ITGSopedia

Students have always faced distractions and time-wasters. But computers and cellphones, and the constant stream of stimuli they offer, pose a profound new challenge to focusing and learning. Researchers say the lure of these technologies, while it affects adults too, is particularly powerful for young people. The risk, they say, is that developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks - and less able to sustain attention.

Analysis of the use of clickers in the classroom.

Raises serious privacy issues.

As China ratcheted up the pressure on Google to censor its Internet searches last year, the American Embassy sent a secret cable to Washington detailing one reason top Chinese leaders had become so obsessed with the Internet search company: they were Googling themselves.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - War would be a lot safer, the Army says, if only more of it were fought by robots. Smarter Than You Think Government Issue Articles in this series are examining the recent advances in artificial intelligence and robotics and their potential impact on society. Previous Articles in the Series » Multimedia Interactive Graphic A New Generation of Robotic Weapons RSS Feed Get Science News From The New York Times » Enlarge This Image David Walter Banks for The New York Times REMOTELY CONTROLLED Some armed robots are operated with video-game-style consoles, helping to keep humans away from danger. And while smart machines are already very much a part of modern warfare, the Army and its contractors are eager to add more. New robots - none of them particularly human-looking - are being designed to handle a broader range of tasks, from picking off snipers to serving as indefatigable night sentries.

As an aging population threatens to overwhelm the nation's hospitals and doctors, thousands of seriously ill patients are relying on computerized health trackers to help keep them safe at home.

A Dutch schoolteacher with no formal training in astronomy, Ms. van Arkel had joined tens of thousands of other Web volunteers to help classify photographs taken by deep-space telescopes. Stumped by the unusual image on her computer screen, she e-mailed the project staff for guidance. Staff members were stumped, too. And thus was christened the celestial body now known to astronomers worldwide as Hanny's Voorwerp (Dutch for "object"). Stories like Ms. van Arkel's are becoming more common, as the Internet opens up new opportunities for so-called citizen scientists. And as millions of people get involved in these participatory projects, scientists are grappling with how best to harness the amateurs' enthusiasm.

Mississippi had a problem born of the age of soaring student testing and digital technology. High school students taking the state's end-of-year exams were using cellphones to text one another the answers. Enlarge This Image Drew Angerer/The New York Times John Fremer, 71, a Caveon co-founder who was once the chief test developer for the SAT. CHEAT SHEET A High-Tech Approach Articles in this series examine cheating in education and efforts to stop it. Readers' Comments Readers shared their thoughts on this article. Read All Comments (77) » With more than 100,000 students tested, proctors could not watch everyone - not when some teenagers can text with their phones in their pockets. So the state called in a company that turns technology against the cheats: it analyzes answer sheets by computer and flags those with so many of the same questions wrong or right that the chances of random agreement are astronomically small. Copying is the almost certain explanation.

stereotactic radiosurgery, or SRS, is one of the fastest-growing radiation therapies, a technological innovation designed to target tiny tumors and other anomalies affecting the brain or spinal cord, while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. Because the radiation is so concentrated and intense, accuracy is especially important. Yet, according to records and interviews, the SRS unit at Evanston lacked certain safety features, including those that might have prevented radiation from leaking outside the cone. The mistakes in Evanston involve linear accelerators - commonly used for standard radiation therapy - that were redesigned by the manufacturer, Varian Medical Systems, so they could also perform SRS. As the devices became more versatile and complex, problems arose when vital electronic components could not communicate with one another.

Pros and cons of robotic surgery.

Good comparison of smart cards and magnetic stripe cards. Has international implications.

Good article on pros and cons of distance learning in the college environment.

Good source of free photos. Well indexed so it's easy to find what you need.

Good article on the dangers of failing to update legacy systems.

'Educational Videos, Created by Kids for Kids, Raise Awareness of Internet Risks and Teach Preventive Measures'