WeAreSTS

What can you do with a degree with a BSc in Sociology and Politics of Science? Joe talks with Isobel Lim (Sociology and Politics of Science BSc 2022) about life after her UCL degree with us here in STS. She wrote a unique dissertation on Pokemon Go. That influenced her to take up a post with a Indonesian tech startup. There, she gained valuable experience in the collectibles and esports sector. With a long-standing passion for computer games, Isobel transitioned into the rapidly growing esports industry. She highlights Pokemon's entry into esports in 2022 with Pokemon Go and Pokemon Unite. The industry has been growing rapidly, now with immense demand, rapid ticket sell-outs, and global events. Esports have transformed from a niche hobby into a major spectacle. Isobel finds many ways to apply her interdisciplinary interests to the eSports universe. Data analytics was an important start for her. She finds her studies in understanding human behaviour and identifying patterns to be invaluable for navigating the industry's complexities. Her science communication training has been vital for understanding how to expand engagement with fans and identify patterns for monetising this booming market. Interdisciplinary is one of the skills developed during her degree that she covets. Featuring Interviewee Isobel Lim (Sociology and Politics BSc 2022) Host Professor Joe Cain https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain Music credits "Rollin at 5" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 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

Talking about suicide and its myths can save lives. Easha Kapur (UCL Politics and International Relations BSc, 2025) takes on the critical issue of youth mental health, aiming to debunk prevalent myths that often hinder young people from seeking vital support. She interviews her father, Professor Navneet Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health. He’s a leading expert on the subject of self-harm and suicide. This podcast makes complex academic insights accessible, addressing the rising psychological stress among youth. It’s important listening for young people, teachers, and caregivers hoping to understand and support mental wellbeing. The episode directly challenges common misconceptions, revealing that talking about suicide generally does not increase its likelihood. It corrects the notion that suicide rates surged during the pandemic, noting they actually fell due to social cohesion. A key focus is men's mental health, dispelling the myth that men don't seek help by highlighting that 90% of men at high suicide risk had indeed sought assistance. The discussion also debunks the idea that suicidal thoughts are merely attention-seeking or exclusively linked to diagnosed mental illness, emphasizing underlying issues and broader societal factors. Finally, the podcast explores the dual impacts of social media on mental health, offering guidance on navigating online information and highlighting the roles of educators, parents, and legislators. It advocates for sensitive language like “died by suicide” to reduce stigma. Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with self- harm or suicide, help is available 24/7 via the Samaritans helpline on 116 123. Featuring Episode producer Easha Kapur (Politics and International Relations BSc, 2025) https://www.linkedin.com/in/easha-kapur-102087184/?originalSubdomain=uk Interviewer Easha Kapur (Politics and International Relations BSc) https://www.linkedin.com/in/easha-kapur-102087184/?originalSubdomain=uk Interviewees Professor Navneet Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/nav.kapur Host Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain Music credits Inside Easha’s episode “Windows Night Celeste Loop” By Liecio, public domain, https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/windows-night-celeste-loop-132289/ Episode introduction and exit "Rollin at 5" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http:// Podcast information Episode 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

Today, an experiment: can Generative AI replace this podcast? We’re asking because there’s a new feature in the GenAI service, Google Notebook LM. It creates an audio conversation based on documents you simply upload to it. Just give it a few minutes. The output is a conversation featuring two voices and it sounds… well….that what we’re testing. The experiment today is to upload an academic paper, ask it to generate a conversation, then press play. Is it any good? For this, I’m choosing a paper I wrote that I really want to talk about on the podcast. It was published earlier this year. It’s titled, “When Fieldwork Goes Wrong, Go Public: George Gaylord Simpson and Anne Roe in Venezuela, 1938-1939”. It’s a story of fossil hunting, and a bunch of twists and turns on, during on specific expedition. The essay appears in a published by UCL Press and edited by Chris Manias. The book is called Palaeontology in Public: Popular Science, Lost Creatures and Deep Time, pp. 221-253. Because it’s UCL Press, it’s available free as open access, just like all their books. Book: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781800085824 We’re splitting today’s episode into two parts. In Part 1, you hear the conversation generated by the AI software, Google Notebook. It’s unedited and straight from the processor. In Part 2, I’ll be interviewed about the paper and about the conversation. Our guest interviewer is our producer, Capri Huffman. Capri’s an expert digesting academic work like this. She can spot main points and subtle ones. In one way, we’ll be treating treat Google Notebook as just another reader: What does it take away when processing the paper? What does it claim are the main points, the strengths, and the weaknesses? In another way, I wonder if this approach is a way to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of generative AI for something we teachers can use in the classroom. Featuring Interviewer Capri Huffman, MSc Science, Technology and Society Interviewee Professor Joe Cain Also featuring Google Notebook LLM voices Host Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain Music credits Entry and Exit Music "Rollin at 5" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) CCBY4.0 Music in the Break "Sweeter Vermouth" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) CCBY4.0

What is love? Can we program machines to be in love or to love us back? Ken Sio (UCL Human Sciences BSc) tackles one of humanity’s greatest questions but adds a modern twist: Can generative AI learn to love, or at least, can it make us believe it loves us back? As Generative AI becomes ubiquitous, the market is rising quickly for ever more sophisticated virtual companions. They promise devoted support, connection, inexhaustible empathy, and sometimes, swirling romance. Algorithms might be able to mimic love. They might be able to do it convincingly. When they do, what does it mean for us to keep asking, “is it real?” To explore questions of love in the machine, Ken teams up with Sol, a sharp-witted voice from ChatGPT4.0. Together they explore what love means for humans by trying to find it in machines. From neurotransmitters sparking our emotions to Plato’s musings in The Symposium, Ken, Sol, and their human guests unpack how biology, evolution and philosophy shape our understanding of the experience we call “love”. In this moment of rapid invention, what they discover may surprise us all. ****Trigger Warning**** This episode briefly mentions suicide and other sensitive topics. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. Contact Samaritans in the UK at 116 123. Featuring Episode producer and creator Ken Sio, BSc Human Sciences www.linkedin.com/in/kensio Interviewers Ken Sio https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensio/ ‘Sol’ (Powered by ChatGPT-4.0, Advanced Voice Mode) Interviewees Dr Emily Emott, UCL Associate Professor in Biological Anthropology https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/people/emily-emmott Taylor Enoch, PhD Candidate and Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at UCL https://www.taylordenoch.com/ Host Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology. https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain Show Producer and Mixer Capri Huffman, MSc Science, Technology and Society Music and sound credits in Ken’s episode see episode library Intro and Outro Music "Rollin at 5," by Kevin MacLeod available: https://incompetech.com CC By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Break Music “Laconic Granny,” by Kevin Macleod available: https://incompetech.com CC By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Programme WeAreSTS is a production of UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Visit: https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast

By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some degree of hearing loss. Darcy Watson (UCL BSc Human Sciences) explores the subject of ‘hearing health’ with audiology expert Charlotte Rogers. How might our modern, tech-driven lifestyles be quietly eroding our hearing? From our constant usage of personal devices to the exposure to environmental factors that exacerbate hearing loss, the hidden risks of today's world are anything but silent in their long-term impact. Is our generation unknowingly heading towards a hearing crisis? Can innovation and lifestyle adjustments provide a solution before it’s too late? Listen close - but not too closely - to discover what’s truly on the line for our hearing. “Deaf Sentence” is a project created by Darcy Watson for the UCL module, HPSC0161 Podcasting as Science Communication, offered by Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). For more information about the course, visit profjoecain.net/0161 Featuring Interviewer and Project Creator Darcy Watson (Human Sciences BSc) linkedin.com/in/darcy-watson-7909621a9 Interviewees Charlotte Rogers, Hearing Rehabilitation Specialist. Currently, Charlotte is a Education and Engagement Growth Specialist at Cochlear https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-rogers-686615132/ Host Professor Joe Cain, UCL Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/cain Music credits “Easy Podcast Intro Theme” by Novifi https://pixabay.com/music/beats-easy- podcast-intro-theme-255102/ "Rollin at 5" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ About WeAreSTS WeAreSTS is a production of UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Visit: https://ucl.ac.uk/sts/podcast