Author Archives: Robert Basil

Balance and scale

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Robert Basil
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ChatGPT and email

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Robert Basil

As a university prof, I both teach and, to some extent, accommodate AI platforms in the classroom. This has been a daunting, trying, and humbling experience that requires continual adjustment and correction. But there is no way around it. The … Continue reading →

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Posted on April 4, 2024 by Robert Basil

West End murder of crows (2010).

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An old-fashioned take-down

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Robert Basil

Becca Rothfeld’s book review “Lauren Oyler thinks she is better than you” is a thorough evisceration of Oyler’s book No Judgment. You don’t see many reviews like this these days. Critics that attack books typically go after the author’s political … Continue reading →

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Learning but slowly

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Robert Basil

Apropos the use of AI in academia, a student asked me, “We want to work more quickly in the workplace, but do we really want to LEARN more quickly? Is that even possible?” To the latter question, I would say … Continue reading →

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Autofilling the Data Gaps

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Robert Basil

My macroeconomics professor at The University at Buffalo told our class, at semester’s end, that people in his profession “had a lot to be humble about.” I loved that line and have used it hundreds of times since, to describe … Continue reading →

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The work international students must do in B.C.

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Robert Basil

Several years ago my late Kwantlen colleague Arley McNeney organized a class project in which her students presented research on the challenges international students at our school face. I was embarrassed when I read their report; I had been so … Continue reading →

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Leaving Substack …

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Robert Basil

One of my favourite authors, Talia Lavin, has moved her blog, “The Sword and the Sandwich,” from Substack to the Buttondown platform. That’s because [Substack] founders stated, in no uncertain terms, that they’re not just OK with, but in principle supportive … Continue reading →

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An artist’s hand

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Robert Basil

I suppose we could file this post under “learning” and “technology” – themes from our website’s subtitle. In this case the technology (the “application of conceptual knowledge for achieving practical goals”) is a carefully placed and pressing hand. The learning … Continue reading →

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Talia Lavin’s cri de coeur

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Robert Basil

I admire the writing of Talia Lavin. Her beautifully written Substack blog, “The Sword and the Sandwich,” always charms me. This week she published “Fuck You and Your Word-Stealing Machine: A Luddite stands against AI language models and their plunder.” … Continue reading →

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