The Institute for the Future of the Mind focuses on the brain at its most vulnerable: the very young and the very old.
The new influences on the mind of the individual include all aspects of information and communication technologies, brain-computer interfacing, drugs, and nutrition. All of these technologies present unprecedented opportunities and threats through the extremes of behaviour which they facilitate. Unlike traditional academic centres, the work of the Institute is twofold. As well as innovative and high quality laboratory research a network of influence has been developed in politics, education and civil society.
The articles below, were originally published in the "Brain and Behaviour" column Times Educational Supplement, and were designed to stimulate conversations around how the expertise of scientists and educators can together help us to think about thinking and learning. At the bottom of the page are links to other resources (mostly freely available) about learning and the brain.
Further contact details are available via our website www.futuremind.ox.ac.uk
Dumbing down minds
Is IT a boom or a bust for our brains? The possible side effects of the technological age Is technology changing the way we think? Are icons replacing ideas? Is scrolling through menus stifling creativity? We need to find out fast or we shall sleepwalk into a society where technology rules and people are used by it rather than using it to develop their minds to the full.....Read more
Don't let them make a hash of it
Smoking dope may seem harmless, but it can prevent pupils from realising their full potential.Much of the fierce debate about cannabis in recent years has centred on how medically safe it is to use. But while questions such as "Does it cause long-term brain damage?" "Does it lead to harder drugs?" and "Does it induce schizophrenia?" are clearly important, they do not cover the whole story. A bigger issue is the loss of potential of our youngsters......Read more
Just five more minutes
Wouldn't it be wonderful if your pupils were awake for the first lesson of the day? Do your teenage pupils make you feel like the most boring person on earth? They flop around, dull-eyed and yawning, at 9.15am, while you do your best to make them sit up and pay attention. But perhaps they shouldn't be in school at that hour? Perhaps they really should be in bed? There is a naturally greater requirement for sleep in teenagers, which begins at the onset of puberty and does not tail off until late adolescence...... Read more
"Someone needs to do the crazy stuff"
Learning disorders: modern society's benefit or bane? Why ADHD has some positive points "He's the nutter who does all the crazy stuff" was the response from a colleague's son when I asked about the "hyper" child in his class. Not the way I would like to see Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, characterised more generally, but it made me think that sometimes perhaps we all need someone to do the crazy stuff...... Read more
No quick fix
Does the growing willingness to medicate young people stem from our own shifting expectations?No one would deny that drug abuse is a serious problem in today's school system. In the UK, eleven per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds use cigarettes, 22 per cent alcohol, 12 per cent cannabis, 7 per cent volatile substances such as glue and 4 per cent Class A drugs such as heroin. In general, these numbers have remained unchanged since 2000.... Read more
Other links and resources in neuroscience and education
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