Michael Pollard | Lightnews

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 3d

It has been almost four months since I last posted my cat. Here she is inspecting a puzzle with 299 cat-shaped pieces, and one dog-shaped piece. Happy Friday!

A curious calico cat sitting on top of a jigsaw puzzle consisting of cat-shaped pieces.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 5d

Apparently Rubik's Cube has created a nightmare stress baby with the Perfection game by creating "Rubik's Pulse Cube" -- you have 60 seconds to solve the cube before all the color drains out and it turns blank on all sides. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 6d

Here's a quick 11 min chat about low birth rates and population panic. I'll pile on with the note that the United States is one of only eight countries in the world to not offer a paid federal maternity leave (along with Suriname, Papua New Guinea, and five South Pacific island nations).

American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social · 6d

On Here & Now @wbur.org @npr.org, ASA Member Karen Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social @uncpopcenter.bsky.social discussed politicians leveraging concern about low birth rates to justify policies that limit rights for women, non-Christians, people of color, & the LGBTQIA+ community.

The state of the pronatalist movement

The pronatalist movement, which claims to be rectifying what some of its members describe as the likely collapse of civilization due to population decline.

bit.ly

American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social · 6d

On Here & Now @wbur.org @npr.org, ASA Member Karen Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social @uncpopcenter.bsky.social discussed politicians leveraging concern about low birth rates to justify policies that limit rights for women, non-Christians, people of color, & the LGBTQIA+ community.

The state of the pronatalist movement

The pronatalist movement, which claims to be rectifying what some of its members describe as the likely collapse of civilization due to population decline.

bit.ly

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 10d

This graph never fails to be shocking: "The US has experienced the earliest and greatest slowdown in life expectancy improvements among higher-income countries, reported Eileen Crimmins. “We have horrible life expectancy—and it’s getting worse and worse”"

www.prb.org/resources/se...

Graph showing life expectancy trends in 23 higher income countries between 1980 and 2024. Life expectancy increased over time in all countries. In 1980, the US is in the middle of the pack, but their life expectancy gains were slower than that of other countries, and by around 2002, the US had the lowest life expectancy of all countries. Over the next 20 years, US life expectancy increasingly tracks away from the trajectories of other countries, as their life expectancy stalls while other countries life expectancy continues to climb

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 13d

I was happy to brief (with Jennifer Bouey) the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission staff last week on our recent introductory report on China's demographics and national security (broadly defined). Hopefully just the first in a series. www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

What Do China's Demographic Trends Mean for Its Future?

China has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and is experiencing one of the fastest transitions to an aged society. The impending reduction in labor force size and increase in old age dependenc...

www.rand.org

Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · 19d

I’m dressing as the age period cohort problem for Halloween

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · 19d

"Dreams of teeth falling out occur across cultures...Research suggests that 40% of the adult population will have had one such dream over the course of their lives."

I've had these kind of dreams forever, but now I also have them about my cat's teeth.

www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...

‘An unsolved mystery of science’: why do I dream about my teeth falling out?

Experts say such dreams of dental distress may relate to the processing of various emotions and experiences

www.theguardian.com

Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 20d

You've probably heard that US fertility is "below replacement level." But what does that actually mean???

Demographers @lesja.bsky.social & others explain the link between birth rates & population growth in this new @ccfamilies.bsky.social brief. contemporaryfamilies.utah.edu/publications...

Picture of a brief published by the Council on Contemporary Families titled "How Do We Know When Fertility is Too Low?"

Philip N Cohen @philipncohen.com · 27d

Updating my projections: The last woman married in the USA will take place on Valentine's day in 2045.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Oct 10

A rocket scientist was a key figure in developing China's One-Child policy. So demography is definitely not rocket science.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Oct 9

What if the excluded years just go back to 1200 baud?

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Oct 9

Gallup: in 2023 65% of Republicans said they drink alcohol – about the same as Democrats and independents. In 2025, that number has plunged a staggering 19 points to 46%. Democrats and independents also report drinking less, but each only by single digits. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Mocktails for Maga: why the US right is turning sober

Tucker Carlson says young people are more health-conscious than older generations. Does it explain why Republicans are drinking less?

www.theguardian.com

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Oct 6

I worked on a project where we used LLMs to do sentiment coding on millions of Tweets.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Oct 6

And now for something completely different.

Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · Oct 6

The first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus featured a bicycle race of modernist painters who were painting while riding

October 5, 1969

Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · Oct 6

The first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus featured a bicycle race of modernist painters who were painting while riding

October 5, 1969

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 22

As well as providing descriptive demographic trend data, the research team interviewed SMEs to identify & evaluate potential policy responses to mitigating impacts of the aging population: pro-natalist policies, immigration, the rural-urban divide, reliance on tech, and increasing retirement age.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 22

My new report acts as an intro to China's current demographic challenges (rapid population aging, low fertility) and their implications for China's national security (military, economy, innovation, population well-being, and the CCP's self-perpetuation).
www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

What Do China's Demographic Trends Mean for Its Future?

China has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and is experiencing one of the fastest transitions to an aged society. The impending reduction in labor force size and increase in old age dependenc...

www.rand.org

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 22

Well, boo to this. Coffee can contribute to high cholesterol. “Unfiltered coffee, such as espresso, is high in diterpenes ... which interfere with proteins that transport LDL [bad] cholesterol out of the bloodstream.” Sorry if this is also news to you. health.yahoo.com/wellness/nut...

Seven ways your coffee habit could be ruining your health, from digestion to cholesterol

Whether it’s a flat white or a double-shot espresso, many of us can’t start the day without caffeine. A morning cup perks us up after a bad night’s sleep, fuels our workdays and workouts, and powers o...

health.yahoo.com

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 22

My new report acts as an intro to China's current demographic challenges (rapid population aging, low fertility) and their implications for China's national security (military, economy, innovation, population well-being, and the CCP's self-perpetuation).
www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

What Do China's Demographic Trends Mean for Its Future?

China has one of the world's lowest fertility rates and is experiencing one of the fastest transitions to an aged society. The impending reduction in labor force size and increase in old age dependenc...

www.rand.org

Danny Dougherty @dannydougherty.bsky.social · Sep 12

Writing an algorithm to identify cluster populations for desirability ratings. A k-pop demand hunter.

Pallavi Banerjee @pallavib.bsky.social · Sep 10

JOB ALERT FOR #SOCIOLOGIST: Come work with me. We have FOUR Assistant Professor positions in the Sociology Department at the University of Calgary.

careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...

Assistant Professors - Sociology, Faculty of Arts in Calgary, AB, ...

careers.ucalgary.ca

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

I'm a bit surprised that after looking at the original results, there wasn't a clear topic that people knew/didn't know overall, but ~30-40% were wrong at each question.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

I got 11 out of 11, but the temperature graphs didn't show up for question 5.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

X users look very different now, but it still speaks to the potential generalizability of nonprobability social media data when attention is paid to the characteristics of the nonprobability sample. Watch for it in Public Opinion Quarterly some time next year! 3/3

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

We show that a propensity score weighting procedure, using demographics, techno/psychographics, and political ideology reconciles differences between the samples for 25 of the 27 attitudes assessed. 2/3

A chart showing differences in political and policy attitudes between a national probability sample and a nonprobability sample of Twitter users, both before a propensity score weighting procedure (where there are significant differences on nearly all of the 27 measures between the two samples, but only 2 significant differences after the procedure).

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

Fun new publication alert! Back in 2022 we fielded the same survey about political and policy attitudes to a national probability sample, and a sample of users on Twitter. The Twitter sample was younger and more liberal across a wide range of attitudes, compared to the probability sample. 1/3

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 5

@genebaxter.bsky.social @alliemackay.bsky.social Dawson's Creek chat: when I was writing my comprehensive exams at Duke, the cast was shooting these S5 promo pics right outside the sociology building. We grad students all flocked to the window despite the timed exam. Michelle had to stand on a box.

The main cast of Dawson's Creek, Season 5, posing outside of the Sociology building at Duke University.

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 3

My equivalent: "Please see the attached file." [There is no attached file].

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Sep 3

Relieved to report that a paper I submitted that has been under review for 18 months was just formally accepted. What's the longest review process at a single journal you've ever gone through?

Michael S. Pollard @sociologian.bsky.social · Aug 27

It never occurred to me, but it did to County Auditor Vicky Dalton, that "...in a lot of states, anyone could get a copy of a marriage license. So how many Swifties will get a copy of the marriage certificate to hang on their walls?”

Kelcie Moseley-Morris @kelciemmorris.bsky.social · Aug 27

Perfect localization story by @alexdugganreports.bsky.social. No notes.

Spokane officials have no reason to comment on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement, but we asked them anyway

The “Love Story” engagement between iconic pop star Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce may be out of Spokane officials’ wheelhouse, but it’s pretty clear that most of them are ...

www.spokesman.com

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