Researchers from Tipping Points have for the first time tracked how words in British and American English books published in the 20th century correspond with historical and cultural trends. They categorised the words according to moods such as sadness, disgust, joy, fear and surprise. English language is well-known for its ‘mood words’. Anyone who reads […]
A Special Issue of The English Academy Review: Southern African Journal of English Studies, Issue 31.2, due out October 2014 Guest editor, Marc Botha (Durham and Pretoria, Work Package 5 Researcher on Tipping Points) The characteristic fragility of human existence has always been marked by a deep ambivalence regarding the future. On the one hand, […]
Prof Alex Bentley, an associate researcher on the Tipping Points project was on an episode of the BBC World Service programme The Forum that looks at why humans copy each other. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p013bkmt
Economist Paul Ormerod, a researcher on the Tipping Points project, argues in this talk at the RSA that we need more than just ‘nudge’ theory in our networked, urban societies — we also need to grasp the perils and possibilities of ‘Positive Linking’. Paul currently has a new book available on networks: Positive Linking: How […]
As part of the 2012 Tipping Points Conference held at Durham University, Prof Patricia Howard gives an inspiring keynote presenting the role of biodiversity in human societies. Howard explores the notion of ‘biodiversity tipping points within the context of indigenous communities and species focusing on where human culture and nature meet forming a unique ecological […]
The new annual report from the Tipping Points project is now available. It features the latest research updates from all five work packages of the project: - Trust and maintaining resilience of financial markets - Development of UK banking sector - Field research on past climate in the North Atlantic - Tipping points in populations […]
“…think of what ninety nine percent of the human race want – food, shelter, a secure family life and to be left alone by bosses and busybodies. Unfortunately the one percent who are interested in power and ideals and ideologies are the ones who call the tune.” (Aldous Huxley, 1947) One of the more powerful […]
In his speech at the Tipping Points Annual Event on 3rd July 2012 Professor Eric Abrahamson of the Columbia Business School talks about the many different ways in which blame is apportioned in the aftermath of catastrophic tipping point events such as the Global Financial Crisis. The research builds on the rich literature on theories […]
Dr Pojanath Bhatanacharoen presented an incredibly interesting paper at a conference hosted by the University of Hull in the UK, ‘Organisational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities’. Her research along with the rest of the WP4 team including Prof David Greatbatch, Prof Tim Clark and Dr Alex Bentley, analyse the use of the tipping point metaphor through […]
Dr Alex Bentley will be giving a fascinating talk today, ‘Flux and unpredictability in complex social systems,’ at the Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity in Arizona State University on flux and uncertainty in cascading events, where one small event may lead to another and another creating a snowball effect or tipping point that leads […]
March 20, 2013 by brettcherry
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