A space to explore, share and shape the issues facing social scientists

Welcome to the blog for the Social Science Bites podcast: a series of interviews with leading Social Scientists. Each episode explores an aspect of our social world. You can access all audio and the transcripts from each interview here. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @socialscibites to keep up to date on the latest activities.

David Spiegelhalter on Communicating Statistics

By Social Science Bites | Published: April 2, 2018

While they aren’t as unpopular as politicians or journalists, people who work with statistics come in for their share of abuse. “Figures lie and liars figure,” goes one maxim. And don’t forget, “There are three...

Posted in Public Engagement, Social Science Bites | Tagged David Spiegelhalter, Royal Statistical Society, Statistics | Leave a comment

Sander van der Linden on Viral Altruism

By Social Science Bites | Published: March 1, 2018

When online charitable appeals take off, social psychologist Sander van der Linden perks up. He studies ‘viral altruism,’ and in this Social Science Bites podcast he details to host David Edmonds how he studies this...

Posted in Research, Social Science Bites | Tagged Social Psychology, Vital Altruism | 2 Responses

Melinda Mills on Sociogenomics

By Social Science Bites | Published: February 1, 2018

Combining sociology and genetics, Melinda Mills and her collaborators abandon the nature v. nurture controversy for empirical research on family formation, inequality, child-rearing and other real-life concerns. In this Social Science Bites podcast, she discusses...

Posted in Social Science Bites | Tagged Genetics, Melinda Mills, Sociogenomics, Sociology | Leave a comment

Jo Boaler on Fear of Mathematics

By Social Science Bites | Published: January 2, 2018

There's a lot of myths that get in the way of learning maths, says Stanford University's Jo Boaler, and her research not only topples conventional wisdom but gives solid ways of allowing everyone to harness...

Posted in Higher Education Reform, Research, Social Science Bites | Tagged Education, Jo Boaler, Mathematics, Teaching Math Phobia | Leave a comment

Bev Skeggs on Social Media Siloing

By Social Science Bites | Published: December 1, 2017

“Most people,” explains Goldsmiths sociologist Bev Skeggs in this Social Science Space podcast, “think they’re using Facebook to communicate with friends. Basically they’re using it to reveal how much they can be sold for, now...

Posted in Social Science Bites | Tagged Bev Skeggs, Social Media | Leave a comment

Sabina Alkire on Measuring Poverty

By Social Science Bites | Published: November 1, 2017

Economist Sabina Alkire has spent her career looking at all the things beyond just a lack of money that make us poor. In this Social Science Bites podcast, the director of the Oxford Poverty and...

Posted in Public Policy, Social Science Bites | Tagged Poverty, Sabina Alkire | Leave a comment

Tom Chatfield on Critical Thinking and Bias

By Social Science Bites | Published: October 2, 2017

Philosopher Tom Chatfield’s media presence – which is substantial – is often directly linked to his writings on technology. But his new book is on critical thinking, and while that involves humanity’s oldest computer, the...

Posted in Social Science Bites | Tagged Bias, Critical Thinking, Tom Chatfield | Leave a comment

Ioanna Palaiologou on Play

By Social Science Bites | Published: September 1, 2017

In the Social Science Bites podcast, Ioanna Palaiologou and Dave Edmonds also talk about cultural differences in play and how it is a vital part of children’s emotional development. All work and no play, it...

Posted in Research, Social Science Bites | Tagged Early Education, Ioanna Palaiologou, Play | Leave a comment

Al Roth on Matching Markets

By Social Science Bites | Published: August 1, 2017

In this Social Science Bites podcast, Nobel laureate economist Al Roth explains to interview David Edmonds some of the ins and outs of market matching, giving a wealth of real-world examples.

Posted in Social Science Bites | Tagged Al Roth, Game Theory, Kidney Transplants, Matching Markets, Nobel Prize | Leave a comment

Theresa Marteau on Healthy Environments

By Social Science Bites | Published: July 7, 2017

In this Social Science Bites podcast, the director of Studies for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge’s Christ’s College discusses how environment – and that includes the cultural, built and financial environments --buttresses short term...

Posted in Public Policy, Social Science Bites | Tagged Health, Theresa Marteau | Leave a comment

Mary Bosworth on Border Criminology

By Social Science Bites | Published: June 1, 2017

Border criminology, Mary Bosworth details in this Social Science Bites podcast, is trying to understand both things that are happening at the border but also things that are happening in our criminal justice system.

Posted in Public Policy, Social Science Bites | Tagged Border Criminology, Mary Bosworth | Leave a comment

Whose Work Most Influenced You? A Social Science Bites Retrospective, Part 3

By Social Science Bites | Published: May 16, 2017

Ask a number of influential social scientists who in turn influenced them, and you’d likely get a blue-ribbon primer on the classics in social science. And so it as we present the third and final...

Posted in Impact, Social Science Bites | Tagged Compilation, influence | Leave a comment

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View all

David Spiegelhalter on Communicating Statistics

Sander van der Linden on Viral Altruism

Melinda Mills on Sociogenomics

Jo Boaler on Fear of Mathematics

Bev Skeggs on Social Media Siloing

Sabina Alkire on Measuring Poverty

Tom Chatfield on Critical Thinking and Bias

Ioanna Palaiologou on Play

Al Roth on Matching Markets

Theresa Marteau on Healthy Environments

Mary Bosworth on Border Criminology

Whose Work Most Influenced You? A Social Science Bites Retrospective, Part 3

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