@researchspin.bsky.social
Research focused on Secrecy, Power, and Ignorance. Follow for research and more. Based in the southwest of the UK. secrecyresearch.com https://linktr.ee/secrecyresearch Photo: Olu Media (olumedia.co.uk), Copyright SPIN/Olumedia.
Join us on 22 April for Nicolo Miotto and Nina Klimburg-Witjes (Vienna) ‘Behind Closed Doors: Navigating Secrecy in the Study of Wargames’ and Daniel de Zeeuw (Amsterdam) ‘The tragedy of the leak’
More information, including how to sign-up, available on our website: 🔗 bit.ly/4qAHQVL
All welcome!
How does knowledge production--and the possibility of ignorance production--contribute to social injustice?
And what can social researchers with strong ethical commitments do to counteract such contributions?
Join us on Tues 24 Feb for a free webinar with our Founder & CEO, Dr Zara Bain 👇
✨ SPIN Spotlight: Catfishing and the ocularcentric ✨
Catfishing isn’t just about false profiles — it’s how we trust what we see. Dive back into this essay from 2020 to read about how secrecy, sexuality, and visuality are intertwined in digital life
🔗 buff.ly/XOqjoO5
#Valentines #secrecyresearch
🪙 This Wednesday we welcome Ana Flamind on Secrecy and the Politics of Transgression, and Jamie Johnson and Victoria Basham on Sense-Making at the End of Liberalism. See link for details, there are still spaces available. Do join us
📆 11 Feb | 15:00 | Online
🔗 bit.ly/3Lv5rbc
#SPINTalk #secrecy
✨ SPIN Spotlight: Erased by Prof Patricia Owens ✨
In October we welcomed Prof Patricia Owens to discuss her fantastic book 'Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men'
💡Patricia's work shines a light on history of women in the field of IR, more here: buff.ly/hOR01pK
#secrecyresearch
🪙 Join our SPIN Panel Session to hear more about the research underpining two chapters in our forthcoming SPIN volume. Ana Flamind on 'Secrecy and the Politics of Transgression' and Jamie Johnson and Owen D Thomas on 'Sense-Making at the End of Liberalism'
11 Feb | 15:00 | Online
🔗
📖 Missed Dr Jeff Whyte discussing his book The Birth of Psychological War? You can watch it now on YouTube. The book explores propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Chaired by Prof Brian Rappert
Watch here 🔗 buff.ly/SSVsnrW
#SPINevents #PsychologicalWarfare
🪙 SPIN hosts a panel session next month with two presentations: Ana Flamind, 'Secrecy and the Politics of Transgression' and Jamie Johnson and Owen D Thomas, 'Sense-Making at the End of Liberalism'. Hear about the latest research on secrecy and scandal
📆 11 Feb | 15:00 | Online
🔗
✨ SPIN Spotlight: F is for Five Eyes ✨
Dr Lydia Morgan's blog was published as part of our A-Z of Secrecy series. Learn more about the historically important, though increasingly under strain, intelligence cooperation alliance of the UK, US, AUS, CAN & NZ
🔗 buff.ly/bnXDWzQ
#SPINblog #FiveEyes
13 May - Louise Pears and Anna Miller (Leeds) ‘Aliens Exist: exploring secrecy and revelations through UFOs/UAPs, National Intelligence, and Blink 182’
More information, including how to sign-up, available on our website.
🔗 bit.ly/4qAHQVL
All welcome!
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22 Apr - Nicolo Miotto and Nina Klimburg-Witjes (Vienna) ‘Behind Closed Doors: Navigating Secrecy in the Study of Wargames’ and Daniel de Zeeuw (Amsterdam) ‘The tragedy of the leak’
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📆 Save the dates! SPIN’s winter/spring 2026 online talks line-up is now available:
11 Feb – Secrecy and the Politics of Transgression by Ana Flamind and Sense-Making at the End of Liberalism by Jamie Johnson, Owen D Thomas & Victoria Basham
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Last term we welcomed Vera Zurbrügg to discuss counter-archival work challenging Switzerland’s WWII neutrality myth.
🪙 You can watch it now on YouTube. Chaired by Dr Elspeth Van Veeren (Bristol). Watch here youtu.be/nhosgQdqjvE
#SPINevents #CounterArchives
We’re excited to be in London today with the London College of Communication for our Artist Lab! Bringing together visual artists, academics, and practitioners to explore and discuss practices of visualising secrecy and power 🕵️🎨
More here:🔗 bit.ly/3Zekitz
#SPINevents #visualart #secrecyresearch
pretend newspaper, folded in half with headline, 'Scandal Unfolds'
In a moment that feels like the constant 'revelation' of never-ending scandal, our first event of 2026 is a panel with scandology experts Dr. Ana Flamind (Groningen) plus Jamie Johnson (Leicester) and Owen Thomas (Exeter), 11 February, 3pm (UK time), online. Please join us. All welcome.
14.01.2026 10:42 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Happy new year from SPIN! Our Winter Newsletter is now out with highlights of all our latest announcements, events, and publications. wp.me/pb19Tu-1gz Do join us this term.
14.01.2026 10:25 — 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Essential reading for anyone interested in the politics of scandals.
academic.oup.com/sd/advance-a...
Happy holidays to everyone! This is also our annual reminder to think about how entwined secrecy, secrets and magic are with this festive season. One day soon we'll ask Brian Rappert to give a talk on this.
19.12.2025 12:25 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
We're signing off for the holidays! First, a quick one to share how excited we are to co-host, with the LCC, a multi-disciplinary, one-day symposium, Jan 16th, on the research and practices of visualising secrecy from academic/artistic perspectives. Our first foray into London! wp.me/pb19Tu-1g1
19.12.2025 12:25 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
Excited to join Forman Christian College students in Lahore next Monday, the 8th Dec, for my final talk of 2025 (online only sadly). On intertextuality, conspiracy theories, and security narratives - based on some past and future work. Very much looking forward to the discussion that will follow!
01.12.2025 16:32 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
✨ SPIN Spotlight ✨
Earlier this year, in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation, we showcased Ashutosh Shaktan's exploration of the duality of secrecy through lens and light 🌹📷
If you missed it, now’s your chance to discover Ashutosh's work!
🔗 bit.ly/4omTykL
#Secrecy #SPIN #Photography
How did psychological warfare reshape the 20th century? Dr Jeff Whyte’s latest book explores propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us next Wednesday!
🔗 buff.ly/h7tsjcJ.
📖 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online
Chair: Prof Brian Rappert
#SPINevents #PsychologicalWarfare
Join us tomorrow for @jeffwhyte.bsky.social talk on psychological warfare, propaganda and military violence. See details below to sign up!
18.11.2025 09:54 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Of course it reminded me of Erased by @whitproject.bsky.social who joined us for a book talk @researchspin.bsky.social last month. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... Both volumes speak to how women’s contributions to our intellectual life have been systematically and deliberately hidden.
17.11.2025 16:42 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0Come to my book talk this Wed (Nov 19) at 3pm GMT! I'll be talking about my research on the political history of 'psychological war,' how we came to think about 'wars of ideas,' and how psywar has often justified rather than replaced traditional forms of military violence.
Details in link!
🪙 SPIN welcomes Jeff Whyte (Lancaster) to discuss propaganda & military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us online this Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite: buff.ly/h7tsjcJ
🗓️ 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online
Chair: Prof Brian Rappert (Exeter)
🪙 SPIN welcomes Jeff Whyte (Lancaster) to discuss propaganda & military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us online this Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite: buff.ly/h7tsjcJ
🗓️ 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online
Chair: Prof Brian Rappert (Exeter)
🪙 Missed Dr Vera Zurbrügg’s talk on her Articulated Absences Archive project on the history, myths and ongoing secrecy practices surrounding gold, WWII and Switzerland? You can watch it now on YouTube. Chaired by Dr Elspeth Van Veeren.
Watch here youtu.be/nhosgQdqjvE
#SPINevents #CounterArchives
Next Wednesday, join us for a talk by @jeffwhyte.bsky.social on his latest book - The Birth of Psychological Warfare (OUP). Of interest to those researching and studying US military conflict and history, propaganda, intelligence operations and post-truth politics. Join us! See link for details.
12.11.2025 12:11 — 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
How did psychological warfare reshape the 20th century? Dr Jeff Whyte’s latest book explores propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us next Wednesday!
🔗 buff.ly/h7tsjcJ.
📖 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online
Chair: Prof Brian Rappert
#SPINevents #PsychologicalWarfare
