Articles from:January 2026

• Why ancient lessons cited by Carney remain relevant to today’s shifting world order

  Thursday, January 22, 2026 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY — January 22, 2026 — R0007

   

  Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a reference in his charged World Economic Forum speech in Davos, Switzerland, that was not lost on Michael Carter.

  The Brock University Professor of Classics and Archaeology immediately clocked the nod to ancient historian Thucydides’ work — and its relevancy to today.

  Thucydides wrote an account of the Peloponnesian War fought between Athens and Sparta — the two hegemons, or leading powers, of the ancient Greek world — from 431 to 404 BCE. There was a strong contrast between the two cities, with Athens viewed as open, tolerant, wealthy and democratic, and Sparta considered closed and intolerant. 

  The Melian Dialogue passage, referenced by Carney, addresses the theme that “might makes right.” Or, as Thucydides writes: “Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” 

  Carter says the passage refers to the events of 416 BCE, when the Athenians brought their full military might against Melos — a small, defenseless but independent island in the Aegean Sea — demanding its surrender and absorption into the Athenian Empire. Athenians wanted control of Melos, a strategically important location in the war with Sparta, though Melos remained independent.

  “If the Melians refused, the Athenians said they would attack and destroy them,” Carter says.

  Thucydides presents the discussions between Athenian and Melian leaders as a closed-door dialogue, more akin to a dramatic play than usual international relations. 

  “All of the Melian arguments are based on justice, morality, hope and a sense of right and wrong, whereas Athenian responses essentially point out how they think the world really works: big fish eat little fish, and that’s just the way it is.” 

  At the end of the debate, the Melians resisted and were defeated. 

  “The Athenians killed every single man on the island, enslaved all the women and children, and sent Athenian settlers to occupy it,” Carter says. 

  This section of Thucydides’ work is commonly quoted, he says, as it can be interpreted as offering insight into human or state relations. 

  “Thucydides — often thought to be the father of political realism — describes a ‘realist position,’ which posits that states act not out of a sense of justice or morality, but out of self-interest,” he says. 

  However, Carter stresses that many citations of Thucydides’ work often incorrectly position the historian as a proponent — rather than a critic — of the idea that the strong can do what they want and the weak have no choice but to acquiesce. 

  The parallels to today’s global conversations are apparent.  

  “It is hard not to think of smaller countries and territories, like Ukraine or Greenland or Taiwan, caught up in the ambitions of the great powers, the hegemons of today,” he says. “The place of justice and morality — a sense of what is right and wrong — are too often abandoned in these discussions.”

  The Melian passage is significant, he says, as it reveals “how low Athens had sunk” and highlights the hubris of an imperialist foreign policy devoid of empathy. Thucydides is not supporting or encouraging the realist views of Athens. He saw them as evidence for the moral decline of the great city.

  “They had abandoned all the values — justice, morality, a sense of right and wrong, even hope — that once made Athens worth celebrating. It is the tragedy of Athens,” Carter says. “That’s why it was so heartening to hear the Prime Minister speak of the need for ‘values-based realism,’ in place of the old ‘might is right’ aphorism.”  

  He says it is also important to note that the episode at Melos began the actual destruction of Athens. The Athenians launched an attack against Sicily and were ultimately defeated very shortly after Melos’ capture.  

  “Athens eventually lost the war, but in the process, they lost so much more: their democracy and, along with it, anything just and fair that they once stood for.”

  Michael Carter, Brock University Professor of Classics and Archaeology, is available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• How treating hearing loss can reduce dementia risk

  Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY — January 21, 2026 — R0006

  With Alzheimer’s Awareness Month well underway, a Brock University neuroscientist is calling attention to a preventive step older adults can take to reduce their risk of developing dementia.

  Professor of Psychology Karen Campbell, Canada Research Chair in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging, says research suggests early treatment of age-related hearing loss can reduce an individual’s risk of developing dementia by seven per cent.

  Campbell says there are competing theories on the relationship between hearing loss and dementia.

  “It could be that the same neural loss contributing to your dementia diagnosis is also affecting the neural pathways from the ear to the brain and auditory cortex,” she says. “It could also be that constantly straining to hear results in having to exert more cognitive effort, which might lead to cognitive decline.”

  Campbell also points to social isolation, another risk factor for developing dementia, as a knock-on effect of hearing loss.

  “People who can’t hear properly may withdraw from social situations because it’s very awkward to keep asking people to repeat themselves,” she says. “But we also know that people who maintain social contact tend to be less likely to develop dementia.”

  Campbell says hearing aids are an accessible means of correcting sensory loss, not unlike eyeglasses, but many older adults don’t realize that using them could have far-reaching effects on their overall health and well-being.

  Although researchers have identified many modifiable risk factors for dementia, including physical inactivity, smoking, obesity and social isolation, treating hearing loss is ranked as one of the most impactful in reducing risk. It is also, according to Campbell, one of the easiest factors to address.

  “Other risk factors, like smoking or unhealthy eating, tend to start earlier in adulthood when people may not be thinking about later cognitive preservation,” she says. “But the need for a hearing aid usually happens in late mid-life or early older age, and it’s a relatively easy fix compared to other lifelong habits.”

  While some people may be hesitant to start using hearing aids due to their perceived association with getting older, Campbell says the benefits should be seriously considered.

  “I think it’s important that people realize that hearing aids help more than just your hearing,” she says. “Today’s hearing aids are very discreet, can sync with your phone via Bluetooth and handle background noise a lot better than they used to.”

  Campbell says reviewing the known risk factors and taking measures such as treating hearing loss, engaging in regular physical activity and staying socially involved can provide benefits for anyone concerned about cognitive health.

  “In dementia research, we talk about increasing the health span, or staying healthy for longer,” she says. “These modifiable risk factors are things we can change that really can reduce our potential for developing dementia and extend our health span.”

   

  Brock University Professor of Psychology Karen Campbell, Canada Research Chair in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging, is available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases