The hottest Education Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top International Topics

The Next in Line

Animation Obsessive • 1435 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Education
  1. When the USSR collapsed, state studios and funding for animation fell apart, causing a big loss of skilled artists and a real fear that the craft’s generational knowledge would disappear.
  2. Veteran animators set up School‑Studio Shar and other teaching efforts to pass on techniques to younger artists, and that training helped Russian animation slowly rebuild over decades.
  3. Anton Dyakov, a Shar graduate, earned an Oscar nomination for BoxBallet, proving the mentorship pipeline can produce world‑class work, but his rise also highlights how fragile the succession and revival remain.

The Revolution of Rising Expectations

Don't Worry About the Vase • 5465 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. People are objectively better off in many material ways today, but rising expectations make people compare to a much higher standard so lots of people still feel like they’re falling behind.
  2. New social and legal requirements — especially intense child‑supervision rules plus higher de facto minimums for housing, healthcare, and schooling — have raised the real cost of family life and made one‑income households much harder to pull off.
  3. Many of these problems are fixable: cheaper housing, cheaper childcare and healthcare, better public goods, tax and transfer reforms, and cultural shifts to normalize simpler living would help, but political and social will are the constraints.

Every Three Hours Is A Chance To Make A New World: Notes from the Oklo Reactor

Welcome to Garbagetown • 575 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
🔬 Science Education
  1. Learning something new can spark excitement and a desire to share that knowledge with others. It's fun to dive into unexpected topics that capture our interest.
  2. Exploring the intersection of science and storytelling can reveal the beauty and power of both. Stories can make complex scientific ideas more relatable and engaging.
  3. Taking a break from politics and focusing on other subjects can be refreshing. There's a vast world of knowledge and wonder beyond political discussions.

Working in Glass

Asimov Press • 322 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🔬 Science Education
  1. Learning to make and modify glassware let chemists build cheap, hands-on experiments and get repeatable results; teaching glassblowing spread that do-it-yourself approach.
  2. Advances in glass chemistry and manufacturing—especially borosilicate formulations and standardized fittings—made labware tougher, more accurate, and interchangeable, which helped standardize modern labs.
  3. Glassblowing shifted from a core skill to a specialized trade as industrial brands mass-produced equipment, but glass remains essential for optics and high-temperature work while plastics handle many disposable tasks.
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Three Ways to Change Your World. Right Now.

What's Important? • 42 implied HN points • 21 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Education
  1. A growing Network of Networks connects aligned communities. It lets people plug into cooperative, positive-sum groups that help them find purpose, integrate experiences, and share resources.
  2. A Leading Edge network is about 150 high-agency members who balance tensions like individual vs collective, material vs spiritual, intellectual vs experiential, ordered vs chaotic, and digital vs physical. That mix of structure, practices, and peer support helps members deepen their work and lives.
  3. Training and funding steward schools to teach network leaders is a high-leverage way to scale this movement. A few trained stewards can quickly create many connected 150-person communities and generate large systemic change.

The unexpected luxury of my local library

Jeff Giesea • 678 implied HN points • 01 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Local libraries can be really nice places to relax and read, with comfy seating and a peaceful atmosphere. If you haven't been to your library in a while, it's worth checking out!
  2. Libraries are better than coffee shops for working or studying because they are quiet and free. You can enjoy a calm space without having to buy overpriced drinks.
  3. Getting a library card can save you a lot of money. You can borrow books for free and explore new titles without spending anything.

What's In A List—Yes, But What's *Really* In A List

The Python Coding Stack • by Stephen Gruppetta • 259 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. In Python, lists don't actually hold the items themselves but instead hold references to those items. This means you can change what is in a list without changing the list itself.
  2. If you create a list by multiplying an existing list, all the elements will reference the same object instead of creating separate objects. This can lead to unexpected results, like altering one element affecting all the others.
  3. When dealing with immutable items, such as strings, it doesn't matter if references point to the same object. Since immutable objects cannot be changed, there are no issues with such references.

Jonathan Haidt: The Devil’s Plan to Ruin the Next Generation

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 6014 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Constant convenience and distraction from smartphones and social media quietly erode young people’s attention and wellbeing, functioning like a slow, unnoticed harm.
  2. Researchers have documented a sharp decline in Gen Z mental health since the early 2010s, and growing evidence links that drop to smartphone and social media use.
  3. Early worries about overprotection gave way to a focus on technology, with the age kids first get smartphones emerging as a key factor tied to later mental wellbeing.

An Introduction to Arduino

wavesandcode • 99 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Arduino is a beginner-friendly microcontroller that lets you create electronic projects. It's easy to replace if you make mistakes.
  2. Basic components like breadboards, jumper wires, and LEDs are essential for building circuits. They help you connect and test your ideas quickly.
  3. Starting with simple projects is a great way to learn. Using resources like the Arduino Projects Book can guide you in building fun circuits.

SHAME! SHAME! LET CHILDREN READ BOOKS!

The Common Reader • 3862 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Removing full-length novels from the 8th grade curriculum is wrong. Kids should be reading entire books to develop a deeper understanding.
  2. Watching movies on a small screen is fine, but experiencing them in a theater is a different and better experience. It's important to appreciate films as they were intended.
  3. There should be more emphasis on traditional reading and viewing experiences in education and entertainment. Kids deserve to have these opportunities.

4 Children's Books About Loneliness

Readable Moments Book Club • 317 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
đź“š Literature Education
  1. Children experience loneliness too, and it can be deep and overwhelming for them. They need comfort and understanding from adults and friends.
  2. Books can help kids cope with loneliness by showing them different ways to connect with themselves and others. Reading together can also strengthen those bonds.
  3. Friendship and community are important ways to combat loneliness. Events like sharing food can bring people together and help kids feel less alone.

Why Do Children Hate Music Lessons?

The Honest Broker • 17221 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🎶 Music Education
  1. Children often dislike music lessons because they feel boring and formal, unlike the fun of making music for joy. Switching the focus from 'lessons' to 'play' can change this experience.
  2. The pressure from parents and the educational system makes music feel like a chore, not a hobby. This can take away the excitement and fun of learning an instrument.
  3. Competitions and perfectionism in music lessons can ruin the enjoyment children get from playing music. It's important to create an environment where making music is fun and not just about being the best.

Open Thread 414

Astral Codex Ten • 3166 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. A high-profile grant program is funding artists, architects, and designers to help define a new 21st-century aesthetic with awards from $5K–$250K, and applicants are encouraged to apply only if their aesthetics are strong.
  2. MATS is accepting applications for a fully funded 12-week, in-person summer fellowship in Berkeley or London for people entering AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance; it includes a $15K stipend, $12K compute budget, and free room/board/travel with a Jan 18 deadline.
  3. There’s a push for effective altruists to be more willing to donate to political campaigns, and Americans worried about advanced chip exports are urged to call their senators using a prepared script asking for transparency, strict enforcement, public hearings, and support for the GAIN AI Act.

Mr Bean Britain

Wrong Side of History • 645 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
đź“° News Education
  1. The government often looks both incompetent and heavy-handed, mixing laughable messaging with intrusive or secretive policies.
  2. Justice and immigration systems are seen as inconsistent and opaque, with selective enforcement and withheld details creating a sense of two-tier treatment.
  3. Rising school violence, stresses on public services, and contested diversity and identity initiatives are producing social unease and cultural friction.

[DĂ©brief] 10 choses Ă  savoir sur le TDAH

L'Atelier Galita • 179 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Education
  1. ADHD is not just about attention problems. People with ADHD can have intense focus (hyperfocus) on things they enjoy, but struggle to concentrate on tasks they find boring.
  2. ADHD affects both men and women equally, but many women go undiagnosed because the symptoms can present differently compared to men, leading to a lack of awareness.
  3. ADHD isn't just a childhood issue; many adults also experience it, but they often suffer in silence because they weren't diagnosed as kids and the school environment makes symptoms more apparent.

The Elite Overproduction Hypothesis

Noahpinion • 20294 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Many college students are now majoring in STEM fields instead of humanities because they want reliable jobs. However, even STEM graduates are facing high unemployment rates, leading to more frustration.
  2. The rise of highly educated individuals without corresponding job opportunities has caused social unrest. Many young people expected to achieve a certain lifestyle after college, but reality has been disappointing for a lot of them.
  3. To ease this tension, we may need to adjust our expectations about work and success. It's important to focus on realistic career paths and find ways to improve job opportunities for everyone.

8 petits managers dans nos tĂŞtes

L'Atelier Galita • 139 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Education
  1. Executive functions help us manage everyday tasks like organizing schedules and controlling impulses. They're like little managers in our heads that guide our adult life.
  2. For people with ADHD, these executive functions can develop slower, leading to challenges in planning and starting tasks. This can make adult responsibilities feel really tough.
  3. There are eight main executive functions, including working memory and emotional regulation. Each one plays a key role in how we handle life’s challenges and goals.

Old Man Yells at Cloud

Disaffected Newsletter • 599 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. A new course is available for parents to help them understand and support their kids dealing with gender issues. This program is designed to help parents connect with their teens.
  2. There's a concern that crime and chaos are increasing in America, with reports of gangs taking over neighborhoods and alarming incidents happening daily.
  3. The discussion focuses on how society seems to honor youth while disregarding the wisdom of older generations, suggesting a shift in values that raises concerns.

A big pile of imperfect things

Austin Kleon • 5815 implied HN points • 24 May 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Reading big books can be enjoyable, especially when you take your time with them. Some people like to read them in parts over several weeks.
  2. It's okay to create imperfect things. The idea is to enjoy the process and keep going despite not being perfect.
  3. Finding joy in what you like can lead to happiness. It's about discovering new things to appreciate and even learning to like things you didn't before.

How to understand the politics of Israel and Palestine?

Robert Reich • 16254 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Education
  1. Organizing for difficult subjects in universities is essential to foster open dialogue and avoid polarization.
  2. Collaborative teaching with diverse perspectives can create a more enriching and open-minded learning environment for students.
  3. Approaching the conflict between Israel and Palestine with a sense of tragedy can help students understand the complexity and motivations behind the narratives of both sides.

Three Dumb Studies for your consideration

Experimental History • 19828 implied HN points • 10 Jun 25
🔬 Science Education
  1. Short and low-cost experiments can still provide interesting insights. Even simple studies can teach us something new.
  2. People often have unexpected reactions to pain and discomfort, like some even enjoy putting their hands in ice water. This shows that experiences can be more subjective than we think.
  3. Our preferences for things like sugar and salt are complex. People hesitate to eat them in pure forms due to social norms or taste expectations, indicating our relationship with these substances is nuanced.

Concerns of Voters

Points And Figures • 532 implied HN points • 16 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Rural voters are split on development — some oppose new projects while others welcome mining and geothermal growth, and they want local control over where and how development happens.
  2. People are worried about state finances and high costs; they like Nevada's 0% income tax but don’t want higher sales taxes or fees, and they want the treasurer to take quick steps and modernize the office to save taxpayers money.
  3. Voters broadly support voter ID and a ballot ban on men in women’s sports, and they also want school choice, better medical access, more clarity around cryptocurrency, and less reliance on California for gasoline.

Que sais-tu du TDAH ?

L'Atelier Galita • 159 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Education
  1. TDAH stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, affecting focus and attention. It’s not just about being hyperactive; people with TDAH can struggle to concentrate on many tasks.
  2. More men are diagnosed with TDAH than women, but it can affect anyone. It's important to consider whether age plays a role in how TDAH symptoms manifest.
  3. TDAH can be hereditary, meaning if a parent has it, their children might be more likely to have it too. It's crucial to avoid self-diagnosing, as it can lead to many incorrect assumptions about conditions.

Theories of power, cattle grids and a blep (Odds and Ends #85)

Odds and Ends of History • 804 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
đź“° News Education
  1. A wide-ranging mix of topics is curated, spanning governance, bureaucracy, urban change, creativity, planning rules, NHS challenges, and the future of sports broadcasting — with a lighthearted cat blep thrown in.
  2. There’s a clear emphasis on governance and reform, highlighting London-level politics, tweaks to how Whitehall works, and calls for a new "Theory of Power."
  3. Practical influence and resource-sharing matter: a personal post about rebooting social life sparked reader action, and recommended resources include a pro‑nuclear environmental book and a vaccine science event.

How well can Gemini 3 make a Henry James simulator?

Res Obscura • 4354 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Gemini 3 is a strong AI model that can create interactive games, like a Henry James simulator set in 1889 Paris. It shows good skills in making maps and storytelling.
  2. The quality of AI-generated content varies, as seen with models like Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5.1, which struggled to create usable simulations. This shows that human guidance is important.
  3. Using AI in education can be creative and engaging. It offers a chance for students to learn about history through interactive play, encouraging them to think critically about primary sources.

Rand Paul Is Going It Alone. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 519 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
đź“° News Education
  1. Rand Paul is positioning himself as a lone, influential critic inside his party, using his committee role to challenge mass deportation policies and warn about overfunding ICE.
  2. AI is already changing everyday life: tools like ChatGPT can catch medical mistakes and new “no-code” AI platforms let nonprogrammers build useful apps quickly.
  3. Bitcoin’s recent crash wasn’t about lost faith but about leveraged perp trades; extreme borrowing (10x–50x) forced mass sell-offs and wiped out many investors.

Reacting to Matt Yglesias's Confession that A.I. Progress Is Giving Him Writer’s Block

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 292 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Uncertainty about whether AI will plateau or trigger far-reaching, rapid change is freezing people up and making it hard to write or craft medium-run policy because so many scenarios point to very different prescriptions.
  2. Human collective knowledge and past waves of technology suggest AI is best seen as a powerful new tool that amplifies our existing, distributed intelligence rather than automatically becoming a silicon god, with historical tech shifts unfolding in distinct accelerations.
  3. Rather than throwing up hands, the practical move is to focus on concrete policy and investment now — treating AI as a tool that can be guided to redirect human talent (for example toward teaching) and to shape the next decade of outcomes.

AI & Python #27: Books I Read to Learn Data Science and Machine Learning

Artificial Corner • 119 implied HN points • 16 Oct 24
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Reading is essential for understanding data science and machine learning. Books can help you learn these subjects from scratch or deepen your existing knowledge.
  2. One recommended book is 'Data Science from Scratch' by Joel Grus. It covers important math and statistics concepts that are crucial for data science.
  3. For beginners in Python, it's important to learn Python basics before diving into data science books. Supplement your reading with beginner-friendly Python books.

Florida school district removes dictionaries from libraries, citing law championed by DeSantis

Popular Information • 15704 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education
  1. Florida school district removes dictionaries from libraries due to a law by DeSantis
  2. Over 2800 books including dictionaries and biographies have been removed from Escambia County school libraries
  3. Authors, parents, and organizations are fighting back against the book removals, alleging violations of the First Amendment

Head, heart, hands

Austin Kleon • 2537 implied HN points • 02 Jul 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Our work should connect with our mind, heart, and hands. This balance helps us find fulfillment in what we do.
  2. The original idea of head, heart, and hands is powerful and reminds us of simplicity in our commitments.
  3. Health is seen as a result of taking care of our head, heart, and hands, emphasizing the importance of holistic well-being.

How Holocaust Denial Became Mainstream

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 862 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
đź’ľ History Education
  1. As firsthand memory of the Holocaust fades, its meaning is increasingly contested and denial or distortion is spreading.
  2. The language used to fight racism and antisemitism has become formulaic and often empty, so it no longer effectively counters hatred and needs updating.
  3. The Holocaust underpins modern ideas like crimes against humanity and the postwar order, but those achievements are now threatened by historical distortion and revived antisemitic lies.

I Answer 18 Questions

The Honest Broker • 12600 implied HN points • 14 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Listening and learning are more important than talking about yourself. You can gain valuable insights from others by being open and receptive in conversations.
  2. Continuous learning is essential. Reading widely and learning from your experiences can lead to personal growth and deeper understanding.
  3. Embrace your unique path and avoid being boxed into a single role. Exploring different interests can lead to a more fulfilling and interesting life.

Pressed by Moms for Liberty, Florida school district adds clothing to illustrations in classic children's books

Popular Information • 12854 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Education
  1. Florida school district adds clothing to illustrations in classic children's books due to challenges from Moms for Liberty
  2. Challenges included concerns about nudity and obscenity in books like 'In The Night Kitchen'
  3. Alterations to books in libraries raise questions about censorship and the rights of readers

Canada and the U.S. Now Have Something Horrific in Common

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 426 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
đź“° News Education
  1. A mass shooting at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge killed and injured many, erasing the belief that school shootings are only an American problem.
  2. The town is tiny and remote, so residents, victims, and the shooter were closely connected and the whole community is deeply traumatized.
  3. Canadian officials used different language and approaches—calling the suspect 'gunperson' and respecting a preferred gender identity—highlighting a distinct national response to such violence.

Swift Concurrency Kata

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 3936 implied HN points • 11 Nov 25
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Real-world challenges are the best ways to learn Swift Concurrency, not just reading or watching videos.
  2. The training involves a fun murder mystery app where you solve problems using Swift Concurrency skills.
  3. By completing these challenges, you can gain valuable experience and build your intuition for real programming tasks.

Whatever Happened to Sex? Plus . . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 403 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
đź“° News Education
  1. Many American couples are having far less sex than in past decades, with factors like tiredness, performance anxiety, hormonal changes, social media, porn, and even AI sex tech all cited as contributing to a real cultural shift toward disconnection.
  2. Rapid advances in AI and growing concern about social media’s effects on kids are changing everyday life and prompting new policy fights, as people and governments rush to respond to technological disruption.
  3. Institutions and politics are under strain, from debates over grade inflation at elite universities and a high-profile antitrust ouster to problems in refugee resettlement and public-safety failures, reflecting wider organizational and political conflict.

brAIn drAIn

The Intrinsic Perspective • 27199 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. Using AI can make people less likely to think critically and solve problems on their own. This is especially true for those who trust AI too much.
  2. Young people may struggle to learn and retain information if they rely heavily on AI. Parents and schools should be careful about this dependency.
  3. Being skeptical about AI tools helps people use them healthier. Trusting your own judgment over AI can lead to better thinking and problem-solving skills.

Fake Data, Upcoming Book, and the Political Economy of AI

Data: Made Not Found (by danah) • 145 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Education
  1. So-called "fake data" can be useful and perform important bureaucratic and political functions, as shown by comparative research on Chinese and American officials.
  2. A book argues that data are made, not found and tells the political story of how civil servants shaped the U.S. Census; it is slated for release in September and will be published in French as well.
  3. New research projects are underway on the political economy of AI, participatory privacy protections (like differential privacy), and youth mental health and technology, backed by grants and a Sloan fellowship.