A socio-cultural revolution: The case for basic income

by Daryl Ilbury

Few phrases ruffle neoliberal feathers more than ‘basic income’. This simple yet revolutionary idea – providing all citizens with a regular, unconditional sum of money – challenges the core tenets of neoliberalism, which prioritises free markets, individual responsibility, and minimal state intervention. Neoliberals would argue that basic income is a naive utopian dream that devalues hard work, stifles economic innovation, and expands government bureaucracy. And yet, there are solid arguments for why such a revolutionary redistribution of income is needed.

You can read the rest of this article, complete with additional feature content, on the Research Features website here. (Opens in new tab)

Finding more inclusive entrepreneurism for what is a white space

by Daryl Ilbury

While overt displays of racism are shocking, their visibility makes them easier to challenge and isolate; it is the disguised, even unintended, racism that is more pervasive and, because it is unquestioned, is enduring and, arguably, more injurious. There’s an argument that such racism would not find fertile ground within business academia – especially within institutions or programmes encouraging entrepreneurship and diversity in business. Such assumptions are naïve.

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Rethinking thinking about figures

by Daryl Ilbury

Statistics influence opinion. They can also be the cornerstones of crucial decision-making. Whether statistics guide or mislead, clarify or obfuscate, depends on how they’re communicated. The accuracy of the message depends on how they’re interpreted, and inadvertent misinterpretation can have unfortunate outcomes. And volume doesn’t equate to impact – reams of statistics generated in quantitative research can seem impressive, but if you dig deeper, what they’re saying might not be good evidence.

You can read the rest of this article, complete with additional feature content, on the Research Outreach website here. (Opens in new tab)

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Children at the frontline — neurodivergence and school distress

by Daryl Ilbury

Schools should be safe spaces if they’re to encourage children to learn. However, even the seemingly safest and most supportive school environments can harbour perils for neurodivergent children and young people (CYP). The hustle and bustle of an active classroom can generate deep anguish. This is their daily reality – an emotional battleground with them at the front lines. So, it should be no surprise when they want to retreat. Psychology researchers at the University of Newcastle, UK, have discovered just how closely connected neurodivergence is to school refusal. Their research prompts uncomfortable questions and introduces a sobering term to the lexicon of neurodiversity studies.

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The Archaeologists Guide to Good Practice Handbook: A blueprint for a successful dig

by Daryl Ilbury

When major excavation work started on the UK’s HS2 high-speed rail project, hopes were high it would transform public transport between London and the North. While the project is no longer completing all of its infrastructure targets, its construction crews are creating a wave of archaeological discoveries that have captured the public’s imagination and uncovered hidden layers of Britain’s past.

Historic England, the UK government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment and helping people understand, value, and care for historic places, is looking to maximise the benefits of all the archaeology that has been discovered. With that in mind, it is supporting Research and Development work on the Archaeologists Guide to Good Practice (AG2GP) Handbook – an essential directory to ensure that post-excavation work on the results of any archaeological dig is methodical, precise, and consistently adheres to the highest standards of practice.

Self-Care 2030: Towards a seismic shift in perceiving and practising mental healthcare

by Daryl Ilbury

In today’s fast-paced world, where digital connectivity blurs the lines between work and home, the pressures of social media to conform are unrelenting, and socio-political divisions are ripping communities apart, mental health challenges are escalating with unprecedented force. We are navigating a period of intense social, technological, and environmental change. Each of these dimensions introduces complex challenges that can strain mental health and the systems in place to provide the necessary care and support. Systems designed to promote mental wellbeing must deal with limited resources, inadequate training of health professionals in mental healthcare, stigma associated with mental disorders, and an underestimation of the economic impact that mental health issues pose.

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The answer is not the answer – model thinking for everyday life

by Daryl Ilbury

As we rush headlong into embracing AI and find new and exciting ways to make it work, we risk abandoning our capacity and responsibility to think critically. The ultimate outcomes will be profound. However, we’ve been on this path for some time. For decades, we have increasingly handed the processing of information to computers. According to Dr Richard Larson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, the result is that when faced with a new problem, we often lack the ability to frame and formulate it using basic principles. His solution is what he ingeniously calls ‘model thinking’, and in the throes of a much-vaulted AI revolution, it is refreshing and, in one significant respect, counter-revolutionary.

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All roads lead to exposure: Identifying a pathway to encouraging second-language uptake

by Daryl Ilbury

Recent immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries to the United States must enter an unaccustomed space where children seem more adept – learning a second language. While physical relocation to the US might be a fundamental first step for immigrants, they face multiple challenges unless they can speak English. Understanding the language enables them to navigate daily life; proficiency significantly improves their employment prospects by allowing them to access a broader range of job opportunities, understand workplace culture, and communicate effectively with colleagues. It is also vital for further education. For new immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries to the US, learning English is their passport to proper integration. It is here where children rise to the occasion. This anomaly is nothing new.

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Towards more enlightened environmental policymaking

by Daryl Ilbury

When considering the environment’s future, it’s tempting to see it in terms of evolving technology solving all our problems. However, while technology may change, human nature does not. As long as humans impact the environment, considerations of regulating environmental risk need to factor in the complexity and character of human nature. To protect the future, we need to draw from the past, specifically the thinking of those committed to understanding humankind’s fractious relationship with the world.

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YIP–Your Ideas to Practice: Shaping the next generation of humanitarian engineers

by Daryl Ilbury

While technologies have evolved throughout human history and arguably helped propel us forward, one constant has held us back: our compulsion to compete for resources instead of cooperating in their sustainable management. There are very few resources as necessary as water; it’s no coincidence that we look for signs of water first when searching for extraterrestrial life.

Here on Earth, technological advances have ironically helped fuel a climate crisis that risks escalating inter- and intra-state water conflicts. Such conflicts have historically impacted the socioeconomic development of societies and nations. Beyond cross-state wars over water sources, disputes over water resources can arise within a society, such as between industries and agriculture, urban and rural populations, or different ethnic groups.

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