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Don’t take the fascist pill, Neo: techno-orientalism, kung fu, and conspirituality in the afterlives of The Matrix
No full textReleased in 1999, The Matrix and its sequels rapidly became cultural touchstones and remain so today. However, 25 years on, we are faced with the question of how a film directed by two trans women with a headlining star of mixed Asian-Pacific heritage, strong women characters, and a supporting cast notable for its inclusion of Black American actors has been embraced enthusiastically by the emerging anti-feminist and white nationalist ‘alt-right’ and its culture of conspiracy theory. The Matrix has even provided this with some of its most potent metaphors (most famously, that of the ‘red pill’). I therefore explore the reception of the Matrix franchise in the context of the rise of right-wing conspiracy cultures, interpreting the formal properties and modes of viewing of the films, as well as their iconography and thematic content, through their appeal to the psychology of conspiracism. In particular, I explore the role of the franchise’s high-tech Orientalist kung fu warrior mysticism within this. The ‘New Age’ address of this imagery has fed into the phenomenon of ‘conspirituality’, a term which describes the increasing coincidence of extreme right-wing conspiracy thinking with the alternative space of mind-body-spirit practices. In this context, The Matrix’s concern with martial arts provides metaphors that re-imagine twenty-first century alienated digital labour, hacking, and conspiracy theorizing alike as activities of both rebellious glamour and spiritual purpose. These had a powerful resonance within the online spaces, such as 4Chan, within which the alt-right emerged
Using technology acceptance model to explore physicians’ perspectives of clinical decision support system alerts
Get PDFObjective
To examine factors influencing physicians’ perspectives of clinical decision support system (CDSS) alerts using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), focusing on perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), attitude towards usage (AT), user satisfaction (US) and behavioural intention to use (BI).
Methods
This study was conducted in the outpatient departments of a single academic medical centre in northern Taiwan, involving 72 physicians who completed a structured TAM-based questionnaire. Seven physician’s characteristics (age, clinical experience, CDSS operating status, patient volume, consultation frequency, gender and specialty) were analysed for their influence on PEOU and PU. Multiple regression analysis assessed relationships among TAM constructs and external factors.
Results
Patient volume and age negatively affected PU and PEOU (eg, age vs PU: β=−2.38, p<0.05; patient volume vs PEOU: β=−2.64, p<0.01), while clinical experience positively influenced them (PEOU: β=2.11, p<0.05). TAM construct analysis revealed that PEOU positively influenced PU (β=0.67, p<0.001), AT (β=0.31, p<0.01), and US (β=0.35, p<0.001). No significant correlation was found between US and BI (p=0.96).
Discussion
Findings suggest that PEOU significantly affects physicians’ behavioural intention to use alerts, with high patient volume and older age lowering acceptance due to alert fatigue. Adaptive, context-aware CDSS alerts can improve usability and align better with clinical workflows, enhancing efficiency in high-demand environments.
Conclusion
This study highlights the need for context-aware, frequency-optimised alert designs to enhance CDSS acceptance, improve user experience and streamline clinical workflows
Student belonging in action: an introduction
No full textStudent belonging, as a potential means to enhance students’ experiences and success, has been an increasingly popular topic of focus over the last few years, both within the UK and internationally. This growing interest is reflected in a surge of scholarly publications (Figure 0.1), influential sector-wide reports (Blake et al., 2022; Naughton et al., 2024), and conferences dedicated to the topic: RAISE 2023, the European First Year Experience 2024, and the Foundation Year Network 2024. The topic has also inspired a wave of books and edited collections in recent years (Bentrim et al., 2022; Carruthers Thomas, 2018; Nunn, 2021; Rueda and Lowe Swift, 2024; Strayhorn, 2019)
Assessment literacy and authentic assessment in nursing
No full textThroughout your nursing degree you will need to undertake a broad range of assessments, each requiring a different skill set in order to pass. Taking an assessment literacy approach that explains the purpose and process behind each assessment, this book offers practical tips and guidance to help you feel confident, demonstrate learning and application to practice and achieve success
Building consensus for harm reduction approaches in UK universities: a qualitative study with staff and students
No full textBackground: Harm reduction approaches to student drug use have been developing in a number of UK universities. Little is known about how to build consensus and effect normative change towards harm reduction in these settings. The aim of this paper is to identify key factors relevant to achieving organisational change and effecting a shift towards the adoption of harm reduction policies and practices.
Methods: The study included twelve UK universities and employed a qualitative research design which included semi-structured interviews with university policy makers (n = 12) and focus groups with students (4 groups with an overall total of 24 students). The universities were at different points in the process of implementing a harm reduction approach.
Results: There was strong support for harm reduction approaches by both university staff and student participants, but there was confusion and misunderstanding around the concept of harm reduction. Some students were unsure about whether or not their university had a harm reduction policy. This highlights the need for clearer communication and education around harm reduction. A number of challenges in developing and implementing harm reduction strategies were identified including securing resources and gaining institutional support and leadership ‘buy-in’. Fears of stakeholders around the reputational risks to universities in advocating for harm reduction needed to be countered. Policy change often relied on committed individuals or ‘champions’ in the institutions to drive strategy development; however, there was also evidence of a ‘community of practice’ emerging amongst the network of institutions that had implemented harm reduction strategies which provided support and shared knowledge and experiences. Co-production strategies involving students, staff and external stakeholders were vital in gaining consensus and fostering ownership.
Conclusions: The study has highlighted that there is strong support for a shift away from zero-tolerance approaches to student drug use, although this needs to be accomplished incrementally and in ways that address stakeholder concerns and safeguard university reputations. Working with a ‘whole system’ philosophy was identified as good practice whereby university policy was embedded within a local or city-wide approach which helped to facilitate the acceptance and development of harm reduction
Migration and race: Central and Eastern European perspectives
No full textIncreasing and changing migration trends between Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Western European locations, as well as those from outside of Europe to CEE, pose new challenges for the regional study of race and racialisation, including growing diversity and the tightening of border security. This book brings together a range of established and emerging scholars of CEE migration, race, whiteness and post- and decoloniality to explore these themes from/to and within Central and Eastern Europe.
The book includes chapters on Bulgarians, Lithuanians, Romanians, Hungarians, Czechs, Ukrainians and Poles, including Polish Roma, in Western Europe and CEE as well as non-CEE migrants at the Polish-Belarus border. The book showcases different aspects of racialisation processes and how they intersect with class and gender, among others, in the context of CEE migrations. The approach of this book is anti-racist and decolonial, in the sense that it builds on decolonial scholarship from and on the region and pushes against discourses of CEE as ‘lagging behind’ and ‘catching up’ that have dominated the scholarship so far. The decolonial perspective on these issues will contribute to urgent critical debates by providing in-depth cross-country insights beyond theoretical argumentation to a renewed global public debate on issues of race and migration.
The book is aimed at an international audience of researchers, scholars and students, policy analysts, third sector specialists and those concerned with decolonial perspectives, migration, and race and racialisation in the context of Central and Eastern Europe countries
A social capital framework to understand the particularities and power dynamics in city branding
Get PDFPlace marketers operate in a complex, multi-faceted stakeholder environment. Frequently operating at the nexus of the public/private sector divide, promotional professionals are uniquely positioned to leverage their stakeholder relationships with local, national and international actors to both establish credibility and legitimacy for their roles, and also build a successful brand reputation for the city they represent. With qualitative data collected from 44 professionals in 19 cities, this paper enhances theoretical understanding of the complex inter-relationships involved in place branding through the lens of cultural intermediation and social capital. By identifying the significant personal and professional relationships and means by which they are developed and maintained across diverse fields, this contribution positions promotional actors in unique positions of power within the urban landscape
Multilingualism as an asset – devising a Toolkit for academic staff at a British University
Get PDFThis article describes a practitioner-oriented research project that explored the often invisible aspect of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in UK Higher Education: students’ multilingualism and its potential mobilisation as an asset for learning. The project applied a collaborative, emergent methodology to gather three different sources of data to better understand the complexity of students’ multilingual repertoires and how these could be exploited as an educational resource. The data sources included a literature review, a student questionnaire investigating the extent and uses of multilingualism in a cross-section of students across different disciplines, and two online workshops with faculty which explored their responses to the questionnaire results and possible educational strategies for promoting multilingual approaches. The findings from these sources were utilised to devise an Inclusive Multilingualism Toolkit for Educators aimed at promoting debate and the design of more effective pedagogic practices, across our university and the wider learning and teaching community
The phenomenology of intelligences – connecting personal flexibility with corporate agility in complexity
Get PDFThis thesis is the unfolding of an inner dance that explores the evolution of physical intelligence as a vital component in understanding and developing leadership agility within complex organisational environments. Through an autoethnographic examination of three public works spanning two decades — a model for embodied leadership, a book on physical intelligence, and a digital cluster of educational works — the research investigates how embodied understanding of movement (patterns, rhythms, behavioural intentions and neurochemistry) can transform approaches to personal and cultural change.
The investigation centres on the premise that contemporary leadership development requires a fundamental re-integration of physical intelligence with cognitive and emotional intelligences to meet the challenges of accelerating change and growing complexity. Drawing upon transdisciplinary perspectives including dance, neuroscience, phenomenology, and organisational development, the study reveals how conscious attention to embodiment and the lived experience of science can create new possibilities for organisational transformation.
The methodological approach combines reflective practice with participatory observation, incorporating movement analysis techniques adapted from contemporary dance and somatic practices. Through analysis of case studies and personal experiences in both artistic and business contexts, the research documents the transformation of abstract movement concepts into practical applications for leadership development. This translation process demonstrates how movement-based understanding can enhance leadership practices and team and organisational dynamics.
The findings establish several key insights about the nature of leadership agility. First, the research demonstrates that organisational cultures embody specific movement patterns that can either facilitate or inhibit change. Second, it reveals how conscious attention to these patterns and their neurophysiology through physical intelligence can create new possibilities for organisational transformation and a different behavioural neuroscience. Third, it illustrates how principles of movement can be effectively translated into business language and practice, creating a bridge between embodied knowledge and organisational strategy.
The thesis introduces new theoretical frameworks including Neurophysiological Phenomenology and Expanded Leadership Intelligence (ELI) which integrate scientific understanding with lived experience. These frameworks provide practical tools for leaders to work with organisational dynamics using movement-based principles. The research also establishes new vocabulary for discussing organisational change that integrates embodied knowledge with traditional business concepts.
The outcomes of this research have significant implications for leadership development, organisational change management, and cultural transformation initiatives. The study demonstrates how movement-aware approaches can enhance organisational adaptability, improve team coordination, and facilitate more effective cultural change processes. Future research directions include further investigating the role of neurochemical sequencing in leadership development, exploring the relationship between physical intelligence and artificial intelligence in organisational settings, and examining how embodied practices might accelerate the evolution of human consciousness in response to increasing global complexity. The findings also suggest practical applications for leadership education, including the further development of movement-based assessment tools, the integration of somatic practices into executive training programmes, and the wider application of standardised physical intelligence methodologies for coaching and organisational development.
Through this exploration of the inner dance of organisational life, the thesis ultimately presents a new paradigm for understanding and working with cultural change in business contexts. It challenges traditional mechanistic approaches to organisational development and offers instead an organic, movement-based framework that acknowledges the dynamic, embodied nature of organisational culture and change. The research concludes by proposing that intentional resequencing of neurochemistry through embodied practice may contribute to a more positive direction for accelerated human evolution, particularly in terms of developing the flexibility and agility needed to navigate increasing complexity.
Rather than treating science and culture as equal and opposite, ranged on either side of an arbitrary division between space and place, and between reason and tradition, a better way forward – I suggest – would be to acknowledge that scientific knowledge as much as the knowledge of inhabitants, is generated within the practices of wayfaring. For scientists are people too and inhabit the same world as the rest of us.
(Ingold, 2022, p.189
A novel adaptive AI-based framework for node scheduling algorithm selection in safety-critical wireless sensor networks
Get PDFWireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are vital to a wide range of applications, spanning from environmental monitoring to safety-critical systems. Ensuring dependable operation in these networks critically depends on selecting an optimal node scheduling algorithm; however, this remains a major challenge since no single approach performs best under all conditions. To address this issue, this paper proposes an AI-driven framework that evaluates scenario-specific functional requirements—such as coverage, connectivity, and network lifetime—to identify the optimal node scheduling algorithm from a pool that includes Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), BAT, Bird Flocking, Self-Organizing Maps (SOFMs), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. The framework was evaluated using a neural network trained on simulated data and tested across five real-world scenarios: healthcare monitoring, military operations, industrial IoT, forest fire detection, and disaster recovery. The results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in identifying the most suitable algorithm for each scenario. Notably, the LSTM algorithm frequently achieved near-optimal performance, excelling in critical objectives such as network lifetime, connectivity, and coverage. The framework also revealed the complementary strengths of other algorithms—HMM proved superior for maintaining connectivity, while Bird Flocking excelled in extending network lifetime. Consequently, this work validates that a scenario-aware selection strategy is essential for maximizing WSN dependability, as it leverages the unique advantages of diverse algorithms