Shows
DogTags to OwnershipEpisode 47 - From Soldier to Sober: Joe Yurick's Journey of TransformationSend us a textIn today’s episode we sit down with Joe Yurick The Founder of This Sober Vet Podcast, a U.S. combat veteran and small business owner, to discuss his incredible journey from military service to sobriety. Joe shares his insights on normalizing sobriety within the veteran community, highlighting the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned along the way.Main Content:1. Joe’s Military Background: Joe Yurick graduated high school in 2000 and enlisted in the Army, initially joining to support a friend. He underwent boot camp at Fort...
2025-11-2541 min
The Joe Pags ShowOld Movies, New Rules & Dean Cain’s ICE Training Journey - Aug 26 Hr 2
Pags dives into a fun conversation on old movies that could never be made today — is comedy changing for good, or is there still hope for fearless humor? Then, actor and filmmaker Dean Cain joins the show after his big announcement of joining ICE. Cain walks Pags through the agent training course he completed, what he experienced firsthand, and why he took on the challenge. It’s a mix of laughs, nostalgia, and a fascinating look behind the scenes you won’t want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...
2025-08-2743 min
Mental Performance Daily with Brian CainThe Joe Burrow Bounce BackIn this episode Brian kicks off a week-long mini-seminar with lessons on mental toughness from NCAA Football. Today, The Joe Burrow Bounce Back.Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips, techniques, stories, strategies, meditations and motivations every day that you can use to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be with The Mental Performance Daily Podcast. ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200
2025-08-2502 min
WeAreSTS#210 Esports Management and Data Analysis – Sociology and Politics BSc Careers TALK | WeAreSTSWhat can you do with a degree with a BSc in Sociology and Politics of Science? Joe talks with Isobel Lim (Sociology and Politics of Science BSc 2022) about life after her UCL degree with us here in STS. She wrote a unique dissertation on Pokemon Go. That influenced her to take up a post with a Indonesian tech startup. There, she gained valuable experience in the collectibles and esports sector. With a long-standing passion for computer games, Isobel transitioned into the rapidly growing esports industry. She highlights Pokemon's entry into esports in 2022 with Pokemon Go...
2025-08-2226 min
WeAreSTS#209 Youth Suicide Myths: Talking to Save Lives| WeAreSTSTalking about suicide and its myths can save lives. Easha Kapur (UCL Politics and International Relations BSc, 2025) takes on the critical issue of youth mental health, aiming to debunk prevalent myths that often hinder young people from seeking vital support. She interviews her father, Professor Navneet Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health. He’s a leading expert on the subject of self-harm and suicide. This podcast makes complex academic insights accessible, addressing the rising psychological stress among youth. It’s important listening for young people, teachers, and caregivers hoping to understand and support mental wellbeing.Th...
2025-08-1232 min
WeAreSTS#208 When Fieldwork Goes Wrong Go Public: Adventure in Venezuela | WeAreSTSToday, an experiment: can Generative AI replace this podcast? We’re asking because there’s a new feature in the GenAI service, Google Notebook LM. It creates an audio conversation based on documents you simply upload to it. Just give it a few minutes. The output is a conversation featuring two voices and it sounds… well….that what we’re testing. The experiment today is to upload an academic paper, ask it to generate a conversation, then press play. Is it any good?For this, I’m choosing a paper I wrote that I really want to talk...
2025-07-1848 min
WeAreSTS#207 Can Generative AI Learn to Love Us? | WeAreSTSWhat is love? Can we program machines to be in love or to love us back? Ken Sio (UCL Human Sciences BSc) tackles one of humanity’s greatest questions but adds a modern twist: Can generative AI learn to love, or at least, can it make us believe it loves us back?As Generative AI becomes ubiquitous, the market is rising quickly for ever more sophisticated virtual companions. They promise devoted support, connection, inexhaustible empathy, and sometimes, swirling romance. Algorithms might be able to mimic love. They might be able to do it convincingly. When they do, wh...
2025-07-0333 min
WeAreSTS#206 Deaf Sentence - We May Be Losing Our HearingBy 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss. Darcy Watson (UCL BSc Human Sciences) explores the subject of ‘hearing health’ with audiology expert Charlotte Rogers. How might our modern, tech-driven lifestyles be quietly eroding our hearing? From our constant usage of personal devices to the exposure to environmental factors that exacerbate hearing loss, the hidden risks of today's world are anything but silent in their long-term impact. Is our generation unknowingly heading towards a hearing crisis? Can innovation and lifestyle adjustments provide a solution before it’s too late? Listen close...
2025-06-2027 min
WeAreSTS#205 Why Green Activism Must Turn Blue | WeAreSTSStudents come into university with strong visions of activism and improvement. They know the planet needs their help. But how? What can STS (in the form of degrees like “Sociology and Politics of Science BSc” and “History and Philosophy of Science BSc”) add that isn’t already available and easy to reach?In this episode, we talk with two STS first-year students about their experiences in the degree thus far. How has it helped to sharpen their ideas of where to where to act and why. We asked them to discuss one of the first-year projects that made them...
2025-06-0646 min
WeAreSTS#204 Power of Standards: How to Gain Influence in Global Technology Innovation | WeAreSTSStandard rule over us. We’re affected every day by decisions someone has made about standards. They determine the shape of our electrical plugs, the quality of our water, the signals used by our phones, and so much more. Standards don’t just happen. They’re decided. Sometimes one company does that. Sometimes it’s done by international deliberation, argument, and eventual compromise.Talking about standards is classic work in STS. Standards create the scaffolding on which science and technology builds. They constrain and they enable. It matters who gets to decide these things. Standards setting can affect o...
2025-05-2347 min
Holistic Inner Balance: Natural Mental Health Podcast142. Recovering from Trauma and Learning to Triumph with Joe SmarroJoe Smarro is a decorated Marine veteran, former police officer, and mental health advocate who is revolutionizing crisis intervention. After serving two tours in Iraq, he co-founded San Antonio's Police Mental Health Unit and later created SolutionPoint+, a national training firm. Known for his TEDx talk and his feature in Emmy-winning documentary Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops, as well as his new book Unarmed, he's dedicated to transforming how first responders approach mental health and suicide prevention.
Find him online!
Website: https://joesmarro.com/
Listen to his TedX Talk: https://www.ted.com...
2025-04-2257 min
Curious RealmCR Ep 168: Virtual Reality Empathy Training w Billy Joe Cain & Paranormal Portals w Jason McLeanIn this episode of the Curious Realm host Christopher Jordan welcomes Billy Joe Cain, founder of the Radical Empathy Education Foundation, a group whose mission is to use the world of virtual reality to help build empathy and train people to better recognize and identify victims of abuse. From sexual abuse to abused workers, and even the horrors of human trafficking, Radical Empathy Education Foundation is dedicated to teaching communities to recognize and combat these everyday backyard evils! In the second part of the episode, we welcome researcher and author Jason McLean from the Crossing Realms Conference, to discuss...
2025-02-192h 24DogTags to OwnershipEpisode Three - From the Green Notebook to Lifelong Leadership with Joe ByerlySend us a textIn this episode of DogTags to Ownership, we sit down with Joe Byerly, retired Army officer and founder of From the Green Notebook. Joe shares the inspiring story of how he turned a simple idea in 2013 into a powerful platform for leader development and personal growth.Joe also opens up about his decision to retire from the Army at the right time, ensuring he could pursue his next purpose while continuing to impact others. From lessons learned in uniform to helping leaders navigate their own journeys, this conversation is packed with...
2025-01-2136 min
Billion Dollar Podcast with Joe White and Cain DanielBillion Dollar Podcast #09 - Joe & CainNew episode of the Billion Dollar Podcast with Joe and Cain! We dive into the challenges and lessons that shape success.In this episode, Joe and Cain share their personal journeys to success, reflecting on the challenges they overcame and the lessons they learned along the way. From humorous and unexpected moments to pivotal life-changing experiences, this episode will inspire you to take action and remind you that every success starts with determination and perseverance.
2024-12-031h 03
WeAreSTS#203 Baby-Botox: Anti-Aging Is Out Of Control | WeAreSTSChildren as young as eight are targeted by influencers and advertisers towards anti-aging products, from skin creams and anti-wrinkle devices to “baby botox”. Maddy Ross (Human Sciences ’25) investigates how influencers and social media algorithms drive anti-aging anxiety to ever increasing levels while industry advertising markets solutions to ever younger people, especially girls. She identifies increasing concerns over risks that are physical, psychological, and social. Are young people being exploited without even knowing it?Influencers play a key role in these processes, especially impacting children’s consumption behaviours. Algorithms on social media platforms seek engagement by moving t...
2024-11-0725 min
Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact on Lone Star Community Radio10.24.24 – Joe Cain & Lee Martin – Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact on Lone Star Community Radio10.24.24 – Joe Cain & Lee Martin – Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact on Lone Star Community Radio Joe Cain and Lee Martin ARE IN THE STUDIO! https://www.facebook.com/p/Joe-Cain-100064518407097/ ===== Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact [...]
2024-10-2550 min
Lone Star Community Radio Shows10.24.24 – Joe Cain & Lee Martin – Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact on Lone Star Community Radio10.24.24 – Joe Cain & Lee Martin – Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact on Lone Star Community Radio Joe Cain and Lee Martin ARE IN THE STUDIO! https://www.facebook.com/p/Joe-Cain-100064518407097/ ===== Texas Songwriters Alliance Audio Impact is [...]
2024-10-2550 min
WeAreSTS#202 Outlaw Ocean – Ian Urbina’s Book is STS1Book for 2024-25 | WeAreSTSIan Urbina’s 2019 book, Outlaw Ocean, brilliantly investigates hidden worlds of human activity on the high seas. From modern day pirates and traffickers to gargantuan fishing fleets to “freedom-loving” recluses and entrepreneurs, his stories build on the idea of oceans as lawless spaces well beyond the awareness of most people. He documents extremes of human behaviour. He also describes the extraordinary scale of extraction and exploitation that takes place off shore. In this world, who’s “free” and what are the consequences of “lawless” spaces?Outlaw Ocean is this year’s selection for the STS1Book programme. In...
2024-09-1541 min
WeAreSTS#201 Dark Matter and the Search for Elusive Evidence | WeAreSTSWhat is dark matter? Mary Westover investigates, featuring insights from Dr. Joe McLaughlin and Dr. Marcello Messina. She visits the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy to understand how a research lab sunk deep into a mountain and holding a giant tank of liquid Xenon holds the promise of evidence for this most elusive substance. From the lab's mountain setting to the complex physics involved, this episode provides a deep dive into one of physics’ most perplexing questions. This episode is a practical project submitted by Mary Westover as part of her UCL degree, MSc Science Communication. She wr...
2024-09-0129 min
2024-07-0803 minCurious RealmCR Ep 129: Human Trafficking w Billy Joe Cain & Understanding Alien Experience w Michael JS CarterIn the first part of this episode of the Curious Realm host Christopher Jordan welcomes Billy Joe Cain, founder of Radical Empathy Education Foundation, a company dedicated to eradicating human trafficking through building empathy towards victims using virtual reality. Billy also helped start PBJ Learning, a company helping build Human Trafficking Awareness curricula for schools, federal agencies, and corporations. In the second part of the episode, we welcome pastor, author, and experiencer Reverend Michael JS Carter to discuss alien experience, and understanding it’s place in your life. Thousands of people have reported first-hand experiences with alien beings. These encounters ra...
2024-05-221h 56
Port City Plate PodcastBehind the Feathers: The Legacy of Joe Cain with Wayne DeanSend us a textIn this special Mardi Gras themed edition of the Port City Plate Podcast, we're honored to welcome a true Mobile legend, Wayne Dean, portraying the iconic Joe Cain, or Chief Slacabamarinico. Dive into Mobile’s Mardi Gras history as Wayne unravels the life and legacy of Joe Cain, a man of many facets who played a pivotal role in revitalizing Mobile's Mardi Gras celebrations post-Civil War. From his early days starting a mystic society as a teenager to his influential acts that shaped the city's festivities, this episode offers a unique glimpse into th...
2024-02-0644 min
The Super League Raw Podcastin Conversation with Joe PhilbinIn this episode we speak to Warrington Wolves forward Joe Philbin. 2024 marks Joe's testimonial with a mouth-watering showdown planned against the Leigh Leopards.
Here Joe speaks openly about the highs and lows of his career, the season ahead, and picks his best 1 to 13 from those he has shared a dressing room with.
At time of recording Joe has played 196 games for the Warrington Wolves, scoring 14 tries, and is a Challenge Cup Winner. He has represented Ireland in the 2017 World Cup, Great Britain in the 2019 Lions tour, and England in 2021.
2024-01-311h 07
WeAreSTS#30 Don’t Look Up! How Hollywood Imports Science Policy into Films | WeAreSTSHollywood chooses to portray experts in particular – sometimes peculiar – ways. Those choices have profound impacts on how audiences think about subjects as diverse as dinosaurs, robots, and climate catastrophes. But do those portrayals also change the way we think about the experts themselves and the process of expertise? Does Hollywood play some kind of under-the-table role in teaching us which experts to trust? That’s the theme for today’s podcast. Today, we listen in on a conversation between three experts here in STS who study science policy making as a process. They talk about a couple of films...
2023-11-0334 min
JAM Joe and Michelle's Dance PodcastJAM with Shannon Dooling-CainSend us a textWe are so happy to welcome back our guest from Season 3, Shannon Dooling Cain!Looking back and looking ahead, Joe and Michelle have a conversation about dance, the dance world, dance studios, competitions and all things dance. Shannon has a wonderful perspective that she shares with our listeners, and we are excited to share with you Jam Fam.If you want to learn more about Shannon, head back to Season 3, episode 9 to hear our Mind, Body and Soul episode!Thank you for l...
2023-10-2357 minCurious RealmCR Ep 094: Human Trafficking Preventucation with Billy Joe Cain and NASA UAP Report with Mike TurberIn the first part of this episode of the Curious Realm host Christopher Jordan welcomes founder of Radical Empathy Education Foundation and co-founder of PBJ Learning, Billy Joe Cain. We discuss recent developments in the cause of human trafficking prevention, and how groundbreaking technologies like Virtual Reality can be leveraged though platforms like Trapped a VR Detective Story to help build empathy for victims, while educating authorities and the public how to identify trafficked individuals. In the second part of the episode, we welcome Mike Turber, investigator, and head of 5x5 News. We discuss the first official UAP report...
2023-09-202h 45
WeAreSTS#29 Can Comedy Help Us Tackle Conversations About Climate Change? | WeAreSTSEver heard of climate change comedy? Here’s the idea. The climate crisis dominates our news. But more and more, messages about action are ignored. Fatalism is growing. People seem frozen with the scale of the problem. It’s clear we need new ways to tackle these tough conversations. In this episode, STS’s very own Grace Tyrrell explores the growing niche of climate change comedy. With her guest Dr Matt Winning, an environmental researcher and comedian, Grace shows us how climate change comedy works and she explores the question of how these two ideas can fit togeth...
2023-08-1524 min
WeAreSTS#28 Promising Potential for Generative AI at University: Is it a Personal Tutor for Every Pocket | WeAreSTSMandy dives optimistically into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on education as we know it. Think ChatGPT and all those related tools called generative AI. Along the way, we touch on some fundamental and relevant concepts from science and technology studies - including the Turing Test and technological determinism - that can help us gain a more nuanced understanding of emerging technology and big tech. With insights from UCL experts and others in Silicon Valley, we explore the incredible potential of AI to enhance university education, plus we dip into some of the challenges AI...
2023-08-0828 min
WeAreSTS#27 Top Stories in Science Journalism from STS Students | WeAreSTSThe assignments students do in STS modules today are nothing like what they used to be. These days, they build portfolios with all sorts of things: short writing, long writing, posters, blogs, in-class presentations. Add to these, projects like podcasts, film clips, campaign strategies, briefing papers, debates, and full-on project proposals. Research of different kinds. They all require hard work, creativity, and rising to the challenge. We diversify our curriculum because we know the future holds work as varied as we do ourselves each day. We want our students skilled up, practiced, and ready to go.
2023-08-0132 min
WeAreSTS#26 Women in History of Science Through 53 Original Sources | WeAreSTSWomen in the History of Science brings together primary sources that highlight women’s involvement in scientific knowledge production around the world. Drawing on texts, images and objects, each primary source is accompanied by an explanatory text, questions to prompt discussion, and a bibliography to aid further research. Arranged by time period, covering 1200 BCE to the twenty-first century, and across 12 inclusive and far-reaching themes, this book is an invaluable companion to students and lecturers alike in exploring women’s history in the fields of science, technology, mathematics, and medicine. While women are too often excluded from traditional narr...
2023-07-211h 09Curious RealmCR Ep 072: Human Trafficking Prevention with Billy Joe Cain and Fouke Monster Festival Preview with Craig WoolheaterIn the first part of this episode of the Curious Realm host Christopher Jordan welcomes Billy Joe Cain, human trafficking prevention advocate as well as founder of Radical Empathy Education Foundation and PBJ Learning. Both organizations with the defined goal of ending human trafficking using virtual reality experiences and online courses. In the second part of the episode, we welcome Craig Woolheater, founder of Cryptomundo, the world’s oldest cryptozoology website as well as the Fouke Monster Festival in Fouke, Arkansas on April 29th 2023. What can we expect to see and what presenters will be at the 2023 Fouke Monster Fe...
2023-04-191h 47
Uncovering PublishingJoe Cain on the Future of Academic PublishingIn this week's episode, Dr. Joe Cain talks the rise of open access, academic publishing with small and big presses, the relevance of data and online platforms, and authors as entrepreneurs. Joe Cain is an expert in the history of evolutionary biology with a recent focus on the history of eugenics a host of other related subjects. He seems tireless and endlessly energetic, publishing with Penguin, Cambridge, University of Chicago Press, the American Philosophical Society, and several pieces through STS occasional papers. He is also a member of the UCL Press executive board and past editor for...
2023-02-1038 min
Saints In the SouthConversation #11 with Brett Cain - A Family Man, A Man of Faith, A Fighter of Men, A Lover of PeopleSend us a textCheck out the conversation we had with Brett Cain from the Ironside Podcast. “The pen is mightier than the sword”. That couldn’t be truer for Brett Cain, who, incidentally, has trained with world-class swordsmen, championship MMA fighters, and earned a silver medal as a Golden Gloves boxer. As much as he loves to fight, he would rather write. Most of all he loves telling stories to his daughter. He has worked as a Court Interpreter, a paraeducator, a flagger, a fiscal analyst, and a swim coach. He has experien...
2023-02-1052 min
WeAreSTS#25 Are We Over-Hyping Mindfulness for University Students? | WeAreSTSChances are you’ve had something to do with “mindfulness” recently. Maybe you’ve been sent to “mindfulness” training. Or, perhaps you’ve been listening to a mindfulness podcast. Or, perhaps you’re using a “mindfulness” app, such as HeadSpace. In this episode, Franziska Link investigates the growing use of mindfulness therapies at universities, such as UCL, in their provision for student support and welfare. What good are they? What do they involve? What are the pros – and the cons – of this approach. Franziska interviews four people with quite different relationships to mindfulness therapies. She works to separate the hype from t...
2023-01-0335 min
WeAreSTS#25 Are We Over-Hyping Mindfulness for University Students? | WeAreSTSChances are you’ve had something to do with “mindfulness” recently. Maybe you’ve been sent to “mindfulness” training. Or, perhaps you’ve been listening to a mindfulness podcast. Or, perhaps you’re using a “mindfulness” app, such as HeadSpace. In this episode, Franziska Link investigates the growing use of mindfulness therapies at universities, such as UCL, in their provision for student support and welfare. What good are they? What do they involve? What are the pros – and the cons – of this approach. Franziska interviews four people with quite different relationships to mindfulness therapies. She works to separate the hype from t...
2023-01-0335 min
WeAreSTS#24 Who Are Museums REALLY Speaking For (And What About The Rest of Us) | WeAreSTSAlex Hancock explores how research about museum collections is helping to connect British museums with more of the publics they claim to support. His emphasis is on decolonisation, engagement, and white European power. Ultimately, how do structural inequalities manifest in our museums, and how do we move to a new set of relationships? Alex undertook this project for the STSNewsRoom in summer 2021. His reporting focused on two specific events. First, Alex discusses with Tannis Davidson the “Displays of Power” exhibition at UCL Grant Museum of Zoology, which explores legacy of empire through objects in the muse...
2023-01-0242 min
WeAreSTS#24 Who Are Museums REALLY Speaking For (And What About The Rest of Us) | WeAreSTSAlex Hancock explores how research about museum collections is helping to connect British museums with more of the publics they claim to support. His emphasis is on decolonisation, engagement, and white European power. Ultimately, how do structural inequalities manifest in our museums, and how do we move to a new set of relationships? Alex undertook this project for the STSNewsRoom in summer 2021. His reporting focused on two specific events. First, Alex discusses with Tannis Davidson the “Displays of Power” exhibition at UCL Grant Museum of Zoology, which explores legacy of empire through objects in the muse...
2023-01-0242 min
WeAreSTS#23 Journalism from STS Science Communication Master’s Students 2022 | WeAreSTSWe sampled undergraduate projects in a previous episode. Now, it time for the Master’s students. Today’s episode offers a sampler of student-made podcasts. These were created by Master’s students in our science journalism module, run by Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon. The assignment was straightforward: imagine you’re working for a news magazine. Create a three-minute feature about a recent piece of research at UCL. The piece must include a short interview segment, and it must make sense within the context of the show. They have a tight deadline, and they have to work pretty much with the...
2023-01-0132 min
WeAreSTS#22 Thinking About Internationality: Is Science the Same Everywhere? | WeAreSTSIt’s one of those fundamental tenets taught to every student: science is international; it’s the same everywhere, it respects no borders; the work is the same no matter where or when you are. Assessing this idea is a core task in STS. Our philosophers, historians, and sociologists work overtime on case studies to explore internationality. Our policy and communication experts grapple with variations and work to understand where there is consensus and where there’s consensus. In this episode, Beatrice Han (BSc Sociology and Politics of Science student) investigates science and internationality. As an inte...
2022-12-3132 min
WeAreSTS#22 Thinking About Internationality: Is Science the Same Everywhere? | WeAreSTSIt’s one of those fundamental tenets taught to every student: science is international; it’s the same everywhere, it respects no borders; the work is the same no matter where or when you are. Assessing this idea is a core task in STS. Our philosophers, historians, and sociologists work overtime on case studies to explore internationality. Our policy and communication experts grapple with variations and work to understand where there is consensus and where there’s consensus. In this episode, Beatrice Han (BSc Sociology and Politics of Science student) investigates science and internationality. As an inte...
2022-12-3132 min
WeAreSTS#21 Responsible Media Coverage: Hype in Our Stories About Chatbots | WeAreSTSIs AI sentient? Do machines have souls? I’ve got an even better question: are these questions the most important ones we should be asking? Headlines claiming machines could be alive are definitely eye-catching. But hype does not come unaccompanied: misinformation, fear, and fake news are close friends with sensationalism. They target audiences who probably know enough about the topic, but not enough to critically analyse the information fed to them. Understanding the role the media plays in opinion-making about new science and technology is vital when we are dealing our own decision making over risk, harm, and benefit....
2022-12-3029 min
WeAreSTS#21 Responsible Media Coverage: Hype in Our Stories About Chatbots | WeAreSTSIs AI sentient? Do machines have souls? I’ve got an even better question: are these questions the most important ones we should be asking? Headlines claiming machines could be alive are definitely eye-catching. But hype does not come unaccompanied: misinformation, fear, and fake news are close friends with sensationalism. They target audiences who probably know enough about the topic, but not enough to critically analyse the information fed to them. Understanding the role the media plays in opinion-making about new science and technology is vital when we are dealing our own decision making over risk, harm, and benefit....
2022-12-3029 min
WeAreSTS#20 Becoming Britain’s Chief Scientific Advisor: Solly Zuckerman | WeAreSTSDid you know that in March 1967, the British government bombed an oil tanker stranded on rocks off Cornwall? Dan Sharpe certainly didn’t when he began to dig into the life and career of the Britain’s first Chief Scientific Adviser, Lord Solly Zuckerman. He advised prime minister Harold Wilson during this environmental catastrophe and recommended the bombing. Join Dan as he traces the life and career of one of the most influential British science advisers of the 20th century from arriving in the United Kingdom as a young adult, to observing primates at ZSL London Zoo, to p...
2022-12-2930 min
WeAreSTS#20 Becoming Britain’s Chief Scientific Advisor: Solly Zuckerman | WeAreSTSDid you know that in March 1967, the British government bombed an oil tanker stranded on rocks off Cornwall? Dan Sharpe certainly didn’t when he began to dig into the life and career of the Britain’s first Chief Scientific Adviser, Lord Solly Zuckerman. He advised prime minister Harold Wilson during this environmental catastrophe and recommended the bombing. Join Dan as he traces the life and career of one of the most influential British science advisers of the 20th century from arriving in the United Kingdom as a young adult, to observing primates at ZSL London Zoo, to p...
2022-12-2930 min
WeAreSTS#19 Decolonise and Decenter STS: Reflections and Expectations | WeAreSTSScientific knowledge has evolved over the past few centuries in various political and socio-cultural contexts. There is seen to be a substantially disproportionate legacy of European thought in scientific education. How the fingerprints of colonialism continue to shape the way academic institutions function and teach science is a question of utmost value in the process of ensuring diversified knowledge sharing. While the subject of decolonising raises several questions on institutional privilege and power, it is worth noting that this is also a subject deeply personal and resonant amongst the respective members of a community. Here we explore the meaning...
2022-12-2842 min
WeAreSTS#19 Decolonise and Decenter STS: Reflections and Expectations | WeAreSTSScientific knowledge has evolved over the past few centuries in various political and socio-cultural contexts. There is seen to be a substantially disproportionate legacy of European thought in scientific education. How the fingerprints of colonialism continue to shape the way academic institutions function and teach science is a question of utmost value in the process of ensuring diversified knowledge sharing. While the subject of decolonising raises several questions on institutional privilege and power, it is worth noting that this is also a subject deeply personal and resonant amongst the respective members of a community. Here we explore the meaning...
2022-12-2842 min
WeAreSTS#18 Peer Review, Reviewed: A Closer Look at Scientific Publishing | WeAreSTSMost of us have heard of peer review, but how does it actually work? After more than a century, is it still fit for purpose? This episode explores the state of peer review in academic publishing. With guests from within the field, we hear what it means for researchers, publishers, and institutions like UCL. As the tide of open access publishing gains momentum and more research is made freely accessible, what will peer review look like in the future? How will academic publishing evolve more widely? In the future, can we still value anonymity over acknowledgement of reviewers?
2022-12-2721 min
WeAreSTS#18 Peer Review, Reviewed: A Closer Look at Scientific Publishing | WeAreSTSMost of us have heard of peer review, but how does it actually work? After more than a century, is it still fit for purpose? This episode explores the state of peer review in academic publishing. With guests from within the field, we hear what it means for researchers, publishers, and institutions like UCL. As the tide of open access publishing gains momentum and more research is made freely accessible, what will peer review look like in the future? How will academic publishing evolve more widely? In the future, can we still value anonymity over acknowledgement of reviewers?
2022-12-2721 min
WeAreSTS#16 Gorgias: Plato Asks ‘Is It Better To Be Honest or Persuasive?’ | WeAreSTSYou’ve heard of Plato. He’s one of those philosophers from Ancient Greece. Think in the time range 400-350 BCE and you’re in the right range. Plato wrote core works in the Western canon: The Republic, The Timaeus, and so much more. One of his lesser known texts is The Gorgias. That’s this year’s STS1Book. It’s a work massively relevant today. At its heart is a key question for communication: should we prefer people who are truth tellers in society, or should we prefer sweet-talking rhetoricians? This is a question that cuts right t...
2022-12-2348 min
WeAreSTS#16 Gorgias: Plato Asks ‘Is It Better To Be Honest or Persuasive?’ | WeAreSTSYou’ve heard of Plato. He’s one of those philosophers from Ancient Greece. Think in the time range 400-350 BCE and you’re in the right range. Plato wrote core works in the Western canon: The Republic, The Timaeus, and so much more. One of his lesser known texts is The Gorgias. That’s this year’s STS1Book. It’s a work massively relevant today. At its heart is a key question for communication: should we prefer people who are truth tellers in society, or should we prefer sweet-talking rhetoricians? This is a question that cuts right t...
2022-12-2348 min
The Neutral Ground Podcast with Dr. Joe MeyerCharles Dickens A Christmas Carol - Why You Should Read the Actual Text | Dr. Joe Meyer #59It's the season for Dickens' A Christmas Carol. With all of the various adaptations (Alistair Sim, Patrick Stewart, Muppets and Michael Cain) which one should you choose this year? Well, I'm going to make the case that you should be reading A Christmas Carol instead. I'm going to talk about three aspects of Charles Dickens' a Christmas Carol that are often neglected: Jacob Marley's true cause for suffering; Fan meeting Ebenezer Scrooge at the school; and how time functions in the story. We get different accounts of time from Jacob Marley, the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future...
2022-12-2034 min
JAM Joe and Michelle's Dance PodcastJAM Mind, Body and Soul with Shannon Dooling-CainSend us a textWe are excited to bring you our second episode in our Mind, Body and Soul series with guest, Shannon Dooling-CainShannon Dooling-Cain was born in New Mexico, grew up dancing in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and moved to Arizona in 2016 after spending six years in the Washington, D.C. metro area. She enjoys a multi-faceted career as a dance educator, choreographer, performer, arts advocate, and writer. Her background is in modern, ballet, improvisation, jazz, and jazz-derived forms including lyrical and contemporary. She holds an MFA in Dance from University of Maryland...
2022-08-2949 minCurious RealmCR Ep 037: End Human Trafficking with Billy Joe Cain and Texas Bigfoot Conference with Craig WoolheaterIn the first part of this episode of the Curious Realm host Christopher Jordan welcomes human trafficking activist Billy Joe Cain, founder of Radical Empathy Education Foundation, co-founder of PB&J Learning, and developer of Trapped: A VR Detective Story a revolutionary VR game that puts you in the shoes of a human trafficking victim. The horrors of human trafficking are all too real and as close as your backyard and local school. What is human trafficking and what can we do to bring and end to this everyday scourge of humanity?In the second part of the episode...
2022-08-172h 31
WeAreSTS#15 Gemma Milne on SMOKE AND MIRRORS in conversation with Jack Stilgoe | WeAreSTSWill robots steal my job? Will gene editing cure my cancer? HYPE is a fundamental part of science communication, the development of new technologies, and the crucially important interface between business, investment, and new technology. How does HYPE work? Can it be used for good? In this conversation at the 2022 STS1Book celebration at University College London, Gemma Milne discusses her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, with Jack Stilgoe. They discuss her interest in HYPE as an ever-present phenomenon in our society, and how it affects thinking about technology today. Gemma and Jack reflect on the importance of...
2022-08-0247 min
WeAreSTS#15 Gemma Milne on SMOKE AND MIRRORS in conversation with Jack Stilgoe | WeAreSTSWill robots steal my job? Will gene editing cure my cancer? HYPE is a fundamental part of science communication, the development of new technologies, and the crucially important interface between business, investment, and new technology. How does HYPE work? Can it be used for good? In this conversation at the 2022 STS1Book celebration at University College London, Gemma Milne discusses her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, with Jack Stilgoe. They discuss her interest in HYPE as an ever-present phenomenon in our society, and how it affects thinking about technology today. Gemma and Jack reflect on the importance of...
2022-08-0247 min
WeAreSTS#14 Period policies: Exploring the debate on menstrual leave | WeAreSTSAs someone who prides herself on being interested in women’s health and progress related to it, Sofia Sancho still had no idea what “menstrual leave” was when it suddenly was all over the news earlier this spring. Menstruation is a regular physiological phenomenon, happening to the vast majority of people with uteruses. Many people manage their periods just fine, but for some they can be extremely debilitating. For them, being able to take some extra days off work every month to manage symptoms can be a big relief. However, the policies have received a lot of critiq...
2022-07-2531 min
WeAreSTS#14 Period policies: Exploring the debate on menstrual leave | WeAreSTSAs someone who prides herself on being interested in women’s health and progress related to it, Sofia Sancho still had no idea what “menstrual leave” was when it suddenly was all over the news earlier this spring. Menstruation is a regular physiological phenomenon, happening to the vast majority of people with uteruses. Many people manage their periods just fine, but for some they can be extremely debilitating. For them, being able to take some extra days off work every month to manage symptoms can be a big relief. However, the policies have received a lot of critiq...
2022-07-2531 min
WeAreSTS#13 BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough | WeAreSTSNatural history documentaries are hugely popular on British television. They offer great examples of science communication, and they have a long history, stretching back to the early days of broadcasting by the BBC, and more. As luck would have it, here in STS, we have an expert in these programmes and the people who create them. Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon is Associate Professor of Science Communication in the department. He teaches science journalism, sociology of science, and lots more. He also is co-director of our new MSc in Science Communication. A few years ago, Jean-Baptiste published...
2022-07-0740 min
WeAreSTS#13 BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough | WeAreSTSNatural history documentaries are hugely popular on British television. They offer great examples of science communication, and they have a long history, stretching back to the early days of broadcasting by the BBC, and more. As luck would have it, here in STS, we have an expert in these programmes and the people who create them. Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon is Associate Professor of Science Communication in the department. He teaches science journalism, sociology of science, and lots more. He also is co-director of our new MSc in Science Communication. A few years ago, Jean-Baptiste published...
2022-07-0740 min
WeAreSTS#12 Top Marks for Philosophy of Science and Medicine in REF Impact | WeAreSTSProfessor Sarah Edwards and Professor Phyllis Illari discuss their contributions the STS’s impact in philosophy of science and medicine. They were lead contributors to two top-rated “impact cases” in UCL’s 2021 entry to the REF assessment, the UK’s research excellence framework. That’s a national review of university research productivity. Sarah’s project involves policy-making about emerging diseases. Phyllis’s project involves policy-making when evidence in conflicting and incomplete. Simply put, “impact” is a measure of how much a influence an academic university research project has had on non-academic communities, such as business, media, schools, and medicine. Sum...
2022-06-2338 min
Arcade Attack Retro Gaming PodcastSEGA Stories & the Fall of Atari & the Jaguar - Joe Cain InterviewJoe Cain started his career in gaming as a tester at SEGA. He later went to become a key producer at Atari. His stories from working at these two iconic gaming companies need to be heard to be believed. From the fabled MC Hammer Genesis title to early rumblings of the Atari Jaguar 2. Joe also reflects on the final days of Atari after the sad demise of the Jaguar.Joe also shares a great story of working on many unpublished Jaguar games, his views on SEGA and Atari today and working with some true gaming legends throughout his 30 y...
2022-04-272h 08
Arcade Attack Retro Gaming PodcastSEGA Stories & the Fall of Atari & the Jaguar - Joe Cain InterviewJoe Cain started his career in gaming as a tester at SEGA. He later went to become a key producer at Atari. His stories from working at these two iconic gaming companies need to be heard to be believed. From the fabled MC Hammer Genesis title to early rumblings of the Atari Jaguar 2. Joe also reflects on the final days of Atari after the sad demise of the Jaguar. Joe also shares a great story of working on many unpublished Jaguar games, his views on SEGA and Atari today and working with some true gaming legends throughout his 30 year career i...
2022-04-272h 08
Arcade Attack Retro Gaming PodcastSEGA Stories & the Fall of Atari & the Jaguar - Joe Cain InterviewJoe Cain started his career in gaming as a tester at SEGA. He later went to become a key producer at Atari. His stories from working at these two iconic gaming companies need to be heard to be believed. From the fabled MC Hammer Genesis title to early rumblings of the Atari Jaguar 2.
Joe also reflects on the final days of Atari after the sad demise of the Jaguar.
Joe also shares a great story of working on many unpublished Jaguar games, his views on SEGA and Atari today and working with some true gaming l...
2022-04-272h 07
WeAreSTSBONUS Scientific Research for Development, a seminar from Dr Michel Wahome | WeAreSTSDr Michel Wahome presents a wide-ranging critique of the “research for development” (R4D) model in science and technology policy, with special emphasis on its assumptions about innovation and progress. The deepest concerns we should have with this widely used model, she argues, is its deep faith the ability of science alone to solve social problems. The over-emphasis on science and technology alone is misguided. Alternatives - grounded in meaningful engagement, transdisciplinarity and decolonial practice - are available that deliver positive results. Michel researches technoscientific knowledge and research production in Global South contexts, and the interaction with prev...
2022-01-081h 09
WeAreSTSBONUS Scientific Research for Development, a seminar from Dr Michel Wahome | WeAreSTSDr Michel Wahome presents a wide-ranging critique of the “research for development” (R4D) model in science and technology policy, with special emphasis on its assumptions about innovation and progress. The deepest concerns we should have with this widely used model, she argues, is its deep faith the ability of science alone to solve social problems. The over-emphasis on science and technology alone is misguided. Alternatives - grounded in meaningful engagement, transdisciplinarity and decolonial practice - are available that deliver positive results. Michel researches technoscientific knowledge and research production in Global South contexts, and the interaction with prev...
2022-01-081h 09
WeAreSTSBONUS Pale, Male and Stale? Scientists on Netflix and Disney+ | WeAreSTSSTSNewsRoom #3. Chelsea Tripp reports. The lack of representation on screen is a political issue on everybody’s lips. I investigate how popular streaming platforms, Netflix and Disney+, portray scientists in terms of gender, race, sexuality, neurodivergency, and socio-economic background. Is representation of the scientist moving away from being presented as white, straight, and male? If not, why do big corporations like Netflix and Disney+ continue to present this image of scientists, and what can we do to improve representation as individuals? The research mentioned in the episode is available as a supplement to the podcast. Depending on yo...
2021-12-2538 min
WeAreSTSBONUS Pale, Male and Stale? Scientists on Netflix and Disney+ | WeAreSTSSTSNewsRoom #3. Chelsea Tripp reports. The lack of representation on screen is a political issue on everybody’s lips. I investigate how popular streaming platforms, Netflix and Disney+, portray scientists in terms of gender, race, sexuality, neurodivergency, and socio-economic background. Is representation of the scientist moving away from being presented as white, straight, and male? If not, why do big corporations like Netflix and Disney+ continue to present this image of scientists, and what can we do to improve representation as individuals? The research mentioned in the episode is available as a supplement to the podcast. Depending on yo...
2021-12-2538 min
WeAreSTSBONUS “What is STS”? Three Ordinary Examples | WeAreSTSSTSNewsRoom 2. Odile Lehnen reports. “What is STS?” This is a question all STS students are asked on a regular basis – when travelling, joining a new sports club, at parties or family reunions, and when being interviewed for jobs. I find the question isn’t as straightforward as most people want. In this episode, I explore what Science and Technology Studies (STS) is really all about. (I study Science and Society at University College London.) To do this, I interview three of my tutors about three ordinary things: the fruit fly Drosophila, the car and the idea of standard...
2021-12-2142 min
WeAreSTSBONUS “What is STS”? Three Ordinary Examples | WeAreSTSSTSNewsRoom 2. Odile Lehnen reports. “What is STS?” This is a question all STS students are asked on a regular basis – when travelling, joining a new sports club, at parties or family reunions, and when being interviewed for jobs. I find the question isn’t as straightforward as most people want. In this episode, I explore what Science and Technology Studies (STS) is really all about. (I study Science and Society at University College London.) To do this, I interview three of my tutors about three ordinary things: the fruit fly Drosophila, the car and the idea of standard...
2021-12-2142 min
WeAreSTS#11 UCL’s Warning Research Centre and Disaster Preparedness with Dr Carina Fearnley | WeAreSTSDr Carina Fearnley, Associate Professor of Science Communication, talks about warning research and disaster preparedness. Carina is an expert in disaster warning and public engagement. Her research focuses on ways to improve the effectiveness of warning systems. She’s contributed a lot to communication around risk and warning in the pandemic. Her long-term research focuses on volcano and tsunami warning systems around the world. Her projects involve cases in Iceland, South America, the Middle East, and across Europe. This is real world, life-saving public engagement. https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/fearnley Carina has been the le...
2021-12-1633 min
WeAreSTS#11 UCL’s Warning Research Centre and Disaster Preparedness with Dr Carina Fearnley | WeAreSTSDr Carina Fearnley, Associate Professor of Science Communication, talks about warning research and disaster preparedness. Carina is an expert in disaster warning and public engagement. Her research focuses on ways to improve the effectiveness of warning systems. She’s contributed a lot to communication around risk and warning in the pandemic. Her long-term research focuses on volcano and tsunami warning systems around the world. Her projects involve cases in Iceland, South America, the Middle East, and across Europe. This is real world, life-saving public engagement. https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/fearnley Carina has been the le...
2021-12-1633 min
WeAreSTS#10 Help From UCL Careers Service | WeAreSTSWe’re talking CAREERS. Here in STS, careers thinking is at the core of our degree programmes. Every tutor has something important to say about careers, we have our “flexible futures” agenda underpinning the degrees, and we make big use of the resources offered by services across all of UCL. In short, we work hard at career development and we work with the pros. Students are keen to connect their studies with possible jobs, and they’re keen to build up portfolios that help them stand out in a crowd when it comes to job hunting. To help us...
2021-12-0738 min
WeAreSTS#10 Help From UCL Careers Service | WeAreSTSWe’re talking CAREERS. Here in STS, careers thinking is at the core of our degree programmes. Every tutor has something important to say about careers, we have our “flexible futures” agenda underpinning the degrees, and we make big use of the resources offered by services across all of UCL. In short, we work hard at career development and we work with the pros. Students are keen to connect their studies with possible jobs, and they’re keen to build up portfolios that help them stand out in a crowd when it comes to job hunting. To help us...
2021-12-0738 min
WeAreSTS#9 Introducing UCL’s new Master’s in Science Communication (MSc) | WeAreSTSProfJoeCain talks with Dr. Melanie Smallman and Dr. Jean-Baptiste Gouyon about UCL’s new Master’s in Science Communication (MSc). They discuss the philosophy behind the degree, some of its key modules, and how it is designed to balance practical skill development with foundational theory in communications. There also is discussion about how they plan to give this degree global relevance, careers thinking, and how activities in the degree will tie into other activities around UCL and around London. Our discussion also identifies some key information for prospective applicants. If you think you might want to join us...
2021-12-0536 min
WeAreSTS#9 Introducing UCL’s new Master’s in Science Communication (MSc) | WeAreSTSProfJoeCain talks with Dr. Melanie Smallman and Dr. Jean-Baptiste Gouyon about UCL’s new Master’s in Science Communication (MSc). They discuss the philosophy behind the degree, some of its key modules, and how it is designed to balance practical skill development with foundational theory in communications. There also is discussion about how they plan to give this degree global relevance, careers thinking, and how activities in the degree will tie into other activities around UCL and around London. Our discussion also identifies some key information for prospective applicants. If you think you might want to join us...
2021-12-0536 min
WeAreSTSBONUS STSNewsRoom 1 Jasmine Chakravarty investigates vaccine hesitancy | WeAreSTSAs of November 2021, more than 46.4 million people in the UK have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the biggest mass-immunization programme the country has ever run. Most of us rushed to book our appointments as soon as we received a message, keen to protect ourselves from the virus. However, not everyone has been quite so confident in the vaccine. In this episode, Jasmine Chakravarty speaks to four UCL academics to learn more about vaccine hesitancy and the evolution of public messaging. She wants to know: what it is, which groups...
2021-12-0436 min
WeAreSTSBONUS STSNewsRoom 1 Jasmine Chakravarty investigates vaccine hesitancy | WeAreSTSAs of November 2021, more than 46.4 million people in the UK have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the biggest mass-immunization programme the country has ever run. Most of us rushed to book our appointments as soon as we received a message, keen to protect ourselves from the virus. However, not everyone has been quite so confident in the vaccine. In this episode, Jasmine Chakravarty speaks to four UCL academics to learn more about vaccine hesitancy and the evolution of public messaging. She wants to know: what it is, which groups...
2021-12-0436 min
WeAreSTS#8 Gemma Milne talks about her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, the STS1Book 2021-22 | WeAreSTSWill robots steal my job? Will gene editing cure my cancer? HYPE is a fundamental part of science communication, the development of new technologies, and the crucially important interface between business, investment, and new technology. How does HYPE work? Can it be used for good? In this interview, Gemma Milne discusses her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, and her interest in HYPE as an ever-present phenomenon in our society. Gemma also discusses how she became interested in studying sociology of technology and innovation research, beginning with her first degree in mathematics, and her later journey through the finance...
2021-10-1952 min
WeAreSTS#8 Gemma Milne, science and technology writer, talks about her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, the STS1Book 2021-22 | WeAreSTSWill robots steal my job? Will gene editing cure my cancer? HYPE is a fundamental part of science communication, the development of new technologies, and the crucially important interface between business, investment, and new technology. How does HYPE work? Can it be used for good? In this interview, Gemma Milne discusses her book, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, and her interest in HYPE as an ever-present phenomenon in our society. Gemma also discusses how she became interested in studying sociology of technology and innovation research, beginning with her first degree in mathematics, and her later journey through the finance...
2021-10-1952 min
WeAreSTSIntroduction to Series 2 | WeAreSTSWe’re back about a summer break. When we say “break,” we mean we’ve been working hard for most of the summer to create new episodes. WeAreSTS is a podcast dedicated to showcasing research, teaching, and success in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Our core audience is teachers and those considering a degree in our programme. We answer the question, “What is STS?” through dozens of examples. WeAreSTS creates three types of episodes: (1) regular episodes feature staff and students in the department discussing their research, (2) careers episodes feature interviews with alumni...
2021-10-0402 min
Inside Wine PodcastChoosing Wines For A Wedding With Stephanie CainFreelance journalist and wedding expert Stephanie Cain offers advice and recommendations on choosing and serving wines for a wedding. In this episode you'll hear Stephanie's insider tips for ensuring everyone is happy with the wine choices from the first bubbles through the final sips. Bonus: you'll learn the #1 rule of wedding toasts as well as how to avoid the most serious faux pas of alcohol service at a wedding. About Stephanie Cain Stephanie Cain is a journalist and content strategist in the lifestyle space, who has experience as a magazine editor, digital producer...
2021-05-1835 min
WeAreSTS#7 Why Has Recycling Always Been Key to Research? Professor Simon Werrett Talks Thrifty Science | WeAreSTSProfessor Simon Werrett (UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Science) talks about his award-winning book, THRIFTY SCIENCE. In Britain of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the practices of reuse, re-purpose, and recycle were core to the work of what became science. More important, if you follow the trails left by these activities, you’ll find ideas that reorganise how we should think about the way science was done, where it was done, and who did the work. Professor Werrett also resurrects the old word “oeconomy,” putting it to work to help us understand why reuse was unders...
2021-04-1348 min
WeAreSTS#7 Why Has Recycling Always Been Key to Research? Professor Simon Werrett Talks Thrifty Science | WeAreSTSProfessor Simon Werrett (UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Science) talks about his award-winning book, THRIFTY SCIENCE. In Britain of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the practices of reuse, re-purpose, and recycle were core to the work of what became science. More important, if you follow the trails left by these activities, you’ll find ideas that reorganise how we should think about the way science was done, where it was done, and who did the work. Professor Werrett also resurrects the old word “oeconomy,” putting it to work to help us understand why reuse was unders...
2021-04-1348 min
WeAreSTS#6 Why Do We Talk So Differently About Innovation, Asks Dr Melanie SmallmanDr Melanie Smallman talks about her meta-study of attitudes across 10 emerging technologies by public, government, and politicians. Her conclusion: we talk quite differently about innovation. Smallman argues those differences matter for how we respond to the changes taking place around us. Science communication and public engagement needs to be smarter about the public it serves. Dr Melanie Smallman is Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). She’s an expert in science policy and science communication. She’s worked in the UK government, run a consultancy business in poli...
2021-04-0626 min
WeAreSTS#6 Why Do We Talk So Differently About Innovation, Asks Dr Melanie Smallman | WeAreSTSDr Melanie Smallman talks about her meta-study of attitudes across 10 emerging technologies by public, government, and politicians. Her conclusion: we talk quite differently about innovation. Smallman argues those differences matter for how we respond to the changes taking place around us. Science communication and public engagement needs to be smarter about the public it serves. Dr Melanie Smallman is Associate Professor of Science and Technology Studies in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). She’s an expert in science policy and science communication. She’s worked in the UK government, run a consultancy business in poli...
2021-04-0626 min
WeAreSTS#5 Meet the Snouters! Professor Joe Cain Talks about Jokes in Science | WeAreSTSFor April Fool’s Day, we talk about a famous joke in the history of biology. Dr Rebecca Martin interviews Professor Joe Cain about the Snouters. It’s a joke that began with publication of a book in 1961 that told the story of an unusual group of mammals discovered on a remote archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It was a fiction; a prank; a joke. That joke took on a life of its own as other people retold the joke, embellished it, and translated it into new environments. Joe has done the historian’s job of tracing these paths. He’s a...
2021-03-3026 min
WeAreSTS#5 Meet the Snouters! Professor Joe Cain Talks about Jokes in ScienceFor April Fool’s Day, we talk about a famous joke in the history of biology. Dr Rebecca Martin interviews Professor Joe Cain about the Snouters. It’s a joke that began with publication of a book in 1961 that told the story of an unusual group of mammals discovered on a remote archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It was a fiction; a prank; a joke. That joke took on a life of its own as other people retold the joke, embellished it, and translated it into new environments. Joe has done the historian’s job of tracing these paths. He’s a...
2021-03-3026 min
WeAreSTSBONUS: Should Research into Artificial Intelligence Be Stopped? Professor Jon Agar Explains Why A Former UCL Provost Said “Yes” | WeAreSTSJames Lighthill, UCL Provost (1979-1989), was the author of a highly influential report to the UK government about artificial intelligence (AI). It questioned what AI was and what it could achieve. Its impact was profound. It was the cause, say some, of the first “AI winter” of the 1970s. Lighthill was one of the leading mathematicians of the 20th century. His work nevertheless was highly engaging, asking questions such as “how do fish swim?” and “how do birds fly?”. His answers led him to firm convictions about what makes good science policy, not least concerning how science might pay close attent...
2021-03-2342 min
WeAreSTSBONUS: Should Research into Artificial Intelligence Be Stopped? Professor Jon Agar Explains Why James Lighthhill Said “Yes”James Lighthill, UCL Provost (1979-1989), was the author of a highly influential report to the UK government about artificial intelligence (AI). It questioned what AI was and what it could achieve. Its impact was profound. It was the cause, say some, of the first “AI winter” of the 1970s. Lighthill was one of the leading mathematicians of the 20th century. His work nevertheless was highly engaging, asking questions such as “how do fish swim?” and “how do birds fly?”. His answers led him to firm convictions about what makes good science policy, not least concerning how science might pay close attent...
2021-03-2342 min
WeAreSTS#4 Charlotte Sleigh Talks About What Makes Us Human | WeAreSTSProfessor Charlotte Sleigh talks about the STS1Book for 2021, a book she has co-written with Professor Amanda Rees. It’s called "Humans". In our conversation, we talk about the book and some of its main ideas. We also talk about the book as one in a long series of projects Charlotte has undertaken in the general area of “animal studies,” a research topic in STS that has evolved in important ways in the past ten years. For example, Charlotte is an highly praised expert on the cultural history of ants, both in terms of scientific research and in ter...
2021-03-1633 min
WeAreSTS#4 Charlotte Sleigh talks about what makes us humanProfessor Charlotte Sleigh talks about the STS1Book for 2021, a book she has co-written with Professor Amanda Rees. It’s called "Humans". In our conversation, we talk about the book and some of its main ideas. We also talk about the book as one in a long series of projects Charlotte has undertaken in the general area of “animal studies,” a research topic in STS that has evolved in important ways in the past ten years. For example, Charlotte is an highly praised expert on the cultural history of ants, both in terms of scientific research and in ter...
2021-03-1633 min
WeAreSTS#3 Comparing Pandemics: COVID-19 and the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ | WeAreSTSWhat are the similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic? What can we learn by a comparison? How does history help us understand what’s happening today? One of our experts in science communication, Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon, interviews one of our historians of science and medicine, Dr Cristiano Turbil, to answer these questions, and more. Did you know the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic probably started in the US state of Kansas? Do you know why the 1918 pandemic is called the ‘Spanish Flu’? This interview was recorded in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-03-0218 min
WeAreSTS#3 Comparing Pandemics: COVID-19 and the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’What are the similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic? What can we learn by a comparison? How does history help us understand what’s happening today? One of our experts in science communication, Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon, interviews one of our historians of science and medicine, Dr Cristiano Turbil, to answer these questions, and more. Did you know the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic probably started in the US state of Kansas? Do you know why the 1918 pandemic is called the ‘Spanish Flu’? This interview was recorded in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021-03-0218 min
WeAreSTS#2 Talking Careers with Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon | WeAreSTSEvery university student has "careers" on the mind, even if they're not sure what they should be thinking about. I talk with the STS Careers Tutor, Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon about this subject. He talks about the new STS student-led Careers Task Force. We also talk about many ideas under the title, “careers thinking,” including the philosophy of flexible futures. As a careers tutor, Dr Gouyon is a specialist in thinking about how students might look ahead to find specific career paths. If they’re not sure how to start, Jean-Baptiste is an expert in helping people get started. For more i...
2021-02-2331 min
WeAreSTS#2 Talking Careers with Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon | WeAreSTSEvery university student has "careers" on the mind, even if they're not sure what they should be thinking about. I talk with the STS Careers Tutor, Dr Jean-Baptiste Gouyon about this subject. He talks about the new STS student-led Careers Task Force. We also talk about many ideas under the title, “careers thinking,” including the philosophy of flexible futures. As a careers tutor, Dr Gouyon is a specialist in thinking about how students might look ahead to find specific career paths. If they’re not sure how to start, Jean-Baptiste is an expert in helping people get started. For more i...
2021-02-2331 min
WeAreSTSBONUS Admissions for Master’s Degrees with Dr Jenny BulstrodeBONUS EPISODE: Why study STS at the postgraduate level? What are some of the benefits and key qualities of the programme? What are your options at UCL? Dr Jenny Bulstrode describes our Master’s level programmes in conversation with the show’s host, Professor Joe Cain. She offers guidance on choosing the right subject path, how to choose a referee, and what she seeks in a personal statement. STS offers two Master’s Degrees: 1. History and Philosophy of Science MSc 2. Science, Technology, and Society MSc These are available for full-time and part-t...
2021-02-1616 min