The Swedish government recently imposed restrictions on devices in classrooms and a return to physical textbooks . This policy was prompted by concerns about declining student test scores and the negative impact of increased screen time . Is this anxiety reasonable? To address this issue, it’s important to remember that the notion of reading as easy is a fallacy. […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Do we absorb information more easily from paper than from a screen? It depends on the type of screen.
Why listening is the most important civic skill in the digital age
In an ordinary conversation today, it’s not hard to sense when someone stops listening. Their attention shifts, their response comes too quickly, or their gaze drifts to a nearby screen. The exchange continues, but something essential has already been lost. We express ourselves, more than ever, through platforms, devices, and digital spaces. But are we […] … learn more→
Key words – dissemination communication, sharing
Doctoral researchers are sometimes asked in their viva what their plans for dissemination are. Gulp. But this is a question worth thinking about. It’s not a trick question. Examiners are genuinely interested in how you think about what happens after the viva. They may also have some helpful ideas about what you could do. However, […] … learn more→
Why understanding AI will be as important as learning to read
For years, media literacy has been considered an essential skill for navigating digital environments. It involves learning to identify reliable sources, verify information, and detect misleading content. However, in a context marked by the expansion of artificial intelligence in the processes of access, production and circulation of knowledge, the information ecosystem has been transformed and the aforementioned […] … learn more→
Is AI impoverishing journalistic (and societal) language?
What happens to public language when a growing proportion of the texts circulating in the press, online, and on social media begin to be written by machines? This issue doesn’t just affect journalism as a profession. It can also affect the richness of the language we use to understand, describe, and discuss reality. Historically, the press has […] … learn more→
De‑extinction company says it’s made an artificial egg – if true, it could help save living species
Today’s announcement by Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences about a successful hatching of chicks from an artificial egg would represent a major innovation, if the claims can be verified. The company says its artificial egg supports the full development of bird embryos outside a biological eggshell, without the requirement for supplemental oxygen. The work is part of […] … learn more→
New ‘AI scientists’ are improving – but reveal their fundamental limits
Many of the most exciting discoveries in science involve highly specialised knowledge and making connections between far-flung facts. Scientists must combine deep analysis with broad reasoning strategies. As in many information-rich tasks, researchers are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) systems to speed up their work. AI tools may be able to support key steps such as generating ideas, reviewing […] … learn more→
Self‑censorship, more stress, tougher recruiting – we asked US researchers how the Trump administration’s science policies have affected them
The American academic research engine has long been the envy of the world. Generally well-funded, labs in the United States have been able to attract the best minds who generate breakthroughs and train the next generation workforce that powers the U.S. economy. But since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025, new federal policies have destabilized the American […] … learn more→
Choosing a course of study: a guide to learning how to decide without getting stuck
When a student asks themselves, “What should I study?”, they often feel they must find a quick, definitive answer, as if their entire future hinges on a single decision. However, choosing a course of study can be experienced as a learning process: how to make an informed, realistic, and personally meaningful choice. A sound career […] … learn more→
How teaching the history of science can help equip students to face polarized times
For decades, science educators have been encouraged to “stick to the science” and leave politics at the classroom door. But as disinformation spreads online and public trust in science seems to erode in some contexts, this advice is no longer realistic. In Canada and elsewhere, science teachers face a challenge. Science is being questioned in varied ways, […] … learn more→
