Sign in

Ralph Scott

@ralphscott.bsky.social
2.4K followers 1.8K following 859 posts

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in politics at the University of Bristol. Investigating the effect of education on political attitudes and behaviour, among other things. ralphscott.co.uk

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 5h
NEW: In March the White House released an FY27 budget request that zeroed out the National Science Foundation's directorate of Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). For months it was unclear what would happen. Now, with FY26 over, the damage to SBE is coming to light. My reporting:
science.org
‘Complete devastation’: How NSF gutted its social sciences research
Agency body that funds sociology, linguistics, and archaeology studies in U.S. gave 90% fewer new grants this year
4328275
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 14h
The IceCube neutrino detector has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics. The Trump administration has proposed slashing its budget in half in 2027.
371840655
Reposted by Ralph Scott
𝙅𝙖𝙘🍩𝙗 𝙉𝙮𝙧𝙪𝙥 @jacobnyrup.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
An underappreciated fact about far-right populists is that they are terrible at governing, especially in the longer run. Trump is a case in point every single day, but systematic studies shows that this is the case more generally. As this study shows, after 15 years they lower GDP per capita with
12213
Reposted by Ralph Scott
worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If you ever wondered why visible light is those particular wavelengths, it's because life evolved to see in the narrow range where water is transparent
Diagram of absorption of emf by water. There's a gap right that dips in the 500 nm range
10260611700
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Dylan Difford @dylandifford.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Aside from the whole "Peter Mannion: that's fucking mental" of it all, it's just incredibly lazily done. They might have an approximation of the colour palette, but the actual visual style, typeface, use of white space is all wrong. Plus, isn't "doth" Germanic, which the original famously is not.
118310
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Congratulations all!
010
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Rosie Campbell @profrosiecamp.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I’m so excited to be working with a wonderful team led by @olliheath.bsky.social to run the next British Election Study. I’ve been using the data for 25 years now I can help produce it! www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/new...
royalholloway.ac.uk
New team, led by Royal Holloway, awarded leadership of the British Election Study to understand British democracy
Royal Holloway, King's College London and the University of Manchester have been awarded £4.9 million by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to lead the British Election Study (BES).
2245
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Public attitudes to electoral reform can be fluid + cross-pressured. See this BSA trend on Keep vs Change over 3 decades Change the system was 60-36 (+24) in 2024: ahead 2021-24 Keep the system we have peaked 66-27 (+39) 2011, the year a referendum held on the Alternative Vote (which lost 68-32)
4277
Reposted by Ralph Scott
John Morgan @johnmorgan3.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Significant comments from @profbriancox.bsky.social at Labour conference fringe, criticising the economic growth remit UKRI has been given as the cause of "serious problems" in science. He also got into the philosophy of how research contributes to growth...
174
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Hilma Lindskog @hilmal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Do educational networks at workplaces shape political attitudes? 👬 Happy to share that the latest paper in my dissertation is now published in @bjpols.bsky.social.
1168
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Daniel Devine @danjdevine.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Happy weekend! This Saturday brings you the rare joy of a 🙌job🙌 in: surveys! democratic attitudes! experiments! three years!! research only (if you want)!!!! with @rikkidean.bsky.social @sotonpolitics.bsky.social !!!!!! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DTB393/r...
jobs.ac.uk
Research Fellow - Political Process Preferences in Europe (PoPPiE) project at University of Southampton
Apply now for the Research Fellow - Political Process Preferences in Europe (PoPPiE) project role on jobs.ac.uk - the leading job board for higher education jobs. View details.
02220
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Toni Rodon @tonirodon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Having a job in a workplace with a considerable proportion of university-educated coworkers is associated with an increase in culturally liberal attitudes www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
Ideas at Work: Educated Colleagues Shape Political Attitudes | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core
Ideas at Work: Educated Colleagues Shape Political Attitudes - Volume 56
14115
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Marta Miori @martamiori.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
New opinion piece with @profjanegreen.bsky.social in @financialtimes.com ⬇️📊 We argue that five parties in the polls doesn't mean five-way races. What's really going on is a scramble within each bloc over who can win, fought out seat by seat.
03824
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Awesome news. Good luck and let me know if I can help with prep at all
010
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The arms race of AI detection and evasion going to be a big feature of future knowledge economy/epistemology/authenticity wars
000
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is very interesting - but mostly left me wondering how Pangram works...
120
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 24/09/2026
Another thought on this: we’re going to end up with PR-like electoral fragmentation, but without any of the predictability. Worst of both worlds.
2428
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Owen Winter @owenwntr.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
New YouGov MRP is dreadful for Labour in Wales yougov.com/en-gb/articl...
2168
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Congratulations Will!
100
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Alex Hartland @alexhartland.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
📄 New Publication 📄 When AI Talks Politics: How reliable is ChatGPT? Co-authored with Daniela Braun, @giucarny.bsky.social and @rosanavarrete.bsky.social Now available Open Access @electoralstudies.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🧵
sciencedirect.com
12714
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 23/09/2026
This is something that I'm interested in but don't have the time to work out. The variation around the Green's vote share is much larger than the Lib Dem's, who they're neck-and-neck with.
293
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Reto Mitteregger @indubioproreto.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Interesting new paper in @wepsocial.bsky.social by Yoda&Atsumi showing that "the positive association between pro-redistribution and pro-immigration attitudes is weaker among earlier cohorts." In other words: the number of left-authoritarian voters decreases across generations.
tandfonline.com
Time dilation: the temporal structure of elite–voter incongruence on redistribution and immigration
While immigration and redistribution issues have increasingly converged at the elite level in Western Europe, they remain less correlated among voters, leading to significant elite–voter incongruen...
095
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Micah G. Allen @micahgallen.com · 22/09/2026
So… we just found out that GPT sol can complete a complex online behavioral/cognitive study producing nearly indistinguishable behavior and subjective reports… right as we are about to launch. Is this doomsday for online cognitive testing?
3212669
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I think this is pretty hard to justify. The education reporters might I suppose argue that the Orr story is a politics one and hence goes to that desk. But we also have the student complaints, mentioned in the FT long read and apparently reopened this week.
24220
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Lotte Hargrave @lottehargrave.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
🚨New paper🚨 Very pleased that “Using Gender to Choose: Voter Decision-Making in Low-Information Elections”, coauthored with Ellie Woodhouse, is now out at @jeppjournal.bsky.social. In it, we ask: when voters know very little about candidates, how do they use gender when deciding who to vote for? 🧵👇
static.klipy.com
Happy
ALT: Happy
34718
Reposted by Ralph Scott
The Great Pumpkin Papers 🎃🎃🎃 @professormusgrave.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I think we need to take seriously that ordinary folks aren't meant to have audiences in the tens of thousands or more. This is novel and disruptive in human experiences
221527189
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Charles West @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
21,627 applications for the Marie Curie early career fellowships.
712044
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Ah congratulations!! EPOP runs it close but no better way to spend time. (And thanks for the kind words!)
110
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Let's try that hashtag again #EPOP2026 @psaepop.bsky.social
000
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I'll be presenting at 11.30am tomorrow morning - though fortunately only once as Alex will take on the duties for our joint paper
P21 Education,GenerationsandPoliticalCleavages Friday 18 September•11:30-13:00•Flex2 Chair: RalphScott “TheProfessorsaretheEnemy”? EvidenceforMobilisationoftheEducational Cleavageamong Political Elites Presentingauthor: Ralph Scott — University of Bristol All Authors: Ralph Scott — University of Bristol; Alexander Hartland — Saarland University Fitting In or ChangingMinds? TheDynamicEffectsofFull-TimeStudyonPolitical Values Presentingauthor: Ralph Scott — University of Bristol All Authors: Ralph Scott — University of Bristol; Jonathan Mellon — British Election Study; Geoffrey Evans — University of Oxford Universities as a site of preference formation: peer networks and political cleavages Presentingauthor: Fabienne Eisenring — University of Zurich Generational Identity, Hostility, and Political Behaviour: Evidence from the UK,France,USA,andCanadainthe2024–2025Elections Presentingauthor: LauraSerra — LondonSchoolofEconomicsandPolitical Science AllAuthors: LauraSerra—LondonSchoolofEconomicsandPoliticalScience; Michael Bruter — London School of Economics and Political Science; Sandra Obradovic — London School of Economics and Political Science; Sarah Harrison — London School of Economics and Political Science
101
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Live footage of my arrival in Liverpool for #EPOP26
static.klipy.com
The Beatles Arrive by Plane
ALT: The Beatles Arrive by Plane
160
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I dunno, feels a bit *laboured* to me
030
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Joelle Tasker @joelletasker.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Exciting to see my first thesis paper in @polstudies.bsky.social! In this article I explore how economic versus cultural values predict left-right self-placement in the UK over the last 10 years, and how this looks different for those identifying on the left versus right. doi.org/10.1177/0032...
doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
1198
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Elizabeth (Bit) Meehan, PhD @elizabethbitmeehan.com · 11/09/2026
glad this follow-up study was published in @pspolisci.bsky.social - this takeaway is what I think most folks would agree is the current state of play for the political science academic job market www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Taken together, these findings present a more nuanced picture of the relationship between departmental ranking and candidate outcomes. Overall, placement rates for candidates were similar across higher- and lower-ranked departments, with about 25% of candidates finding permanent academic positions in the 2023–2024 job-market cycle. However, higher-ranked departments had an advantage in placing candidates into postdoctoral positions that may improve their prospects in multiyear searches. In addition, candidates from higher-ranked departments were more likely to secure positions in PhD-granting and higher-ranked institutions, whereas candidates from lower-ranked schools were more likely to find employment at MA-/BA-granting departments.
1187
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
13598709
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The 1930s, famously a time of depoliticisation
0100
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 14/09/2026
Picked up a copy of "Hyperpolitics" on a whim after seeing it promoted all over the place and I can only conclude that Verso have an amazing marketing department because there's not much substance here and the evidence base is weak.
A copy of the book "Hyperpolitics" by Anton Jäger on a pub table next to a pint of lager.
1821443
Reposted by Ralph Scott
David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If this faction existed, you'd imagine that they'd be intensely critical of a Home Secretary who tolerates disorder on the streets, and masked gangs roaming unchallenged
16814
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Oh of course! Her of the 50% target for young people to go into trades
000
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Sorry, I'm being dim: who is SB? But the targeted disciplines are telling. Much of this strikes me an import from the US culture wars, where attacks on HE are much more part of the Republican platform (eg JD Vance's "the professors are the enemy")
100
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Very true, although I hadn't until now made that connection with Farage's comments... (I also didn't mean to sound flippant - I'm very aware of the risk to HE from Reform/the radical right and am looking at this in my own work)
110
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
First they came for the sociologists...
120
Reposted by Ralph Scott
James Butler @piercepenniless.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
25611
Reposted by Ralph Scott
James Dennison @jamesrdennison.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
New #openaccess in @politicalquarterly.bsky.social "From Protest to Pluralist? The Green Party of England and Wales after a Decade of Political Upheaval" Thanks @pjsloman.bsky.social & editors of PQ for the invitation to reflect on 10+ years of research on this single, evolving case! t.ly/qwui6 🔗
0105
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Ralph Scott" isn't a common name but common enough that AI might come up with it, so I don't think this a genuine attempt at impersonation. But the sheer quantity of scammy slop does feel like the kind of thing that might benefit from being regulated.
010
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Turns out "Ralph Scott" is quite prolific and has written various of these seemingly AI-generated tomes, including: "One Tiny Clue: Crimes Solved by the Smallest Pieces of Evidence" and "The Greatest Prison Escapes: Daring Breakouts, Ingenious Plans, and the Most Audacious Escapes in History"
Amazon screengrab of the various titles authored by "Ralph Scott"
120
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Except I have not written such a book. I look it up on Amazon and find a what appears to be a clearly AI generated cover for a book with this title, with my name on it
The secret lives of animals AI-generated cover
100
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I received what I now understand to be a classic AI book discussion scam email.
My name is Tina, and I coordinate the Amsterdam Creative Writers Club, an international community of around 2,100 writers in Amsterdam. We bring together people interested in fiction, poetry, creative practice, and the many ways writing helps us make sense of the world.

One of our members recently recommended The Secret Lives of Animals: Fascinating Behaviours from the Natural World for one of our upcoming discussions. We were particularly interested in the way the book brings together such a wide range of behaviours, from problem-solving crows and tool-using chimpanzees to grieving elephants and communicating dolphins, to explore how intelligence, emotion, cooperation, and social connection appear across the natural world.

The breadth of the 30 chapters also gives readers an engaging way to reconsider familiar assumptions about animal behaviour. We were especially drawn to the attention given to communication, animal personalities, social bonds, migration, and adaptation, and to the idea that these behaviours are not isolated curiosities but part of larger systems that help animals survive, connect, and thrive. The combination of scientific insight and an accessible style seems well suited to encouraging readers to look more closely at the complexity of animal lives.

I'd love to ask whether you would be interested in having The Secret Lives of Animals featured in one of our upcoming discussions. If your schedule allows, we'd also be delighted to invite you to join us for a short informal online conversation with our members about the behaviours explored in the book, what they reveal about animal intelligence and social lives, and how our understanding of the natural world changes when we pay closer attention to these hidden systems.
100
Ralph Scott @ralphscott.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Very weird experience of AI attempting to scam itself this morning - with me caught in the middle.
150
Reposted by Ralph Scott
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries. We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
602405852