ResearchPod

In this episode, Oscar Berglund and Elizabeth A. Koebele, Co-Editors of the Policy & Politics journal, talk to Jess Miles about the latest special issue – ‘Transformational change through public policy’.

They discuss what transformational change is, how public policy academia needs to adapt to bring it about and their hope to inspire a new generation of scholars by setting out the structure for a research program.

Read the special issue of Policy & Politics, ‘Transformational change through public policy’, on Bristol University Press Digital.

How can social annotation transform traditional reading into a collaborative learning experience?

Damijana Keržič and Vida Zorko from the University of Ljubljana delve into this question through their research on Diigo, a social annotation tool. They investigate its impact on student motivation, comprehension, and the correlation between learning approaches and online activity.

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2269043

When decisions need to be made in politics, business or daily life, it's worth giving all due care to The Problem to be solved, and The Action to be taken.  This is also the foundation of classical philosophy - but when was the last time politics seem philosophical to you? 

Professor John Martin Gillroy of Lehigh University speaks with us today about how philosophical frameworks can teach us about practical policy. From understanding motivations, actions and decisions, he considers how todays dilemmas can be approached with a fully considered view of the politics, and the people, involved.

Read more about his work in Research Features

Find his original work at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108100045.006 

Read the Matrix of Paradigms here.

Read his paper "Refining Our Understanding of Law and Policy Through Philosophical Method, Philosophical-policy and Legal Design" here

Read "Navigating Through the ‘jungle’ and Relaxing the ‘Dead Hand ’ of Philosophy in Legal and Policy Studies" here.

Read his draft chapter "Ecosystem Policy & Law : a Philosophical Argument for the Anticipatory Regulation of Environmental Risk" here.

Music source : Symphony No. 83 In G Minor "La Poule",  Joseph Haydn; Collegium Musicum, Vienna; Anton Heiller, Haydn Society (HSLP-1015), via Archive.org

In this episode, Alison Shaw, Chief Executive of Bristol University Press, talks about 25 years of publishing with a purpose to mark the end of the Press’ anniversary celebration year.

Alison speaks to Jess Miles about the past, present and future of the press and its mission to address global social challenges, support positive social change and to be a top-tier University Press recognised for the quality of its contribution.

Click here to watch the Bristol University Press 2021 round up video and read the brochure celebrating its anniversary year.

Bristol University Press/Policy Press newsletter subscribers receive a 35% discount – sign up here.

What are the risks versus rewards when challenging norms and pushing new boundaries in the quest for scientific discovery? 

Dr Alan Herbert, President and Founder of InsideOutBio, gives an honest account of his journey in the discovery of left-handed DNA in his latest book, and how the way we view DNA and genetics has evolved from old to new thinking. 

Read more in Research Features

Read Dr Herbert's book: Flipons: The Discovery of Z-DNA and Soft-Wired Genomes

Purchase the book: amazon.co.uk/Flipons-Discovery-Z-DNA-Soft-Wired-Genomes

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Dan McQuillan, author of Resisting AI: An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence, about what artificial intelligence really is.

They discuss how artificial intelligence damages society in ways that are not easily fixed and why it needs to be restructured from the ground up, as well as how these fundamental changes to AI can help create a better society for everyone.

Resisting AI: An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence by Dan McQuillan is available on the Bristol University Press website. Order here for £19.99.

Bristol University Press/Policy Press newsletter subscribers receive a 25% discount – sign up here.

 Stefan Brunnhuber is a medical director, chief medical officer and professor in Germany, and takes an evolutionary, human-centric approach to economics and psychology and looks towards a sustainable future in a new way.

In this exciting interview, we find out more about Brunnhuber’s concept of an artificial intelligence-driven ‘third culture’; science and politics; the UN Sustainable development Goals; and the power of trans-disciplinary thinking.

Read more in Research Outreach

Visit the World Academy of Arts and Science website: worldacademy.org

In this episode of the Transforming Society podcast, Jess Miles speaks with Malcolm Evans, former Chair of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and author of Tackling Torture: Prevention in Practice.

They discuss the traps we fall into when talking about torture, including the disturbing normalisation of torture in television and film, why the distinction between torture and inhuman treatment is a sensitive area, and what could be done to help prevent torture more effectively.

Tackling Torture by Malcolm D. Evans is available on the Bristol University Press website. Order here for £19.99.

Bristol University Press/Policy Press newsletter subscribers receive a 25% discount – sign up here.

While the sciences naturally evoke complex philosophical questions, the philosophy of science itself remains a relatively new discipline. 

José Antonio Chamizo, an esteemed researcher in organometallic chemistry, is now dedicated to the philosophy of chemistry. Today, we explore the evolution of chemistry from its early days in 18th-century Europe, the intriguing C60 diffraction experiment, and the deep philosophical questions about the nature of chemical substances. 

Read the original research: philpapers.org/rec/CHAELM

To learn more, visit: joseantoniochamizo.com

Oxygen is activated quantum-mechanically in the body to act against bacterial infections.

Professor Robert C Allen shows that the antibacterial action of oxygen can be monitored by measuring the light emitted as the immune system responds to pathogen attacks. He has developed techniques based on the use of chemiluminigenicmolecules which provide unprecedented insight into the neutrophil activity and afford powerful point of care diagnostic tools for immune system monitoring.

Read more in Research Features: doi.org/10.26904/RF-151-6124846326

Read the original research: doi.org/10.3390/antiox11030518