Ian Urbina’s 2019 book, Outlaw Ocean, brilliantly investigates hidden worlds of human activity on the high seas. From modern day pirates and traffickers to gargantuan fishing fleets to “freedom-loving” recluses and entrepreneurs, his stories build on the idea of oceans as lawless spaces well beyond the awareness of most people. He documents extremes of human behaviour. He also describes the extraordinary scale of extraction and exploitation that takes place off shore. In this world, who’s “free” and what are the consequences of “lawless” spaces?

Outlaw Ocean is this year’s selection for the STS1Book programme. In this episode, Dr Michel Wahome talks about why she recommended the book for our community. She points to some of the many ways it can be used to explore key concepts in STS, such as actor-network theory and social-technical imaginaries. She also considers the relationship between lawlessness and entrepreneurship as a key theme in innovation studies and science policy.

For more about the STS1Book programme:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/about-sts/sts1book-programme

Featuring

Interviewee

Dr Michel Wahome, UCL Lecturer in Science and Technology Studies

https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/86440

Host

Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain

Music credits

“Rollin At 5,” by Kevin MacLeod

https://filmmusic.io/song/5000-rollin-at-5

Ecossaise in E-flat by Kevin MacLeod

https://filmmusic.io/song/3700-ecossaise-in-e-flat-woo-86-

Podcast information

WeAreSTS is a production of the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at University College London (UCL). To find out more, or to leave feedback about the show:

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast

What is dark matter? Mary Westover investigates, featuring insights from Dr. Joe McLaughlin and Dr. Marcello Messina. She visits the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy to understand how a research lab sunk deep into a mountain and holding a giant tank of liquid Xenon holds the promise of evidence for this most elusive substance. From the lab's mountain setting to the complex physics involved, this episode provides a deep dive into one of physics’ most perplexing questions.

This episode is a practical project submitted by Mary Westover as part of her UCL degree, MSc Science Communication. She wrote, researched, produced, and starred in the production.

For more about UCL’s Science Communication MSc, visit:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/science-communication-msc

Featuring

Interviewer and researcher

Mary Westover

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mary-westover

Interviewees

Joseph McLaughlin

https://www.hep.ucl.ac.uk/people/mugshot.shtml?id=joemcl

Marcello Messina

https://www.gssi.it/people/professors/lectures-physics/item/12461-messina-marcello

Host

Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain

Music credits

Mary used copyright-free music from Pixabay.

WeAreSTS Music credits

“Rollin At 5,” by Kevin MacLeod

https://filmmusic.io/song/5000-rollin-at-5

Podcast information

WeAreSTS is a production of the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at University College London (UCL). To find out more, or to leave feedback about the show:

https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast

Well, the wait is over. The time has come. Season 2 of WeAreSTS is on its way.

This season we’ll feature some cracking projects from STS students. And we’ll have conversations with all sorts of folks here in the department. I’m gonna sneak in a few bonuses too, just to add that tiny bit of sparkle.

WeAreSTS is your window into science and technology studies. You know that science and technology don’t live inside isolated bubbles. You know they’re shaped by all sorts of forces and constraints. STS explores that interplay between science and context. For some, it’s money and politics. For others, it’s geography and imagination. For others still maybe it’s social and cultural biases; the role of age, class and gender; or the way ideas give us certain world views that can be hard to shake. It’s a complex subject “science in context”. That gives us huge amounts to explore.

WeAreSTS is designed to help you join us in what we do. Maybe that’s science policy, innovation studies, or communication. Maybe it’s the hunt for social justice. Maybe you’re fascinated with history, or philosophy, or sociology and you’re looking for big themes to give it all some focus. For me, what works is “Darwin and Dinosaurs” but my-oh-my the big themes are changing fast, and let me tell you, some of those new ideas are mind-blowing.

Season 2 of WeAreSTS begins soon. Listen out for the first episode in early September. Now’s the time to charge your batteries. To tap that subscribe button. And to tell your friends. Hey, even tell your mum: WeAreSTS Season 2 is on its way.