Excellent post! It deeply resonated with what I observe in the USA, though your experience may vary:
Until about a decade ago, I believed education was the solution to most of humanity’s problems—provided it taught people how to think critically, act responsibly, and recognize that learning is a lifelong process. However, what I see now is troubling. Despite being formally educated, many individuals seem to lack agency and critical thinking skills, often becoming trapped in bubbles of ignorance—the opposite of what education should promote. While no one can escape all ignorance (since human life is too short to verify everything firsthand), one would hope that education could foster a shared understanding of foundational truths. Instead, we live in a world where facts are endlessly debated, opposing information is dismissed outright, and "alternate truths" distort reality. Social media, news media, and schools contribute to this issue, but society and parents bear equal responsibility for not preparing the next generation.
Unfortunately, many fail to develop critical thinking skills during school, and even fewer continue learning after graduation. Instead, individuals—regardless of their level of education—often rely on familiar sources of information without questioning their motivations or incentives. This tendency leaves educated individuals vulnerable to manipulation, misinformation, and groupthink.
The problem, however, isn’t limited to education itself. Social media algorithms amplify biases by feeding people content that reinforces their preexisting beliefs, while societal divisions and polarized environments worsen tribal loyalties. Education has not adapted to these challenges, as it often prioritizes rote learning and credentials over teaching students how to navigate a world saturated with conflicting narratives and misinformation.
To address this, we need an education system emphasizing critical thinking, intellectual humility, and the ability to evaluate information from diverse perspectives. At the same time, society must work to rebuild a shared understanding of foundational truths—without which we cannot address collective challenges. Parents have a crucial role in fostering curiosity and lifelong learning, encouraging their children to question, explore, and think independently. While education alone cannot solve these problems, it remains a vital starting point if reimagined to meet the realities of the 21st century.
Your observations about the disconnect between formal education and genuine critical thinking, I would say in most of the Western world are aligned with my thoughts, and chillingly echo the very anxieties that fueled Wells. His "race between education and catastrophe" wasn't merely about access to schooling, but about cultivating minds capable of navigating complexity, resisting manipulation, and discerning foundational truths, precisely the skills you see eroding.
He feared that education, if reduced to rote learning or credentialism, could fail its essential purpose, leaving populations vulnerable to the very tribalism and misinformation amplified by the forces you describe (social media algorithms, polarization).
Your point about the need to rebuild a shared understanding while fostering intellectual humility gets to the core of the challenge, I think, Wells grappled with, a task that seems even more daunting, yet more critical, in our current moment.
Yes to that Scott Fitzgerald's quote. Great reminder.
The true geniuses are those who can see the world as it is and still maintain an attitude of expectation that it can be better. So easy to be cynical in challenging times, and polly-anna avoidance of what is true provides no value. It is finding the balance between truth and potential that brings us through to the next turn of the world.
Love this “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe,” I agree, this should be on the letterhead of our educational institutions and internalized by everyone responsible for providing education to others.
Thank you Susan. You have perfectly captured the difficult, essential tightrope walk that Wells embodied , the ability to stare unflinchingly at the world's complexities and potential dangers, yet refuse to succumb to cynicism. At least that is my reading of his books and autobiography.
That balance you describe, between acknowledging truth and nurturing potential, is precisely the "aching durability of his hope" I tried to explore. It's far easier to fall into despair or naive optimism, but Wells, for all his flaws, wrestled constantly in that vital middle ground.
And yes, that quote feels more potent than ever. It cuts through complacency and reminds us of the stakes involved in how we learn, think, and engage with the world. It’s a sentiment that truly deserves the prominence you suggest
I'm curious Colin, are you an educator at the post-secondary level, or is it just your desire to be well-read and a critical thinker and something you've always done? It seems we need thinkers like you in universities and colleges, but I never met any of your caliber when I was going through school, and it seems like it is even worse today. I can't tell if the problem is the teachers or the institutions.
I teach at University, Previously Bachelors and Masters level, but now 20% Masters and mainly Post-Graduate programs. Plus, teach Professors and other Academic staff on the correct use of AI!
I have a belief that university academics must first work in the 'real world,' as I did for 30 years or so, and then take that experience to the university in order to help their students prepare for the world of work. How can you prepare someone for a position in a corporation if you have never worked there? My teaching is very practical, hands-on, very little theory. But I like to speak on a wide range of subjects, and bring that into the mix to inspire the students with curiosity.
I've always read widely and, as best as I can, think critically from a young age. I had some great teachers.
Maybe the institutions would be better suited hiring from the 'real world'. It saddens me to say it because I know many Professors that are passionate, but also many who are in a comfortable position, salaried well into their late 70's and I think this is to the detriment of the students, not always, but too often. I know of Professors over 90 years old, that are still teaching on full salary but have never worked in the corporate world! It is hard to keep the right level of enthusiasm when your position is so comfortable, and teaching requires big dozes of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm.
I agree with your premise that university academics must first work in the real world. Of all the teachers I had throughout my 16+ years of formal education, the best one was a middle manager in a manufacturing company who taught one project management class per week. Although there was "theory" in the form of project management approach, it was application that made it a valuable class and set me up for a successful career.
The statement, "those who can do, those who can't teach" has always been the most frustrating idea for me. I believe that if you "can't do" you have no business teaching. I think perhaps this, more than anything else, is what is fueling successful education through the internet, if you can find a credible teacher in the noise.
To return to the recent conversations about the future of AI in our world, I wonder if AI will be a natural replacement of professors without real world experience, but less capable of replacing educators who have done their learning in the real world. By the way, I started Machines Like Us last evening and am enjoying it immensely!
That teacher sounds like what all teachers should provide - "application that made it a valuable class and set me up for a successful career."
Very well said "The statement, "those who can do, those who can't teach" has always been the most frustrating idea for me. I believe that if you "can't do" you have no business teaching."
AI will upturn University teaching. Having your own tutor will be equivalent to solving Bloom's 2 sigma problem (one-on-one tutoring improved the student by 2 x). I think we will go to university for other human level intellectual conversations, like the cafes of the enlightened ages.
I teach AI. I've also been teaching academic staff and professors, not the easiest students to 'buy in'! But their students are using AI so the professors must know how to use it too.
Great that you like Ian McEwan's book so far, it has fascinating insights into human and machine relations!
Okay, now have to ask you, what you did as a career in corporate to be able to teach AI to professors (and students) today :)
I'm actually quite excited with the idea of university/college returning to the way it was in the enlightened ages of the far past. That's what these institutions were supposed to be, before they were turned into corporate training facilities. The only good thing about what happened to these institutions was the access to education that was not limited to the elite. I hope a transition back to a thinking space doesn't revert back to access only for the wealthy. Perhaps in the past it was only for the wealthy because they were the only people with the time to sit and think. Everyone else had to work to eat. In a world with AI, perhaps we'll all have time to participate in thoughtful discourse when we don't have to figure out where the next meal comes from.
In that environment, institutions will still have value for being places where people can come together to meet and discuss ideas. In a world of AI where everything can be done from our homes, it might be the only place where humans will be able to find and create thoughtful community.
It seems he exemplified Scott Fitzgerald's quote quite well:
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
Excellent post! It deeply resonated with what I observe in the USA, though your experience may vary:
Until about a decade ago, I believed education was the solution to most of humanity’s problems—provided it taught people how to think critically, act responsibly, and recognize that learning is a lifelong process. However, what I see now is troubling. Despite being formally educated, many individuals seem to lack agency and critical thinking skills, often becoming trapped in bubbles of ignorance—the opposite of what education should promote. While no one can escape all ignorance (since human life is too short to verify everything firsthand), one would hope that education could foster a shared understanding of foundational truths. Instead, we live in a world where facts are endlessly debated, opposing information is dismissed outright, and "alternate truths" distort reality. Social media, news media, and schools contribute to this issue, but society and parents bear equal responsibility for not preparing the next generation.
Unfortunately, many fail to develop critical thinking skills during school, and even fewer continue learning after graduation. Instead, individuals—regardless of their level of education—often rely on familiar sources of information without questioning their motivations or incentives. This tendency leaves educated individuals vulnerable to manipulation, misinformation, and groupthink.
The problem, however, isn’t limited to education itself. Social media algorithms amplify biases by feeding people content that reinforces their preexisting beliefs, while societal divisions and polarized environments worsen tribal loyalties. Education has not adapted to these challenges, as it often prioritizes rote learning and credentials over teaching students how to navigate a world saturated with conflicting narratives and misinformation.
To address this, we need an education system emphasizing critical thinking, intellectual humility, and the ability to evaluate information from diverse perspectives. At the same time, society must work to rebuild a shared understanding of foundational truths—without which we cannot address collective challenges. Parents have a crucial role in fostering curiosity and lifelong learning, encouraging their children to question, explore, and think independently. While education alone cannot solve these problems, it remains a vital starting point if reimagined to meet the realities of the 21st century.
Well said MG, I could not agree more!
Your observations about the disconnect between formal education and genuine critical thinking, I would say in most of the Western world are aligned with my thoughts, and chillingly echo the very anxieties that fueled Wells. His "race between education and catastrophe" wasn't merely about access to schooling, but about cultivating minds capable of navigating complexity, resisting manipulation, and discerning foundational truths, precisely the skills you see eroding.
He feared that education, if reduced to rote learning or credentialism, could fail its essential purpose, leaving populations vulnerable to the very tribalism and misinformation amplified by the forces you describe (social media algorithms, polarization).
Your point about the need to rebuild a shared understanding while fostering intellectual humility gets to the core of the challenge, I think, Wells grappled with, a task that seems even more daunting, yet more critical, in our current moment.
Yes to that Scott Fitzgerald's quote. Great reminder.
Thank goodness they have not destroyed the libraries and great books...the last refuge of an enquiring mind...so much distraction...
The true geniuses are those who can see the world as it is and still maintain an attitude of expectation that it can be better. So easy to be cynical in challenging times, and polly-anna avoidance of what is true provides no value. It is finding the balance between truth and potential that brings us through to the next turn of the world.
Love this “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe,” I agree, this should be on the letterhead of our educational institutions and internalized by everyone responsible for providing education to others.
Thank you Susan. You have perfectly captured the difficult, essential tightrope walk that Wells embodied , the ability to stare unflinchingly at the world's complexities and potential dangers, yet refuse to succumb to cynicism. At least that is my reading of his books and autobiography.
That balance you describe, between acknowledging truth and nurturing potential, is precisely the "aching durability of his hope" I tried to explore. It's far easier to fall into despair or naive optimism, but Wells, for all his flaws, wrestled constantly in that vital middle ground.
And yes, that quote feels more potent than ever. It cuts through complacency and reminds us of the stakes involved in how we learn, think, and engage with the world. It’s a sentiment that truly deserves the prominence you suggest
I'm curious Colin, are you an educator at the post-secondary level, or is it just your desire to be well-read and a critical thinker and something you've always done? It seems we need thinkers like you in universities and colleges, but I never met any of your caliber when I was going through school, and it seems like it is even worse today. I can't tell if the problem is the teachers or the institutions.
I teach at University, Previously Bachelors and Masters level, but now 20% Masters and mainly Post-Graduate programs. Plus, teach Professors and other Academic staff on the correct use of AI!
I have a belief that university academics must first work in the 'real world,' as I did for 30 years or so, and then take that experience to the university in order to help their students prepare for the world of work. How can you prepare someone for a position in a corporation if you have never worked there? My teaching is very practical, hands-on, very little theory. But I like to speak on a wide range of subjects, and bring that into the mix to inspire the students with curiosity.
I've always read widely and, as best as I can, think critically from a young age. I had some great teachers.
Maybe the institutions would be better suited hiring from the 'real world'. It saddens me to say it because I know many Professors that are passionate, but also many who are in a comfortable position, salaried well into their late 70's and I think this is to the detriment of the students, not always, but too often. I know of Professors over 90 years old, that are still teaching on full salary but have never worked in the corporate world! It is hard to keep the right level of enthusiasm when your position is so comfortable, and teaching requires big dozes of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm.
I agree with your premise that university academics must first work in the real world. Of all the teachers I had throughout my 16+ years of formal education, the best one was a middle manager in a manufacturing company who taught one project management class per week. Although there was "theory" in the form of project management approach, it was application that made it a valuable class and set me up for a successful career.
The statement, "those who can do, those who can't teach" has always been the most frustrating idea for me. I believe that if you "can't do" you have no business teaching. I think perhaps this, more than anything else, is what is fueling successful education through the internet, if you can find a credible teacher in the noise.
To return to the recent conversations about the future of AI in our world, I wonder if AI will be a natural replacement of professors without real world experience, but less capable of replacing educators who have done their learning in the real world. By the way, I started Machines Like Us last evening and am enjoying it immensely!
One last question, what area do you teach in?
That teacher sounds like what all teachers should provide - "application that made it a valuable class and set me up for a successful career."
Very well said "The statement, "those who can do, those who can't teach" has always been the most frustrating idea for me. I believe that if you "can't do" you have no business teaching."
AI will upturn University teaching. Having your own tutor will be equivalent to solving Bloom's 2 sigma problem (one-on-one tutoring improved the student by 2 x). I think we will go to university for other human level intellectual conversations, like the cafes of the enlightened ages.
I teach AI. I've also been teaching academic staff and professors, not the easiest students to 'buy in'! But their students are using AI so the professors must know how to use it too.
Great that you like Ian McEwan's book so far, it has fascinating insights into human and machine relations!
Okay, now have to ask you, what you did as a career in corporate to be able to teach AI to professors (and students) today :)
I'm actually quite excited with the idea of university/college returning to the way it was in the enlightened ages of the far past. That's what these institutions were supposed to be, before they were turned into corporate training facilities. The only good thing about what happened to these institutions was the access to education that was not limited to the elite. I hope a transition back to a thinking space doesn't revert back to access only for the wealthy. Perhaps in the past it was only for the wealthy because they were the only people with the time to sit and think. Everyone else had to work to eat. In a world with AI, perhaps we'll all have time to participate in thoughtful discourse when we don't have to figure out where the next meal comes from.
In that environment, institutions will still have value for being places where people can come together to meet and discuss ideas. In a world of AI where everything can be done from our homes, it might be the only place where humans will be able to find and create thoughtful community.