A podcast exploring research and teaching underway in Science and Technology Studies (STS) at UCL. Learn more about the subject, the people, and the careers.
…
continue reading
Well, the wait is over. The time has come. Season 2 of WeAreSTS is on its way. This season we’ll feature some cracking projects from STS students. And we’ll have conversations with all sorts of folks here in the department. I’m gonna sneak in a few bonuses too, just to add that tiny bit of sparkle. WeAreSTS is your window into science and technolog…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#30 Don’t Look Up! How Hollywood Imports Science Policy into Films | WeAreSTS
34:18
34:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:18
Hollywood 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 …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#29 Can Comedy Help Us Tackle Conversations About Climate Change? | WeAreSTS
24:28
24:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:28
Ever 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 …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#28 Promising Potential for Generative AI at University: Is it a Personal Tutor for Every Pocket | WeAreSTS
28:21
28:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:21
Mandy 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 ca…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#27 Top Stories in Science Journalism from STS Students | WeAreSTS
32:31
32:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:31
The 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. Resea…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#26 Women in History of Science Through 53 Original Sources | WeAreSTS
1:09:23
1:09:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:09:23
Women 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, …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#25 Are We Over-Hyping Mindfulness for University Students? | WeAreSTS
35:03
35:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:03
Chances 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…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#24 Who Are Museums REALLY Speaking For (And What About The Rest of Us) | WeAreSTS
42:25
42:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:25
Alex 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 undertoo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#23 Journalism from STS Science Communication Master’s Students 2022 | WeAreSTS
32:06
32:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:06
We 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…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#22 Thinking About Internationality: Is Science the Same Everywhere? | WeAreSTS
32:15
32:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:15
It’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 polic…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#21 Responsible Media Coverage: Hype in Our Stories About Chatbots | WeAreSTS
29:26
29:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:26
Is 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 …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#20 Becoming Britain’s Chief Scientific Advisor: Solly Zuckerman | WeAreSTS
30:39
30:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:39
Did 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 th…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#19 Decolonise and Decenter STS: Reflections and Expectations | WeAreSTS
42:04
42:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:04
Scientific 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…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#18 Peer Review, Reviewed: A Closer Look at Scientific Publishing | WeAreSTS
21:30
21:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:30
Most 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 gai…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#17 Journalism from STS Science Communication Students 2022 | WeAreSTS
32:02
32:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:02
The 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 proposals. Research of different…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#16 Gorgias: Plato Asks ‘Is It Better To Be Honest or Persuasive?’ | WeAreSTS
48:18
48:18
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
48:18
You’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 it…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#15 Gemma Milne on SMOKE AND MIRRORS in conversation with Jack Stilgoe | WeAreSTS
47:06
47:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:06
Will 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…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#14 Period policies: Exploring the debate on menstrual leave | WeAreSTS
31:17
31:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:17
As 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 per…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#13 BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough | WeAreSTS
40:28
40:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:28
Natural 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 G…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#12 Top Marks for Philosophy of Science and Medicine in REF Impact | WeAreSTS
38:07
38:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:07
Professor 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 …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS Scientific Research for Development, a seminar from Dr Michel Wahome | WeAreSTS
1:09:53
1:09:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:09:53
Dr 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…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS Pale, Male and Stale? Scientists on Netflix and Disney+ | WeAreSTS
38:47
38:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:47
STSNewsRoom #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 pr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
BONUS “What is STS”? Three Ordinary Examples | WeAreSTS
42:55
42:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:55
STSNewsRoom 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 Technolog…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#11 UCL’s Warning Research Centre and Disaster Preparedness with Dr Carina Fearnley | WeAreSTS
33:12
33:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:12
Dr 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 l…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
#10 Help From UCL Careers Service | WeAreSTS
38:44
38:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:44
We’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 w…
…
continue reading