Alex Mayhew holds an LIS PhD and MLIS from FIMS and Undergrad in the Philosophy focusing on Philosophy of Science and Bioethics from the University of Ottawa. He regularly servers as an instructor in FIMS. His doctoral dissertation was completed under the supervision of Dr Grant Campbell and saw the creation of a new cataloguing paradigm he calls Phylomemetics. A Phylomemetic Catalogue would allow users to create links between the catalogue records, adding meaningful connections. This paradigm draws inspiration from biological phylogenetics, the literature concept of tropes, and the cultural concept of memes.
His second notable project is Aging Justice, an extension of the Social Justice concept of Health Justice into the area of aging. Under this framework, he suggests that the natural reduction in capacities caused by biological aging is increasingly subject to human influence, and thus is just as much a Social Justice issue as other health concerns. The cultural expectation that older people ought to endure ill health that younger people do not is a social construct and can be challenged. That expectation leads poorer welfare for those born a long time ago. A world where such injustice is actually addressed may be quite strange indeed.
His final research area is Technological Forecasting which concerns the interaction between society and Artificial Intelligence development. AI development seems set to continue for the foreseeable future. At the same time society at large crafts narratives about those systems. When actual developments and societal narratives diverge, we create gaps in which risks and harms can remain unseen. Like climate change, it is best to reveal those challenges early.
Alex has been working with Dr. Rubin and the rest of the LiT.RL group researchers on the “Rewiring for Happiness” Project in 2021-2022, “Well-being in Social Media” in 2024-2025 and on an “AI Critique” project in 2023.
See Alex’s YouTube channel for recordings of his sample works.
Contact: amayhew@uwo.ca