Depression is a big topic with a lot of myths, or just outright incorrect information, about it. If you only have an hour to learn about this massive topic that is affecting so many people, or learn more about it, this TED Interview podcast with Johann Hari is about as good as any source I know of!
https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1155603767938748421
A couple of really interesting ideas in this podcast that I totally buy into.
The first is to get rid of tenure. This I had already concluded many years ago. It’s generally giving job security to people in the least productive stretch of their careers, then passing that on to students who’d have to pay more. The productivity statement is a generality, of course, meaning it applies to most, but not everyone. However, it’s the same problem governments face with inefficiencies due to the fact they are challenged to fire staff, especially unionized staff.
A related point is the increase of international students who pay the full tuition, huge increases in numbers in some schools. More and more international students are being let in not mostly for diversity’s sake, but for the cash they bring to the schools’ coffers, especially schools that get government funding that fails to meet their wants. That’s also been obvious to me. Having some international students is definitely good, of course, but we have enough diversity in our culture to keep our campuses diverse, if only we’d also remove some systemic barriers to admitting them. Now, whether those massive increases in international student numbers decrease seats to local or national students, or decrease education quality due to class size, the major benefit to huge numbers of international students is for the endowment funds of the schools, not to the students or campus quality.
The second is to tax post-secondary school endowment funds if seats available at those schools funds don’t grow proportionately to the fund growth. Simple argument is that those schools with endowment funds become a for profit entity rather than a not-for-profit because they are hoarding cash and/or spending it on extravagances rather than essentials.
Some other interesting topics regarding better measures for success are also discussed.
https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1155609178007904256
There’s a relatively new app out there called Woebot (available for Android and Apple). It’s an artificial intelligence chatbot that delivers cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, for anxiety, depression, among other things… and it’s impressive just for the AI experience alone! Don’t settle for my opinion on that, though. Look at how two million messages are sent to it each week. Also, if you want to have an idea of how engaging it is, listen from about the 9:30 mark in the podcast below. The podcast had to act it out in the role of the bartender because the chatbot is just text right now. Finally, maybe just download it and give it a try!
People are finding new uses for robotics all the time. Some I like, and some I don’t, but this one, I love!
https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1106712545354809344
Stanley Robotics now valet parks your car at France’s Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport!
There’s a good reason why I don’t donate to most charities. I don’t approve of how they spend some, if not a good portion, of they money they receive for donations. Exorbitant salaries, luxurious overhead and trips, celebration parties among other parties, etc. You might call me judgmental for it, and I’d come back at you with You’re damn right, I am! And count yourself lucky if I don’t throw some expletives at you to adequately describe how I feel.
Digital Citizen 