Five minutes with Andrew Herbert: “The social scientists we could do business with were those who grounded their ideas through field studies, cultural probes and social data”.

Part of PPG’s Impact of Social Sciences project focuses on how academic research in the social sciences influences decision-makers in business, government and civil society. Rebecca Mann talked to Andrew Herbert OBE, former Chairman of Microsoft Research. He explains the value that social scientists can bring to industrial research organisations

Five Minutes with Chris Loxley at Unilever R&D: Social science still has to compete and prove itself

Part of PPG’s Impact of Social Sciences project focuses on how academic research in the social sciences influences decision-makers in business, government and civil society. Rebecca Mann talked to Dr Chris Loxley, a social scientist at Unilever, about how research can promote innovation in the private sector

Using Google to gauge impact: the Nobel Prize in Economics

Winning a Nobel Prize really is the ultimate demonstration of academic impact, but why would the public seem more interested in one of two joint winners? Rebecca Mann traces the public’s desire for information on Roth and Shapley, this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and looks at why the desire for information on Roth is much higher than his partner

5 Minutes with Richard Lambert: “It’s a real shortcoming that academics are not good at communicating their research to the outside world”psychology

As part of the Impact of Social Sciences’ project interview series, Richard Lambert tells Rebecca Mann of the opportunities for social scientists in the world of business, and the need for intermediaries to translate academic research into arguments that readers can understand

Intraspecific Variation in the Response of \u3ci\u3eElymus Elymoides\u3c/i\u3e to Competition from \u3ci\u3eBromus Tectorum\u3c/i\u3e

Native plant materials are often seeded to restore biodiversity and ecosystem function in areas overtaken by exotic weeds. Plant materials are evaluated on intraspecific differences in productivity and expression of traits advantageous to establishment (e.g., phenology, seed mass, and growth rate); some investigations also consider population-level adaptation to exotic species. However, there is a lack of studies that broadly evaluate response to competition from exotic species at multiple scales within a species. In a greenhouse experiment, we used analysis of variance to assess the growth response of a perennial grass native to the Intermountain West, (Elymus elymoides), to competition from a common invasive species, (Bromus tectorum), at three levels of intraspecific differentiation: subspecies, lineage (wild vs. domestic germplasm), and population. We used regression analysis to assess whether E. elymoides populations from highly invaded areas were less affected by B. tectorum competition. Finally, we explored the relationship between growth traits and competitive response using random forest regression. We found significant differences among E. elymoides subspecies in their response to B. tectorum competition, no difference between wild and domestic lineages, and no population-level differentiation within subspecies. Field abundance of B. tectorum had a significant positive relationship with E. elymoides biomass, but not competitive response, suggesting that E. elymoides has not adapted to the invader. Elymus elymoides plants which were less affected by competition were smaller, allocated more biomass to leaves, and had fewer fine roots, suggesting that light interception and tissue retention were prioritized by seedlings in this competitive greenhouse environment

Spatial determinants of local government action on climate change: an analysis of local authorities in England

The engagement of UK local authorities is vital if national government is to meet its climate change commitments. However, with no mandatory targets at local government level, other drivers must explain engagement. Using a Geographic Information System, this study compares the spatial distribution of action on climate change based on past actions and stated intentions to a suite of relevant independent variables. The Action Index created is among the first to quantify climate change engagement beyond a simple binary measure and provides a useful comparative study to recent work in the US. The Index enables investigation of both mitigation and adaptation, which show different trends in relation to some variables. The study shows that action is strongest where the voting habits of the local population suggest environmental concern and where neighbouring local authorities are also engaging in action on climate change. Physical vulnerability to the effects of climate change is a motivator for action only where the dangers are obvious. Action is less likely where other resource intensive issues such as crime and housing exist within a local authority area

Five Minutes with Neil Carberry,CBI: “To the extent that there is accessible academic work there, it will be used”

Part of PPG’s Impact of Social Sciences project focuses on how academic research in the social sciences influences decision-makers in business, government and civil society. Rebecca Mann talked to Neil Carberry of the CBI about the use of social science research in the business community

Five Minutes with Bernardo Huberman : “There are real opportunities for social scientists to turn their tools into something applicable to the real world”

Continuing a series of interviews from PPG’s Impact of Social Sciences project, Rebecca Mann spoke with Bernardo Huberman, who is Director of the Social Computing Research Group at HP Labs and a Consulting Professor at Stanford University. Here, he explains why research needs to be interdisciplinary and discusses the opportunities for academic social scientists within industry

Finite Element Modelling of Snowboard Wrist Protectors

Snowboarding has a higher injury risk than alpine skiing, with the upper extremities being the most common site for injuries. Wrist protectors are recommended to reduce injury risk by limiting wrist hyperextension and impact forces. There are different wrist protector designs but there is currently no recognised standardisation, with little consensus as to which are most effective. While experimental protocols are useful for analysing current products, they are limited when assessing the effect of design changes and predicting the performance of future protector concepts. The aim of this project was to develop finite element models to assess the impact performance of snowboard wrist protectors, whilst fitted to a surrogate. Two wrist protectors were chosen for modelling, both with palmar and dorsal splints and padding in the palmar region, with one classified as short and the other a long protector (based on splint length). The component materials within the protectors were characterised and impact tested. Using the measured material properties, finite element models replicating these impact tests were developed and compared to the experiment for validation. These models were developed into full protectors fitted to a wrist surrogate under impact. To validate the full protector models, experimental testing was conducted using a modified version of the pendulum impact rig developed by Adams (2018) across a range of energies (10 to 50 J). The validated models were then used to explore the effect of changing components (e.g. splint length, material) on impact performance, in order to enhance the understanding of wrist protector design. The research highlighted clear differences in the properties of wrist protector components from the same size/brand, re-iterating the need for standardisation. The palmar splint was found to have the largest influence on impact force and the dorsal splint on wrist angle, in agreement with the literature. Model outputs showed peak force and maximum wrist angle to decrease as splint length or stiffness (thickness or material) increased. Future work could develop the model into a tool for improving wrist protectors as well as to predict whether new designs would meet the requirements of the new ISO standard (once published)