Rafael Mestre's Avatar

Rafael Mestre

@r-mestre.bsky.social

Lecturer at the University of Southampton @unisouthampton.bsky.social Co-director of the Centre for Democratic Futures @cdfuos.bsky.social Turing Fellow @ Alan Turing Institute

167 Followers  |  95 Following  |  6 Posts  |  Joined: 08.12.2024  |  1.8824

Latest posts by r-mestre.bsky.social on Bluesky

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๐Ÿ“ข Reminder for Living Machines 2025 authors:
At least one author per paper must register & attend in person.

๐Ÿ•’ Early Bird deadline: 15 June 2025
๐Ÿ”— livingmachinesconference.eu/2025/registr...

Donโ€™t miss the reduced rate!

#LivingMachines2025 #Robotics #ConferenceReminder

11.06.2025 15:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Living Machines - Living Machines 2025

Great news!
Living Machines 2025 is sponsored by Science Robotics and IOP Publishing โ€“ Bioinspiration & Biomimetics ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿค–

Want to sponsor the conference?
Details here: livingmachinesconference.eu/2025/

#LivingMachines2025 #Robotics #Sponsorship #BioInspired

11.06.2025 12:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

๐ŸŽ‰ Big congrats to all authors accepted to present their work at Living Machines 2025 Conference!

Looking forward to seeing your work in Sheffield, UK this summer โ€” it's going to be a great one.

#LivingMachines2025 #Robotics #BioInspired

10.06.2025 15:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This week in @newscientist.com I wrote about how unused internet cables called "dark fibers" are increasingly being used to measure vibrations within the Earth.

From defending against #earthquakes to finding new #geothermal reservoirs, here are some fascinating recent findings from the field...๐Ÿงต

27.05.2025 13:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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How buried cables are revealing Earthโ€™s interior in incredible detail The globe is criss-crossed by unused fibre-optic cables. Now, researchers are using them to defend against earthquakes and produce an unprecedented map of the underground world

The expansive network of fiber optic cables carrying the internet is increasingly being used to measure seismic waves constantly vibrating through Earth's interior. For @newscientist.com this week, I explored how 'distributed acoustic sensing' on these fibers is changing our view underground.๐Ÿงช

21.05.2025 15:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 12    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ’ฅ

09.04.2025 10:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Rebooting Democracy welcomed international guests and collaborators to a project workshop last week in Southampton. Sessions focused on climate democracy, using AI in deliberation, political behaviour, co-production, and democratic oversight of emerging technologies.
www.rebootingdemocracy.ac.uk

08.04.2025 14:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Job Opportunity at the University of Southampton: Research Fellow in Political Process Preferences in Europe (PoPPiE) We are delighted to welcome applications for the position of Research Fellow within a new ERC-funded research group on Political Process Preferences in Europe (PoPPiE): Rethinking Conceptual, Ontologi...

The ERC have given me 5 years to figure out what Europeans really think about democracy. If you would like to come and join me in the endeavour, then I am currently hiring a postdoc @sotonpolitics.bsky.social.

Deadline: 30 April | Details here: jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx... #polisky

03.04.2025 15:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 152    ๐Ÿ” 112    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 9    ๐Ÿ“Œ 7
Call for Papers Reimagining Democratic Politics in the Contemporary Democratic politics today faces an acute global crisis. Whether couched in terms of democratic backsliding, the rise of right-wing anti-democratic movements, or a transformation of the paradigms of liberal-democracy towards democratic authoritarianism, democratic institutions, political projects and forms of life are under attack. On the one hand, rapidly accelerating ecological collapse driven by neoliberal logics of exploitation and accumulation intensify and exacerbate this crisis. On the other, routinised procedures of politics โ€˜as usualโ€™ - couched within the paradigm of liberal-democracy โ€“ prove inadequate for countering these threats to democratic politics. The concern is, therefore, as much an impoverishment of democratic politics as it is an impoverishment of democratic imagination.

CfP: Reimagining Democratic Politics in the Contemporary.

Join us 3-5 July for a symposium to discuss:
- Fugitivity & the politics of refusal
- Anticolonial imaginaries
- Artistic practice & performance
- Democratic innovations

Deadline for abstracts: 4 April
www.southampton.ac.uk/cdf/news/eve...

13.03.2025 14:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Trick: do not ever ever buy an open-ended ticket in the UK! If you don't know when you're getting back just buy it on the app at the station when you arrive. It'll be ~slightly~ cheaper to get two one-ways.

07.03.2025 08:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Inspirational collaborative event 2day hosted by @cdfuos.bsky.social on AI and Democracy with Simon Wallace #suffrago Nick Almond #Londonvoice Huge congrats esp @unisouthampton.bsky.social anniversary fellow Dr Yu Shan Tseng for organising ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ™ ๐ŸŽ‰
@r-mestre.bsky.social @rikkidean.bsky.social

06.03.2025 16:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿงฌ๐Ÿค– Exploring Biohybrid Futures

On Feb 5th, Biohybrid Futures Project & Public Policy | Southampton hosted a workshop with experts from DSIT, POST, Nuffield Council, & more. The discussion centred on public perceptions and a framework of policy recommendations.

#BiohybridRobotics #PublicPolicy

27.02.2025 17:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Great work from our Co Director @r-mestre.bsky.social Huge congrats to all and @publicpolicyuos.bsky.social too ๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ‘

26.02.2025 19:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐Ÿ“ฃ Brilliant policy impact from our researchers!

Rafael Mestre & Stuart Middleton's RAI4MentalHealth project, cited in 2 UK Parliament POSTnotes, explores the role of AI in mental health ๐Ÿง  ๐Ÿค–

๐Ÿ”— Visit here for the story of impact and more information on upcoming events: https://buff.ly/3D8CA8e

26.02.2025 16:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
C-BEAR Summer School - Introduction to Experimental Methods in Social Sciences | University of Southampton Online Store This five-day workshop introduces participants to the theory and practice of experimental methods in the Social Sciences. It provides an overview of preval

Want to conduct experimental social science but not sure how. The Centre for Behavioural, Experimental and Action Research (C-BEAR) has a summer school to show you how, led by the friendly bear, @pspada.bsky.social.

Find out more and register here: store.southampton.ac.uk/short-course... #polisky

21.02.2025 14:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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We have two great speakers for our next Climate, Mobility and Migration Online Seminar on 4th March.

You can register at t.ly/gv5ng.

21.02.2025 15:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Advancing Inclusive Musculoskeletal Health : Clinical Commerical & Community Impact - Register for free #FortisNet meeting now! ๐Ÿฆด๐ŸŽ‰ 20th March Southampton UK ๐Ÿ‘‡ Join us! @r-mestre.bsky.social @messagetgi.bsky.social @fraje.bsky.social @cmcgwhp.bsky.social
#dsxhe

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

16.02.2025 22:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3
A close-up of exposed glowing blue fibre optic cables against a dark background, with tiny points of light scattered along the strands.

A close-up of exposed glowing blue fibre optic cables against a dark background, with tiny points of light scattered along the strands.

New technology is allowing us to โ€˜listenโ€™ to the sound of a city through its network of optical fibre cables.

Our researchers will be testing this tech in Southampton and London to understand its opportunities and risks.

Find out more ๐Ÿ‘‰ brnw.ch/UoS_News_Opt...

11.02.2025 09:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The project sits at the intersection of physical sciences, social sciences, arts & humanities with lots of knowledge exchange, policy and citizen impact.

Particularly suitable for those with interest working across disciplines, with non-academic stakeholders and the nicest colleagues ;)

30.01.2025 16:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hiring! We're looking for a Research Fellow (postdoc) with expertise in data analysis, machine learning and/or signal processing to join our very exciting new project soundscale.ac.uk!

Particularly targetting researchers with an interdisciplinary mindset!

jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

30.01.2025 16:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Join our mailing list to know more about the Centre for Democratic Futures! โฌ‡๏ธ

21.01.2025 20:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Out now in Nature Human Behaviour: Our 68-country #survey on public attitudes to #science ๐Ÿ“ฃ
It shows: People still #trust scientists and support an active role of scientists in society and policy-making. #OpenAccess available here: www.nature.com/articles/s41... @natureportfolio.bsky.social
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20.01.2025 10:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 362    ๐Ÿ” 165    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 7    ๐Ÿ“Œ 21

Great-looking event!!

19.01.2025 21:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@r-mestre is following 20 prominent accounts