Blog Archives

Crushing the intellect: Pakistan’s war on free speech

Crushing the intellect: Pakistan’s war on free speech

Pakistani authorities have won another battle against free speech. The latest blow is just another consequence of harsh measures taken by Pakistan’s government in the last five years against freedom of speech. On March 27, the interior ministry announced that Facebook had removed 85% of “illegal, blasphemous” content found on its website. The estimated number […] … learn more→

Silent sufferings

Silent sufferings

Near the end of my PhD, my partner, an early career researcher, was being honoured by her professional society with a career award. We travelled interstate to a conference and to attend the fancy conference dinner together, where she was to deliver a short speech on stage in front of a couple hundred of her […] … learn more→

Profitable ways to get rid of your old car

Profitable ways to get rid of your old car

A car can seem like a fantastic investment, but you’ll often find that it depreciates quickly in value after you’ve purchased it. Depreciation can cause headaches for owners who are looking to upgrade. You don’t want to have bought a vehicle a few years ago, only to find out that you can’t get any money […] … learn more→

How online hate infiltrates social media and politics

How online hate infiltrates social media and politics

In late February, the headline of a news commentary website that receives more than 2.8 million monthly visitors announced, “Jews Destroy Another One of Their Own Graveyards to Blame Trump.” The story, inspired by the recent desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, was the seething fantasy of an anti-Semitic website known as the Daily […] … learn more→

‘I don’t want to be teased’ – why bullied children are reluctant to seek help from teachers

‘I don’t want to be teased’ – why bullied children are reluctant to seek help from teachers

In Australia approximately one student in five is bullied at school every few weeks or more often. Many of these students suffer serious emotional and psychological harm, such as persistent anxiety, depression and suicidal thinking, and are unable to concentrate on their school work. It is clear they need help. Teachers routinely inform students that […] … learn more→

Did artificial intelligence deny you credit?

Did artificial intelligence deny you credit?

People who apply for a loan from a bank or credit card company, and are turned down, are owed an explanation of why that happened. It’s a good idea – because it can help teach people how to repair their damaged credit – and it’s a federal law, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Getting an […] … learn more→