Audible Impact is produced by the LSE Impact of Social Sciences blog. The podcasts feature leading academics talking about the visibility, evaluation and diversity of social science research. You can subscribe through iTunes, RSS feed, or Soundcloud. Click the links below to access each site’s page, or download episodes individually by scrolling through the list of podcasts on this page.
Episode 4: Academics in Exile
In this podcast, we look at what happens when academics turn enemy of the state. Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), talks about the beginnings of the charity first created to assist Jewish academics escaping the Holocaust, and how, 80 years later, academics in harm’s way from Zimbabwe to Syria, still rely on CARA’s support. Refugees from Algeria (Latefa Guemar) and Uzbekistan also discuss their journey from academics to exiles and how CARA helped them to rebuild their professional lives in the UK.
Episode 3: Big Data and the Future of the Social Sciences
In this podcast, Professor Patrick Dunleavy talks about how big data will affect the future of the social sciences. Say goodbye to academic siloes as we enter into a new age of cross/multi/and inter-disciplinary research. In this changing landscape, the old boundaries between physical, social and data science disintegrate. Here Professor Dunleavy talks about the Social Science of Human-Dominated and Human-Influenced Systems given as part of the Annual Lecture series at the Academy of Social Sciences.
Episode 2: Bright Club: Outright hilarious outreach
Have you heard the one about university lecturers and researchers doing stand-up? This podcast looks at how academic minutiae can be a vehicle not only for gut-busting laughter but a strategy for public engagement.


Presented by Sierra Williams. Produced by Cheryl Brumley. Contributors: Steve Cross, Alex Hall, Chiara Ambrosio, Sarah Wiseman. Music and sound came courtesy of the following users at the Free Music Archive: Podington Bear (Boop and Twinkie ) and the following user at Freesound.org: Raconoanimator (cue-scratch). Podcast logo: gcg2009 (Sennheiser). Image credit: Miggslives, Chris Huggins, Sarah Wiseman, iCHSTM2013.
Impact Interviews – Want to make an impact? Mark Blyth says ‘Dress it up in math!’
Mark Blyth, Professor of Political Science at Brown University and author of Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea talks about what social scientists and humanities academics can do to improve the accessibility and impact of their work.
Presented by Sierra Williams. Produced by Cheryl Brumley. Contributors: Joel Suss, Mark Blyth. Music and sound came courtesy of the following user at the Free Music Archive: Tozo (Halluzination). Photo credit: Math Matters by Mammaoca2008; Podcast logo: gcg2009 (Sennheiser).
Episode 1: Givers and Takers: The science of pro-social behaviour
Adam Grant, Professor of Organizational Psychology at Wharton Business School, discusses his latest book “Give and Take: A revolutionary approach to success”. Adam tells us why ‘nice guys’ don’t necessarily finish last and what the 19th century chemist, Louis Pasteur, has to say about the impact of academic research.
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