The Edition: Cambridge in crisis, Trump’s wicked humour & the beauty of AI ceramics
Oct 24, 2024
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David Butterfield, a former Classics teacher at Cambridge, shares insights on the troubling decline of university education, critiquing administrative influences and grade inflation. Author Philip Womack recounts his experiences with university bureaucracy, while Kate Andrews discusses Trump's comedic revival, emphasizing his unique rhetorical style. Philip Collins adds depth on Trump's humor in politics, and Jack Marsh reveals how AI is transforming Delftware ceramics, merging tradition with technology for innovative artistic expression.
David Butterfield critiques modern university education for prioritizing convenience over rigor, leading to lower academic standards and student entitlement.
The podcast highlights Donald Trump's resurgence in stand-up comedy, showcasing his wit during political events to enhance voter connection and engagement.
Advancements in AI are revolutionizing Delftware ceramics by combining historical artistic styles with mass production, raising questions about the essence of traditional craftsmanship.
Deep dives
The Infantilization of University Education
University education has become increasingly infantilized, according to David Butterfield, who recently resigned after 21 years at Cambridge. He argues that universities are betraying students by adopting a consumer-centric model where students prioritize convenience over rigor. Tuition fee increases have shifted the power dynamic between students and institutions, making students feel entitled to reshape the educational experience to avoid challenges. Consequently, this has led to a decrease in academic standards, such as scaled-back examinations and low expectations in teaching, which Butterfield believes could undermine the integrity of higher education.
Shifting Standards in Student Expectations
Philip Womack, a lecturer at a Russell Group university, corroborates Butterfield's observations, sharing his experience of students' declining engagement with challenging reading lists. He notes that students have increasingly complained about set reading, even at the graduate level, highlighting a significant shift in attitude over just a few years. Womack cites an instance where students objected to reading a comprehensive list of classic children's literature, demonstrating a reluctance to engage with demanding coursework. This trend reflects a broader issue where educational rigor is being sacrificed for a less challenging and more comfortable learning environment.
Concerns Over Admissions Policies
The episode addresses the complex interplay between diversity initiatives and academic excellence in university admissions. Butterfield expresses concern that overly simplistic metrics for admissions—such as state school versus private school backgrounds—fail to adequately capture a candidate's potential and contributions to the academic community. He argues that self-imposed diversity targets often lead to discrimination against capable students from diverse backgrounds, revealing a need for a more nuanced understanding of merit. The challenge lies in balancing inclusivity and maintaining high educational standards while addressing systemic inequities in education.
Donald Trump's Political Resurgence
The podcast discusses how Donald Trump seems to have regained his comedic touch, capturing audiences with humor during his recent public appearances. Analysts suggest that when Trump is politically down, he often resorts to anger, but when he finds his footing, humor tends to re-emerge as a key component of his appeal. Examples from events like the Al Smith dinner show Trump leveraging self-deprecating jokes while jab at his opponents, maintaining his characteristic style. This ability to blend humor into his political narrative enables Trump to connect with voters in a captivating way, thereby enhancing his candidacy.
AI and the Future of Decorative Arts
The podcast explores how advancements in AI technology are transforming the production of traditional arts, specifically in the realm of Delftware ceramics. Jack Marsh, co-founder of Not Quite Past, explains how AI can create designs that reflect various historical artistic styles while still facilitating mass production. His approach not only aims to maintain artistic integrity but also seeks to democratize access to high-quality decoration by making it more affordable. The fusion of technology with traditional craftsmanship could potentially revitalize interest in decorative arts, though it raises questions about preserving the essence and soul of artisanal work.
This week: Decline and Fall – how our greatest universities are betraying students.
Our greatest universities are betraying students, writes David Butterfield, who has just resigned from teaching Classics at Cambridge after 21 years. What went wrong? First, class lists of exam results became private, under alleged grounds of ‘data protection’, which snuffed out much of the competitive spirit of the university. Now even the fate of examinations hangs in the balance. Grade inflation is rampant, and it is now unheard of for students to be sent down for insufficient academic performance. For students, the risks have never been lower. ‘The pace of change over the past decade has been astonishing, driven on by three forces: an administrative class that wants to minimise complaints, a subset of academics who actively resent the no-nonsense traditions of the university, and a proportion of students who will take the easiest path proffered.’ David joined the podcast alongside the author Philip Womack, who recalls his own run-in with university administrators in the magazine. (01:46)
Next: the return of Trump the stand-up comedian.
There had been a lot of talk that Trump had lost some of his spark, with declining attendance at his rallies and his jokes failing to land. But, as The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews writes this week, he appears to have his mojo back. At the Al Smith dinner, he delivered a series of wicked barbs aimed at his opponent Tim Walz and Kamala Harris, to a rapturous reception in the room. So what has changed? And why is humour so important to Trump? Kate joined the podcast alongside journalist and former speechwriter to Tony Blair, Philip Collins. (18:06)
And finally: could AI lead to a revival of decorative beauty?
In her arts lead for the magazine, Lara Prendergast meets the founders of a company in Stoke-on-Trent using AI technology to mass-produce uncannily authentic Delftware tiles, the iconic blue and white ceramics. ‘Josiah Wedgwood would have loved what we are doing… I suspect William Morris would have hated it,’ says the co-founder of Not Quite Past – the company creating these tiles – and who joins the podcast to discuss further. (37:55)
Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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