There is a widespread belief that a young adult’s college years are accompanied by weight gain — the so called “freshman five.” This is not just an urban myth. Research shows that approximately 85 per cent of overweight adults were not overweight as youth. And, by studying changes in fat mass during the period between 18 […] … learn more→

When protesters tore down the “Silent Sam” Confederate statue at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on Aug. 20, it wasn’t just destruction of state property – a crime for which the protesters are now being investigated. Rather, the protesters knocked a powerful symbol of white supremacy from its pedestal – both literally and figuratively. Silent Sam, after […] … learn more→

In July, Gap launched its back to school advertising campaign featuring a group of children of colour from P.S. 153 in Harlem, New York, including a young girl wearing a hijab. The ad spurred positive media coverage for its celebratory inclusivity and a massive virulent debate on social media. Many applauded Gap’s decision, which they perceived as empowering women and girls […] … learn more→

How much money do students spend on college textbooks? The answer is: too much. Since 1982, the price of new textbooks has tripled even after taking inflation into account. Since 2006, it has outstripped the rate of increase for college tuition. In contrast, the price of recreational books, a rough indicator of the cost of book production, […] … learn more→

When I was a student decades ago, at a “good” Australian university, most teachers thought and taught but did little or no research. The mantra soon shifted to “publish or perish”, prompting at least some academics to churn out books and articles by the dozen. Now, though, volume is not enough: you have to go […] … learn more→

Getting your GCSE results is big day for most 16-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – as well as for their parents and schools. GCSEs have been a national rite of passage for the last 30 years. The first students sat GCSEs in 1988 when GCSEs replaced O levels and CSEs as the single school leaving […] … learn more→

Many college leaders readily agree that the liberal arts have been under attack politically, socially, and culturally for well over a generation. They earnestly argue that a liberal arts education creates productive citizens to ensure a robust democracy. These officials point to the heightened polarization within American society and a growing political chasm fueled by […] … learn more→

YouTube is such a fine resource for learning things. It’s only drawback (beyond the way how it supports pedophilia and censors counter-narrative views) is the one common to any learning tool: if you don’t know what you should know, you’re unlikely to learn it. Today I’ll highlight a couple stories which strike me as fairly […] … learn more→

A World Bank study revealed that Africa attracted more than 33 million visitors in 2012, a remarkable increase from the 6.7 million in 1990. While more than a half of the international visits to the continent were business-oriented, a few included some touristic activities too. The other half had visitors that travelled for tourism, meeting […] … learn more→

The longer I’ve actively been on social media, the more certain things grate on me. I’ve written before about why I’d follow an account—a person or organisation—on Twitter. So, you can imagine that if an account started to become the opposite of what it was when I followed it, it would turn me off. With longer-term […] … learn more→