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Technology and media

A young man turns his head with his hand to reveal a unique gold ear accessory.

idea

Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness

Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen

by Jaipreet Virdi

A man walking by a girl in Amish clothing on a hoverboard near a pink house with a “Dead End” sign in front.

Technology and media

idea

To be more tech-savvy, borrow these strategies from the Amish

With their focus on values and intentionality, the Amish offer a lesson in thinking critically about digital technology

by Alex Mayyasi

A mannequin head with painted blue eyes and red lips, partially obscured by a blurred pink and white shape in the foreground.

Sex and sexuality

idea

The sex tech to come could offer more than ‘the real thing’

Sexbots and other artificial lovers might arouse discomfort, but their continued advances could have unexpected upsides

by Rob Brooks

Technology and media

idea

Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok

Talking to teens reveals a hidden sophistication to their media use. Rather than policing it, maybe we could learn from it

by Emilie Owens

A girl is shown reading from a device in her hand, her face illuminated by the screen’s light

Technology and media

idea

What does switching from paper to screens mean for how we read?

It’s well established that we absorb less well when reading on screen. But why? And can we do something to improve it?

by Lili Yu, Sixin Liao, Jan-Louis Kruger & Erik D Reichle

A person walks past a billboard under a bridge, featuring an image of eyes superimposed on a sky with clouds, next to a café entrance.

Work and vocation

idea

Kafka warned us: surveillance turns the watched into watchers

Surveillance changes us in powerful ways, as Franz Kafka warned. Neither the watched nor their watcher escapes unscathed

by George Alliger

A bowl containing a mobile phone, keychains, earrings, a key, and other small miscellaneous items.

Technology and media

idea

The pleasure, the pain and the politics of a digital detox

Studying why and how people take digital-media breaks can reveal what individuals and societies value in unmediated spaces

by Trine Syvertsen

Portrait painting of a large Renaissance family. The mother and father figures look at each other with disdain, the children are unsmiling.

Parenting and families

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DNA testing is easy. It can also turn your family upside down

DNA testing is bringing the era of family secrets to a close. When a surprise is uncovered, lives can change forever

by Libby Copeland

An ancient clay tablet with engraved cuneiform script on a black background.

History of ideas

idea

What did the ancient Babylonians discern in the skies above?

Ancient Babylonian astronomers help us see that our view of the world is as much a product of our senses as of our culture

by M Willis Monroe

Photo of a man wearing headphones, working on a laptop at a standing desk with red curtains and framed art in the background.

Learning and education

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To make online learning more three-dimensional, let it be bumpy

Effective online teaching requires actively tuning into students’ needs, to ensure they’re doing rich, difficult work

by William Germano & Kit Nicholls

A man in a light suit stands with a smiling woman while a faceless figure with exposed circuitry stands in the background.

Technology and media

idea

Chatbots remind us that natural conversation is artificial too

People fret about the authenticity of AI chatbots but precisely the same issues confront everyday exchanges between humans

by Larry S McGrath

People of different ages and genders sitting on park benches, some chatting, some looking at their smartphones

Technology and media

idea

The illusion of closeness: how social media redefined respect

As we share and like and post, have our notions of restraint transformed so profoundly that all dignity becomes abandoned?

by Lutif Ali Halo