Reading Time: 2 minutesOptical illusions have long been a source of interest for many years. Among his renowned academic interests, Joseph Jastrow was noted for his work on optical illusions. His landmark paper on the subject ‘A Study of Zöllner’s Figures and Other Related Illusions‘ was published in ‘The American Journal of Psychology’ in April 1892. Joseph Jastrow […]
Reading Time: < 1 minuteImproving Writing Skills Sometimes, even the most intelligent people make mistakes when using common phrases, leading to some embarrassing moments. Can you identify what’s wrong with the phrases below? Check your responses against the solution key. Baited breath Boldface lie Chalk full Do diligence First-come, first-serve Given free reign Honed in I could care less […]
Reading Time: 2 minutesHere’s a quick exercise you can do to demonstrate why understanding statistics and probability is important. The Birthday Paradox Consider a Group You Know: ask your students to think about a group of people. This could be a group of Facebook friends or Instagram followers, the fans of a sports team they follow or a […]
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA while back, a crowd of people boarded a subway car in New York City and discovered Nazi symbolism written everywhere. Many riders did nothing, but one person stood up and started cleaning off the graffiti. His courage enabled everyone else to stand up and help until all of it was gone. This is a […]
Reading Time: 2 minutesYou’ll often read an article saying that there is “proof” or that researchers have “proven” a connection between two things, but researchers actually use the word “proof” very hesitantly. Here’s a study on the topic of exercise and dementia that might make you think carefully about how this term is used. The study appeared in […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesAs college institutions move quickly to adopt new tools and methods for distance learning in response to COVID-19, in-person professional development opportunities have become scarce. Nearly all of today’s college educators use one form of social media or another, making its ability to supplement professional growth and training more important than ever. Here are just […]
Reading Time: 2 minutesAuthor: Emily Farris, Texas Christian University On Twitter recently, I came across a viral tweet by documentary filmmaker Arlen Parsa, who edited John Trumbull’s painting, Declaration of Independence. Parsa placed red dots over the slaveholders present in Trumbull’s painting, which depicts the drafting committee presenting their work to the Second Continental Congress. Dots cover all […]
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAuthor: Emily Farris, Texas Christian University President Donald Trump was impeached on December 18, 2019. Impeachment can be a tricky topic for an introductory class to cover, particularly as it unfolds in the news. One way I would approach talking about impeachment is through the great speech by Barbara Charline Jordan, from the 1974 House […]
