Ruth Machen

Schools in England have become testing sites for AI. I know it's common to say education is now an experimental lab for AI, but in England it's more methodologically true. 3 examples of escalating seriousness and an explanation coming up 🧵

The Royal Geographical Society @rgsibg.bsky.social is hosting a discussion (in person & online) on the far right and climate policy on Tues 30th Sept. Details here -
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

We are looking for a Senior Manager for our Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life @leverhulmecal.bsky.social A key person in our team & a future valued colleague. Apply here durham.taleo.net/careersectio... & feel free to DM me. Also look out for our October research fellows posts.

We’re hiring again in Geography at Durham - an Associate Prof, Grade 9. This is part of the university’s strategic ‘Heritage 360’ initiative. Follow this link for more details and to apply! durham.taleo.net/careersectio...

This is an excellent resource for those who would like to reach out to those with long Covid but don’t know how. Simple factual explanations of why social interaction can be more complex than it seems

Sign the Petition End unnecessary redundancies at Newcastle University

Please sign and share this petition, calling on Newcastle University’s Executive Board to halt the threat of ill-considered and unnecessary redundances that are imperilling careers and the future of our institution.

www.change.org/p/end-unnece...

Every Story Matters - UK Covid-19 Inquiry Your pandemic experience is unique. Share your experience of the pandemic with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry to help us understand the full picture of its impact across the UK

Raise government awareness of the ongoing impact that long Covid is having on many of us. Share your experience here with Every Story Matters covid19.public-inquiry.uk/every-story-...

Sign the Petition Protect authors’ livelihoods from the unlicensed use of their work in AI training

Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition which now stands at 10,000+! If you haven't added your name, #DoTheWriteThing -

Lecturer in Environmental Politics at The University of Manchester Explore an exciting academic career as a Lecturer in Environmental Politics. Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more opportunities.

The University of Manchester seeks to appoint a Lecturer in Environmental Politics. More info: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMM071/. Closing date: 8/5/2025. I am not involved in the search but would love to see more colleagues in environmental policy and governance. #PublicPolicy #Polisky #PolicyProcess

The graphic shows a colorful painted forest in the background (the image is by Juan Ruiz via Canva). The Text reads "Tell the Untold: An Environmental Writing Competition of the Rachel Carson Center. Then the blurb that is also in the description. Submission Deadline: 6 June 2025. Project: Strengthening the Environmental Humanities. Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation."

Big #RCCNews!

The RCC is excited to announce our environmental writing competition "Tell the Untold!"

Find out more here: www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/news/news_ev...

We are looking forward to your submissions! 🌱

#rccwritingcompetition #writing #envhum #creative #shortfiction

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships candidates - public controversies over megaprojects, energy and environmental policies and techno-sciences; sociology of expectations; the role of expertise in policymaki...

Fantastic supported Marie Curie application dual opportunity (academic couples) for post docs working on environmental policy & technology/knowledge politics. euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/hosting...

Ah ok - a whole new level - fair enough!

Isn’t the writing of this from the perspective of bibliometrics also curious? Academic work should build upon itself in steps. One doesn’t write a life-work in one paper. Some precursors are coauthored so even more reason to acknowledge prior steps. Self citation is not just about gaming metrics!

Five years on: How Covid forced people out of work and onto benefits As the government seeks to crack down on worklessness in the UK, perhaps ministers need to consider the people suffering with long-Covid.

“You’re only ever one step away from disability” (Stephanie Swanson) On Long Covid Awareness Day, please hear the voices of the 2 million (and counting) who have never been able to ‘move on’ from Covid …insight here into the worlds of some of us in UK with Long Covid www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

On the responsibilities of intellectuals and the rise of bullshit jobs in universities You may never have considered yourself to be one. Why would you? But if you’re reading this, there is more than a likelihood that you are one. If you’re a

Brilliantly apposite piece by Masud Husain "we are sleepwalking into a disaster....losing sight of the academic mission...we don’t have to accept all this. We can...direct our critical thinking inwards...push back on the calamitous corporatization of our universities." doi.org/10.1093/brai...

Anticipating the Challenges of AI in Climate Governance: An Urgent Dilemma for Democracies Four principles for democratic use of AI in climate governance.

Can AI be used to govern climate change while maintaining democratic values? New article on an urgent question by me and the mighty @ruthmachen.bsky.social :-)

wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

#AcademicSky #sts #ClimateChange

3. Enhancing expert and lay deliberation to challenge the ways that particular value commitments become ‘baked into’ AI approaches.

4. Valuing unquantifiable knowledge that is at risk of exclusion from AI-driven data analytic processes.

Making AI technologies work toward, rather than against democratic ends includes:

1. Engaging domain-specific applications that are recognized as one among many knowledge sources.

2. Situating AI findings within strong processes for both expert and lay political debate.

Looking specifically at the democratic implications of AI in climate governance we point to the risk of narrowing policy options, constraining the range of experts and publics that contribute, and eroding democratic accountability.

Anticipating the Challenges of AI in Climate Governance: An Urgent Dilemma for Democracies Four principles for democratic use of AI in climate governance.

Great to see this perspective piece with @warrenpearce.bsky.social finally come out.

Amid the rising interest in AI we reflect on AI and the democratic governance of climate change - what lessons might be taken from wider critical digital studies?

wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

3. Enhancing expert and lay deliberation to challenge the ways that particular value commitments become ‘baked into’ AI approaches.
4. Valuing unquantifiable knowledge that is at risk of exclusion from AI-driven data analytic processes.

Making AI technologies work toward, rather than against democratic ends includes:
1. Engaging domain-specific applications that are recognized as one among many knowledge sources.
2. Situating AI findings within strong processes for both expert and lay political debate.

Looking specifically at the democratic implications of AI in climate governance we point to the risk of narrowing policy options, constraining the range of experts and publics that contribute, and eroding democratic accountability.

Silke Beck at @tum.de's STS department is looking for a postdoc (full position, five years) specialising in environmental STS. Deadline for application is 15 March 2025. Salary is somewhere in the ballpark of €2.8 k and €3.8 k after taxes (depending on your job experience and marital status).

Delighted to have contributed a chapter to this edited collection…I wrote about difficulties in algorithmically accounting for unquantifiable concerns in digital policy simulation models. Other contributors focus on relations with democratic participation, extractivism, ‘digital de-growth’ and more!

Great opportunity for ECRs working on cities and climate change in the global south…

Early Career Researcher Network kicks off 2025 with North East and Northern Ireland expansion The British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) welcomes its sixth cluster as the North East of England and Northern Ireland join the rapidly expanding network.

Are you a Humanities or Social Science postdoctoral researcher within c 10 years of the PhD and in the North East or Northern Ireland? The resources of this @britishacademy.bsky.social ECR Network are designed for you (whether or not you're currently employed as a researcher or at a university). 1/2

When UK gov proposes a UK testing ground for AI this is but one political moment in a historically specific machine learning political order which “does not merely change the political technologies of governance, but is a reordering of what the political can be” www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

No worries thanks for curating. @joeblakey.bsky.social might also like to be added.

So sorry to hear this Lou. We lost Teal last year marking the end of an era, so recognise this feeling! Thinking of you all.