A couple of months ago I wrote a post called ‘The enshittification of academic social media’, riffing on ideas put in the world by Cory Doctorow. It’s fair to say, this post was a minor viral hit, resulting in me being interviewed by Geraldine Dougue on ABC radio, and a piece in The Australian, which I haven’t yet managed […] … learn more→

Gender inclusive language, inclusive language, non-binary forms, gender inclusive… Surely you have heard of this at some point. The truth is that it can be called many things in different linguistic communities, but it always produces some controversy. What really is “inclusive language”? And why does it generate rejection ? It is advisable to start by remembering how gender morphology […] … learn more→

In March 2022, approximately a month after Russia invaded Ukraine, a video of Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, was broadcast on a Ukrainian national channel. In this video, the president asks his people to surrender their weapons and return to their families. This video was quickly identified as a deepfake due to its low quality and will therefore have […] … learn more→

Social media challenges are wide-ranging – both in the stunts they involve and the reasons why people do them. But why do young people take up challenges that pose a threat to health, well-being and, occasionally, their very lives? We are an engineering professor who specializes in understanding how humans interact with computers and a psychology professor with expertise in […] … learn more→

The future of influence is here: a digital avatar that captivates millions of adoring fans while offering unparalleled customisation and round-the-clock availability. Virtual influencers are transforming the way content is created, consumed and marketed online. They represent an electrifying dance between cutting-edge technology and our desire for connection. But, at the same time, they are […] … learn more→

If you’ve ever been scammed, perhaps you resolved to never allow someone to take you for a fool again. But research shows not everyone reacts this way and in fact some fraud victims go into denial. This might help explain why the founder of the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival (a fraudulent luxury music festival), William […] … learn more→

A learner can commit a crime. Studies by the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR ) (2016) and the Center for the Study and Advocacy for the Protection and Quality of Life for Children, University of Indonesia (PUSKAPA) (2020) reviewing court decisions of first instance show that the majority of children who commit crimes, or are known as children who […] … learn more→

What is meant by a new humanism after a pandemic? What senses and practices should education recover? Is it possible to speak of a human education? In fact, the post-pandemic has allowed us to reflect on what the new relationships between human beings, nature and technology are like . The pandemic brought pain and death to humanity and returned our […] … learn more→

We’re only halfway through 2023, and it feels already like the year of alien contact. In February, President Joe Biden gave orders to shoot down three unidentified aerial phenomena – NASA’s title for UFOs. Then, the alleged leaked footage from a Navy pilot of a UFO, and then news of a whistleblower’s report on a possible U.S. government cover-up about UFO […] … learn more→

It has been nearly 100 years since the skeletonised remains of nine people were removed from their graves on a farm near the town of Sutherland in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. They were donated to the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) anatomy department by Carel Gert Coetzee, who had unearthed them and was a […] … learn more→