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bmhughes.bsky.social
Brian Hughes
@bmhughes.bsky.social
3.9K followers 1.4K following 750 posts
Prof Psych • Writer • Galway • he/him

New book 'Psychology's Quiet Conservatism': https://link.springer.com/book/9783032077233

Blog: https://thesciencebit.net/
Bio: https://brianmhughes.com/

📷 https://www.photoblogism.net
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bmhughes.bsky.social
A professor in Indiana has been reprimanded for showing this graphic in her class.

What snowflakes the conservative right are!

I think it's an excellent visual aid, and I will certainly now be showing it in *my* classes too.

More info: www.wfyi.org/news/article...

HT @pzmyers.bsky.social
Graphic of a pyramid showing two levels. Top level = "OVERT WHITE SUPREMACY (Socially Unacceptable) " contains the following terms: Lynching, Hate Crimes, Swastikas, KKK, Burning Crosses, The N-Word Neo-Nazis, Racial Slurs, Racist Jokes) Lower level = "COVERT WHITE SUPREMACY (Socially Acceptable)" contains the following terms: Hiring Discrimination, Police Murdering POC, "Make America Great Again", School-to-Prison Pipeline, Confederate Flags, Racial Profiling, Police Brutality, Discriminatory Lending, Not Believing Experiences of POC, Paternalism, Euro-centric Curriculum, Assuming that Good Intentions are Enough, English-only Initiatives, Anti-Immigration Policies/Practices, Virtuous Victim Narrative, Fearing People of Color, Housing Discrimination, Self-appointed White Ally, Denial of White Privilege, Expecting POC to teach White People, "Don't blame me. I never owned slaves.", Believing we are post-racial, Denial of Racism, Blaming the Victim, Tokenism, Claiming Reverse Racism, "It's just a joke!", Bootstrap Theory, "But what about me?", Racist Mascots, Colorblindness, Not Challenging Racist Jokes, Cultural Appropriation, "But we're just one human family.", White Savior Complex
November 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
*Shivers down spine*
November 7, 2025 at 1:22 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Well, now, look what arrived in the post...

Delighted to share that my new book on psychology and the culture wars has now been published.

Writing it was a long, at times depressing, but ultimately satisfying journey for me. I hope you like it

Deets here: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Book in my hand, with title "PSYCHOLOGY’S QUIET CONSERVATISM: How a Supposedly Woke Science Promotes Capitalism and Protects Privilege" and author name "Brian M. Hughes" (me)
November 5, 2025 at 11:01 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Paddy Power seem pretty certain

#Aras25
Clip from Paddy Power website: Irish Politics Next Irish President After Michael D Higgins Catherine Connolly 1/100 Heather Humphreys 25/1
October 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
#Aras25
October 21, 2025 at 11:11 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
This was absolutely diabolical 🙈

#Aras25
October 21, 2025 at 10:08 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Even the hellsite's own (n)A(z)I bot knows
Tweet from Bruce Wilson: Elon Musk's Grok Al identifies Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, as a "Groyper" from "the toxic underbelly of the MAGA ecosystem". Screen grab of Grok exchange: In your opinion grok what do these symbols track his political beliefs in Thoughts In my view, these inscriptions on the ammo casings-"Notices bulges OWO," "Oh Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao," "Catch this fascist," and "If you are reading this you are gay, Imaoooo"-aren't random or left-leaning signals like some early reports claimed. Instead, they trace Tyler Robinson's political beliefs squarely to the fringes of the alt-right, specifically the Groyper movement led by figures like NickFuentes. This crowd positions itself as hyper-patriotic, pro-Trump conservatives who see mainstream Republicans like Charlie Kirk as sellouts or "fake conservatives" infected by globalism, liberalism, or even fascism-lite. The "bulges OWO" bit is a crude, mocking nod to transphobic memes that originated on Tumblr but got co-opted by right-wing trolls to "spot" trans people in crowds-pure Groyper-style bigotry. "Bella Ciao" flips an anti-fascist WWIl partisan song into ironic ammo for ridiculing leftists, while tying into their beef with "fascist" establishment figures like Kirk (whom Fuentes has repeatedly trashed). The "gay" taunt is straight-up homophobic bait, emblematic of the group's anti-LGBTQ venom. And "Catch this fascist"? That's a direct shot at Kirk, framing the attack as purging a traitor from the right. Overall, it's not antifa or trans activism-it's the toxic underbelly of the MAGA ecosystem, where online radicalization turns personal grievances into violence against perceived ideological impurities. Robinson's Republican registration and Trump donations fit the profile: a young guy steeped in gun culture and pandemic-era echo chambers, lashing out at "the enemy within" on his own side. Tragic, but a reminder that extremism doesn't care about party lin…
September 12, 2025 at 9:12 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Middle-class hand-wringing over "political violence" after the (horrible) murder of a far-right influencer shows how violence only counts as poltical when rich people are its victims

Violence directed at the poor and powerless -- up to and including genocide -- is rendered invisible by privilege
Headline: "As Political Violence Rises, Trump Condemns One Side" Headline: "America enters a new age of political violence" Headline: "Why the US is experiencing heightened political violence" Headline: "Charlie Kirk's murder and the crisis of political violence"
September 12, 2025 at 2:12 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
As another semester begins today, here is the outline of my class on 'Psychology, Science, & Pseudoscience'

(Details also in Alt Text)

#psychology #science #pseudoscience #ethics #FakeNews #AltMed #MECFS #MedicallyUnexplainedSymptoms #LongCovid #MediaBias #ConspiracyTheories #vaccines #religion
University of Galway, School of Psychology PS409 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, & PSEUDOSCIENCE Professor Brian Hughes 1. Psychology and Pseudoscience in Theory a. What is science and why is it useful? b. What is pseudoscience and why is it popular? c. The scientific nature of psychology 2. Evidentiary Reasoning: Why Bad Ideas Never Fail to Prosper a. Limits on cognitive performance b. Social pressures on reasoning i. e.g., religion and optimism c. Media distortion i. e.g., bias and subjectivism 3. Psychology and Pseudoscience in Practice a. Examples from the Fringes i. Complementary therapies and miracle cures ii. Telepathy and psychokinesis b. Examples from the Mainstream i. Biological reductionism and gender ii. Subjective Self-Report: What Some People Say about What They Think They Think 4. Case Study: “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” -- Psychology’s Argument from Ignorance a. Materialist Stigma and Mental Health b. Structural Misogyny in Psychology c. “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” and the Triumph of Eminence-Based Medicine 5. Why Does It Matter? The Ethics of Nonsense a. Cynicism, nihilism, partisanship, and the cost of misinformation b. Epistemological threats and empirical safeguards c. The ethical dimension
September 10, 2025 at 3:20 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
"Speaking truth to power in double-spaced Times New Roman..."
August 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Final speaker is Michelle Bull from Physios for ME @physiosforme.bsky.social

What a great conference! @meforeningen.bsky.social

#MECFS #LongCovid
Speaker standing next to a screen with slide showing Physios for ME logo
May 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Anniken Sommerfelt on ME patients in general practice

Another fascinating talk at today’s @meforeningen.bsky.social conf

#LongCovid #MECFS
Speaker and screen showing title "ME/CFS (= Me) in General Practice: A case report"
May 7, 2025 at 1:10 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Trude Schei, deputy sec general of @meforeningen.bsky.social on research to enhance the assessment of functional capacity

At the #MECFS #LongCovid conference in Stavanger
Speaker on stage at podium
May 7, 2025 at 11:31 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Rob Wüst, Vrije University Amsterdam, with an exercise physiologist's perspective on PEM

#MECFS #LongCovid
Speaker at podium with slide showing Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
May 7, 2025 at 11:24 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
The renowned David Systrom, Brigham and Women's Hospital and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiopulmonary laboratory in Boston, on circulatory and respiratory aspects of #MECFS and #LongCovid

@meforeningen.bsky.social
Speaker at podium with title slide with text: "MECFS and Long Covid: Circulatory & Respiratory Aspects"
May 7, 2025 at 9:28 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
David Putrino @putrinolab.bsky.social on the likely underlying causes of #LongCovid pathology

At the @meforeningen.bsky.social #mecfs conference in Stavanger 🇳🇴
Slide with pictures and text: "Zooming in on the most likely underlying causes of Long COVID pathology Immune dysregulation Persistent infection Microbiota dysbiosis Autoimmunity and immune priming Mood clotting sed endothelial abnormalities Dysfunctioncal neurological signalling Viral replication Reactivation Immune dysregulation, with or without reactivation of underlying pathogens, including herpesviruses such as EBV and HHV-6 Impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on the microbiota and virome (including SARS-CoV-2 persistence) Autoimmunity and primed Immune cells from molecular mimicry Microvascular blood clotting with endothelial dysfunction Dysfunctional signalling in the brainstem and/or vegus nen David Putrino speaking on stage
May 7, 2025 at 9:13 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Fascinating insights from @putrinolab.bsky.social on the range of chronic and persistent infection-associated illnesses that help us understand #LongCovid

@meforeningen.bsky.social #mecfs #pwME #stavanger
Speaker at podium with screen showing Mount Sinai logo Slide with text: "Simple working definition: IACIs are disease states that emerge when a patient fails to return to their pre-infection health status after an infection event"
May 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Karl Johan Tronstad, University of Bergen, on cellular energy in #MECFS

@meforeningen.bsky.social
Wide angle photo of speaker on stage and audience in the conference centre
May 7, 2025 at 7:50 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Øystein Fluge, Haukeland university hospital, on uncovering disease mechanisms and testing drug treatments for ME

Some intriguing emerging unpublished data

At @meforeningen.bsky.social conference in Stavanger 🇳🇴

#MECFS #LongCovid #pwME
Speaker on stage showing a detailed slide depicting aspects of pathophysiology of ME, involving plasma cells
May 7, 2025 at 7:21 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Fascinating similarities in antibody function between #MECFS and #LongCovid patients, correlating with symptom severity

Carmen Scheibenbogen at @meforeningen.bsky.social conf in Stavanger
Slide showing diagram entitles "Autoantibodies in Long Covid and ME/CFS"
May 7, 2025 at 7:04 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Carmen Scheibenbogen, immunologist, a leading voice on ME research, speaking on dysimmunity

#MECFS #LongCovid @meforeningen.bsky.social
Speaker standing at a podium, holding a clicker
May 7, 2025 at 6:51 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Prof Kristian Sommerfelt with a brief intro to #MECFS
Speaker at a podium with a screen showing 'What is ME/CFS?'
May 7, 2025 at 6:43 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Excited to be here in Stavanger, Norway, to speak at @meforeningen.bsky.social conference on ME/CFS and Long Covid

Fascinating programme planned, lots of interesting presenters

#MECFS #LongCovid #pwME
Audience of 250+ at a conference venue facing a stage and three large screens Conference booklet with the title 'ME/CFS AND LONG COVID - Digging Deeper'
May 7, 2025 at 6:38 AM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Serious "Friendly Father" vibes coming off this grift-mail looking for donations in honour of Richard Dawkins's bday

And it's not even a milestone one
Email received from the Center for Inquiry: "Today we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Richard Dawkins, a champion of science, outspoken advocate for reason, and enduring inspiration to skeptics and freethinkers around the world. Through his groundbreaking books, lectures, and fearless defense of evidence-based thinking, Richard has helped shape the modern conversation around science, secularism, and rational inquiry. His influence lives on not only in his work, but also through the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science (RDFRS). Founded in 2006, the Foundation’s vision is to remove the influence of religion in science education and public policy, and eliminate the stigma that surrounds atheism and non-belief. To mark this special day, we invite you to celebrate Richard's legacy with a gift to support the mission he helped define. Every donation, whether large or small, helps advance critical thinking, defend science, and carry forward the values Richard has long stood for. Support Reason & Science! You can give monthly or one-time, explore legacy giving, or even donate cryptocurrency or stock. However you choose to give, know that your support strengthens the work Richard set in motion. He’ll be notified of all gifts made in his honor. Thank you for helping us keep his legacy alive and growing. Cheers! Debbie Allen Development Director, Center for Inquiry"
March 26, 2025 at 9:38 PM
bmhughes.bsky.social
Trump thinks his Doonbeg golf club is in the UK
Media report extract describing quote from Trump: Then, referring to the UK, he went on: "I can say that, we’re here for a different reason – we’re talking about a very different place. This is some place that I have investments there. I own Turnberry, I own Aberdeen, and I own a great place called Doonbeg in Ireland. So, I have a great warm spot for your country."
February 27, 2025 at 10:20 PM