Dan Lockton
@danlockton.com
Utrecht, Netherlands + Norwich, UK
Director of the new Institute for Sustainable Worlds, Norwich University of the Arts ⦿ Design—imagination—climate—futures ⦿ Imaginaries Lab http://imaginari.es ⦿ New Metaphors http://newmetaphors.com ⦿ he/him
Director of the new Institute for Sustainable Worlds, Norwich University of the Arts ⦿ Design—imagination—climate—futures ⦿ Imaginaries Lab http://imaginari.es ⦿ New Metaphors http://newmetaphors.com ⦿ he/him
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Dan Lockton
@danlockton.com
· Oct 14
Join us online on Wed 22 Oct for 'Creative Futures in Education'. We have three amazing speakers: educator-researchers engaging with #futures:
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
Reposted by Dan Lockton
If HE was free at the point of use nobody would ever think like this - it would be seen, rightly, as a public good in which all can participate. But as a commodity, it just stirs resentment. I have many friends who have regaled me with stories of how their kids aren’t getting what they paid for.
November 24, 2025 at 7:59 PM
If HE was free at the point of use nobody would ever think like this - it would be seen, rightly, as a public good in which all can participate. But as a commodity, it just stirs resentment. I have many friends who have regaled me with stories of how their kids aren’t getting what they paid for.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
If I was going to speculate, I’d say that the current government’s hostility to universities, and their refusal to consider them as crucial infrastructure, is directly traceable to Labour’s original decision to institute a fee regime which made HE a commodity in England (especially).
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
If I was going to speculate, I’d say that the current government’s hostility to universities, and their refusal to consider them as crucial infrastructure, is directly traceable to Labour’s original decision to institute a fee regime which made HE a commodity in England (especially).
Really enjoying this from @helleborezine.bsky.social!
(also, intriguing to me that the first story, by Reggie Oliver, incidentally includes a character who was a member of staff at "an art school in Norwich" which is of course the position I also find myself in...)
(also, intriguing to me that the first story, by Reggie Oliver, incidentally includes a character who was a member of staff at "an art school in Norwich" which is of course the position I also find myself in...)
Exciting news! HELLEBORE’s first short story anthology is here! 9 new tales of the supernatural and the strange by Ramsey Campbell, Ally Wilkes, Reggie Oliver, Helen Grant and more, set in some of the most beguiling locations of Occult Britain.
👉🏼 Pre-order now to secure your copy: helleborezine.com
👉🏼 Pre-order now to secure your copy: helleborezine.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Really enjoying this from @helleborezine.bsky.social!
(also, intriguing to me that the first story, by Reggie Oliver, incidentally includes a character who was a member of staff at "an art school in Norwich" which is of course the position I also find myself in...)
(also, intriguing to me that the first story, by Reggie Oliver, incidentally includes a character who was a member of staff at "an art school in Norwich" which is of course the position I also find myself in...)
Reposted by Dan Lockton
We’re often asked whether we’re optimistic or pessimistic about technologies. That’s the wrong question. If any of this matters, we need to stop seeing technology like the weather, to be merely forecasted, and instead see it like politics, to be collectively shaped.
November 16, 2025 at 11:22 AM
We’re often asked whether we’re optimistic or pessimistic about technologies. That’s the wrong question. If any of this matters, we need to stop seeing technology like the weather, to be merely forecasted, and instead see it like politics, to be collectively shaped.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
In this week's post I make the case for an #AI #metaphor observatory tracking how we think and talk about and act on GenAI and LLMs makingsciencepublic.com/2025/11/14/m...
Making the case for an AI metaphor observatory
Between 2023 and 2025 I have written various posts on GenAI, Large Language Models and metaphors: one where I went out hunting for metaphors; one where I had a chat with ChatGTP about metaphors for…
makingsciencepublic.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:18 AM
In this week's post I make the case for an #AI #metaphor observatory tracking how we think and talk about and act on GenAI and LLMs makingsciencepublic.com/2025/11/14/m...
My first Wordpress blog post was 20 years ago today architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2005/11/16/w...
That blog—boosted by links from sites such as BoingBoing (thanks @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy!)—ultimately led to so many opportunities, a PhD, a job in the US, basically my whole career in academia.
That blog—boosted by links from sites such as BoingBoing (thanks @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy!)—ultimately led to so many opportunities, a PhD, a job in the US, basically my whole career in academia.
November 16, 2025 at 8:00 AM
My first Wordpress blog post was 20 years ago today architectures.danlockton.co.uk/2005/11/16/w...
That blog—boosted by links from sites such as BoingBoing (thanks @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy!)—ultimately led to so many opportunities, a PhD, a job in the US, basically my whole career in academia.
That blog—boosted by links from sites such as BoingBoing (thanks @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy!)—ultimately led to so many opportunities, a PhD, a job in the US, basically my whole career in academia.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
"Nostalgia is a warping gravity."
Just for any academics, let me be clear, Hookland is anti-nostalgic. It's an exploration and exorcism of my childhood, not a celebration of falsely remembered sunshine. Nostalgia is a warping gravity.
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM
"Nostalgia is a warping gravity."
Reposted by Dan Lockton
Was really struck by what a lovely inspiring exercise this is, like a primary school version of Mary Oliver’s Instructions for living a life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it
November 10, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Was really struck by what a lovely inspiring exercise this is, like a primary school version of Mary Oliver’s Instructions for living a life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it
Reposted by Dan Lockton
No other word has done more damage to the craft of writing in recent years than “content”. Even if you’re using the word “content” ironically, or as a cute little joke, don’t. When someone calls writing “content” they’re pissing on someone’s hard work & passion. “Content” is Technosatan’s henchword.
November 10, 2025 at 9:15 AM
No other word has done more damage to the craft of writing in recent years than “content”. Even if you’re using the word “content” ironically, or as a cute little joke, don’t. When someone calls writing “content” they’re pissing on someone’s hard work & passion. “Content” is Technosatan’s henchword.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
I know there's more imp things on here today, but anyone have folks/papers I could cite that support to this idea? "Hollywood and mainstream media’s narratives overwhelmingly focus on dystopian climate futures making interventions on what people think is possible more difficult."
November 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I know there's more imp things on here today, but anyone have folks/papers I could cite that support to this idea? "Hollywood and mainstream media’s narratives overwhelmingly focus on dystopian climate futures making interventions on what people think is possible more difficult."
Reposted by Dan Lockton
New utopian pulse is out! 𝐀𝐈 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠? www.uu.nl/en/opinion/a...
This post is for anyone who uses AI text-to-image tools or is concerned by their use. It tells an unexpected tale, which led me back to the cornfields of Illinois to interview my dad about 1970s rural America...
This post is for anyone who uses AI text-to-image tools or is concerned by their use. It tells an unexpected tale, which led me back to the cornfields of Illinois to interview my dad about 1970s rural America...
AI images for dreaming or ghosting?
There is much to say about the implications of using AI to depict so-called better worlds, with already numerous critiques of bias, labour exploitation, and energy unsustainability. Or even worse, the...
www.uu.nl
October 29, 2025 at 8:29 AM
New utopian pulse is out! 𝐀𝐈 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠? www.uu.nl/en/opinion/a...
This post is for anyone who uses AI text-to-image tools or is concerned by their use. It tells an unexpected tale, which led me back to the cornfields of Illinois to interview my dad about 1970s rural America...
This post is for anyone who uses AI text-to-image tools or is concerned by their use. It tells an unexpected tale, which led me back to the cornfields of Illinois to interview my dad about 1970s rural America...
Reposted by Dan Lockton
From coffee to the White House - how metonymies support and destroy our way of life #metonymy #linguistics makingsciencepublic.com/2025/10/26/a...
A week in metonymy: From the personal to the political
Last week was metonymy week for me. In this post I’ll tell you three stories about metonymy, all related to a train ride to and from Oxford with my husband – a sort of anniversary trip, as we met t…
makingsciencepublic.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:09 AM
From coffee to the White House - how metonymies support and destroy our way of life #metonymy #linguistics makingsciencepublic.com/2025/10/26/a...
Now that em-dashes have been ruined by their overpresence in AI slop, we might as well switch to something better⸻namely Unicode U+2E3B, the 3-em dash⸺or at the very least U+2E3A, the 2-em.
October 26, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Now that em-dashes have been ruined by their overpresence in AI slop, we might as well switch to something better⸻namely Unicode U+2E3B, the 3-em dash⸺or at the very least U+2E3A, the 2-em.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
"if your politics is all about offering imaginary solutions to mostly phantasmatic problems, generative AI is the perfect tool for propaganda" — very useful thread
There’s a growing & deeply problematic tendency to use #genAI for political and historical education Take this example from Germany, which translates as: «Hey AI, who should I vote for.» What’s typical here is that AI is not only addressed as pseudo-person but also as a kind of impartial judge
1/
1/
Landtagswahl.ai
KI-generierte Bilder aus den Wahlprogrammen der Parteien zur Landtagswahl - Ausstellung und Podiumsdiskussion; Materialien für Schulklassen
www.landtagswahl.ai
October 23, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"if your politics is all about offering imaginary solutions to mostly phantasmatic problems, generative AI is the perfect tool for propaganda" — very useful thread
Reposted by Dan Lockton
Parents, please check your kids’ candy this Halloween. I’ve just found an ancient metal whistle with the inscription “QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT" inside a Snickers bar. I blew it and heard a note of infinite distance, and now I’m haunted by a figure in pale, fluttering draperies. Be safe.
October 22, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Parents, please check your kids’ candy this Halloween. I’ve just found an ancient metal whistle with the inscription “QUIS EST ISTE QUI VENIT" inside a Snickers bar. I blew it and heard a note of infinite distance, and now I’m haunted by a figure in pale, fluttering draperies. Be safe.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
If I were running Labour comms I would commission an app called 'Will the Tories/Reform deport you?' then let the reactions on TikTok and Instagram do their work.
October 22, 2025 at 10:29 AM
If I were running Labour comms I would commission an app called 'Will the Tories/Reform deport you?' then let the reactions on TikTok and Instagram do their work.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
I cannot quite describe how it feels to hear a proposal to deport millions of people coming from the ostensible 'right of centre' party. I cannot tell you how it feels to know this while waiting for my son's heart surgery: a claim on healthcare that would see me deported under this proposal.
Ostensibly the party of law and order with a plan to deport migrants even if they’ve done nothing more than live here legally and claim support to which they’ve contributed and are entitled. Years of targeting migrants disguised as concern about legality paving the way to this and open violence.
Here Lam explicitly sets out her proposal - which is official Conservative Party policy - to deport long-standing legal permanent residents who have *ever* claimed any benefit, including the state pension or child benefit (even if the child is British), or who earn less than £39K.
October 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
I cannot quite describe how it feels to hear a proposal to deport millions of people coming from the ostensible 'right of centre' party. I cannot tell you how it feels to know this while waiting for my son's heart surgery: a claim on healthcare that would see me deported under this proposal.
Reposted by Dan Lockton
All networking events need at least one designated host who goes around looking for people on their own and introduces them to others with similar interests.
This takes maybe a couple of minutes per person and is pretty fun and easy if you know what you’re doing!
This takes maybe a couple of minutes per person and is pretty fun and easy if you know what you’re doing!
October 16, 2025 at 12:11 PM
All networking events need at least one designated host who goes around looking for people on their own and introduces them to others with similar interests.
This takes maybe a couple of minutes per person and is pretty fun and easy if you know what you’re doing!
This takes maybe a couple of minutes per person and is pretty fun and easy if you know what you’re doing!
Reposted by Dan Lockton
I'm workshopping my AI & Society course for next semester, and in particular what I've been calling the "conscientious objector" path through the class (though I've given it another name). Thoughts?
October 15, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I'm workshopping my AI & Society course for next semester, and in particular what I've been calling the "conscientious objector" path through the class (though I've given it another name). Thoughts?
Reposted by Dan Lockton
It is laughable to think that you can neuter the far right with minor tweaks like this.
How many Conservative or Reform supporters even know that immigrants have to pass a language test? They object to immigration on emotional grounds, not because they have dry objections to eligibility criteria.
How many Conservative or Reform supporters even know that immigrants have to pass a language test? They object to immigration on emotional grounds, not because they have dry objections to eligibility criteria.
October 15, 2025 at 7:20 AM
It is laughable to think that you can neuter the far right with minor tweaks like this.
How many Conservative or Reform supporters even know that immigrants have to pass a language test? They object to immigration on emotional grounds, not because they have dry objections to eligibility criteria.
How many Conservative or Reform supporters even know that immigrants have to pass a language test? They object to immigration on emotional grounds, not because they have dry objections to eligibility criteria.
Join us online on Wed 22 Oct for 'Creative Futures in Education'. We have three amazing speakers: educator-researchers engaging with #futures:
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
October 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Join us online on Wed 22 Oct for 'Creative Futures in Education'. We have three amazing speakers: educator-researchers engaging with #futures:
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
↠ Grace Turtle (Monstrous Futurities, Sandberg Inst)
↠ Christian Petersen (Norwich University of the Arts)
↠ shobhan s (Purdue University & slowstudio)
A very niche post for the #petrocultures historians of East Anglia, but I thought it was interesting to see “carless” as an intentional typo on the Hiscox advert, as I headed on the train towards Harwich,where for 60 years the Carless name hasn’t been a typo at all
October 8, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A very niche post for the #petrocultures historians of East Anglia, but I thought it was interesting to see “carless” as an intentional typo on the Hiscox advert, as I headed on the train towards Harwich,where for 60 years the Carless name hasn’t been a typo at all