STEM investment is useless unless you understand how things work 'in the wild'. Innovations are not self-distributing, self-marketing, and self-utilizing. This is absolutely the terrain of the social sciences and humanities.
Dr Richer's views are unexceptionable - but could only come from Oxford, whose hostility to qualitative social science, except in anthropology, is notorious. Big Tech values this - Eg the WIT group at KCL. Great work on Alzheimers by @alisonpick.bsky.social et al
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Perhaps Peter Mandelson could be asked to lead a campaign now he has time on his hands?
Policy drift in this area has gone on long enough. There is no single other thing that the govt could do that would make as much difference to the health and well-being of children, and their families. Rebuilding the HV service must be a priority.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
4 copper beech trees flanked by two horse chestnuts.
#wollatonpark
Very interesting but strong echoes of my A level French class 60 years ago! For me, exposure to a different culture led to sociology but the journey began with discussions of Sartre, existentialism, the construction of reality and moral responsibility for the results
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Our edited collection “Sensing Life. The Social Organisation of the Senses in Interaction”
(Edited By Will Gibson, Natalia Ruiz-Junco, Dirk vom Lehn) is out. Thanks to the contributors! www.routledge.com/Sensing-Life...
'If lazy and lop-sided thinking about STEM is wrong about the past, it’s even more obviously wrong about the present and the future. How many of the world’s most pressing problems will be solved by science alone? Not many.'
The grudging disclosure of the Epstein files by the US government has rightly attracted a great deal of commentary...There has, however, been much less discussion of the motivations of the men involved.
www.socialsciencespace.com/2026/04/jg-b...
That comment needs to be read in the specific context of the discussion about genetics and pharmaceutical development. I entirely agree about the need for more RCTs, but we also need to understand human variability and the need for informed improvisation rather than a single best intervention.
I have long been frustrated that my business school friends have not been willing to explore the market for an MBA in Organized Crime. Why deny this major industry the benefit of their expertise in tax planning, supply chain logistics and HR?
The slave trade was a complex collaboration between Arab merchants, African elites, and different European nations with different labour requirements and economic interests. It is not simple to determine who might owe what to whom.
The whole piece is a good example of the shallow scholarship behind this campaign.
Who needs a Camellia House, these camellias are thriving in the sensory garden.
#formalgarden #wollatonpark #camellias
My visits to Wollaton Hall Deer Park never disappoint. Today saw Egyptian Geese in trees, Grey Herons nesting, the inevitable deer and my first Mandarin, Green Woodpecker and Sand Martins of the year #UKBirding
Four photos of vintage fairground attractions, a carousel with horses 'Gallopers', a chair-o-planes and a helter-skelter decorated with British bunting, a close-up a painted giraffe face and a little a vintage airplane kiddie ride with a round RAF marking
Colourful fair on a sunny day at Wollaton Park
Personally I don't like tossing the word 'fascist' around quite so freely - but once you get past that, this is a very useful account of some of the reasons why sociology has something to contribute to the development of well-informed democratic citizens.
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Just to say, it features three women I admire, Cameron and photography, Somerville and astronomy and Marcet and chemistry (and also a little something on philology, not just geology, biology and all that)
In this week's post I return to the 19th century and explore various aspects of the history of science around Tennyson - inspired by Richard Holmes's new biography makingsciencepublic.com/2026/03/27/t...
Another way to sneak in ID for UK citizens?
Sad-but I feel entirely vindicated. The pre-existing access schemes for LMIC operated by the major academic publishers could have been further developed, with the cost spread across the whole of Global North HE journal users rather than focussed on a few research-active institutions.
Also worth noting that 'survival of the fittest' is not Darwin's phrase.
But still no-one offering deep-dish Chicago pizza...can't even get it in London 😡
www.theguardian.com/food/2026/ma...
Clearly you have never benefitted from chiropractic, Scott, although I think UK practitioners limit themselves rather more to manipulation and general health advice. My sessions are invaluable for ageing academic's back and screenworker's neck...
This paper might be of interest to people working in women's health and/or sport, especially in considering the 'ontological pervasiveness' of women's bodies, also check the acknowledgements for a rant: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #sociology #health #qualitative #socialscience
It's why I stick to Premier Inns...
In the past I have dealt with metaphors for how we work with AIs and metaphors for how AI works. In this post I deal with metaphors that creep into AIs' workings. makingsciencepublic.com/2026/03/20/m...
Entry to medical schools no longer requires a knowledge of Latin. Another symptom of the decline of Western Civilisation that will, no doubt, be reverse by a Reform goverment....
