The Original Contribution

Anthony Bird

Welcome to The Original Contribution (TOC) The podcast where we shine a bright spotlight on researchers and their invaluable work. Often, their profound knowledge is tucked away in journals, out of reach for many. Our mission is to break down the barriers between academia and the world. We transform complex research into engaging narratives and enlightening conversations, making it accessible to everyone. Join us as we dive deep into ground-breaking studies, decipher intricate theories, and ignite discussions that inspire. read less

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Dr Iain Overton - "The Price of Paradise"

Dr Iain Overton - "The Price of Paradise"

This episode of The Original Contribution podcast discusses the contribution made by Dr. Iain Overton. Iain is a distinguished British investigative journalist, author, and human rights activist, Iain's work has profoundly reshaped our understanding of contemporary issues. With a significant educational background in history and international relations from Cambridge University, his journey through journalism has seen service with the BBC, ITN, and various independent projects. His achievements have been recognised with prestigious awards, including a Peabody, a BAFTA Scotland, and multiple Amnesty Awards. As the first managing editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and with his current non-profit charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Iain has demonstrated a relentless dedication to uncovering truth and advocating for change. His investigative endeavours have led to two impactful books, earning him a PhD by published works. The first, "Gun Baby Gun: A Bloody Journey into the World of the Gun," explores complex global narratives. The second, "The Price of Paradise: how the Suicide Bomber Shaped the Modern World," It is this latter piece of work that we will be discussing today. Time Points: 00:00:53 - Introduction to Dr. Iain Overton 00:05:15 - Motivation for the PhD 00:07:00 - Methodology of conflict reporting 00:12:25 - The metaphor of virgins and Nazi zombies. 00:15:00 - The Chicago Database 00:18:25 - Investigative journalism 00:25:35 - The Tzar of Russia and Alfred Nobel's TNT 00:30:00 - The Police state 00:34:54 - The cost of foreign policy 00:37:23 - Lenin 00:39:37 - Motivation of the suicide bomber 00:47:49 - The language of violence 00:48:45 - Climate-driven suicide attacks 00:50:15 - The drone vs the suicide attack 00:53:25 - Drones and facial recognition 00:55:25 - Traits of the suicide bomber 00:58:30 - How do you suppress suicide attacks 01:03:30 - Advancing the research on suicide attacks 01:06:05 - Doctorate by publication 01:09:20 - Benefits of the Ph.D. 00:11:55 - "The drugs don't work" Music that represents this thesis: "The drugs don't work" (The Verve) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToQ0n3itoII Guest research and socials: LikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-iain-overton-0b3328226/?originalSubdomain=uk Website: https://aoav.org.uk/ Thesis: ⁠ “The Price of Paradise” https://amzn.eu/d/66wdV84 “Gun Baby Gun”. https://amzn.eu/d/2hJ0pZr Podcast link & contact info: www.TheOriginalContribution.com To guest on TOC please email: Ant@TheOriginalContribution.com #PhD #thesis #dissertation #research #journalist #journalism #investigativejournalism #books @AOAV

Episodes

Dr Iain Overton - "The Price of Paradise"

Dr Iain Overton - "The Price of Paradise"

This episode of The Original Contribution podcast discusses the contribution made by Dr. Iain Overton. Iain is a distinguished British investigative journalist, author, and human rights activist, Iain's work has profoundly reshaped our understanding of contemporary issues. With a significant educational background in history and international relations from Cambridge University, his journey through journalism has seen service with the BBC, ITN, and various independent projects. His achievements have been recognised with prestigious awards, including a Peabody, a BAFTA Scotland, and multiple Amnesty Awards. As the first managing editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and with his current non-profit charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Iain has demonstrated a relentless dedication to uncovering truth and advocating for change. His investigative endeavours have led to two impactful books, earning him a PhD by published works. The first, "Gun Baby Gun: A Bloody Journey into the World of the Gun," explores complex global narratives. The second, "The Price of Paradise: how the Suicide Bomber Shaped the Modern World," It is this latter piece of work that we will be discussing today. Time Points: 00:00:53 - Introduction to Dr. Iain Overton 00:05:15 - Motivation for the PhD 00:07:00 - Methodology of conflict reporting 00:12:25 - The metaphor of virgins and Nazi zombies. 00:15:00 - The Chicago Database 00:18:25 - Investigative journalism 00:25:35 - The Tzar of Russia and Alfred Nobel's TNT 00:30:00 - The Police state 00:34:54 - The cost of foreign policy 00:37:23 - Lenin 00:39:37 - Motivation of the suicide bomber 00:47:49 - The language of violence 00:48:45 - Climate-driven suicide attacks 00:50:15 - The drone vs the suicide attack 00:53:25 - Drones and facial recognition 00:55:25 - Traits of the suicide bomber 00:58:30 - How do you suppress suicide attacks 01:03:30 - Advancing the research on suicide attacks 01:06:05 - Doctorate by publication 01:09:20 - Benefits of the Ph.D. 00:11:55 - "The drugs don't work" Music that represents this thesis: "The drugs don't work" (The Verve) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToQ0n3itoII Guest research and socials: LikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-iain-overton-0b3328226/?originalSubdomain=uk Website: https://aoav.org.uk/ Thesis: ⁠ “The Price of Paradise” https://amzn.eu/d/66wdV84 “Gun Baby Gun”. https://amzn.eu/d/2hJ0pZr Podcast link & contact info: www.TheOriginalContribution.com To guest on TOC please email: Ant@TheOriginalContribution.com #PhD #thesis #dissertation #research #journalist #journalism #investigativejournalism #books @AOAV

Dr Lorena MacMillan - “Reaching the Dead: The Impact of the Victorian Ghost Story on Interpretive Spiritualist Communities from 1855-1914”.

Dr Lorena MacMillan - “Reaching the Dead: The Impact of the Victorian Ghost Story on Interpretive Spiritualist Communities from 1855-1914”.

This episode of The Original Contribution podcast discusses the contribution made by Dr Lorena MacMillan. Lorena got her Ph.D. from Anglia Ruskin University in English Literature. The title of her thesis is “Reaching the Dead: The Impact of the Victorian Ghost Story on Interpretive Spiritualist Communities from 1855-1914”. It is this piece of work that we will be discussing today. Timepoints 00:00:50 - Introduction to Dr Lorena MacMillan 00:06:15 - Title of the thesis 00:07:00 - Interpretive spiritualist communities 00:12:15 - Society for Psychical Research 00:13:38 - Mediums, mesmerism, séances and hypnotism 00:15:00 - Dates 1855-1914 00:18:00 - Spiritualism and religion 00:22:13 - COVID 00:24:15 - Dickens and Lang 00:27:55 - TP James and the Mystery of Edwin Drood 00:28:48 - The Science 00:30:00 - Findings of the Thesis 00:31:00 - Methodology 00:34:20 - Happy with the outcome? 00:35:20 - Coding the themes of the research 00:37:45 - Women in spiritualism 00:39:33 - Surprising findings 00:42:50 - Opposing arguments 00:45:15 - How could this research move forward 00:47:00 - Spiritualism and the media 00:48:15 - It’s about the supervisor not the University 00:51:00 - The original contribution 00:52:00 - Marianas trench “The killing Kind” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOXgKgZTs3I Music that represents this thesis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOXgKgZTs3I Guest research and socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-lorena-n-macmillan-0620a112b/ Thesis: https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Reaching_the_dead_the_impact_of_the_Victorian_ghost_story_on_interpretive_spiritualist_communities_from_1855-1914/23932497/1 Podcast link & contact info: www.TheOriginalContribution.com To guest on TOC please email: Ant@TheOriginalContribution.com #PhD #thesis #dissertation #spiritualist #spiritualism #ghost #ghoststories #classicliterature #classics #literature #englishliterature #victorianliterature #interpretivecommunities @angliaRuskin

Dr Scott Hamm - “Taming America’s Warriors”

Dr Scott Hamm - “Taming America’s Warriors”

This episode of The Original Contribution discusses the contribution made by Dr Scott Hamm. Scott is a highly decorated retired Sergeant Major serving over 26 years in the United States Marine Corps, seeing deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Japan. Today, Scott is a Professor of Naval History at the United States Naval Community College where he teaches and is the course director for its Modern Naval History class. He also teaches ethics, critical thinking and leadership at the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff Colleges and University. After retiring, Scott earned a Doctor of Philosophy in History from the University of Leeds in the UK. His dissertation titled, “Taming America’s Warriors: Assessing United States Military Discipline and Responses to Law of War Violations, 1943-2004”. This examined historical case studies to determine causal factors for continued violence against non-combatants. It is this piece of work that we will be discussing today. His research outlines a solid way of approaching work on ethical behaviour; and supports the words of General Douglas MacArthur that, “every soldier, be he friend or foe, is charged with the protection of the weak and unarmed”. Chapter markers:Intro from Scott [00:5:55] Why are we playing fair? [00:10:30] Why a PhD? [00:13:00] Literature review [00:15:50] Conflicts in the study [00:25:00] The Skull [00:26:00] Methodology [00:34:00] Findings [00:37:15] Politics [00:42:45] Speed of investigation [00:44:00] Public opinion [00:53:20] Who we fight matters [00:56:50] De-humanisation [01:05:05] Recruitment standards [01:07:20] Gender [01:10:05] Advice to PhD candidates [01:24:00] The Original Contribution [01:26:43] Linkin Park Hands Held High [01:28:22] Music that represents this podcast: Linkin Park Hands Held High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iil2Qqxaq3o Guest Research and Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-hamm-314000276/ Thesis: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/32807/ Podcast link & contact info:www.TheOriginalContribution.com To guest on TOC please email Ant at: Ant@TheOriginalContribution.com