School of PPLS at The University of Edinburgh

New PPLS Perspectives episode! PG student Madeline Horner speaks with social psychologist Dr @ahbailey.bsky.social about why we often imagine a “person” as a man — and how subtle gender biases shape language, research, and real-world decisions. Listen here: edin.ac/4tpw8yY

The Japanese ethics of ‘ningen’ dethrones the Western self | Aeon Essays In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature

In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature @takeshimorisato.bsky.social

What's it like to present at a major conference? | Literatures, Languages & Cultures Year 4 Japanese and Linguistics student Cameron tells us about presenting at the Asia Pacific Conference in Japan.

What's it like to speak at a major conference in Japan while still an undergraduate?

We caught up with Year 4 student Cameron Bain about presenting his sociolinguistic research at the Asia Pacific Conference.

Read more: https://llc.ed.ac.uk/whats-it-like-to-present-at-a-major-conference

In January Dr Tony Baugh became the second Black philosophy student to obtain a PhD from @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social. He has since taken a role at Coppin State University to establish their philosophy offering with the goal of creating a BMS programme. Read Tony's story: edin.ac/4tdMtGQ

Many thanks to my excellent colleague Suilin Lavelle for organising a stimulating cross-disciplinary workshop @schoolofppls.bsky.social on Scientific Pluralism and Majority World Psychology.

Lecture under way @schoolofppls.bsky.social by Dr Adetula on the need to go beyond Western epistemology in psychological research and include African perspectives. Thanks to the School DEI committee for organising this cross-disciplinary event.

In October @proftjcurry.bsky.social became the first Black philosopher to have expert testimony pass the Daubert Standard, the benchmark US courts use to assess the reliability of evidence. Read about Prof Curry's testimony and experience here: edin.ac/3Mnz7qM

Mazviita Chirimuuta in a red dress holding a small award next to a man in a grey suit.

Warm congratulations to Mazviita Chirimuuta, who received the 2025 Lakatos Award for her book "The Brain Abstracted" — "an outstanding example of the kind of work being done at the cutting edge of contemporary philosophy of science." mitpress.mit.edu/978026254804...

Last Friday Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta was presented with the Lakatos Award in recognition of her book “The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience”. At the ceremony Dr Chirimuuta gave a lecture which you can view below.

Covid and vaccines not linked to early child development issues | School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences | School of Philosophy, Psychology and language sciences Pregnant women who catch Covid-19 or receive the vaccine do not have an increased risk of their child having developmental health issues, research suggests.

This is the second set of findings from the study, the first being released in February that found no link between concerns with a child’s development at 13 to 15 months and the mother contracting the virus during pregnancy. Read more: edin.ac/42WhMeK

Covid lockdown linked to rise in child developmental issues The University of Edinburgh-led study examined health visitor reports on 258,000 children between March 2020 and August 2021.

New findings from the CHILDS study shows developmental concerns in young children rose during Scotland’s lockdowns—and remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Read more about how Covid shaped early years, and why targeted support matters now. edin.ac/3KsLiBV (1/2) #covid #lockdown #pandemic

On November 26th (the birthday of the legendary linguist Ferdinand de Saussure), we celebrate #WorldLinguisticsDay. What better way to mark the occasion than sharing the latest episode of our podcast, PPLS Perspectives, which featured Personal Chair of Experimental Linguistics Jenny Culbertson.

Philosophy lecturer’s book wins second accolade | Philosophy | School of Philosophy, Psychology and language sciences The Brain Abstracted by Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta, which won the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize last year, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious Lakatos Award.

Dr Chirimuuta was awarded the Lakatos Prize in the summer in recognition of her book The Brain Abstracted an “opinionated” history of neuroscience. Read more about the book and award here: edin.ac/44rbCSO

This Friday, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta will deliver the Lakatos Award Lecture. You can book FREE tickets to attend the lecture (in-person or online. By Following the link below. (1/2)

Congrats to PhD researcher in Linguistics Ahmed H. Alhuwayshil on being named one of @sgsah.bsky.social Most Innovative Researchers of 2025! His work on scalar implicatures is reshaping how we understand language & thought. Read more: ppls.ed.ac.uk/ppls-linguis...

The New episode of PPLS Perspectives is available now!

Maisy Hallam chats with Prof. Jenny Culbertson about how #technology, #AI, and global change are reshaping the future of language — and why #linguistic diversity matters more than ever.

Listen now: edin.ac/4r7axdA

PSA Office Hour - Philosophy of Science Association The PSA Office Hour aims to facilitate interactions between our graduate student membership and prominent philosophers of science, and in a more controlled, accessible, and carbon-conscious setting…

Two weeks until the Philosophy of Science Association’s next office hours! @michelamassimi.bsky.social and Mazviita Chirimuuta on “New approaches to realism.”
Sign up and more information:

Read Honorary Fellow Dr Miranda Anderson’s review of Resistance, a powerful reflection on protest, photography & the persistence of hope, for @philosopher1923.bsky.social. The exhibition curated by Steve McQueen & Clarrie Wallis is on now @nationalgalleries.bsky.social. Read here: edin.ac/3XcPBE5

PPLS Linguistics Professor talks of the importance of understanding language structure and evolution in the age of AI | School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences | School of Philosophy, Psy... Last month Personal Chair of Experimental Linguistics Prof Jennifer Culbertson spoke at the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) Summit on Science of Language and Communication and how new...

How will language shape the future of AI, education & society? At the GESDA Global Summit last month, Prof Jennifer Culbertson explored why understanding language structure & evolution is vital in the age of AI. Read more and watch her talk: edin.ac/3X8WDJY
#Linguistics #AI

YouTube video by Cambridge Union Mr. Tommy Curry | This House Believes BLM's Intentions Were More Important Than Its Methods

This month @proftjcurry.bsky.social appeared at the Cambridge Union to debate the intent versus the methods of BLM. Prof Curry speaks as the Second Opposition on the motion “This House Believes BLM's intentions were more important than its methods”. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT8C...

In 2023 Dr. Clay-Gilmore became the first Black philosopher to earn a doctorate on Africana Philosophy & Black Male Studies in the University’s history. You can read more about his incredible journey here (2/2): ppls.ed.ac.uk/news/philoso...

YouTube video by The Ikarus Inspired Podcast A Deep Dive into Africana Philosophy with Dr. Miron Clay-Gilmore

PPLS #philosophy graduate now a postdoctoral fellow @utoronto.ca Dr Miron Clay-Gilmore provides a deep exploration into Africana philosophy, race, and the politics of knowledge. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fmE... (1/2)

To mark UK Black History Month we start the new season of PPLS Perspectives. PhD candidate Tony Baugh speaks with @proftjcurry.bsky.social — the 1st Black philosophy prof in Edinburgh’s 442-year history & co-chair of the University’s landmark race review. Listen here: edin.ac/4hfFk3u

Fragmentation and multithreading of experience in the default-mode network - Nature Communications Here the authors show the prefrontal cortex simultaneously predicts context, the thoughts of others and future changes, while the precuneus acts as a hub to fuse these into a coherent experience.

Research from psychologists @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social and The University of Hamburg shows our brains don’t rely on one unified world model, but juggle multiple predictive threads at once. A glimpse into how experience gets fragmented then woven together. Read more: edin.ac/47cETTX #psychology

🎉We're hiring!🎉
We're looking for 2 Postdoctoral Researchers to join our exciting, interdisciplinary team. Both are full-time, fixed-term (almost 4 years), based in Edinburgh's @uoe-cahss.bsky.social / @uoe-llc.bsky.social w/ links to @schoolofppls.bsky.social & @morayhouse.bsky.social
Pls share!

Experts reveal the personality traits linked to living a longer life Those who are ‘organised, responsible and hardworking’ have a lower risk of dying, a new study suggests

Are certain personality traits linked to a longer life?
A new study co-authored by Professor in #psychology @renemottus.bsky.social suggests being organised, responsible & hardworking can lower mortality risk—while worry-prone traits may raise it. Read more: edin.ac/4nBx4gn #Research #Personality

Huge congratulations to Philosophy grad Grace Mai Clark, winner of the Sir William Darling Memorial Prize! From leading 93% Club to campaigning for widening participation, she’s left a lasting impact @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social. Read the story in full: ppls.ed.ac.uk/ppls-graduat...

Event image for our Flagship Lecture. There is headshot photo of Professor Sullins, and text reading: 'Wisdom for an Artificial Age,' Professor John P. Sullins III (Sonoma State University). Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute (in person & online), Date: Wednesday 15 October 6.00 - 7.30pm BST, There will be a reception following the lecture.

Join us for our CTMF Flagship Lecture, where we will hear from Professor @jpsullins.bsky.social on the surprising role human wisdom is playing to help us navigate the challenges of AI technologies and create a more humane future.

🗓️ 15 October 18.00 - 19.30 BST
📍 EFI & online
🎟️ edin.ac/3Kl8em6

Inquiry into the History of Science Shows an Early “Inherence” Bias New analysis concludes early scientific theories from physics to biology initially favor built-in properties over external forces—a tendency that continues today

A new co-study written by Lecturer in Psychology @zachhorne.bsky.social & @andreicimpian.bsky.social (New York University) shows a deep-rooted “inherence bias”: from Aristotle to today, people explain science in terms of built-in properties, overlooking external forces. Read more: edin.ac/46xFa26

Health benefits of retirement not evenly shared | School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences | School of Philosophy, Psychology and language sciences The impact of retirement on mental health depends on income level, the nature of the job left behind, and the age at which people leave the workforce, a study suggests.

Retirement often boosts wellbeing—but not for everyone. New study from PPLS Reader in Psychology Dr. Aja Murray shows income, job type & retirement age shape mental health outcomes, with some groups at risk of dips. Targeted policy support is needed. Read more: tinyurl.com/3s3ttjvp