Dear Commons Community,

CNN has a featured story this morning on photographer  Cecilia Blomdahl who lives deep within the Arctic Circle, on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lying roughly midway between Norway’s northern coast and the North Pole,  pocketed between giant glaciers and beneath polar ice floes. Here is an excerpt.

The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lying roughly midway between Norway’s northern coast and the North Pole, is the site of the world’s northernmost permanent settlements. Blomdahl, who lives in Svalbard’s largest city of Longyearbyen, is one of about 2,500 residents in the region. Here, colorful cabins contrast colossal ice cap backdrops and vibrant celestial phenomena light the sky.

Blomdahl moved to Svalbard in 2015 and documents her unique life to millions of fascinated social media followers. She has now captured her home’s serenity, sparkling in shades of blue, in a new photobook titled “Life on Svalbard.”

“When you live here, you really get immersed in it; the quiet and peaceful nature,” Blomdahl, a former hospitality worker turned content creator, told CNN, “And every day being so close to the nature; it’s infatuating.”

The challenges of a beautiful life

For all its natural beauty, Svalbard is much more than a pretty place. Its rich resources, such as fish, gas, and mineral deposits, have made it a topic of economic and diplomatic dispute in the past, and it now serves as a flourishing global hub for economic activities and scientific research. For those just coming for a spell, it’s a bucket list tourist destination.

But as Blomdahl knows, life in Svalbard isn’t easy. From temperatures sometimes plummeting to below minus 30 (-34.4 Celsius), to polar bears and arctic foxes occasionally roaming local streets, it takes a unique individual to forgo life on the mainland and move to such a remote, and at times forbidding, place.

“Every day feels adventurous. It’s going to be crazy or wild or just a regular day,” said Blomdahl, “But a regular day here is so different; it’s drinking coffee with Northern Lights, or midnight sun, or reindeers.”

Those are common sentiments within Svalbard’s community — the extreme conditions, while enchanting, means people don’t stick around the area by accident. People from around 50 countries reside there, working in areas such as scientific research and seasonal tourism.

What moves someone to search for a home in such a remote corner of the world? According to behavioral science experts, many people who seek out extreme conditions may be motivated by desires to challenge the limits of their physical and psychological abilities, escape personal problems or everyday tedium, or simply for the thrill.

For Blomdahl, a glimpse of Svalbard’s unparalleled scenery was all she needed to forsake her corporate ambitions in England and Sweden and opt to live what she describes in her book as a “nature-connected life marked by a slower pace.”

“Everything up here is so pure and so beautiful,” Blomdahl said, “you think that it’s some sort of magic because it’s so unreal.”

Living on the edge of the world

On her social media channels, Blomdahl shows viewers firsthand how Svalbard’s environment shapes her everyday life. For example, not only is it necessary to carry polar bear protection gear when traveling outside designated settlements, it’s legally mandated. In one striking image in her book, she is shown sporting a firearm on her back as she and her dog stand far from the settlements. Blomdahl, who photographed all of the images herself, even caught one of a polar bear near her home — taken from a noticeable distance away, for safety reasons.

A year in Svalbard is marked by two unusual periods of light: polar night and midnight sun. Polar night runs from mid-November to the end of January, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. Midnight sun, which lasts about 18 weeks between April and August, is when the sun doesn’t set below the horizon. These periods of constant light and day-long dark can take a toll on the body and mind. Blomdahl recalled how friends, disoriented by polar night, found themselves heading to work in the middle of the night, instead of the equally dark daytime hours.

Such abnormal living conditions can have pervasive effects on people’s health. Despite an overall positive outlook on health and quality of life in Svalbard, polar night and midnight sun can disrupt sleep-wake cycles, blood protein levels, and lead to increased risks of chronic disease. Despite taking supplements, Blomdahl says she noticed a drop in her vitamin D levels, which support immune health and brain cell activity.

Nonetheless, Blomdahl still says polar night is “one of the best times of year,” where she can “become one with the darkness.” She enjoys the tranquility during that period, but emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and staying active during what otherwise could be a lethargic season.

“Your mindset is so powerful. I see these dark days as something cozy,” Blomdahl said, “I think it’s very much up to each and every person to try to create that routine and that mindset.”

Maintaining an adaptive mindset is also an important way Svalbardians process the unique threat climate change poses to the region. Longyearbyen is warming six times faster than the global average, studies suggest, and thawing permafrost and rising sea levels threaten the local economy and infrastructure. Studies within other Arctic communities show a correlation between climate change and higher levels of mental stress. In Svalbard, people report a high level of satisfaction with their lives despite environmental challenges, but the complications of climate issues like permafrost thaw can leave some feeling disempowered. Blomdahl notes that an annual environmental survey is conducted in Svalbard to manage risks.

As for day-to-day life, Svalbard is sufficiently equipped with the means to sustain its population. Longyearbyen features most of what most cities on the mainland offer, including an airport, a hospital, educational institutions, and more — all crowned the world’s northmost of their institutions. However, given the mission-based work characterizing much of Svalbard’s economy, not to mention the harsh environment, the average stay in Svalbard is only seven years, according to Statistics Norway.

Yet this conveniently aligns with a desire not to expand life on Svalbard, according to Blomdahl. Local officials have geared available resources to primarily maintain life on Svalbard as it is, given the environmental and developmental constraints.

As for Blomdahl, her positive mindset and love for Svalbard steers her away from dwelling on uncertainty or concern. Instead, she says she’s solely focused on creating educational and peaceful content about her distinctive life in a distinctive place.

“That’s just what I want to do,” said Blomdahl, “I want to continue to show the beauty of the Arctic. I just want to show Svalbard the way it is.”

Sounds like a paradise!

See more photos below.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The Texas Education Board voted Friday to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms.

The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they will receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as the next school year.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than 5 million students in Texas public schools.

Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum said the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds.

Supporters argued that the Bible is a core feature of American history and teaching it will enrich students’ learning.

With the new curriculum, Texas would be the first state to introduce Bible lessons in schools in this manner, according to Matthew Patrick Shaw, an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University.

The Texas Education Agency created its own instruction materials after a law passed in 2023 by the GOP-controlled Legislature required the agency to do so. The lesson plans were publicly released this spring.

The material draws on lessons from Christianity more than any other religion in the proposed reading and language arts modules for kindergarten through fifth grade, which critics also say would potentially violate the First Amendment.

“This curriculum is not age appropriate or subject matter appropriate in the way that it presents these Bible stories,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

Children who would read the material, she said, “are simply too young to tell the difference between what is a faith claim and what is a matter of fact.”

More than 100 people testified this week at a board meeting that rung with emotion from parents, teachers and advocates.

“It is said that there are close to 300 common-day phrases that actually come from the Bible,” said Mary Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, a right-leaning advocacy group. “So students will benefit from being able to understand a lot of these references that are in literature and have a way to be able to comprehend them.”

The 15-member board — 11 Republicans and four Democrats — signaled support for the materials in a 8-7 preliminary vote Wednesday. One of the board members is a Republican who was appointed to the board just weeks ago by Abbott to temporarily fill a vacant seat. Days after that appointment, a Democrat who ran unopposed was elected to fill that same board seat starting next year.

Whatever happened to separation of church and state?

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The New York Giants granted quarterback Daniel Jones his release yesterday just days after the franchise benched him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito.  As reported by various news outlets.

“Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,” Giants president John Mara said in a statement. “We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way.”

Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of the team’s relationship with Jones, who signed a four-year $160 million contract in March 2023 after leading the Giants to a playoff berth.

“We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him,” Mara continued. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

The 27-year-old Jones told reporters Thursday that he gave the team everything he had after being taken sixth overall in the 2019 draft and he believes he still has a future in the NFL. He held himself accountable for the Giants (2-8) making the postseason once in his tenure as the starter.

Jones took over early in his rookie season when then-coach Pat Shurmur benched two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who was near the end of his career.

Coach Brian Daboll benched Jones on Monday after the Giants returned to practice following a bye week and a 20-17 overtime loss to Carolina in Germany.

Tommy DeVito will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Daboll hoping he can spark the team.

“Definitely not happy about it,” said Jones, who read a 90-second statement before taking questions from reporters. “Yeah, not what you want to hear. So, yeah, all those emotions you have. But at the end of the day, this is football. We’re in a business where you’re expected to get results and we weren’t doing it.”

Jones, who is now free to sign with any team, went 24-44-1 as a starter in New York after being the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft. A significant portion of those victories came in 2022, when the Giants went 9-7-1 and beat Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.

Yet whatever forward momentum the club generated in 2022 quickly evaporated in 2023. New York was 1-5 in Jones’ six starts during an injury-marred season and he further regressed this fall.

Jones completed just 63% of his passes with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions even with dynamic rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers at his disposal. The Giants are last in the NFL in scoring and with public sentiment all but gone for the player once known as “Danny Dimes,” Daboll opted to go in another direction while Jones can get a head start on trying to reboot his career elsewhere.

During his time with the Giants, Jones had at best modest support from the team including mediocre managers and poor offensive lines,

We wish him the best of luck!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The Associated Press reported this morning on the discovery of 4,000 year-old canals in Belize.  As reported by the AP.

Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The findings were published Friday in Science Advances.

“The aerial imagery was crucial to identify this really distinctive pattern of zigzag linear canals” running for several miles through wetlands, said study co-author Eleanor Harrison-Buck of the University of New Hampshire.

The team then conducted digs in Belize’s Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. The ancient fish canals, paired with holding ponds, were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish.

“Barbed spearpoints” found nearby may have been tied to sticks and used to spear fish, said study co-author Marieka Brouwer Burg of the University of Vermont.

The canal networks were built as early as 4,000 years ago by semi-nomadic people in the Yucatan coastal plain. According to the study, the canals were used for around 1,000 years or longer, including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge.

“It’s really interesting to see such large-scale modifications of the landscape so early — it shows people were already building things,” said University of Pittsburgh archaeologist Claire Ebert, who was not involved in the study.

At the height of Maya civilization, people in this region built temples, roads, pyramids and other monuments. They also developed complex systems of writing, mathematics and astronomy. Scientists know far more about this era because there are many more significant archaeological sites, said Ebert.

But this new study reveals a link between the earlier people on the landscape and the later emergence of Maya culture. These ancient channels for catching fish may have played a role in helping later Maya pyramids rise above the Yucatan rainforest.

“This shows continuity,” said University of Pennsylvania archaeologist Jeremy Sabloff, who wasn’t part of the research.

On a practical level, the fish-trapping canals helped the early people in the region to diversify their diets and feed a growing population, building a foundation for later cultural heights.

Most interesting!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Holden Thorp Editor-in-Chief, of Science, had an editorial yesterday reporting on the results of the latest Pew Research Center survey of public perceptions of science.   A key finding of the survey was that 76% of Americans express a great deal or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. This is up slightly from 73% in October 2023 and represents a halt to the decline seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists continue to enjoy strong relative standing compared with the ratings Americans give to many other prominent groups, including elected officials, journalists and business leaders.

Below is the entire editorial.

Positive news and good opinion piece!

Tony

———————————————–

The Pew Research Center survey on trust in science and researchers is conducted every year by science policy experts and communicators. This year’s results, released last week, give a small, but meaningful, reason to be optimistic: Trust in scientists, which took a substantial hit during the pandemic, is starting to recover. The survey, conducted in October 2024 with 9593 adults across the United States, estimates that 76% of Americans now have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. That’s a modest uptick from 73% last year and a hopeful sign that the page may be turning on some of the pandemic-era skepticism. Although the increase is barely outside the margin of error, it may mark the end of a troubling 3-year decline. However, the data reveal a persistent problem—a considerable portion of the public continues to harbor negative views of scientists’ personal qualities, particularly their communication skills. This reality should be worrisome to the scientific community and drive a collective conversation about rebuilding public confidence.

Despite the slight improvement in American confidence in science, partisan divisions persist. A sizable majority of Democrats (88%) express confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, a figure largely unchanged since before the pandemic. Conversely, trust among Republicans, although improved from the previous year (61%), remains notably lower at 66%, and still below prepandemic levels. This partisan divide extends to the question of scientists’ involvement in policy debates. Two-thirds of Democrats endorse scientists taking an active role in policy discussions regarding scientific matters, with a majority (61%) believing that they currently lack sufficient influence in shaping policy. In stark contrast, the majority of Republicans (64%) advocate for scientists to remain detached from policy debates and focus solely on establishing scientific facts.

The survey results also reveal how scientists’ personal qualities are viewed. Although a large majority of Americans (89%) consider research scientists to be intelligent, fewer than half of Americans (45%) describe them as good communicators. Other negative traits include social awkwardness (49% agree) and a sense of superiority (47% agree). As a scientist with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), I understand how this can be perceived. Autistic traits include an inability to read nonverbal cues and a tendency to bluntness in speech. Certainly, only a fraction of scientists have received—or would receive—an ASD diagnosis, but as psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen discusses in The Pattern Seekers, these traits tend to go along with the ability to systematize information, even in neurotypical individuals. Between these realities and the fictional parody of scientists as blunt and awkward in TV situation comedies, these perceptions may be hard to shake.

This leads to the critical question of what to do in response to the Pew data as the country heads into another period of likely contention. On the basis of the feedback Science receives on commentaries published on this page, some scientists believe a full-throated opposition to every attack is necessary and appropriate, whereas others prefer to stay in their lane. And as Marcia McNutt, president of the US National Academy of Sciences, stated on this page last week, science should be an apolitical endeavor. But there is also another way—one of strategic restraint about when and how to engage combined with an unwavering commitment to scientific values. Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist who is widely praised for her ability to communicate with diverse audiences about climate change, thinks a choice between advocacy and objectivity is a false dichotomy. “As philosophers have long argued,” she told me by email, “engaging with society isn’t a betrayal of science; it’s a fundamental part of its purpose, especially in complex crises like those we face today. Claiming that science is value-free ignores the reality in which we live: Every step, from research to societal dialogue, carries ethical weight.”

It’s crucial for scientists to talk openly about these questions. In the coming months, Science will publish on this topic from a range of viewpoints, and I will continue to quote different perspectives in my columns. The scientific community has an opportunity to learn from the past and plan for the future. As Hayhoe said to me, “Scientists aren’t only brains in jars; we’re human beings embedded in society, bringing both reason and principles to our work.” Scientists must find new approaches to project this humanity in ways that work.

Dear Commons Community,

I returned home last night to snow in New York after four days in Orlando, Florida attending the OLC Accelerate Conference. It is still snowing this morning at 6:00 am as I write this posting.

The Accelerate Conference was a great success for OLC with attendance exceeding 1300.  It had the feel and excitement  of a pre-COVID OLC conference: lots of excellent presentations including the keynote by C. Edward Watson. He, as did a number of presenters, talked about generative AI.  The vendor exhibit area was packed with dozens of companies demonstrating their software, hardware and services. The plenary panel that I was on yesterday with Patsy Moskal, Jenay Robert, and J. Garvey Pyke entitled, Leading with AI: Pioneering Change in University Teaching, Research, and Administration, had a full house.  Also, I greatly enjoyed being on a panel on Tuesday with long-time co-authors Chuck Dziuban and Patsy Moskal.

In addition to the formal part of Accelerate, I also caught up at lunches and dinners with a number of colleagues, several of whom, I have not seen in years including Eric Fredericksen, Meg Benke, Jeff Seaman, Tanya Joosten, Paige McDonald, Alexandra Pickett, and others.

Brava and bravo to Jennifer Mathes and the OLC staff for a job well-done in all aspects of the conference.

Tony

Mike Rounds and Donald Trump

Dear Commons Community,

Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, introduced a bill yesterday to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, promoting a policy President-elect Donald Trump backed to close the agency if he regained the White House.

“We all know local control is best when it comes to education,” Rounds said in his statement. “Local school boards and state Departments of Education know best what their students need, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”

Rounds’ Returning Education to Our States Act proposes redistributing the work of the Education Department to other federal departments.  As reported by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Why is Sen. Rounds bringing this bill?

Rounds’ introduction of the bill comes after President-elect Donald Trump vowed  to “close” the Education Department if he regained the White House.

“We want federal education dollars to follow the student, rather than propping up a bloated and radical bureaucracy in Washington, D.C.,” Trump said in October. “We want to close the federal Department of Education.”

In Rounds’ statement Thursday, he said he’s worked toward removing the federal agency for years.

The U.S. Department of Education was created in 1979 and began operating a year later. Today, it has many functions and provides billions of dollars to low-income public schools and billions more to help millions of Americans pay for college each year.

The South Dakota senator said the federal agency has “grown into an oversized bureaucracy.” Rounds also criticized the size of the agency’s budget and its per-student spending given students’ dropping standardized test scores.

Who will decide the fate of the bill?

Bills proposing to eliminate the Education Department have been introduced in previous sessions.

The Rounds bill is not expected to move forward this session while Democrats who oppose eliminating the agency still control the Senate and White House. It could be reintroduced next term but would require 60 votes to pass the Senate.

Dismantling the agency next term would likely require the support of Democrats, who vehemently oppose the idea. Some in the GOP have also said the Department of Education would be better left intact because it could play a pivotal role in enacting Trump’s policy agenda.

This was largely a symbolic gesture.   The bill has no chance of passing in this session of Congress and will not likely pass in the new session that begins in January 2025.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

This is my last day in Orlando at the OLC Accelerate Conference.

Yesterday, I was on a panel with colleagues Chuck Dziuban and Patsy Moskal.  Entitled, Thirty Years of Online Learning Research: A History of the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at UCF, it was well-attended and I was able to touch base with a few colleagues who attended our presentation. I had lunch afterwards with Chuck and Patsy and we caught up having not seen each other for quite a while.

Last night I had dinner with Jeff Seaman who through his Bay View Analytics Company has done significant research on digital learning issues.  He and I did several national studies on online learning in K-12 education a few years ago, a couple of which are still regularly cited in the research literature.

Today, I will be on a plenary panel entitled, Leading with AI: Pioneering Change in University Teaching, Research, and Administration.  It will explore the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence (AI) that is forcing society and our educational institutions to investigate how to integrate AI ethically, efficiently, and effectively into both university instruction and operations. It will be held in the Pacific Ballroom from 8:30-9:30 am.  Please stop by if you are at still at the Conference.

I will be leaving shortly after this panel presentation and returning to New York.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

I am still in Orlando for the Online Learning Consortium’s Accelerate Conference. 

I attended several sessions yesterday, all very informative.  The keynote, given by Dr. C. Edward Watson, Vice President for Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), was excellent. Watson talked about generative AI and the quick way it has had an impact on the ways we learn, work, think, and create.  Among his themes was that while higher education’s initial response was to develop strategies to diminish AI’s influence in the classroom, it is now clear that AI competencies and literacies must be embraced as essential learning outcomes for most colleges and universities. 

I spent the evening at dinner with a dozen old friends and colleagues that was organized by Tanya Joosten of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.  Great camaraderie.

Today I will be on a panel with Patsy Moskal and Chuck Dziuban, the title of which is “Thirty Years of Online Learning Research: A History of the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Central Florida” and it is at 9:15 am in the Southern Hemisphere Room II.  I would love to see you if you are at the conference.

Tony

Linda McMahon

Dear Commons Community,

Yesterday, Trump said he would appoint Linda McMahon to be Secretary of Education. 

Here’s a look at McMahon’s background courtesy of The Associated Press.

McMahon went from wrestling to politics

McMahon is married to Vince McMahon, whose father was a prominent professional wrestling promoter. They followed him into the business, founding their own company that’s now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. It became a juggernaut in the industry and American culture.

When Trump was the star of the reality show “The Apprentice,” he made an appearance at Wrestlemania in 2007. The billionaire entertainment mogul participated in an elaborately scripted feud that ended with Trump shaving off Vince McMahon’s hair in the middle of the ring.

Linda McMahon stepped down from her position as WWE’s chief executive to enter politics. She ran twice for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut, but lost in 2010 to Richard Blumenthal and in 2012 to Chris Murphy.

Shifting gears, she focused on providing financial support to candidates. McMahon provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Teaching was an initial career goal

McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time that she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher, a goal that fell aside after her marriage.

She also spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

McMahon is seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she has expressed support for charter schools and school choice.

McMahon was part of Trump’s first presidency

A month after defeating Hillary Clinton, Trump chose McMahon as leader of the Small Business Administration. The agency gives loans and disaster relief to companies and entrepreneurs, and it monitors government officials’ compliance with contract laws.

When McMahon was chosen, she was praised by Blumenthal and Murphy, the two Connecticut Democrats who defeated her in Senate campaigns. Blumenthal called her “a person of serious accomplishment and ability,” while Murphy said she was a “talented and experienced businessperson.”

Unlike other members of Trump’s first administration, McMahon was not shadowed by scandal or controversy. She frequently promoted his trade and tax policies.

“She has been a superstar,” Trump said when she left the administration in 2019. “The fact is, I’ve known her for a long time. I knew she was good, but I didn’t know she was that good.”

She kept supporting Trump after leaving the administration

McMahon didn’t leave Trump’s orbit. She chaired America First Action, a super PAC that backed Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020. He lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and McMahon helped start the America First Policy Institute to continue advocating for Trump’s agenda and prepare for a potential return to the White House.

When Trump ran for president this year, McMahon was the co-chair of his transition team along with Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald. As part of that role, McMahon has been helping to plan Trump’s new administration.

Once he takes office, perhaps McMahon’s biggest task will be to eliminate the agency she was hired to oversee. Trump has promised to close the Education Department and return much of its powers to states. Trump has not explained how he would close the agency, which was created by Congress in 1979 and would likely require action from Congress to dismantle.

Tony