Professor Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the “Godfather of AI”, will deliver the University of Oxford’s annual public Romanes lecture, discussing whether digital intelligence will replace biological intelligence. Monday 19 February at 5.30pm, register now. #RomanesLecture

Spaces of Exception is a documentary film that profiles the terrains of the Indian reservation and the
Palestinian refugee camp, “spaces of exception” that have become essential in the struggle for
decolonization and indigenous autonomy. Shot between 2014 to 2017, Spaces of Exception observes
and juxtaposes the communities and struggles of the American Indian reservation and the Palestinian
refugee camp. It visits reservations in Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and South Dakota, as well

On 13 January 2024, 14 million Taiwanese voters went to the polling stations and elected the new president, vice president, and legislators of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Securing 40% of the votes, William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the presidential race against his opponents: Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang (KMT) with 33.5%, and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) with 26.5%.

To join in person, you must register in advance: https://forms.office.com/e/WiV9x60k3b

To join online via Zoom, you must register in advance: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpdOGsqD8pHtED_Rb6xY5KG0cuEm9EAN76

A growing body of research shows that partisan animosity has implications in nonpolitical settings, including dating, hiring practices, or economic interactions. Much less is known, however, about its impact on workplace cooperation between colleagues, especially when information about coworkers’ competence – an important characteristic in the context of work – is also available. In this article, we investigate how workes balance information about coworkers’ political leanings with their competence.

Seminar 2 of Hilary Term's Sociology Seminar Series

Please join either in person or online. For in-person attendees, the talk will be preceded by a light lunch at 12.15pm.

Please email comms@sociology.ox.ac.uk with any questions or to receive the Microsoft Teams link.

Family Matters: How Family Concerns Relate to Policy Preferences and Political Choice
Work with Zack Grant and Geoffrey Evans, Nuffield Politics Research Centre, Nuffield College

Where do people get their policy preferences from? We argue that one over-looked, but important mechanism, is people’s family ties, comprising a key ‘in-group’ through which emotional bonds and linked fates mean the financial well-being of close family members, and the risks of supporting them, form an important driver of policy preferences and political choices.

Sir Patrick Vallance was the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor during the covid pandemic and had a higher public profile than any other scientist in that position. His experience gives him a unique perspective to address the question “Why Governments need Scientists”.

The talk is hosted by the OMS Director, Sir Charles Godfray, and the Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Sir Andrew Pollard.

To register to attend in-person: https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/events/why-governments-need-scientists/