This is obvious to people that get migraines – the head hurts, a lot – but now scientists may be on the road to finding out what migraine is. A Neurology study, by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, have discovered that sensory areas of the brains’ cortex is thicker in people who develop …
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Category:7 Holonics and Life
The virtual world is getting harsh, with cyber-bullying
The launch by YouTube of a site where users can raise concerns about cyber-bulling puts in to sharp focus the reality of teh virtual worlds we create. While the YouTube initiative illustrates the nature and extent of personal abuse by internet or phone-text, it should not detract from awareness that traditional non-physical abuse is also …
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Education is Number 1 in China
China is now the largest higher education system in the world: it awards more university degrees than the US and India combined. But its not just volume, its quality and growth too. China has identified education as a priority and invested in its education system so that in a few years it has transformed itself …
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School governors denigrate tests and league tables
The UK’s National Governors’ Association is calling for an end to the current system of league tables and national tests, saying the tables held information that was too narrow and misrepresented what happened in schools. Instead it wants schools to be given a grade based on comparisons with others in similar circumstances, and tests that …
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Another civilisation destroyed by ecological over-consumption
In August we heard about new satellite evidence that shows how the ancient Khmer civilisation around Angkor Wat collapsed when its consumption of water resources exceeded natural limits. A new study outlined at the recent Climate and Humans conference in Murcia, Spain, and appearing in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, shows that one of Western …
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Transport more important to us than children?
There are now three times more cars than children in the UK says a report commissioned by Play England who say that the disappearance of places where children can play demands a “robust and urgent response”. While the statistic in itself may be a bit misleading, since it does not reflect car ownership per family, …
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Theft in the virtual world … a step in the right direction?
A teenager has been arrested for stealing virtual furniture in a virtual hotel in a virtual world (Habbo). The furniture was paid for with real money, however. This is another step in the realisation of virtual reality. Earlier this year we heard of a real world intellectual property litigation over virtual businesses in a virtual …
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Global Text Project coming
A new website that make available open content electronic textbooks facilitating learning. Still in its early stages it also accepts contributions: Global Text Project
Can we walk the talk? Its harder than you think …
A fairly extensive poll by the BBC inquiring whether individuals can make lifestyle changes to redress damage to the biosphere returned a positive result. Most of us think we can and will make changes. This is a good start, but we should not be complacent for a two main reasons: The changes envisioned are modest …
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Testing students retards achievement, again
Further evidence that an education system that requires students to pass tests at certain ages is detrimental to learning was produced by a Manchester University study. Emphasising mathematics and English at primary school in order to pass tests, detracts from other subjects resulting in less learning and more narrow learning. And readers of this blog …
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