School of PPLS at The University of Edinburgh

How can we make healthcare more sustainable without compromising patient care? In the latest episode, Dr Cristina Ricci explores the ethics of decarbonising healthcare and health justice. Quick note, if you previously followed us on Spotify, you’ll need to follow the podcast again. edin.ac/3W7032I

How can we make healthcare more sustainable while ensuring everyone has access to the medical care they need? Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TldA...

The new season of PPLS Perspectives got underway last week. In the 1st episode Dr Cristina Ricci explains how healthcare contributes to global carbon emissions. You can listen on all formats here: edin.ac/3W7032I Please remember, if you are listener on Spotify, you will need to resubscribe

Today we launch Season 4 of PPLS Perspectives! Our first episode explores how healthcare contributes to global carbon emissions and the ethical challenges of making medicine more sustainable. Apologies, it’s only available on YouTube for now, but should be on Spotify soon! edin.ac/4hXbxgq

New season of our podcast PPLS Perspectives coming tomorrow - Healthcare accounts for 4–5% of global carbon emissions – comparable to the automotive industry. Dr Cristina Ricci explores healthcare’s carbon footprint and the challenges of making medicine more sustainable.

How do children learn to speak? Do apes have language? What can your eyes reveal about what you know? Join experimental linguists to help design experiments, take part in live demonstrations and become a research assistant for the day! Book your free tickets: edin.ac/46nXAlQ

The next season of our podcast PPLS Perspectives will release next week. As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth go back and listen the 1st episode from last year when @proftjcurry.bsky.social sat down with Dr Tony Baugh to discuss the Uni's Race Review. Link to eps in bio. youtube.com/shorts/DULkr...

How can practitioners support emotion regulation in adolescents with ADHD symptoms? This blog for ACMH by Prof of Psychology Aja Murray probes practical strategies including acceptance, cognitive reappraisal, grounding, ‘riding the wave’, tackling rumination & supporting good sleep. edin.ac/4hxYanW

AI agents are beginning to evolve their own languages. New research by @esteng.bsky.social from UT Austin and University of Edinburgh’s @simonkirby.bsky.social explores how and why these languages emerge, evolve and spread—and what this could mean for AI safety. Read more: edin.ac/4izip5U

How does emotional dysregulation affect young people with ADHD? On the latest Mind the Kids podcast from @acamh.bsky.social, Professor Aja Murray discusses her research into ADHD, emotion regulation and mental health, wellbeing, and practical strategies that can help edin.ac/4dda5VC

Could “supportive” brain cells drive cognitive decline? New research finds that dysfunction in oligodendrocytes—the cells that produce myelin—may contribute to age-related changes in the brain and declining cognition, pointing to potential new therapeutic targets. www.msn.com/en-us/health...

Research led by PPLS linguist @simonkirby.bsky.social reveals surprising similarities between birdsong & human language. Bengalese Finches organise their songs using statistical patterns also found in human speech. Read more: tinyurl.com/5ju8h865

How do we come to know the hypercomplex object that is the brain? I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta about the history and philosophy of its simplification, its analogy with computers, & the case for theoretical humility in how we study it. Links: linktr.ee/thehpspodcast

Why does not knowing what happened to a loved one cause such profound harm? In a new blog, @guyfletcher.bsky.social argues that ignorance itself can be a basic harm to our wellbeing—not just the pain it causes. Read more: blog.apaonline.org/2026/08/03/h...

How do we read Black philosophy without diluting its radical ideas? In this thought-provoking article for @aeon.co, @takeshimorisato.bsky.social explores @proftjcurry.bsky.social's concept of epistemic convergence and challenges how Black thought is absorbed into Western philosophy. edin.ac/3S1tPUU

Discover how language, cosmology and art come together in The Language of Time 🌌📖 Created by researchers @naominota.bsky.social and Dr Ben Bose, this graphic novel takes young readers on a journey through space and time—sparking curiosity about science along the way. #STEM #SciComm edin.ac/4wWTVHo

Discover the moving story of Yasuo Takamatsu, who has spent nearly 15 years diving for his wife, Yuko, lost in Japan's 2011 tsunami. Philosophy lecturer @takeshimorisato.bsky.social contributes to this powerful study of love, grief, memory, & devotion - Diving for Yuko www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/....

Absolutely delighted to recently join my co-editor Paolo Stellino for a discussion of philosophy and suicide with @jackrweinstein.bsky.social for @whyradioshow.bsky.social — a diverse and challenging conversation for sure! @oxunipress.bsky.social @schoolofppls.bsky.social youtu.be/hyIh0gmm0YM?...

Here’s to the official release of The Language of Time, an #illustrated children’s #book by Benjamin Bose and me (full online copy: benbose.com/book)! Big THANK YOU to Josiah King & the team at Houtwal for bringing it to life so beautifully by making plushes of “Bob the Black Hole” 🕳️😄

Babies may start learning language before they’re even born. Fascinating insights from Professor Antonella Sorace on bilingualism, code-switching, and why early exposure matters more than “one right method” for raising multilingual children. edin.ac/3RNbdHE

🎉New article from me on the pronouns man/bro - open access as always! 📝 "Pronominal variation in interaction: the interactional function of man and bro" www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Congrats to Professor Antonella Sorace on receiving Sardinia’s Premio Sa Die! Honoured for her global research and advocacy for bilingualism and linguistic diversity—highlighting the importance of language, culture, and identity. Read more here: ppls.ed.ac.uk/sardinia-hon...

Rewilding the Web will take place @schoolofppls.bsky.social on the 28/29th May! With @philosodave.bsky.social, @anil.recoil.org + Jon Crowcroft, Elena Rovenskaya, Orit Halpern, @georgien.bsky.social, @r-emrys.bsky.social, @blaine.bsky.social + others Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rewilding-...

🗣️Join Giulia Mazzola's talk on the 28th of April at 2.10PM "Does semantics motivate syntactic micro-variation? Empirical evidence from causative embedding in Southern Calabrese (Italo-Romance)"! See also ppls.ed.ac.uk/linguistics-... @schoolofppls.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social

In his inaugural lecture, held at Edinburgh Futures Institute, Professor Simon Cox explores what research into brain and cognitive ageing has revealed — and what it has not. 📅 Wed 1 April 🕓 17:15pm 📍 Room 0.01, Edinburgh Futures Institute 🎟️ Free @schoolofppls.bsky.social

New episode of PPLS Perspectives! In this special episode Philosophers @thatwhichischolbi.bsky.social & Professor Michael Gill unpack the @parliament.scot assisted dying bill (17/03/26)—key arguments, evidence & what the debate means for society. Listen here: edin.ac/41zhatn Captions auto-generated.

Foundation-funded research, led by Dr Aja Murray at @schoolofppls.bsky.social, highlights key experiences which increase the risk of mental health conditions in young people with ADHD. This could pave the way for tailored support services. 👉 Read more: bit.ly/4cETTxb #ADHD #MedicalResearch

Congratulations to Professor Antonella Sorace on being elected a Fellow of @acadsocsciences.bsky.social. Recognised for her contributions to linguistics and bilingualism research, and for championing multilingualism and language diversity in society. ppls.ed.ac.uk/linguistics-...

New article by Dr Suilin Lavelle reflects on recent PPLS activities aimed at boosting visibility of psychology beyond the West & tackling epistemic injustice. Featuring insights from Dr Adeyemi Adetula of Alex Ekwueme Federal University. Read more: edin.ac/4aUB6eM #Psychology #EpistemicJustice

A co-study supported by @wellcometrust.bsky.social, led by PPLS researchers, @ox.ac.uk & Paracelsus Medical finds little evidence that typical social media use at 11 or 14 predicts later depression. Heavy use linked to a small rise in suicide attempts. Time alone isn’t the full story edin.ac/4tzZjQa

New PPLS Perspectives episode! PG student Madeline Horner speaks with social psychologist Dr @ahbailey.bsky.social about why we often imagine a “person” as a man — and how subtle gender biases shape language, research, and real-world decisions. Listen here: edin.ac/4tpw8yY

In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature @takeshimorisato.bsky.social

What's it like to speak at a major conference in Japan while still an undergraduate? We caught up with Year 4 student Cameron Bain about presenting his sociolinguistic research at the Asia Pacific Conference. Read more: https://llc.ed.ac.uk/whats-it-like-to-present-at-a-major-conference

In January Dr Tony Baugh became the second Black philosophy student to obtain a PhD from @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social. He has since taken a role at Coppin State University to establish their philosophy offering with the goal of creating a BMS programme. Read Tony's story: edin.ac/4tdMtGQ

Many thanks to my excellent colleague Suilin Lavelle for organising a stimulating cross-disciplinary workshop @schoolofppls.bsky.social on Scientific Pluralism and Majority World Psychology.

Lecture under way @schoolofppls.bsky.social by Dr Adetula on the need to go beyond Western epistemology in psychological research and include African perspectives. Thanks to the School DEI committee for organising this cross-disciplinary event.

In October @proftjcurry.bsky.social became the first Black philosopher to have expert testimony pass the Daubert Standard, the benchmark US courts use to assess the reliability of evidence. Read about Prof Curry's testimony and experience here: edin.ac/3Mnz7qM

Warm congratulations to Mazviita Chirimuuta, who received the 2025 Lakatos Award for her book "The Brain Abstracted" — "an outstanding example of the kind of work being done at the cutting edge of contemporary philosophy of science." mitpress.mit.edu/978026254804...

Last Friday Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta was presented with the Lakatos Award in recognition of her book “The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience”. At the ceremony Dr Chirimuuta gave a lecture which you can view below.

On November 26th (the birthday of the legendary linguist Ferdinand de Saussure), we celebrate #WorldLinguisticsDay. What better way to mark the occasion than sharing the latest episode of our podcast, PPLS Perspectives, which featured Personal Chair of Experimental Linguistics Jenny Culbertson.

Congrats to PhD researcher in Linguistics Ahmed H. Alhuwayshil on being named one of @sgsah.bsky.social Most Innovative Researchers of 2025! His work on scalar implicatures is reshaping how we understand language & thought. Read more: ppls.ed.ac.uk/ppls-linguis...

The New episode of PPLS Perspectives is available now! Maisy Hallam chats with Prof. Jenny Culbertson about how #technology, #AI, and global change are reshaping the future of language — and why #linguistic diversity matters more than ever. Listen now: edin.ac/4r7axdA

Two weeks until the Philosophy of Science Association’s next office hours! @michelamassimi.bsky.social and Mazviita Chirimuuta on “New approaches to realism.” Sign up and more information:

Read Honorary Fellow Dr Miranda Anderson’s review of Resistance, a powerful reflection on protest, photography & the persistence of hope, for @philosopher1923.bsky.social. The exhibition curated by Steve McQueen & Clarrie Wallis is on now @nationalgalleries.bsky.social. Read here: edin.ac/3XcPBE5

How will language shape the future of AI, education & society? At the GESDA Global Summit last month, Prof Jennifer Culbertson explored why understanding language structure & evolution is vital in the age of AI. Read more and watch her talk: edin.ac/3X8WDJY #Linguistics #AI

This month @proftjcurry.bsky.social appeared at the Cambridge Union to debate the intent versus the methods of BLM. Prof Curry speaks as the Second Opposition on the motion “This House Believes BLM's intentions were more important than its methods”. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT8C...