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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

Photo of a man walking and a child on a hoverboard near a pink house and a ‘Dead End’ sign on a suburban street.

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

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

Sex and sexuality

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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

Photo of a person reading on a tablet, facing left, wearing glasses and a jumper in a dimly lit environment.

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

Photo of a street scene with a large billboard showing cloudy sky a woman walking by a café and an underpass roof above.

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

Photo of a green bowl holding a smartphone various keys a yellow accessory and a blue card on a white surface.

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

Painting of a Renaissance family gathered around a table with a patterned cloth and fruit bowl, showcasing rich attire and expressions.

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

Ancient clay tablet with cuneiform script on a black background, likely an artifact from Mesopotamia.

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 using a laptop on a stand at a wooden table with fruit on a tiered dish.

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

Photo of a man in a suit with two people, one with a mechanical face, indoors.

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

Photo of people sitting on a park bench looking at phones, surrounded by trees and other park visitors.

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