Karl Johnson

WRITE FOR US: The Sociological Review magazine editors are calling for pitches for the May 2026 issue.

Iris Pissaride & @juliettephd.bsky.social are inviting proposals for the regular features Sociology at Work, and Private Troubles, Public Issues.

📅 Deadline 31 December
🔎 Info: buff.ly/Iu7SKia

ChatGPT-5 offers dangerous advice to mentally ill people, psychologists warn Research finds OpenAI’s free chatbot fails to identify risky behaviour or challenge delusional beliefs ChatGPT-5 is offering dangerous and unhelpful advice to people experiencing mental health crises, some of the UK’s leading psychologists have warned. Research conducted by King’s College London (KCL) and the Association of Clinical Psychologists UK (ACP) in partnership with the Guardian suggested that the AI chatbotfailed to identify risky behaviour when communicating with mentally ill people. Continue reading...

ChatGPT-5 offers dangerous advice to mentally ill people, psychologists warn

‘Nousferatu’: the notorious consultancy advising Edinburgh uni amid 'huge' cuts Scotland’s largest university has turned to Nous Group at the same time as it is making savings that could lead to nearly 2,000 job losses. Staff say they were misled about the extent of its work.

So, no funding to attend academic conferences, limited heating, no printers, can’t pay tutors, no phd scholarships, not enough front line staff, pushing academics to take VR or drop paid hours, cutting academic staff who bring money in?!But there’s money for this?! www.theferret.scot/consultancy-...

At last, some properly rigorous reporting on the vampiric management consulting behind proposed cuts at Edinburgh Uni.

Grab some garlic, read and weep.

And I don't know if the answer is: everyone is too traumatized to do work and we need to reinvent society. Or if it's more like: generations are losing their cognitive abilities and willpower due to destructive technologies. Or: we all have post-viral brain damage. Or: all of the above.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

We’re proud that a Bantshire student ambassador is on placement at the OBR today.

Dave watched this government Education Committee meeting so you didn’t have to. But you do have to read his summary (if you have any interest in the future of HE)

This is £600m from the same university sector that is pretty close to collapse in a growing number of major institutions?

Many of them universities that are among the biggest employers in the very ‘left behind’ towns and cities that Labour talks so much about…

404 Ink co-founders launch new book and industry fundraiser for small presses — 404 Ink 404 Ink to publish one final book as part of small press fundraiser, launching in 2026.

Announcing our 2026 bursary for small presses and crowdfunder AND book that Heather and I have secretly been writing about @404ink.bsky.social over the last few months. Our way of saying farewell!

www.404ink.com/blog/publish...

Wonkhe should be ashamed of publishing this propaganda bullshit. Apart from the hallucinations and built-in biases, how is AI remotely ‘ethical’ when operating it burns enormous amounts of power, requires enormous volumes of water and emits thousands of tonnes of CO2 often in minority communities?

🛒 OUR NEW WEBSITE IS FINALLY HERE - 30% OFF ALL BOOKS UNTIL THE 17TH📚

After many years of making do with our clunky old Wordpress site we are thrilled to finally launch a bookshop site that we feel better represents the level of service we strive to offer.

🔗: argonautbooks.co.uk

(1/3)

The senior leadership team at @edinburghuniversity plan to cut staff expenditure by £90m, which is more than 10%.

This would mean about 1 in 8 members of staff losing their jobs. With hundreds of jobs already lost, a further 1,000+ jobs are on the line.

www.instagram.com/p/DQuFjwBjHB5/

Mapping Identities Conference 9/02/26-10/02/26 Call for Papers.

We warmly invite expressions of interest in the form of 250-word abstracts and 100-word short biographies Wednesday 17/12/25

tinyurl.com/3nnacccd

If Wes Streeting ever becomes PM then *that* tweet by the late great Dawn Foster needs to be projected onto Number 10 permanently

'Student Voice' in universities functions the same as 'The People' in contemporary political debate. Discuss.

WORLD BOOK WEEK OFFER Are you a school in the Scottish islands? Would you like an author visit with no author fees? Step this way…. To get to know my new home better, I am waiving my school visit fee for schools in the Scottish islands during World Book Week 2026 (2nd - 6th March). Organisers must cover transport and accommodation. I am based on the Black Isle, and able to drive to Inverness airport, Ullapool ferry port, Oban, and Aberdeen. I can supply books to sell, if given plenty of notice! Please get in touch via my website contact form 📚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

WORLD BOOK WEEK OFFER

Are you a school in the Scottish islands? Would you like an author visit with no author fees? Step this way and check out the alt text below….

Please get in touch via my website contact form 📚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@scottishbooktrust.bsky.social @asls.org.uk @slgscotland.bsky.social

congrats to everyone for thinking this through before signing very big contracts to put it on every student’s device at the school or university you run

Caption: But in spite of its benefits, there were always those who distrusted the computer... Picture: A man looks at a scientific instrument while two others question him. Man 1: We realize your machine aided mankind enormously, Professor! But how do we know it won't suddenly turn on us? Man 2: Yes, it's liable to start giving us wrong answers to vital questions! It might wreck our whole civilization!

Strange Tales 72, 1959. Art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

Has anyone cut their university to victory? It's the only idea the executive class have in HE. They only get these executive jobs right now if they're willing to take away the livelihoods of their workers.

84% of trans people polled by YouGov said Britain is “fairly unsafe” or “very unsafe” for trans people. A terrifying story - founded on actual data - which the BBC still refused to carry.

Link to polling in the blog. goodlawproject.org/abject-terro...

This is an excellent paper and brilliant contribution to queer/crip temporality scholarship. It’s also a really important confrontation with some of ways UKHE harms us. As a disabled academic it was at times a difficult read(in a good way I think). I’ll definitely read it again. Thanks for your work

Just Lauren being a legend, as per.

'It's not about gender' - Island's first female Jarl hands over role Only two women have officially led squads in the annual fire festival on Shetland to date.

www.scotsman.com/hays-way/its...

So I've been reading the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. There's some good things in there. But when it comes to universities there's very little to cheer. The situation is very tough and will get worse. The last chance to preserve what we've got has passed. Let me explain why. (1/?)

Know what else was generative? Ridding the planet of billionaires through post-war social democracy.

That scene of the Welsh BBC correspondent being the only person interviewing Caerphilly's new Plaid AM while the rest of the media interviewed Reform's loser in the background was far too on the nose.

this makes me mad EVERY TIME as a shetlander

📣 UWS HAS RULED OUT COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES

After 8 days of strike action from EIS, and a further 12 days planned from Monday which UCU were due to join, management has today announced that CR has been taken off the table 🎉