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William Watkin

Professor of Contemporary Philosophy and Literature, Brunel University London

I am one of the leading experts on contemporary, continental philosophy in particular as regards how it relates to contemporary political situations. I specialise in the work of Agamben, Badiou, Derrida, Foucault, and Deleuze. I also work extensively on violence, conflict, terrorism, world politics and technology.

I teach a course on violence at Brunel University specialising in issues of capital punishment, technology, terrorism, surveillance and control. I have recently published articles in the media on ISIS decapitations and on the crisis in capital punishment in the US.

I have also published academic work on violence, for example: “Agamben, Benjamin and the Indifference of Violence” in Towards a Critique of Violence: Benjamin and Agamben. London: Bloomsbury, July 2015.

I am currently working with my agent on a book about the way digital technology has changed our relationship towards violence and death. Provisionally entitled "Snuff" it stretches from the use of social media to develop an intimate digital relationship with images of extreme violence, to the way digital technologies such as drones distances us from acts of war making them seem no more real than video games.

Briferendum Series

Referendum petition hack shows even democracy can be trolled

Jun 30, 2016 13:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The electronic petition submitted to parliament calling for a second referendum on Britains exit from the European Union is a notable development in digital democracy. The number of signatories has passed 4m how many will...

Tracking criminals' biodata is another step towards constant surveillance for us all

Jun 16, 2016 15:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

For some convicted criminals, punishment doesnt end when theyre released from prison. Thanks to new electronic tags, parole officers in the US can monitor recently released prisoners 24 hours a day. These dont just check...

Lethal injections and the tragedy of America's execution addiction

Jun 03, 2016 08:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Law

It began in Utah back in 1977. On January 17 of that year, Gary Gilmore became the first man to be executed in the US for more than a decade, ending a national moratorium on the death penalty. Gilmore, guilty of murdering...

Economy

India’s Investment Upgrade: A Historic Milestone for the "High-Quality EM" Narrative

SP Global has raised Indias sovereign credit rating to BBB from BBB-, with a Stable outlook, indicating the agencys first upward change for the country in 18 years. This major step increases Indias long-term rating one...

Asian Markets Rally as Oil Prices Tumble and Middle East Peace Hopes Emerge

Asian stock markets posted strong gains on Wednesday, driven by a sharp decline in oil prices and growing optimism over a potential diplomatic resolution in the Middle East. The broad-based rally swept across the region,...

Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist

Australias consumer inflation dipped slightly in February, though stubborn underlying price pressures are keeping the Reserve Bank of Australia cautious about cutting interest rates anytime soon. According to the latest...

Oil Prices Plunge Over 6% as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Fears

Global oil prices dropped sharply on Wednesday during Asian trading hours, with Brent crude falling below the $100 per barrel mark for the first time in recent sessions. The steep selloff came after emerging signs of a...

Currency Markets Show Caution Amid U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Global currency markets displayed muted movement during early Asian trading on Wednesday, as investors remained cautious following conflicting signals surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. President Donald Trump...

Politics

Trump's Overhaul of American History: Museums, Monuments, and Cultural Institutions

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping campaign to reshape how American history is presented across cultural institutions, national parks, and public monuments. Framing his...

Pakistan's Diplomatic Rise: Mediating U.S.-Iran Peace Talks

Pakistan is emerging as a key global mediator in efforts to end the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, leveraging its unique position as a trusted contact for both Washington and Tehran. This diplomatic role could elevate...

US Accelerates Taiwan Arms Deliveries Amid Rising China Threat

Taiwans Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed Wednesday that the United States has expressed a strong sense of urgency in bolstering Taiwans military capabilities, with active efforts underway to resolve long-standing...

Trump Administration Settles Lawsuit Barring Federal Agencies from Pressuring Social Media Censorship

The Trump administration has reached a landmark settlement that prohibits three major federal agencies from coercing social media platforms into removing or suppressing constitutionally protected speech. The agreement,...

Cuba Receives Humanitarian Aid Convoy Amid U.S. Sanctions

Cuba welcomed a long-awaited shipment of international humanitarian aid on Tuesday, as activists from the global Nuestra America Convoy successfully delivered essential supplies to the island nation despite ongoing U.S....

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...

SpaceX IPO Filing Expected This Week as Valuation Could Surpass $75 Billion

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly moving closer to going public, with plans to submit its initial public offering prospectus to regulators as early as this week or next, according to a report by The Information citing a...

OpenAI Pulls the Plug on Sora, Ending $1 Billion Disney Partnership

OpenAI has officially shut down Sora, its AI-powered video generation tool, in a move that blindsided partners and staff alike and effectively ended a landmark deal with Walt Disney Co. The decision marks a major...

Golden Dome Missile Defense: Anduril and Palantir Join Forces on Trump's $185B Space Shield

Tech-forward defense companies Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies are reportedly joining forces to develop critical software for the United States most ambitious missile defense initiative to date the Golden...