Warren Pearce
@warrenpearce.bsky.social
Academic.
Digital methods.
Climate change.
Expertise.
Imagery.
Occasional music posts.
#AcademicSky #STS
https://sheffield.ac.uk/spir/people/academic/warren-pearce
Digital methods.
Climate change.
Expertise.
Imagery.
Occasional music posts.
#AcademicSky #STS
https://sheffield.ac.uk/spir/people/academic/warren-pearce
Pinned
Warren Pearce
@warrenpearce.bsky.social
· Jul 11
How has computer vision changed Google's knowledge infrastructure? 🤔
*Extremely* happy that our pre-print now up at SocArXiv. Our amazing team dig into Google Images, the #AI technology driving it, and the impacts for users.
osf.io/preprints/so...
#STS #digitalmethods @digitalmethods.net
*Extremely* happy that our pre-print now up at SocArXiv. Our amazing team dig into Google Images, the #AI technology driving it, and the impacts for users.
osf.io/preprints/so...
#STS #digitalmethods @digitalmethods.net
Reposted by Warren Pearce
score one for "the pundits are projecting their own preoccupations onto the electorate"
Earle-Sears ran what felt like 12 billion ads about how much she hated trans kids and I didn’t hear a single pundit say she should stick to real issues that affect real people.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins Virginia governor’s race.
November 5, 2025 at 1:15 AM
score one for "the pundits are projecting their own preoccupations onto the electorate"
Reposted by Warren Pearce
Today I did something I should have done months ago. I went to an 'asylum seeker hotel protest' to speak to all involved. Protestors, live stream vlogger, police, counter-protestors. My main take away is that anyone wishing to understand this movement should do the same. Chat. Listen. Reflections🧵
November 1, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Today I did something I should have done months ago. I went to an 'asylum seeker hotel protest' to speak to all involved. Protestors, live stream vlogger, police, counter-protestors. My main take away is that anyone wishing to understand this movement should do the same. Chat. Listen. Reflections🧵
Reposted by Warren Pearce
Striking women!
In or passing through Sheffield before 4 Nov?
Get yourself to the _Winter Gardens_ to check out the wonderful comic and archives from Prof Anitha Sundari's work with Prof Ruth Pearson on the 1976 Grunwick Strike and 2005 Gate Gourmet dispute. sheffield.ac.uk/spir/news/ne...
In or passing through Sheffield before 4 Nov?
Get yourself to the _Winter Gardens_ to check out the wonderful comic and archives from Prof Anitha Sundari's work with Prof Ruth Pearson on the 1976 Grunwick Strike and 2005 Gate Gourmet dispute. sheffield.ac.uk/spir/news/ne...
New exhibition: Striking Women - South Asians Workers' struggles in the UK labour market
Striking Women: South Asians Workers' struggles in the UK labour market, led by Professor Sundari Anitha, with Professor Ruth Pearson, is a fascinating new exhibition in this year’s Festival of Social...
sheffield.ac.uk
October 30, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Striking women!
In or passing through Sheffield before 4 Nov?
Get yourself to the _Winter Gardens_ to check out the wonderful comic and archives from Prof Anitha Sundari's work with Prof Ruth Pearson on the 1976 Grunwick Strike and 2005 Gate Gourmet dispute. sheffield.ac.uk/spir/news/ne...
In or passing through Sheffield before 4 Nov?
Get yourself to the _Winter Gardens_ to check out the wonderful comic and archives from Prof Anitha Sundari's work with Prof Ruth Pearson on the 1976 Grunwick Strike and 2005 Gate Gourmet dispute. sheffield.ac.uk/spir/news/ne...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
I'm excited to finally have a preprint of this paper up, a few years in the making.
In it we argue that industry-driven manipulation of social media research is well underway and that norms and institutions in the field are ill-prepared to resist tech's influence.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894
In it we argue that industry-driven manipulation of social media research is well underway and that norms and institutions in the field are ill-prepared to resist tech's influence.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894
October 24, 2025 at 12:12 AM
I'm excited to finally have a preprint of this paper up, a few years in the making.
In it we argue that industry-driven manipulation of social media research is well underway and that norms and institutions in the field are ill-prepared to resist tech's influence.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894
In it we argue that industry-driven manipulation of social media research is well underway and that norms and institutions in the field are ill-prepared to resist tech's influence.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.19894
Early train->Skegness (with some keen sunseekers ☀️ ) en route to York for the White Rose DTP Welcome Event
Reconnecting with our fantastic students, hearing their hopes & fears for the coming year and unveiling our Digital Tech, Communication & AI training programme wrdtp.ac.uk/training/tra... 🤓
Reconnecting with our fantastic students, hearing their hopes & fears for the coming year and unveiling our Digital Tech, Communication & AI training programme wrdtp.ac.uk/training/tra... 🤓
Training and Events Calendar – White Rose DTP
wrdtp.ac.uk
October 29, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Early train->Skegness (with some keen sunseekers ☀️ ) en route to York for the White Rose DTP Welcome Event
Reconnecting with our fantastic students, hearing their hopes & fears for the coming year and unveiling our Digital Tech, Communication & AI training programme wrdtp.ac.uk/training/tra... 🤓
Reconnecting with our fantastic students, hearing their hopes & fears for the coming year and unveiling our Digital Tech, Communication & AI training programme wrdtp.ac.uk/training/tra... 🤓
Reposted by Warren Pearce
"We focus on Israel during 2023, a period marked by intense political polarization...We find that exposure to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity, compared to smaller, less consistent associations with outgroup toxicity."
Social media users adopt the toxic behaviors of ingroup members
An analysis of 7 million tweets from over 700,000 accounts finds that exposures to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity online academic.oup.com/jcmc/article...
An analysis of 7 million tweets from over 700,000 accounts finds that exposures to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity online academic.oup.com/jcmc/article...
October 22, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"We focus on Israel during 2023, a period marked by intense political polarization...We find that exposure to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity, compared to smaller, less consistent associations with outgroup toxicity."
Gillian Tett: is AI a cargo cult? www.ft.com/content/f202...
AI has a cargo cult problem
Spending vast sums and inflating an investment bubble is no guarantee of unleashing technological magic
www.ft.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Gillian Tett: is AI a cargo cult? www.ft.com/content/f202...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
At #aoir2025 I’m presenting on what I term “platformed nostalgia”, which I explore via an analysis of Automattic-era Tumblr’s efforts to commercialise historical social media nostalgia in its marketing (particularly in response to the X-odus). I’m in the Memes panel at 9am tomorrow. Sneak peak 👀
October 16, 2025 at 7:52 PM
At #aoir2025 I’m presenting on what I term “platformed nostalgia”, which I explore via an analysis of Automattic-era Tumblr’s efforts to commercialise historical social media nostalgia in its marketing (particularly in response to the X-odus). I’m in the Memes panel at 9am tomorrow. Sneak peak 👀
Reposted by Warren Pearce
Trailer for Synthetic Sincerity which I wrote , directed by Marc Isaacs which will have its world Premiere in competition at IDFA in November
October 16, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Trailer for Synthetic Sincerity which I wrote , directed by Marc Isaacs which will have its world Premiere in competition at IDFA in November
Great evening of knowledge, wordplay and truths from Chuck D at Leeds International Festival.
“They treating the masses like them asses” 🫡
#LIFI25
“They treating the masses like them asses” 🫡
#LIFI25
October 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Great evening of knowledge, wordplay and truths from Chuck D at Leeds International Festival.
“They treating the masses like them asses” 🫡
#LIFI25
“They treating the masses like them asses” 🫡
#LIFI25
On way home from superb Cultural Climate Models meeting in Graz with @davidhiggins.bsky.social @caroschwegler.bsky.social et al. Looking forward to seeing in print the new approach to modelling from this truly interdisciplinary international collab
gewi.uni-graz.at/en/unsere-fo...
gewi.uni-graz.at/en/unsere-fo...
October 8, 2025 at 10:34 AM
On way home from superb Cultural Climate Models meeting in Graz with @davidhiggins.bsky.social @caroschwegler.bsky.social et al. Looking forward to seeing in print the new approach to modelling from this truly interdisciplinary international collab
gewi.uni-graz.at/en/unsere-fo...
gewi.uni-graz.at/en/unsere-fo...
Excellent analysis of the dilemmas presented to the IPCC by AI! The question of whether there should be an IPCC chatbot is crucial. Given close control over communication products in the past, an “official” chatbot would signal a v different attitude to risk.
How can the #IPCC navigate generative AI?
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
www.swp-berlin.org
October 3, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Excellent analysis of the dilemmas presented to the IPCC by AI! The question of whether there should be an IPCC chatbot is crucial. Given close control over communication products in the past, an “official” chatbot would signal a v different attitude to risk.
Reposted by Warren Pearce
New working paper out: "Four scenarios for an @ipcc.bsky.social navigating Artificial Intelligence"
Led by @hollyjeanbuck.bsky.social, with @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Thread 🧵
1/13
Led by @hollyjeanbuck.bsky.social, with @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Thread 🧵
1/13
September 29, 2025 at 11:36 AM
New working paper out: "Four scenarios for an @ipcc.bsky.social navigating Artificial Intelligence"
Led by @hollyjeanbuck.bsky.social, with @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Thread 🧵
1/13
Led by @hollyjeanbuck.bsky.social, with @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Thread 🧵
1/13
Reposted by Warren Pearce
How can the #IPCC navigate generative AI?
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
www.swp-berlin.org
October 1, 2025 at 3:45 PM
How can the #IPCC navigate generative AI?
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
What does it mean for scientific assessment more broadly?
New working paper looks at scenarios for AI adoption & resistance, w/ @dralaaclimate.bsky.social @shinasayama.bsky.social and Oliver Geden
Reflections welcome!
www.swp-berlin.org/publications...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
We need an associate lecturer in history of modern science @stsucl.bsky.social www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
September 26, 2025 at 8:57 AM
We need an associate lecturer in history of modern science @stsucl.bsky.social www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
"Common decency stigmatizes people that do not participate in it—removes them from voluntary association. We indeed have to live with one another, but terms and conditions apply."
me on why Ezra Klein should be ashamed / why shame is Good Actually
www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...
me on why Ezra Klein should be ashamed / why shame is Good Actually
www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...
How Can We Live Together? - Boston Review
Ezra Klein is wrong: shame is essential.
www.bostonreview.net
September 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
"Common decency stigmatizes people that do not participate in it—removes them from voluntary association. We indeed have to live with one another, but terms and conditions apply."
me on why Ezra Klein should be ashamed / why shame is Good Actually
www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...
me on why Ezra Klein should be ashamed / why shame is Good Actually
www.bostonreview.net/articles/how...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
I am a new Expert Voices columnist @science.org and my first article just came out! In it, I argue that scaling technology has a dark side, particularly when it comes to alleviating inequality and injustice. And I suggest what scientists, engineers, and policymakers can do about it.
Beware the drive to scale technology
When it comes to technology, scalability—its capacity to be standardized and then distributed en masse and across contexts—is the ultimate goal. Scientists and engineers view scalability as the route ...
www.science.org
September 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
I am a new Expert Voices columnist @science.org and my first article just came out! In it, I argue that scaling technology has a dark side, particularly when it comes to alleviating inequality and injustice. And I suggest what scientists, engineers, and policymakers can do about it.
Reposted by Warren Pearce
"Epistemic oligarchies: capture and concentration through science reform", a new preprint by Sven Ulpts (not here), Sheena Bartscherer (also not here), @nicolecnelson.bsky.social and me. Read it here: zenodo.org/records/1713... 1/
Epistemic oligarchies: capture and concentration through science reform
In this paper we describe how current efforts to reform science create oligarchic power structures within science and prepare scientific products for the uptake by existing oligarchic actors like Big ...
zenodo.org
September 17, 2025 at 8:23 AM
"Epistemic oligarchies: capture and concentration through science reform", a new preprint by Sven Ulpts (not here), Sheena Bartscherer (also not here), @nicolecnelson.bsky.social and me. Read it here: zenodo.org/records/1713... 1/
Reposted by Warren Pearce
If you have a spare 15 minutes today and care about the kids X smartphone debate, then read this excellent, excellent article: www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
Is Jonathan Haidt right about smartphones?
In ‘The Anxious Generation’, Haidt makes the case that social media and smartphones have ‘rewired’ today’s teenagers, but his critics say the evidence tells us something very different - and that bann...
www.tes.com
September 9, 2025 at 7:09 AM
If you have a spare 15 minutes today and care about the kids X smartphone debate, then read this excellent, excellent article: www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
Reposted by Warren Pearce
Everyone with the internet has access: it's free to read.
This is a really astute analysis. Read it if you have access.
University crisis is forcing the REF to lower its expectations - Research Professional News
When dauntingly complex plans meet cash-strapped institutions, something’s got to give, says Anna Grey
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
September 5, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Everyone with the internet has access: it's free to read.
A third of survey respondents *had not heard* the argument that the richest 1% emit twice as much as carbon as the world's poorest 50% 😳
Communicating climate change as apolitical is good for some....
Data -> climatebarometer.org/climate-baro...
#climatechange
Communicating climate change as apolitical is good for some....
Data -> climatebarometer.org/climate-baro...
#climatechange
September 4, 2025 at 5:19 PM
A third of survey respondents *had not heard* the argument that the richest 1% emit twice as much as carbon as the world's poorest 50% 😳
Communicating climate change as apolitical is good for some....
Data -> climatebarometer.org/climate-baro...
#climatechange
Communicating climate change as apolitical is good for some....
Data -> climatebarometer.org/climate-baro...
#climatechange
Reposted by Warren Pearce
We're hiring a new lecturer @stsucl.bsky.social. We're looking for someone with particular interests in the environment. Please share widely www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
September 4, 2025 at 11:18 AM
We're hiring a new lecturer @stsucl.bsky.social. We're looking for someone with particular interests in the environment. Please share widely www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Scraping tools like @digitalmethods.net Zeeschuimer, @lescarr.bsky.social WDRA are *vital* for social media research but how widely are they used? 🤔
If you use these tools or similar in your work, please reply 'teaching' 'research' 'both' 👇🏽 or via email if preferred 🤗
#AcademicSky
If you use these tools or similar in your work, please reply 'teaching' 'research' 'both' 👇🏽 or via email if preferred 🤗
#AcademicSky
September 4, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Scraping tools like @digitalmethods.net Zeeschuimer, @lescarr.bsky.social WDRA are *vital* for social media research but how widely are they used? 🤔
If you use these tools or similar in your work, please reply 'teaching' 'research' 'both' 👇🏽 or via email if preferred 🤗
#AcademicSky
If you use these tools or similar in your work, please reply 'teaching' 'research' 'both' 👇🏽 or via email if preferred 🤗
#AcademicSky
Reposted by Warren Pearce
Our data stewards have started recommending that we no longer use US-based infrastructure for #openscience practices, given the risk of (near-future) censorship, from pre-print and data hosting to preregistration and more. That includes OSF.
September 3, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Our data stewards have started recommending that we no longer use US-based infrastructure for #openscience practices, given the risk of (near-future) censorship, from pre-print and data hosting to preregistration and more. That includes OSF.