When digital media entrepreneur Andrew Keen predicted in 2007 that the user generated focus of Web 2.0 would lead to a reduction of well researched and factual information – and in turn the rise of amateur opinion – he was clearly on to something. Over a decade later, and Keen’s prognosis has, arguably, come true. The internet today is […] … learn more→

Why do people tend to do what others do, prefer what others prefer, and choose what others choose? Our study, published today in Nature Human Behaviour, shows that people tend to copy other people’s choices, even when they know that those people did not make their choices freely, and when the decision does not reflect their […] … learn more→

Many working parents battle with school holidays, especially the long period between Christmas and the start of the new school year. Most people receive four weeks’ leave a year, but school holidays take up about 12 weeks of the year. The maths clearly doesn’t add up. Even if both parents take their leave at different […] … learn more→

Accessing higher education is critical for many people seeking asylum. It’s not simply a means of acquiring the qualifications and skills necessary for employment. It’s also essential to living a meaningful life Despite this, people seeking asylum are among Australia’s most educationally disadvantaged. This is largely due to restrictive federal government policies. In response, a growing number […] … learn more→

Matt Cox knew he would be criticized when he forced his 10-year-old daughter to walk 5 miles to school in 36-degree weather as her punishment for being suspended from the school bus twice for bullying. “I know a lot of you parents are not going to agree with this, but that is alright, because I’m […] … learn more→

One of the key functions of the government is to collect and archive national records. This includes everything from property records and registers of births, deaths and taxes, to Parliamentary proceedings, and even the ABC’s digital library of Australian news and entertainment. A new report released today from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) considers the important […] … learn more→

I have been doing research on intelligence for 30 years. Like most of my colleagues, I did not get involved in the field with the aim of producing technological objects, but because I have an interest in the the abstract nature of the notion of intelligence. I wanted to understand intelligence. That’s what science is: […] … learn more→

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statementrecommending that parents not spank, hit or slap their children. The announcement created a flurry of media attention around the world with headlines such as “Spanking is Still Really Common, and Still Really Bad for Kids.” The statement is significant, but it’s also old news. It adds to already substantial research […] … learn more→

Migrants  ? Refugees? Exiles? Asylum seekers  ? The Prefect talks about asylum seekers. I will use the term refugees for simplicity now. At the end of August 2018, the Prefect is looking for a gymnasium to welcome for three weeks refugees to leave a gymnasium in the city of Évry. In agreement with the president of the University Paris-Sud and the director of the UFR STAPS , the Prefect thus […] … learn more→

In August 2015, a hacking group released data from AshleyMadison.com, a website designed to attract funds from men seeking an extramarital affair. Before the year was out, academics were drawing on the Ashley Madison breach data. I’ve found five journal articles or scholarly papers that draw on the data. Grieser, William, Rachel Li, and Andrei Simonov. […] … learn more→