Big data are widely seen as a game-changer in scientific research, promising new and efficient ways to produce knowledge. And yet, large and diverse data collections are nothing new – they have long existed in fields such as meteorology, astronomy and natural history. What, then, is all the fuss about? In my recent book I argue […] … learn more→

  I’ve just written a book chapter in two weeks. This is a long time for me, and it was hard work. I’m usually someone who plans their writing quite carefully. I begin with an abstract and then flesh it out by adding bullet points. I don’t do pomodoros, or any other form of speed writing. […] … learn more→

Those statues and portraits that embellish our high seats of learning – enjoy them while you can. As Sir Francis Galton, one of the greatest polymaths in British history, is recast by some University College Londonactivists as the inventor of racism, we must ask: is any famous figure safe from the campus commissars of moral […] … learn more→

My recent revisit of Penn State, where over a decade of whispers about what was going on in the showers there was systematically silenced, led me to consider the most striking parallel with the current big whispering campaign, called Pizzagate. Now, before I go any further I’ll state that, looking at all the evidence, if […] … learn more→

Wearing a fitness tracking device could earn you cash from your health insurance company. At first, this sounds lucrative for the people who participate, and good for the companies, who want healthier insurance customers. But it’s not quite so simple. Under the program, people who have certain health insurance coverage plans with United Healthcare can […] … learn more→

So Sandusky’s son has been arrested on pedophilia charges. It’s curious how easy it is to get into these situations with underage girls…but you think this guy of all people would eschew just things. In addition, we should probably consider there’s an infrastructure here–how exactly does he find underage girls to do this to? The […] … learn more→

Publications matter. And not just journal papers. For research aimed at improving people’s health by changing how international health services are delivered, other publications such as operational guidelines for managers, practice guides for doctors, and materials for the public that explain diseases, treatments or lifestyle changes in simple language, are just as important. These are the […] … learn more→

With іnсrеаѕіng pressure on our рrесіоuѕ rеѕоurсеѕ, соllеgе саmрuѕеѕ have соmе tо play аn іmроrtаnt rоlе in environmental ѕtеwаrdѕhір. Thіѕ guіdе рrоvіdеѕ аn оvеrvіеw оf strategies fоr the іmрlеmеntаtіоn аnd development of a college rubbish removal, campus recycling аnd zero wаѕtе program. It іnсludеѕ tооlѕ and rеѕоurсеѕ tо іnѕріrе соllеgіаtе zеrо waste advocates everywhere. There […] … learn more→

Over the past century, American schools have integrated an ever-more-diverse group of students. Racial integration is most prominent, but it’s not just Native Americans, blacks and Latinos who have been brought into public education. Schools today serve children with conditions on the autism spectrum, Down syndrome and many other medical issues. But there is one […] … learn more→

Any dog owner will tell you how smart they think their dog is. What we usually think of as smartness in dogs is measured or observed in their external behaviour. Being able to respond to commands, for example, or remember the location of a hidden toy. Scientists have long wondered whether what underlies “smart” behaviour […] … learn more→