Linguists first used the term backchannel to refer to the spontaneous responses and signals that provide interactivity to what is only apparently a one-way communication. Social media users have adopted the term to refer to the unofficial, multi-directional online conversation that parallels formal academic exchange at a lecture or conference. The Backchannels blog is intended to have a similar relationship to scholarly discourse in STS. It provides an outlet for alternative-format scholarly communications, publishing shorter, timelier, media-rich communiques of interest to the global STS community. The editors welcome proposed contributions.
Apr 21 2025
Ola Michalec Ph.D. considers the collective excitement surrounding AI and the ways in which the 'hype machine' mobilises resources, enrols new actors, creates pressure to accelerate responses, clouds judgement, conceals power dynamics or detracts from crucial infrastructural work. How might we situate the buzz and buzzwords AI as integral to the hype machine of promotion, exaggerated claims, collective frenzy, leadership and strong emotional responses influencing economic trends, political agend...
Apr 7 2025
Zeeda F. Mohamad explores the “Heartware approach” in sustainability science: a visualisation tool to enable community-based participation that emphasizes the integration of cultural values into environmental sustainability governance frameworks.
Apr 1 2025
This report on an EASST/4S 2024 panel is the third in a three-part series about interspecies agencies. Part Three rethinks STS through the lens of multispecies relations.
Mar 24 2025
This report on an EASST/4S 2024 panel is the second in a three-part series about interspecies agencies. Part Two highlights methodologies for studying multispecies relationships.
Mar 17 2025
This report on an EASST/4S 2024 panel introduces a three-part series about interspecies agencies, highlighting territorial conflicts first.
Mar 3 2025
In this post, Kim M. Hajek, Paul Trauttmansdorff, Sabina Leonelli report on the “Understanding Misinformation” international symposium held on December 9th, 2024, at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Mar 1 2025
Kai River Blevins argues for the development of a critical phenomenology of care to better understand hype around psychedelic science
Feb 24 2025
In this post, Juan Ortiz Freuler presents a need for a wide collective structure beyond central players to reclaim digital sovereignty for nations in the Global Majority
Feb 10 2025
Images depicting dark skin tones are significantly under-represented in the educational materials used to teach primary care physicians and dermatologists to recognize skin diseases. In this piece, Celia Cintas introduces an open-source initiative to fight this issue.
Feb 9 2025
Reflecting upon the Alphafold as the recent recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize in Chemistry, this post examines the role of artificial intelligence and new ways of 'doing science' aligned toward gamification, contests and awards.