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Learning a new language should be compulsory for pupils up to the age of 16, according to a new report highlighting the UK’s recent abysmal record in encouraging young people to study languages other than English.

The report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) cites an EU-wide survey showing that just 32% of young people in the UK say they are able to read or write in more than one language, compared with 79% of their peers in France and more than 90% in Germany.

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While countries are at different points in their COVID-19 infection rates, worldwide there are currently more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. In Denmark, children up to the age of 11 are returning to nurseries and schools, but in South Korea students are responding to roll calls from their teachers online.

With this sudden shift away from the classroom in many parts of the globe, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic, and how such a shift would impact the worldwide education market.

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We all find it difficult to admit when we might be wrong. In an increasingly polarised world, it seems as if people are becoming more convinced of their own beliefs and less willing to contemplate other points of view. But could this be to the detriment of our intelligence?

In the third part of our intelligence series we investigate the concept of intellectual humility, and whether it could actually be key to making us smarter.

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The use of VR for business will go mainstream, with many applications across a wide range of industry sectors, as well as becoming the mainstay of video gaming. Its usage will be for all manner of interactions from entertainment, product design, sales and marketing (from retail to buying a home), as well as leisure pursuits and experiences, to skills and training. In fact, Goldman Sachs has created 9 use cases to support their contention that the VR and AR markets are set for significant growth. Naturally, the field of learning is one of those use cases.

The Educational Value of an Information-Rich Virtual Environment (Bowman et al 1998), from the 3D interaction Group at Virginia Tech, stated that:

“Learning in the environment where it will be applied greatly increases retention rates and engagement.”

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People often brag about being perfectionists – but new research shows people much prefer colleagues with realistic expectations.

Perfectionists await the impossible from themselves or others, put in hours and hours making tweaks invisible to anyone but themselves, then wind up burnt out and exhausted by the end of the week. After all, who wouldn’t want to hire someone who strives for perfection?

The answer may not be a resounding ‘yes’. Increasingly, research suggests that perfectionism isn’t a professional trait you necessarily want to advertise.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a spike in global job losses, and she’s one of millions of workers now looking for a new role in the US, where the unemployment rate jumped from 3.5% in February to 14.7% in April.

Most applicants have no choice but to turn to job portals and applicant tracking systems (ATS) – software applications that firms and recruiters use to sift candidates efficiently. For candidates, completing these online applications can be a long and tedious process.

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Conspiracy theories have thrived during the pandemic.

Maybe you even have a friend or relative who’s brought one up in conversation. How can you talk to them without starting an argument – or sending them further down the rabbit hole?

The BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter Marianna Spring brought together a dad who got in touch with her about a coronavirus conspiracy theory and an expert in the field. They discussed fact and fiction, and demonstrated some tips on how to talk about conspiracy theories.

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Facebook is about to look a little different, whether users notice or not.

A civil rights coalition that includes the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP launched the #StopHateforProfit campaign last month, calling on major corporations to halt advertising on Facebook (FB) for the month of July due to the platform’s «repeated failure to meaningfully address the vast proliferation of hate on its platforms.» While some brands are halting spending through the end of the month, others such as household goods giant Unilever are pausing advertising through the end of the year across social media, not just Facebook.

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The coronavirus pandemic which had kept the tourists away for the first part of the summer seemed to be easing, and the – mainly British – visitors were returning to this little spot on Spain’s Costa Blanca.

But the feeling of relief was far too short lived: on Saturday, the British government announced it was imposing a two-week quarantine on those returning from Spain. The calls asking to cancel began to pour in almost immediately – after all, many holidaymakers cannot afford to take another two weeks off, especially with the potential of them being unpaid.

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Since Covid-19 put the world on lockdown, a wave of new firms have rushed to adopt cloud computing. And within cloud computing a micro-industry, known as enterprise infrastructure, has bloomed.

«It’s an interesting challenge that nobody’s ever had to make a movie outside of the office. So it’s really cool and exciting, but also terrifying because you don’t want to mess up,» says Mr Santos.

Will then animated characters drawn during lockdown touch each other less?

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