Posts By: Karl Low

Alek Golijanin

Alek Golijanin is an Athabasca University alum. He has represented Athabasca University at a number of competitions both at the Provincial and International level. Alek’s articles revolve around his passion for learning and innovation, as he summarizes research and presents it in ways that compels readers and continues the tradition of life-long learning, and some of the articles are even inspired by investigative journalism shows like CTV’s W5, CBC’s The Fifth Estate and Marketplace, and CBS’ 60 Minutes.

“Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. 1858.

Giants Start Small

Potential is defined as the differing qualities and abilities that determine what an individual can achieve in the future.  The label “high potential” gets thrown around on everyone from children to athletes when trying to quantify their likelihood for future success.  However, being able to realize potential may have more to do with how educators… Read more »

The Art of De-Escalation

Imagine a world where people were as capable and eager of de-escalating situations as they are taking out their phones to film conflict—hoping their video will go viral.  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has been flooded with these viral videos where people are acting out upon each other, much to the amusement of the… Read more »

The Seven Lenses of Modern Psychology

A first impression is only made one time, it tends to be lasting, but allowing a first impression to dictate your opinion of others can be a big mistake, for better or worse.  Instead of focusing on a first impression, maybe we should make way for people to make multiple impressions and use those experiences… Read more »

The Smell of Workplace Culture

The fight for workforce talent is real, organizations are in a battle to hire and retain top talent and it has been a major cost driver across all industries. In the tech space, organizations competing for talent have bent over backwards trying to implement favorable working circumstances including providing daily free lunches, unlimited vacation time,… Read more »

Exploring Cancer and Promising Medical Breakthroughs

It is expected that 1 in 2 Canadians will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime, and about 1 in 4 Canadians will die of cancer. The conversations around cancer have traditionally centered around genetics and lifestyle choices as the root of the risk, but there are equally important linkages with environments that should… Read more »

Facial Yoga—A Must Do or a Faux Pas?

Yoga is a form of passive exercising that incorporates stretching one’s body, and it has been shown to help improve overall health and well-being.  It is considered a good way to start your morning if you can make time for it, but a beauty-inspired form of yoga may take priority over stretching limbs if the… Read more »

Intelligence Quotients – Empty Numbers That Wow

Intelligence quotients (IQ) are thought to be one of the best methods for identifying gifted children and it is a number that some mainstream adults have paraded when trying to quantify their smarts.  An IQ is defined a number that is used to indicate an apparent level of intelligence of a person.  Prior to their… Read more »

Understanding “Gangs”—Grooming versus Radicalization

The words grooming and radicalization are two important terms when it comes to attempting to understand why youth end up going down a dangerous life path after they join gangs. Grooming is defined as building trust or emotional connections with another person to exploit them, while radicalization is defined as the process through which a… Read more »

The Art of De-escalation

Imagine a world where people were as capable and eager of de-escalating situations as they are taking out their phones to film conflict—hoping their video will go viral.  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has been flooded with these viral videos where people are acting out upon each other, much to the amusement of the… Read more »