As an American living in Europe, I have been surprised by the number of friends and acquaintances in the US who are angry at democratic nations across NATO, Europe, and the world for not agreeing to calls from President Trump to support his military operations against Iran. Their frustration is not simply because the US … Continue reading Reputational Crash: The Return of the Ugly Americans
Drama in the Zoom Room
A Short Scenario by Ruth Shillair* I have been followed to many online meetings by AI Assistants like Otter, which want to record or summarise my conversations and meetings. The Assistant – let’s called s/him IT - asks to be admitted to the meeting as if IT was one of the invited participants, but I … Continue reading Drama in the Zoom Room
Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
I had the privilege of attending a two-day event (23-24 March 2026) at the University of Liverpool entitled ‘The UK-Ukraine Research Twinning Showcase and Networking 2026’. It was organized by Dr. Igor Potapov and held at Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice. I was impressed by the number of initiatives between the UK and … Continue reading Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
Do I Worry about AI?
DO I WORRY ABOUT AI? by A. Michael Noll [This blog written by A. Michael Noll is distributed with his permission.] It seems within the past year or so, AI (artificial intelligence) became the “in” development – todays “big thing.” It is the next “innovation” destined to change the world, in a string from the … Continue reading Do I Worry about AI?
Distrust in the US
Distrust in the US: Collapsing Foundations of the Trump Administration Trust in the United States has been sinking – collapsing. The foundations of this distrust are two interrelated aspects of the Trump administration: the decline in Presidential authority and the failure of checks and balances, broadly defined. By checks and balances I mean more than … Continue reading Distrust in the US
The AI Speed-Up: Expectations and Realities
Dr Ruth Shillair[1] and Bill Dutton Discussion about the potential implications of AI has often focused on the loss of jobs. However, a key impact of AI and AI agents is more around the speed of completing tasks. For instance, before AI, a market analysis of a business idea might take days to a week … Continue reading The AI Speed-Up: Expectations and Realities
From OII to Global Impact: Alex Caldas’ Journey
Delighted to reconnect with Alexandre Caldas yesterday. Alex was a researcher at the OII during our early years, mainly working with a world leading economist, the late-Professor Paul David, during several years when he was at the OII. We met with another OII colleague in these early years, Professor Ralph Schroeder, who I first met … Continue reading From OII to Global Impact: Alex Caldas’ Journey
TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY: Credit to All A. Michael Noll March 4, 2026 © copyright AMN 2026 [This blog by A. Michael Noll is distributed here with the permission of the author.] The telephone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell on March 7, 1876, although an inscription in the margin had been made on the Bell … Continue reading TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
All conventions on the norms and practices governing political communication, particularly around presidential communications, have been shattered by US President Donald J Trump. The Israel-US War on Iran provides a recent example. In the first 48 hours of the War on Iran, the US administration gave mixed messages over its rationale and aims, justifying the … Continue reading Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich
Tradition has it that partisan politics and opposition stays in the US and the government speaks with one voice in international arenas on foreign policy. There have been many exceptions to this, and the 2026 Munich Security Conference is a major one. From my perspective, I was so pleased to see American opposition to the … Continue reading Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich