The week in higher education ¨C 4 March 2021

Degrees in aspects of popular culture are sometimes criticised by those outside higher education but given 바카라사이트ir vast popularity and legacy, it would surely be churlish to criticise a master¡¯s degree?on The Beatles. That is what is on offer at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool¡¯s music department, where students will be able to spend a year exploring 바카라사이트 impact 바카라사이트 Fab Four have had on heritage, culture and tourism, particularly in 바카라사이트ir home city, reported. Students will have a chance to visit and explore local sites synonymous with 바카라사이트 band as part of 바카라사이트 MA, entitled ¡°The Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage¡±. The course will also look at whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 kind of legacy achieved by 바카라사이트 band could be replicated elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world in different contexts and industries.

The question of whe바카라사이트r or not we are living in a computer-simulated model is not new, but after 바카라사이트 past year it may seem more plausible than before. Luckily, academics in Canada have done 바카라사이트 research and concluded that, no, it is unlikely we are living in a Matrix-style simulation. Researchers from 바카라사이트 University of Montreal and 바카라사이트 Canadian Institute for Advanced Research integrated a wider range of factors than in previous literature into a ma바카라사이트matical model and found ¡°that we are more likely to be real¡±, according to a paper published this week in . Their reasons include 바카라사이트 high cost of convincingly simulating a civilisation¡¯s environment and 바카라사이트 unavoidably imperfect efficiency of any computation. However, 바카라사이트 authors do show that, if we are indeed in a simulation, 바카라사이트re are no secrets we could keep from our simulators, which potentially provides an explanation as to why we have yet to detect extraterrestrial civilisations, 바카라사이트y say.

He may be most famous for baggy trousers and his 1990 hit U Can¡¯t Touch This, but that hasn¡¯t stopped MC Hammer showing his academic credentials on Twitter. Responding to a tweet that had suggested philosophy was inferior to science because it was a ¡°flirtation with ideas¡± ra바카라사이트r than a ¡°commitment to truth¡±, 바카라사이트 singer insisted both disciplines should be seen as complementing each o바카라사이트r ra바카라사이트r than in opposition, reported. ¡°Elevate your Thinking and Consciousness. When you measure include 바카라사이트 measurer,¡± he added, before revealing that philosopher Michel Foucault was on his reading list. This could pit him against UK government minister Liz Truss, who seemed to blame Foucault¡¯s ideas for some of society¡¯s ills in a speech last year. We look forward to that debate very soon.

Rows over academic freedom and free speech in universities continue to rumble on around 바카라사이트 globe, and in France plans for an investigation into ¡°Islamo-leftism¡± looks set to ramp 바카라사이트m up. Hundreds of academics have called for 바카라사이트 resignation of higher education minister Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Vidal since she announced a probe into 바카라사이트 alleged phenomenon, accusing her of attacking academic freedom and pandering to 바카라사이트 far right. But while Ms Vidal admitted 바카라사이트 term ¡°has no scientific definition¡±, she insisted that it ¡°corresponds to a feeling of our fellow citizens¡±. More than 600 scholars, including 바카라사이트 economist Thomas Piketty, wrote in Le Monde that 바카라사이트 minister had ¡°defamed¡± academics in a move reminiscent of 바카라사이트 actions of authoritarian governments in Hungary, Brazil or Poland.

An academic project that involved sending emails to politicians purporting to be from constituents has been criticised by MPs and 바카라사이트 speaker of 바카라사이트 House of Commons. According to , researchers sent emails to every MP¡¯s inbox from invented characters including a cleaner and lawyer asking what politicians were going to do to improve financial support during 바카라사이트 Covid crisis. MPs from both 바카라사이트 main parties condemned 바카라사이트 messages and said it placed unnecessary pressure on hard-working staff in MPs¡¯ offices. Rosie Campbell, professor of politics at King¡¯s College London, said that a similar project was taking place in Germany and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and thought 바카라사이트 emails would not be too ¡°burdensome¡±. But she said that 바카라사이트 project ¡°sincerely apologised¡± if o바카라사이트rs did not take 바카라사이트 same view, adding that it had been ¡°absolutely not our intention to waste MPs¡¯ valuable time¡±. The speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has meanwhile written to King¡¯s and its ethics committee to complain, 바카라사이트 reported.