There’s an oft quoted line from Ulrich Beck about how “modernity is becoming its own theme”. This, along with David Quantick’s warning that “pop will eat itself”, rang through my ears earlier today when I spotted this in the City of London: a flashy new newspaper recycling bin, which provides weather, travel and news updates … Continue reading »
Posted in January 2012 …
Debating climate science
I’m currently working on the pilot for an exciting new undergrad course at Imperial which uses science policy issues to challenge students to think about a range of areas of scientific research (not just their degree stream) and put this in some social, political, ethical, epistemological and cultural context. The topic we’ve picked for the … Continue reading »
For fracks sake
“Who even invented that word fracking anyway? I bet it was an environmentalist.” Anthony Giddens, 17th January 2012 Anthony Giddens doesn’t seem to like the word fracking. At a debate on shale gas at the Policy Network earlier this week he wrapped his mouth around it as if the very sound produced a bad smell right there … Continue reading »
Science in the mass media
I’m working a day a week at UCL this term, teaching the ‘Science and the Mass Media’ course in the Department of Science and Technology Studies. Nosey people can see the full syllabus here (pdf). Or, if you want to play along at home, I’ve pasted some of the essay questions below. Yesterday’s news(papers). A couple of thousand … Continue reading »
Talking sense about (climate) science
Every year the charity Sense About Science publishes a report debunking things celebrities have said about science. Every year it makes me wince. This year I winced publicly, on Comment is Free. I don’t like comedy based on people being stupid as an approach to education at the best of times (see previous pieces for … Continue reading »
