Podcast

Episode library for WeAreSTS, an official podcast of UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). WeAreSTS includes project work from STS students and staff. The host and producer is Professor Joe Cain.

WeAreSTS Episodes

Regular episodes explore research or teaching themes that are part of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Some episodes will be interviews about active research projects. Other episodes will support STS subjects in teaching or public engagement. We also have career-focused episodes interviewing STS alumni about life after university: how did they make that transition into their working life, and what advice do they have for those thinking about studying with us.

We also broadcast episodes from the STSNewsRoom.

Podcasting with Purpose

Our overall goal is to help with WeAreSTS is to help teachers, applicants, and influencers answer questions about our subject:

What is STS?
What does learning in the subject involve?
Why would I want to do this, too?
What do people do with an STS degree?
Is this career direction for me?

WeAreSTS is available for listening on Apple Podcast, Spotify, SoundCloud and most other podcast listening apps. You also can find us on Libsyn.

For more about the podcast: ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast

WeAreSTS - A Podcast from UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS), hosted by Professor Joe Cain.

#25 Are We Over-Hyping Mindfulness for University Students? | WeAreSTS

Chances are you’ve had something to do with “mindfulness” recently. Maybe you’ve been sent to “mindfulness” training. Or, perhaps you’ve been listening to a mindfulness podcast. Or, perhaps you’re using a “mindfulness” app, such as […]

WeAreSTS: five ways STS students can be involved

As host of the podcast, “WeAreSTS: Science and Technology Studies at UCL (University College London),” I’ve created opportunities for students wanting to volunteer their talents, time, and energy to create programmes. This page describes five […]

WeAreSTS: guidance for freelance projects

Freelance developers create projects on their own initiative, then submit a completed piece of work ready to review. A lot of journalists work this way. A lot of academics work this way, too. Proposal process […]

#24 Who Are Museums REALLY Speaking For (And What About The Rest of Us) | WeAreSTS

Alex Hancock explores how research about museum collections is helping to connect British museums with more of the publics they claim to support. His emphasis is on decolonisation, engagement, and white European power. Ultimately, how […]

#23 Journalism from STS Science Communication Master’s Students 2022 | WeAreSTS

We sampled undergraduate projects in a previous episode. Now, it time for the Master’s students. Today’s episode offers a sampler of student-made podcasts. These were created by Master’s students in our science journalism module, run […]

#22 Thinking About Internationality: Is Science the Same Everywhere? | WeAreSTS

It’s one of those fundamental tenets taught to every student: science is international; it’s the same everywhere, it respects no borders; the work is the same no matter where or when you are. Assessing this […]

#21 Responsible Media Coverage: Hype in Stories About Chatbots | WeAreSTS

Is AI sentient? Do machines have souls? I’ve got an even better question: are these questions the most important ones we should be asking? Headlines claiming machines could be alive are definitely eye-catching. But hype […]

#20 Becoming Britain’s Chief Scientific Advisor: Solly Zuckerman | WeAreSTS

Did you know that in March 1967, the British government bombed an oil tanker stranded on rocks off Cornwall? Dan Sharpe certainly didn’t when he began to dig into the life and career of the […]

#19 Decolonise and Decenter STS: Reflections and Expectations | WeAreSTS

Scientific knowledge has evolved over the past few centuries in various political and socio-cultural contexts. There is seen to be a substantially disproportionate legacy of European thought in scientific education. How the fingerprints of colonialism […]

#18 Peer Review, Reviewed: A Closer Look at Scientific Publishing | WeAreSTS

Most of us have heard of peer review, but how does it actually work? After more than a century, is it still fit for purpose? This episode explores the state of peer review in academic […]