Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 1d

I've found the same thing. My lectures have been full for the last few years. Attendance has not really been an issue.

Reposted by Michael Brown

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 4d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Joanne Begiato @jbhist.bsky.social · 5d

Looking forward to this exciting event!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 5d

How might hands reveal an inner self – a soul, a character, an identity?

Join us on 12 November at Lancaster University to explore this question with Professor Alison Bashford (University of New South Wales) as she presents her book, Decoding the Hand.

Tickets: thevictorianhand.uk/alison-bashf...

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Reposted by Michael Brown

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 5d

How might hands reveal an inner self – a soul, a character, an identity?

Join us on 12 November at Lancaster University to explore this question with Professor Alison Bashford (University of New South Wales) as she presents her book, Decoding the Hand.

Tickets: thevictorianhand.uk/alison-bashf...

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 4d

We're super excited to be hosting Prof. Alison Bashford at @globalaffairslu.bsky.social to hear her talk about her fascinating new book on the history of reading the hand. You can imagine why we'd be interested and we are sure you will be too. Please sign up for free tickets at the link below.

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 5d

How might hands reveal an inner self – a soul, a character, an identity?

Join us on 12 November at Lancaster University to explore this question with Professor Alison Bashford (University of New South Wales) as she presents her book, Decoding the Hand.

Tickets: thevictorianhand.uk/alison-bashf...

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 9d

This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social

Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Katie McDonough @kmcdono.bsky.social · 11d

Wonderful series of talks from Lancaster PhD students. Kind of makes you think everything will be ok.

Schedule for Autumn 2025 History postgraduate research seminar

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Joanne Begiato @jbhist.bsky.social · 11d

We are thrilled that @rosscmrn.bsky.socia has joined out team. We're now able to share our exciting research more fully. Follow @victorianhand.bsky.social to keep up to date!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 11d

We are pleased to annouce that Dr Ross Cameron @rosscmrn.bsky.social has joined The Victorian Hand team as a Public Engagement Fellow at @lcflondon.bsky.social!

Watch this space for upcoming annoucements about public engagement activities and ways to get involved with The Victorian Hand.

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 11d

We are super excired about Ross joining the team and can't wait to get started on all our exciting engagment activities. Stay tuned!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 11d

We are pleased to annouce that Dr Ross Cameron @rosscmrn.bsky.social has joined The Victorian Hand team as a Public Engagement Fellow at @lcflondon.bsky.social!

Watch this space for upcoming annoucements about public engagement activities and ways to get involved with The Victorian Hand.

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Reposted by Michael Brown

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 11d

We are pleased to annouce that Dr Ross Cameron @rosscmrn.bsky.social has joined The Victorian Hand team as a Public Engagement Fellow at @lcflondon.bsky.social!

Watch this space for upcoming annoucements about public engagement activities and ways to get involved with The Victorian Hand.

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Joanne Begiato @jbhist.bsky.social · 13d

"Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI's role in learning"
www.media.mit.edu/publications...

Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task – MIT Media Lab

This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and …

www.media.mit.edu

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 16d

Yes, please do send it in ASAP.

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Joanne Begiato @jbhist.bsky.social · 18d

Please read and share if you are interested in art, emotions, material culture and more!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 18d

Time feels tangible in these casts...
Over on the Victorian Hand project blog, our Research Associate @helenvmurray.bsky.social reflects on her trip to Watts Gallery to research their extensive collection of plaster cast hands..
www.thevictorianhand.uk/blog-touchin...

A plaster cast of the hands of GF Watts, one folded over the other.

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 18d

I have to acknowledge that this by @j-amesmarriott.bsky.social does an excellent job of proving its own point, by being appallingly badly researched (mostly random and inaccurate/misleading snippets from X, I think).

I blame the Times more than Oxford, though.

archive.ph/kYfps

Universities are failing in their most basic functions
Our institutions should be the last redoubts of intelligence — instead they dumb down, silence debate and stifle academic

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 18d

Please read our amazing RA @helenvmurray.bsky.social's evocative blog post on the @victorianhand.bsky.social website, which conjures the tactile, time-spanning qualities of G F Watts' affecting hand casts. As she points out, they were a big influence on the conception of the whole project.

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 18d

Time feels tangible in these casts...
Over on the Victorian Hand project blog, our Research Associate @helenvmurray.bsky.social reflects on her trip to Watts Gallery to research their extensive collection of plaster cast hands..
www.thevictorianhand.uk/blog-touchin...

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 19d

Get your abstracts in today!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 20d

🙋Don't forget! The call for abstracts for our conference on The Hand closes at midnight tonight!

All abstracts should be sent to [email protected]

We can't wait to go through all the incredible submissions we've received, so we can hand-craft a fantastic programme.
Watch this space!

A 2 page spread from a Victorian drawing manual, showing hands, pointing in opposite directions. Text reads: "Last day to submit! The Hand: Emotions, Embodiment, Identity, an Interdisciplinary Conference. London College of Fashion, 8-9 January 2026"

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 23d

😯

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 23d

Very much enjoying the culture of trust and respect implicit in the installation of room usage monitoring devices on academics' office doors today. Imagine my shock on discovering that managers' doors remain unsullied…

A SmartViz monitoring device installed at a university.

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 24d

Please do submit something if hands are your bag!

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 25d

Don't forget to submit to [email protected] by Monday 22 September!

Reposted by Michael Brown

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 25d

Don't forget to submit to [email protected] by Monday 22 September!

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Reposted by Michael Brown

The Victorian Hand @victorianhand.bsky.social · 25d

Touch transcends time...
Last week, @helenvmurray.bsky.social was getting some haptic shivers whilst exploring spiritual hands in the archives of the Society for Psychical Research.

Meanwhile, we're levitating with excitement to receive your abstracts for The Hand: Emotions, Embodiment, Identity.

A hand holding open a nineteenth-century manuscript, laid on a bookrest. The manuscript has marbled endpapers, and a letter on the right-hand page referencing the Victorian medium D.D. Home.

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · 25d

Not sure what 'secure' even looks like for most of right now, be it early, middle, or late career.

Ben Mechen @benmechen.bsky.social · 25d

A good summary of how it’s going. Finished my PhD 9 years ago and am still stringing things together. As the first Anon says, what does ECR (or Mid-career) even mean anymore? That kind of career linearity depends on first vaulting over the fault line of secure/insecure - now a nearly impossible task

will o’the wisp pooley @willpooley.bsky.social · 25d

“Cataclysmically bad”

This new series of ECR blog posts on the French History Network makes for grim reading, perhaps grimmer even than some in UK #FrenchHistory might have realised.

1st post, anon ECRs in French History on what it’s like right now out there:

frenchhistorysociety.co.uk/6691/

🗃️

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · Sep 12

Can you even access the document? I'm told I don't have permission. Is it different from before?

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · Sep 12

I think you may be onto something there ... I hope to see the BA, AHRC, and all professional bodies in the arts and humanities push back against this pernicious nonsense.

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Michael Brown @medhistoryman.bsky.social · Sep 12

Does anyone out there, anyone at all, recognise this government as a LABOUR one? In chasing the far right, all they will do is hand them victory by collapsing their established base of support among social and economic progressives. How many academics would vote Labour now?

Hannah Elias @hannahelias.bsky.social · Sep 12

Amazing the extent to which you can crumple a sector in just the span of a REF cycle…. The kicks keep coming from far-right chasing Labour ministers making policy based on badly conceived impulses mediated through market-speak instead of sound policy to support education and creative research

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Sep 12

'Pausing the Research Excellence Framework (REF) amid concerns over its controversial environment section could signal the start of more fundamental shift away from an institutional focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, say experts.' 1/x

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Reposted by Michael Brown

Dr Sarah Irving @drtermagant.bsky.social · Sep 12

This is a desperately ignorant position from UUK that endangers research that benefits grassroots communities and ignores the fact that much knowledge-building is incremental and begins with small investigations that provide proofs of concept and space to develop ideas:

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Sep 12

'"You can’t have hobbyist research that’s unfunded going on in institutions. We can’t afford it.”'

Such a badly formulated phrasing of the issues, so open to so many misinterpretations. If this is the level of thinking about research among sector leaders and policy-makers, be very afraid.

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Sep 12

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

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