Science fiction has a lot to say about war. From the advanced fighting suits of Starship Troopers and The Forever War, through to the remote warfare of Ender’s Game and the bioform soldiers of Dogs of War, science fiction authors have long written about warfare and the question of where war might go next.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Research
What can we learn from sci-fi movies about futures research?
By Dr Nicole Bulawa and Dr Mike Ryder
While science fiction is known for its warnings about the future, it can teach us other lessons too. Indeed, there is a whole field of study known as ‘futures research’ where scientists try and make sense of our world and make plans for what the future might bring.
This goes far beyond merely trying to predict the future. Rather, it is a way to help us come up with ideas to help us deal with potential challenges and build a better society.
Here’s how just a few of our favourite sci-fi films help us do this…
Continue readingPutting a price on research
Research is far more expensive than many people may think. The reason for this is the huge overheads universities charge to cover the cost of their buildings and pay the wages of the many managers and admin staff that they employ.
Continue readingA sector in crisis: a systematic analysis of care home websites in Lancashire, UK
Back in 2022 I conducted some research into the digital marketing practices of care homes in Lancashire, UK. Such is the slow pace of academic publishing, I have decided to publish what I found here on my website (July 2024), in the hope that authorities might use this report as a motivator for change. While some of the examples I found in 2022 have been updated, I notice that many still have not changed some two years later. This is incredibly worrying, especially given the legal ramifications, and impact on patient choice.
Continue readingWhat the ‘right to die’ debate tells us about sovereignty
Many readers will be familiar with the ongoing debate in the UK around the ‘right to die’. The campaign group Dignity in Dying is calling for a change in the law with a new assisted dying bill to give terminally ill people choice in how and when they die.
However, things aren’t as simple as they may first seem. While many people may well argue that developed nations should not treat their citizens worse than animals, there have been many dissenting voices who suggest that an assisted dying bill may put pressure on people to take their own lives; it may even be a ‘slippery slope’ of legislation that discriminates against the most vulnerable people.
Continue reading