Education

We Are Preparing Children for a Competition They Cannot Win This warning was given in 2018, but it feels far more urgent today: if machines can remember more, calculate faster, and retrieve knowledge instantly, why are we still designing education around those same abilities? I think we have confused what is easy to test with what is important to develop. Exams reward recall and individual performance, while life increasingly rewards judgment, curiosity, collaboration, and the ability to care about the consequences of a decision. In Irreplaceable, I call these capabilities the Humics: genuine creativity, critical thinking, and social authenticity. They are not secondary skills to teach after the “serious” subjects. They are the foundation that helps children use knowledge wisely. The purpose of education is no longer to make children more machine-like. It is to help them become more deeply human. That means making more room for debate, music, sport, teamwork, experimentation, and problems without one correct answer. If you could add one subject to prepare children for an AI-powered world, what would it teach? #Humics #AIReadiness #EducationTransformation #LeadershipInAIEra

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗗. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁? For too long, we have treated the PhD as a single, standard academic pathway. That may have suited an earlier era. It will not be enough for the future. If India is serious about becoming a leading knowledge economy, we need to rethink the PhD itself. We need to ask a basic question. Should every doctoral student be trained in exactly the same way, for exactly the same outcome? I do not think so. The Conventional PhD will certainly continue, and it remains important. We will always need scholars who go deep into a subject and expand the frontiers of knowledge. But that cannot be the only model. We need 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, aligned with the needs of a changing world. At 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶, we have already begun moving in this direction. 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧 An industry mentored doctoral track for scholars who want to work on real world problems in close partnership with industry. 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘀 Joint supervision across institutions, including Indian and international universities, giving scholars wider exposure and stronger academic networks. 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 A startup oriented doctoral track designed for those who want to translate research into deep tech ventures and move ideas from the lab to the market. 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 The future of innovation will not come from rigid disciplinary silos. It will come from the intersections of fields. Electrical Engineering and Chemistry. Computer Science and Biology. Materials and Medicine. Many of the most important breakthroughs of the future will happen in these spaces. At BITS Pilani, this is already happening under SIRE through CDRF projects, which support research across traditional departmental boundaries and encourage scholars to work at the intersection of disciplines. 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 Doctoral research aligned with India’s most pressing needs in areas such as energy, water, healthcare, semiconductors, sustainability, mobility, defence and AI. At the same time, we must confront an uncomfortable truth. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. If we want serious talent to enter research, stipends must increase significantly. The overall research ecosystem must become stronger. Career pathways must become clearer and more diverse. A PhD can no longer be seen only as a route to becoming a professor. It must also prepare people to become industry researchers, deep tech entrepreneurs, leaders in strategic sectors, and creators of new knowledge with societal relevance. India needs more PhDs. But more importantly, India needs better designed PhD pathways. It is time for a reset. #PhD #Research

A learning culture is not built by offering more training. It emerges where curiosity, connection, and purpose intersect. Andrew Barry, in The Curious Lion, describes learning culture as a lotus where several forces overlap. I find this framing helpful because it moves the conversation beyond HR programs and into the fabric of the organization. At the individual level, there is curiosity. People must feel invited to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore. Without individual curiosity, learning remains compliance. At the organizational level, there is mission. Learning needs direction. When people understand what the company stands for and where it is going, their curiosity becomes focused rather than scattered. At the relational level, there is human connection. Learning accelerates in environments where people feel safe to speak, experiment, and reflect together. The fourth circle is continuous learning. Learning must be ongoing, not episodic. Not a workshop, but a way of operating. Continuous learning ensures that curiosity, mission, and connection reinforce each other over time rather than fading after the latest initiative. When these circles overlap, deeper elements emerge: Shared vision aligns effort. Shared experiences create collective memory. Shared assumptions shape how reality is interpreted. Shared stories transmit meaning across generations. At the center sits what we call learning culture. Not an initiative, but a pattern of how people think, relate, and evolve together. The question for leaders is not, “Do we offer learning opportunities?” It is, “Do curiosity, mission, and connection truly reinforce each other continuously in our organization?” That is where learning becomes cultural rather than occasional.

Humans are unique in that we can learn information throughout our entire lifespan through a process called neuroplasticity. Learning is a multistage process that requires focus and attention on the information we’re trying to learn, and then we must let our brain enter states of deep rest, in particular deep sleep and REM sleep (rapid eye movement), because that’s when the actual rewiring and plasticity of neural circuits occur. One of the most interesting research findings in the last decade is that mental rehearsal and self-testing of material we’re trying to learn, done later and away from exposure to the material, is one of the best ways to accelerate and deepen learning. This is NOT the same as saying that mental rehearsal is all that’s needed. We need real-world repetitions and exposure to information and skills that we’re trying to learn. But that’s just the initial stimulus. Self-testing and thinking about what we did correctly and incorrectly cause our neural circuits to change faster and more accurately. We forget less, too. This has been shown to apply to cognitive and skill learning, music, math, languages, sports, dance and on and on… Very few people incorporate the mental self-testing step of the learning process, but those who do can benefit tremendously. I did a solo episode of the Huberman Lab podcast called “Optimal Protocols for Studying & Learning,” where I go deep into the research on this and specific protocols you can use. But the slide summarizes the key overall takeaway. And as always, thank you for your interest in science!

Want to stay motivated every single day? Borrow a strategy from Harvard. Then borrow another from stand up comedy. Together, they’re a powerhouse for momentum, motivation, and mastery. Here’s how it works: Let’s start with Harvard. Researcher Teresa Amabile studied 12,000 daily work diaries across 8 companies. She wanted to know: What truly motivates people on a day to day basis? What she found changed how we understand drive. The #1 driver of daily motivation wasn’t: Money Praise Perks It was progress. The days people made progress on meaningful work were the days they felt the best. Progress isn’t a luxury. It’s a psychological necessity. So how do we make progress feel visible especially on days when it’s not? Use a “Progress Ritual.” → At the end of the day, pause. → Write down 3 small ways you moved forward. → That’s it. No fanfare. Just ritual. This works because we rarely notice our progress in real time. It gets buried under busyness, meetings, and mental noise. The act of looking back gives your brain the reward it needs to keep going. Momentum builds from meaning. Now let’s add some comedy. Young Jerry Seinfeld had one goal: write new material every day. To stay on track, he created a brilliant system. Each day he wrote, he put a big red X on his calendar. Soon, a chain of Xs formed. And here’s the key: Don’t break the chain. One red X becomes two. Two becomes ten. Ten becomes identity. Whether you’re writing, coding, or training Daily action + visual chain = long-term motivation. Summary: The Two-Part Motivation System From Harvard: Record 3 ways you made progress each day. From Seinfeld: Mark an X for each day you show up then don’t break the chain. Progress fuels purpose. Consistency fuels confidence. Apply both and you’ll stay on track especially on the tough days. Because when your days get better, your weeks get better. When your weeks get better, your months get better. When your months get better, your life gets better. It starts with one small win today.

Europe produces world-class science. But science only changes the world when it leaves the lab. Chalmers University of Technology, together with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Technical University of Munich and ETH Zürich, has just been ranked among the top European universities for spin-out terms. One reason #Sweden stands out: the professor’s privilege = researchers/teachers own the rights to their discoveries. This creates real incentives for scientists to become founders and build companies around deep science. But this is not about rankings. It’s about impact. When breakthrough research turns into companies or industry partnerships, that’s when we see real change in health, climate, and even security. For Europe to compete globally, more universities must create founder-friendly conditions and strong partnerships with venture capital. Because the future will not be built by science on the shelf, but by science in the world. What do you think Europe needs most: more funding, better policies, or stronger founder incentives?

This Teacher Changes 30 Lives Each Morning Here's Why This Works Every morning, a teacher greets her students one by one - not with rules, but with choice: A hug, A high-five, a nod, or quiet. A ritual so simple. Yet it tells 30 children: You are seen. You are safe. You belong. Here’s what this teaches us about leadership - and how to apply it at work: 1. Honor Autonomy (Self-Determination Theory) When people get to choose how they engage, they show up with more agency. Autonomy isn’t about letting go of structure - it’s about giving room to opt in. Try this: 🔷 Let people set their own work cadence - async, deep focus, or collaborative sprints 🔷 Ask: “What support looks best for you right now?” *** 2. Create Micro-Moments of Connection (Broaden-and-Build Theory) We don’t need hour-long one-on-ones to build trust. A genuine check-in. A name spoken with intention. That’s the glue. Try this: 🔷 Pause to celebrate effort, not just outcomes - a quick voice note, a public thank-you 🔷 Remember small details - a kid’s soccer game, a partner’s surgery - and follow up *** 3. Signal Safety in Small Ways (Polyvagal Theory) The nervous system responds before the intellect does. Safety is felt first. And safe leaders create brave spaces. Try this: 🔷 Ask: “Is now a good time?” before giving feedback or asking for decisions 🔷 Stay calm and present, especially when tensions rise - your tone sets the tone *** 4. Design for Anticipatory Joy (Affective Forecasting) The brain lights up for what’s coming next. The ritual at the door gave students a reason to show up smiling. Try this: 🔷 Drop a kind, unexpected message in the team chat - just because 🔷 Celebrate mundane milestones - 100 days in the role, 50th client call, 1st brave no *** 5. Anchor Culture in Meaningful Rituals (Harvard Research on Rituals) Rituals are memory-makers. They codify values in action - they say, this is who we are. Try this: 🔷 End each quarter with storytelling: what stretched us? what did we learn? 🔷 Welcome new hires not with logistics, but with a story of your team's "why" *** This teacher didn’t redesign the curriculum. She redesigned how people enter the day. You don’t need a big title to lead like that - Just the courage to meet people at the door. 💬 What’s one ritual you’ve seen shift the energy of a space - or want to create where you work? 🔁 Repost to inspire kind actions in the workplace. 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

Let’s talk about hidden disabilities—ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, and others that don’t meet the eye. Too often, these students are left to struggle because their needs aren’t immediately visible. But here’s the thing: when we ignore those needs, it’s no different from denying someone in a wheelchair access to a ramp. Think about it. Would you expect someone to climb stairs without the tools they need? Of course not. Yet we often expect students with hidden disabilities to navigate education without the accommodations that would level the playing field. It’s not fair, and it’s not right. Accommodations like extra time, clear instructions, or a quiet space aren’t “special treatment.” They’re the difference between drowning and swimming. They’re the tools these students need to show us their potential, not their struggles. I’ve seen the power of a single adjustment. They’re what happens when we meet students where they are. What if we reimagined education as a place where every student feels valued and equipped to succeed? What if we stopped seeing accommodations as “extras” and started recognizing them as essential? Here’s a question for you: Have you seen examples of simple accommodations making a big impact? Or do you think schools are doing enough to support students with hidden disabilities? Let’s share, reflect, and push for better together. Image Courtesy: No Nonsense Neurodivergent #Disability #Accessibility #SDGs #Equity #HumanRights #WeAreBillionStrong ID: Allowing a student with a hidden disability (ADHD, Anxiety, Dyslexia) to struggle academically or socially when all that is needed for success are appropriate accommodations and explicit instruction, is no different than failing to provide a ramp for a person in a wheelchair.

CFD is Love - The Living ❤️ Project One of the most exciting projects on this subject is the "Living Heart Project," which unites leading cardiovascular researchers, educators, medical device developers, regulatory agencies, and practicing cardiologists on a shared mission to develop and validate highly accurate personalized digital human heart models. These models will establish a unified foundation for cardiovascular in silico medicine and serve as a joint technology base for education and training, medical device design, testing, clinical diagnosis, and regulatory science —creating a practical path for rapidly translating current and future cutting-edge innovations directly into improved patient care. 📝 Open access review paper here: https://lnkd.in/dVYqaDs 🌎 From Kelly Senecal (Simulation done in CONVERGE) #cfd #simulation #engineering

Ever wondered how towering mountains are born? They aren’t just silent rocks—they are the dynamic result of a slow, violent clash between continental plates spanning millions of years. When continents collide, immense tectonic pressure forces deep underground rock layers to buckle and thrust into the sky, giving birth to massive ranges like the Himalayas. How AI Can Visualize & Educate Modern artificial intelligence models can transform complex geological timelines into accessible, immersive learning experiences: 4D Time-Lapse Animations: Generative video engines can render 50 million years of plate movement into a seamless, 30-second time-lapse—showing the ancient Tethys Ocean closing as the Indian Plate slams into Asia. Interactive Cutaway Models: AI-driven 3D platforms can render interactive cross-sections of the Earth's crust, allowing users to peel back layers and observe how crustal thickening doubles the rock depth beneath the surface. Real-Time AR Classroom Simulations: Augmented reality apps powered by vision models let students project a live, buckling mountain range directly onto their classroom desk, bringing geological forces to life in real time. Personalized AI Science Tutors: Interactive conversational tools adapt explanations to any learning level, answering follow-up questions about pressure, metamorphism, and earthquakes instantly. via @geology_iq #PlateTectonics #Geology #MountainBuilding #EarthScience #Himalayas #GenerativeAI #AIEducation #EdTech #VisualLearning #GeologyToday #TechInEducation #InteractiveLearning #Ai