You’ve heard it all – the end is near, the age of handwriting, of calligraphy and of penmanship is over. It’s true that there’s been a significant fall in writing, and many stats to prove this point, such as the fact that one in three of us hasn’t written anything in the past 6 months.; […] … learn more→

There have been changes within higher education over the last few decades. Ongoing fee rises and an increasing focus on finances most recently. These changes have inevitably had an effect on working conditions and there is now a tendency towards casual and temporary employment across much of the higher education sector in the UK. According […] … learn more→

Generating knowledge is one of the most exciting aspects of being human. The inventiveness required to apply this knowledge to solve practical problems is perhaps our most distinctive attribute. But right now we have before us some hairy challenges – whether that be figuring our how to save our coral reefs from warmer water, landing […] … learn more→

The march in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this summer by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists illuminated the growing danger of authoritarian movements both in the United States and across the globe. It’s signalling a danger that mimics the increasingly forgotten horrors of the 1930s. Neo-Nazis in the United States, and possibly those worldwide, appear […] … learn more→

I was a professional stockbroker and investment banker before I went into academia, and it is my blog, and so I feel entitled to talk a bit about the insanity in our monetary system…there’s much to say, so much that I’ll be rambling a bit trying to just hit the highlights. I’ve mentioned before that […] … learn more→

My husband was a brilliant scientist who committed suicide a few years ago. While he and I talked, often, about ways to share what happened to him in the high-pressure world of elite academic science, I have chosen not to share his name because I do not have his permission. Nor – much as I […] … learn more→

Australian police are using “poisoned watering holes” to investigate crime on the dark web. By taking over illegal marketplaces that traffic in child pornography or drugs, law enforcement are collecting information about criminals all over the world. Of course, crimes that occur on the internet often cross international borders, but this situation is creating troubling […] … learn more→

With even Vladimir Putin now warning of global catastrophe from the recent tensions in Korea, we are in arguably the worst period of nuclear brinkmanship since the end of the Cold War. It is partly thanks to a strand of thinking among the American right that a nuclear attack on Pyongyang would succeed where decades […] … learn more→

The start of the academic year is fast approaching, with new students from across the UK looking forward to starting university with a mix of trepidation and excitement. The UK is also a popular place for international students to study, given that it has some of the best universities in the world. This means that […] … learn more→

This fall, for the first time ever, borrowers who have made 120 qualifying payments can avail themselves of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) to eliminate their remaining federal student loan debt. Ahead of its implementation, we’ve drafted some recommendations to ensure smooth sailing and a better, more targeted program. This post, detailing recommendations […] … learn more→