Middlebury College
Coverage of Middlebury College in the Nexus archive.
- Research at Middlebury College reveals nuanced story about artificial intelligence use
Middlebury College researchers found that most students use artificial intelligence as an augmentation tool to enhance learning rather than automate work. Their study revealed that while some AI use boosts short-term grades, specific methods improve long-term learning outcomes. The research challenges the common narrative that students primarily use AI for cheating.
- You can blame America’s plummeting fertility rate on the iPhone, study finds: ‘People are all depressed and alone and doomscrolling’
A study published by the National Bureau of Economist Research links the rise of the iPhone to a decline in U.S. fertility rates, showing reduced birth rates in areas with early iPhone access. Researchers found a 4.5% to 8% drop in births for ages 15-19 and a 3.2% to 6.6% drop for ages 20-24 in regions where AT&T sold iPhones before 2011. The study attributes the decline to smartphone-induced social isolation and depression, rather than economic factors alone.