting in front of a computer screen rather than in front of a laboratory bench? At first glance, the idea may surprise. “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand,” said Confucius. If we refer to this famous maxim, manipulating a […] … learn more→

On Jan. 3, the American Dialect Society held its 30th annual “Word of the Year” vote, which this year also included a vote for “Word of the Decade.” It was the year – and the decade – of the pronoun. In a nod to shifting attitudes about gender identities that are nonbinary – meaning they don’t neatly […] … learn more→

The edu-fascists running so many of our schools are predictable. The educationists want growth at all costs, while the Progressives want to advance their destructive ideology at all costs. Entrance exams, what used to be a gatekeeper for getting in to higher education, have long been abandoned at many of our open admissions state schools. […] … learn more→

The incredible exponential growth in the volume of research data shows no signs of slowing down. Take the databases used by the European Bioinformatics Institute, headquartered in Cambridge, which continue to double in size every one to two years. And, thanks to powerful digital processors, advances in materials science and innovations around data transfer, the […] … learn more→

PhD graduates in the humanities need to cultivate more varied career paths. Canadian universities need to reform the culture of the humanities so that careers outside the university are seen to be just as valuable as permanent, tenure-track professorships. Changes like these will be good for the graduates, the universities and for Canadian society itself. […] … learn more→

The 2019 general election is already being remembered as the one where misinformation went mainstream. It was, of course, already on the political agenda after the 2016 referendum and US election, with growing numbers of academics and parliament sounding the alarm over foreign actors using so-called “fake news” to disrupt the democratic processes. But what was seen over the election […] … learn more→

Teachers are among the professions peak in the current protest against pension reform. Will the movement gain momentum ? The demonstrations of the coming days will tell. The fact remains that teacher mobilization falls within a specific historical framework. Their pension scheme does not date from the Liberation, like the general scheme, but from the two Empires. Can such an old system […] … learn more→

Late one afternoon this past summer, after leaving my Winnipeg office, I came across a poster that read: “When the house of cards comes crashing down, we’ll be ready. Will you join us?” In the background of this poster, the bridge that connects St. Boniface at the Forks was visible, while in the foreground, a masked soldier […] … learn more→

When college students seek help for a mental health issue on campus – something they are doing more often – the place they usually go is the college counseling center. But while the stigma of seeking mental health support has gone down, it has created a new problem: College counseling centers are now struggling to meet the increased demand. As […] … learn more→

Last time around, I wrote of a scholarly report on how Social Justice Warriors take over schools, convert them from centers of education into indoctrination camps. While the report says little I didn’t see with my own eyes years ago, it does a wonderful examination of one particular school, San Diego State University, which has […] … learn more→