The hottest Social Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics

A way to think about scientism

Wyclif's Dust • 1609 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
📖 Philosophy Social Science Research Methods Scientific Method Data interpretation
  1. Scientism can happen when researchers make general claims about science without considering the limits of their studies. It's important for scientists to recognize when their findings may not apply broadly.
  2. Social scientists often use big concepts that sound scientific, but they sometimes fail to acknowledge the unique context of their studies. This can lead to misleading conclusions about complex issues.
  3. The way some researchers present their findings may resemble 'cargo cult science,' where they follow scientific methods superficially but miss the deeper understanding needed for true insights. It's essential to connect the rigor of research with the actual realities of the world.

Should economists read Marx?

Noahpinion • 37588 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🚌 Education Economics Philosophy History Theory Social Science
  1. Many economists don't need to read the original works of thinkers like Marx or Smith to understand economics. They usually study practical models and theories that help solve real-world economic problems.
  2. Modern economic education often emphasizes foundational papers by influential economists, which explain key concepts like market failures and public goods, rather than focusing on Marxist ideas.
  3. Reading Marx can be useful, but mainly as a cautionary tale about how economic theories, if misapplied, can lead to disastrous outcomes in real life. It reminds economists to approach their work with humility.

being honest about dishonesty

bad cattitude • 203 implied HN points • 28 May 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Scandals Social Science Progressivism Censorship Narrative control
  1. Dishonesty in academia has become a major issue, especially in progressive studies. Many researchers manipulate data to fit their narratives rather than focusing on truthful outcomes.
  2. There is a conflict between facts and the narratives some groups promote. This often leads to the suppression of real data to support specific ideologies or agendas.
  3. It’s important to question the integrity of studies that align closely with political beliefs. If researchers prioritize their ideologies over honest research, it can damage the credibility of science.

NIH Staff Revolt Promotes Propaganda about Diversity

Unsafe Science • 91 implied HN points • 11 Jun 25
🔬 Science Research Ethics Peer Review Social Science Policy Analysis
  1. Some NIH staff signed a declaration to object to Trump administration policies, especially regarding diversity in research funding. They believe these policies hurt scientific progress.
  2. The declaration claims that diverse research teams are essential for better outcomes. However, this claim has faced criticism for lacking strong evidence.
  3. Critics argue that many signatories may not be qualified to comment on social science issues since their expertise is primarily in STEM fields, which could undermine the credibility of their statements.
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Addressing Research Fraud

The Good Science Project • 89 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🔬 Science Scientific Integrity Open Science Medical Research Social Science
  1. The Good Science Project aims to help investigate research fraud and support whistleblowers. They want to make it easier for people to report misconduct in science.
  2. Research fraud is a common problem, with many scientists admitting to questionable practices. Reports suggest that a significant number of researchers have seen or engaged in misconduct.
  3. The project plans to provide legal and educational resources for those worried about speaking out against fraud. They want to empower more people to come forward about their concerns.

New Models presents Kevin Munger on Vilem Flusser's Communicology

Do Not Research • 259 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Media theory Social Science Political Science
  1. Kevin Munger delves into Vilém Flusser's 'Communicology' thesis, published by Stanford University Press in 2022
  2. Flusser's work highlights a significant shift in communication methods seen in the 1970s, now accelerated by modern networked media
  3. The lecture on 'Communicology' was presented by Munger at Trauma Bar und Kino, Berlin, emphasizing the evolving landscape of human communication

Two more random studies I found interesting

Samstack • 807 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🔬 Science Social Science Studies Discrimination Meta-analysis
  1. Support for right-wing parties may increase after right-wing terrorist attacks, contrary to previous evidence on political violence.
  2. Discrimination against women for jobs historically held by men has been non-existent since 2009, but there may still be bias in favor of female applicants.
  3. Meta-analyses, like the one discussed, offer valuable insights when designed carefully and with expert input to avoid bias.

How Dare They Not Denounce Me as a Racist!

Unsafe Science • 122 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race Issues Social Science Free speech
  1. Critics of microaggression research often face accusations of racism, which can stifle scientific discussion. It's important for science to allow critical evaluation without labeling dissenters negatively.
  2. Many claims about microaggressions lack strong scientific backing. Researchers have not effectively shown that microaggressions are widespread, harmful, or caused by racism.
  3. The current approach to discussing microaggressions may threaten free speech and genuine academic inquiry. It's essential to keep an open mind and question research claims for a healthy scientific environment.

Vision Reasoning, Brain-Inspired Pruning, and Behavioral Simulations

HackerPulse Dispatch • 16 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Neuroscience Chip Design Social Science
  1. LLaVA-o1 helps vision-language models improve their reasoning skills with clear steps, making them better at understanding complex tasks.
  2. Brain-inspired pruning makes spiking neural networks much more efficient by keeping only the important parts, leading to significant cost savings.
  3. Generative agents can simulate thousands of people's behavior accurately, which can help in studying social science and creating better policies.

"A Theory of Everyone" by Michael Muthukrishna

Optimally Irrational • 33 implied HN points • 18 Nov 24
📚 Literature Book Reviews Science Social Science Behavioral Science Anthropology
  1. Muthukrishna's book looks at human behavior and society through four key ideas: energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution. These ideas help explain how life and societies develop over time.
  2. The author connects concepts from physics and social sciences, showing how energy sources have influenced human progress and how cooperation among people has been crucial for success.
  3. The book also offers insights into today's social issues, suggesting ways to improve democracy and education, while pushing for more cooperation and innovation to tackle challenges like inequality and political division.

Virtue in Two Acts

From the New World • 32 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Political theory Ethics Social Science
  1. Modern society may be more ignorant than previous ones, as we have created layers of belief and technology that distance us from true understanding. This is like being in a cave beneath another cave, where we lose sight of the bigger picture.
  2. Political philosophy, once a comprehensive study of human affairs, has become fragmented and superficial. This change means we often miss deeper truths and only focus on narrow aspects of social science.
  3. To truly understand political issues, we need to combine technical knowledge with an appreciation of human values. This balance helps us see what is good and guides our actions effectively.

Confronting Hereditary Talent and Its Social Consequences

Holodoxa • 99 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
📚 Literature Cultural Commentary Educational Policy Social Science Political Reform
  1. In his book _The Cult of Smart_, Fredrik deBoer argues against the notion that intelligence defines human worth, highlighting how society disproportionately rewards the academically gifted.
  2. DeBoer challenges the blank slate ideology, emphasizing the influence of genetic variation on cognitive traits over social or environmental factors, leading to implications in education and policy.
  3. DeBoer proposes societal reforms like universal healthcare and basic income to address the unequal distribution of inherited talents, challenging the idea of meritocracy as the ultimate goal for a fair society.

Is capitalism making you lonely?

inexactscience • 2 HN points • 13 Aug 24
📖 Philosophy Capitalism Loneliness Social Science Economic Theory Well-being
  1. There is a loneliness epidemic seen around the world, and some people think capitalism might be contributing to it.
  2. Research shows a moderate negative relationship between economic freedom and loneliness. When economic freedom increases, loneliness tends to decrease.
  3. While there are arguments that capitalism could increase loneliness, such as encouraging long working hours and individualism, the data suggests that capitalism, in fact, may help reduce feelings of loneliness.

SociaLLM: proposal for a language model design for personalised apps, social science, and AI safety research

Engineering Ideas • 19 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Social Science Research Applications Training
  1. SociaLLM is a foundation language model trained on chat, dialogue, and forum data with stable message authors and timestamps.
  2. Industrial applications of SociaLLM include personalized content recommendations, customer service, education, and mental health support.
  3. SociaLLM has research and AI safety applications in social science, collective intelligence, and studying mechanisms to prevent deception and collusion in AI.

Against the Labor Theory of Science

Never Met a Science • 11 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🔬 Science Social Science Theory Machine Learning
  1. New social scientific processes are being developed for more efficiency and improved knowledge production.
  2. Centralization of knowledge production can lead to significant gains in efficiency on both production and consumption sides.
  3. Machine learning algorithms can extract high-dimensional knowledge, reducing the need for human translation and potentially improving accuracy.

Why vaccine misinformation is winning the information war

Weaponized • 5 HN points • 17 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Misinformation Vaccines Communication Trust Social Science
  1. Misinformation about vaccines is spreading faster than efforts to debunk it, limiting the impact of accurate information campaigns.
  2. Addressing vaccine misinformation needs to consider the complex reasons why people fall for it, such as political beliefs or past mistreatment by authorities.
  3. Combatting vaccine misinformation requires more than just sharing facts, it's crucial to understand the root causes of hesitancy and engage with empathy and trust.

Issue index

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Research Policy Government Data Social Science
  1. The post contains 19 essays focusing on various important topics like research, policy, and social science.
  2. The essays discuss the importance of evidence-based decision-making and the challenges faced in implementing change.
  3. Authors explore subjects such as research integrity, government transparency, and the complexities of driving societal change.

The world is hard to change

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Social Science Political Science
  1. Social science has its limits when it comes to creating large, lasting changes through evidence-based policymaking.
  2. Social science is about learning from failures and adapting to the challenges of understanding and changing human behavior.
  3. Disappointment in evidence-based policymaking does not justify reverting to ideological assumptions; instead, it highlights the complexity of creating effective social change.

Incrementalism beats YOLO

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Social Science Interventions Research
  1. Incremental social policies have proven to make the world a better place over time
  2. Narrow, incremental policy changes can have significant positive impacts, like increasing school attendance, boosting earnings, and reducing incarceration rates
  3. Incremental changes informed by high-quality evaluation and research can lead to greater effectiveness over time in various social programs, showing better results than 'you only live once' approaches in policy-making

Causal research: More, not less

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🚌 Education Research Policy Social Science Evidence Public Policy
  1. Understanding the effects of policies on people's lives is crucial, and causal research can provide valuable information to guide decision-making.
  2. Critiques of causal social science highlight the need for improvement in research publishing practices, such as publishing null studies and ensuring clarity on statistically significant but small results.
  3. Replication studies in policy-making, especially with experimental interventions like RCTs, can offer valuable insights to refine policies before widespread implementation, and continuous use of evidence can help in making incremental progress.

Happy Illigitimate Federal Holiday Day!

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 10 Oct 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Cultural Events Social Science Public Sentiment
  1. Columbus Day is seen as the least legitimate federal holiday compared to others like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Many people don't celebrate it, and it lacks cultural significance.
  2. Major holidays like Christmas and Independence Day have strong personal and community celebrations. These holidays are recognized by both the government and the public.
  3. Some holidays, like Labor Day, are more about getting a day off rather than celebrating anything. People often use it as a chance to relax or have fun with friends instead.

Research Note: Defining "the South"

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jul 10
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Regional politics Cultural Identity History Polling Data Social Science
  1. Defining 'the South' can vary a lot depending on the perspective. It could be based on historical factors like the Confederacy, slavery, or segregation.
  2. Different definitions of 'the South' can lead to different interpretations of cultural or political data, affecting conclusions drawn from research.
  3. People often manipulate definitions of 'the South' to support their arguments, making it important to be clear about which definition is used in discussions.

The hubris of social scientists

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🔬 Science Social Science Public Policy
  1. Researchers should expand beyond randomized trials in social science evaluations due to the complexity of the social world and challenges in replicating findings.
  2. The 'hubris of social scientists' refers to the overconfidence and limitations in assuming new ideas will succeed, highlighting the commonality of failures in various fields, not just social policy.
  3. Identifying small effects in social science research is difficult due to the high variability across contexts, limitations in sample sizes, and challenges in replicating studies, necessitating a more systematic approach to data collection and policy evaluation.

Data in, garbage out

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🔬 Science Data Analysis Social Science Interventions
  1. Statistics can only tell us so much, so we should approach data with humility about both the power of social programs and hard data to test them.
  2. Rigorous measurement often doesn't definitively show whether interventions work, leading to ongoing debates and conflicting results in various fields.
  3. While randomized controlled trials have their value in measuring specified outcomes, they can miss unexpected effects and subtle interactions, highlighting the importance of qualitative methods and personal observations.