20/20 vision

PechaKucha is beginning to appear at conferences, in classrooms and on-line.  It is the simplest of concepts - 20 Powerpoint slides delivered for 20 seconds each (automatically timed).  There are associated concepts - such as using mostly pictures and few words and trying not to make more than three key points.

HERE IS ONE I MADE EARLIER FOR A CONFERENCE AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY.

Watch this: PechaKucha demonstration.

Not tried it?  Well, it takes a lot of rehearsal but is very powerful.  Audiences actually listen to what you are saying, you have to focus on the key points and ditch anything that is peripheral.

Perhaps the biggest task is to source/photoshop or create pictures that convey the points you are making.  And if you are organising a conference it gives the chance to have up to five speakers in a 30 minute slot.

...and its great fun...

Artificial Stupidity or Artificial Intelligence?

Will my job be taken over by a robot?  Will I be replaced?  What will become of me?

At least University lecturers can rest easy as experts believe that theirs is one of the few jobs that will not fall victim to the inexorable march of AI.  But if machines can actually learn for themselves and the processing further mimics the human brain we are all doomed.

PICTURE BY SIMON HOWDEN AT FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET

Or are we?

Surely Asimov's 3 laws will protect us?  Oh no wait, there was a Zeroeth (?) law preceding and supervailing the first law ("robots must not harm humanity") and then a fourth/fifth law, added by another Science Fiction writer.

Did you say Science Fiction?

Well then, surely robust and well-designed regulation agreed by the world governments will protect us?

We are all doomed.

Power failure on campus: Official

From 1st April 2019 there will be a power failure on campus.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

• Academic colleagues will no longer have the power to decide what, when or how to undertake research;
• Academic colleagues will no longer have any influence on promotion cases, job interviews, contract terms or, frankly anything that stops the University from owning their very souls;
• Academic colleagues will no longer have the power to decide what, where, when or how to teach as their practice must conform to the University teaching protocol that was imagined in the last TEF submission.
• Academic colleagues will no longer have the power to...(complete as applicable to your own institution).

April fool?