mj
@malthusjohn.bsky.social
Philosophy & History of Science, Complex Systems, Knowledge Management. Networks, Harmony, Co-Evolution, Autopoiesis, Neurodiversity ♾️ AuDhD.
Ecology, Digital Revolution ~> Information Paradigm.
Theorist, .. wait!- come back, there's more..
🕺🎶🍞📸🤡
Ecology, Digital Revolution ~> Information Paradigm.
Theorist, .. wait!- come back, there's more..
🕺🎶🍞📸🤡
Reasoning solely based on binary #logic was 1 of the 1st assumptions to fall, at the edge of recorded history.
Adding the Non-Excluded Middle, we created a huge demand for false dichotomies, based on evolutionary preference for fast-brain simplicity. #Truth is underspecified; #incomplete.
#philsci
Adding the Non-Excluded Middle, we created a huge demand for false dichotomies, based on evolutionary preference for fast-brain simplicity. #Truth is underspecified; #incomplete.
#philsci
Non-Factive Knowledge
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
February 4, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Reasoning solely based on binary #logic was 1 of the 1st assumptions to fall, at the edge of recorded history.
Adding the Non-Excluded Middle, we created a huge demand for false dichotomies, based on evolutionary preference for fast-brain simplicity. #Truth is underspecified; #incomplete.
#philsci
Adding the Non-Excluded Middle, we created a huge demand for false dichotomies, based on evolutionary preference for fast-brain simplicity. #Truth is underspecified; #incomplete.
#philsci
Reposted by mj
Pics from 4 of the 5 biggest geomagnetic storms so far from Solar Cycle 25. Alas, it was midnight sun season and cloudy during the biggest storm of the cycle in May 2024.
As solar maximum wains, we will see less big displays, but I bet we have a few shows left.
#northernlights #aurora #iceland
As solar maximum wains, we will see less big displays, but I bet we have a few shows left.
#northernlights #aurora #iceland
January 26, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Pics from 4 of the 5 biggest geomagnetic storms so far from Solar Cycle 25. Alas, it was midnight sun season and cloudy during the biggest storm of the cycle in May 2024.
As solar maximum wains, we will see less big displays, but I bet we have a few shows left.
#northernlights #aurora #iceland
As solar maximum wains, we will see less big displays, but I bet we have a few shows left.
#northernlights #aurora #iceland
Reposted by mj
My nomination for the most influential scientific visualization ever produced.
🧪🌿🌎🪶🐡 #scicomm #sciviz #visualscicomm #sciviz #dinosaurs
alwayssomethingtosee.substack.com/p/the-age-of...
🧪🌿🌎🪶🐡 #scicomm #sciviz #visualscicomm #sciviz #dinosaurs
alwayssomethingtosee.substack.com/p/the-age-of...
The Age of Reptiles: How One Mural Changed The Way The World Saw Dinosaurs
My nomination for the most influential scientific visualization ever produced
alwayssomethingtosee.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:42 PM
My nomination for the most influential scientific visualization ever produced.
🧪🌿🌎🪶🐡 #scicomm #sciviz #visualscicomm #sciviz #dinosaurs
alwayssomethingtosee.substack.com/p/the-age-of...
🧪🌿🌎🪶🐡 #scicomm #sciviz #visualscicomm #sciviz #dinosaurs
alwayssomethingtosee.substack.com/p/the-age-of...
Reposted by mj
Data show that girls around the world are entering puberty younger than before. A feature in Nature reports on the research showing why this is happening, the health consequences of earlier puberty and how best to adapt and when to intervene. #medsky 🧪
Girls are starting puberty younger — why, and what are the risks?
More girls are hitting puberty at eight or earlier. Researchers are exploring the causes, the consequences and what should be done.
go.nature.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Data show that girls around the world are entering puberty younger than before. A feature in Nature reports on the research showing why this is happening, the health consequences of earlier puberty and how best to adapt and when to intervene. #medsky 🧪
Reposted by mj
First-time posters need to be endorsed by an established arXiv author in their own field.
The new rule is mostly to try and discourage people from trying to get something started by sending some rubbish to arXiv.
🦠🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
The new rule is mostly to try and discourage people from trying to get something started by sending some rubbish to arXiv.
🦠🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
ArXiv preprint server clamps down on AI slop
First-time posters to venerable platform now need an endorsement from an established author
www.science.org
January 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM
First-time posters need to be endorsed by an established arXiv author in their own field.
The new rule is mostly to try and discourage people from trying to get something started by sending some rubbish to arXiv.
🦠🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
The new rule is mostly to try and discourage people from trying to get something started by sending some rubbish to arXiv.
🦠🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
[Part 2 🧵 #philsci, #HPS]
At the dawn of the 17th century scientific paradigm shift, #music was still a fundamental part of the package, but it would soon be getting the axe in order to make room for "all the new cool stuff." (sound familiar?)
A tragic error lasting a few 100 years, then a pivot.
At the dawn of the 17th century scientific paradigm shift, #music was still a fundamental part of the package, but it would soon be getting the axe in order to make room for "all the new cool stuff." (sound familiar?)
A tragic error lasting a few 100 years, then a pivot.
February 1, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by mj
"Sounds can shed more light on #Philosophy than any other quality, which is why the #science of #Music should not be neglected even if all singing and playing were completely abolished and forbidden."
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
January 24, 2026 at 6:47 PM
"Sounds can shed more light on #Philosophy than any other quality, which is why the #science of #Music should not be neglected even if all singing and playing were completely abolished and forbidden."
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Reposted by mj
“A fundamental test of the publishing industry’s commitment to the principles of accountability, integrity, and transparency.” Again, imperfect yet vital institutions and sectors being consumed.
Guest Post — The Ghost in the Machine: Why Generative AI is a Crisis of Authorship, Not Just a Tool scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/01/22/g...
Guest Post - The Ghost in the Machine: Why Generative AI is a Crisis of Authorship, Not Just a Tool - The Scholarly Kitchen
Today's guest author raises the question of whether a researcher submitting an article that was significantly drafted by an LLM without clear disclosure is effectively engaging in a contemporary form ...
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org
January 22, 2026 at 10:54 AM
“A fundamental test of the publishing industry’s commitment to the principles of accountability, integrity, and transparency.” Again, imperfect yet vital institutions and sectors being consumed.
Reposted by mj
History gets warped when women are left out.
The story doesn’t just shrink—it breaks.
Put women back in, and the truth gets messier, more honest, and a lot more interesting.
I write about that here: https://www.historyinthemargins.com 🗃️
The story doesn’t just shrink—it breaks.
Put women back in, and the truth gets messier, more honest, and a lot more interesting.
I write about that here: https://www.historyinthemargins.com 🗃️
History in the Margins – Pamela Toler
Madame Demorest, Women’s Magazines, and Fashion By Pamela | January 20, 2026 In the mid-19th century, Ellen Curtis “Madame” Demorest (1824-1898), aided by her husband William, created a fashion and media empire in New York built on the growing magazine industry and the aspirations of middle-cl...
www.historyinthemargins.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:04 PM
History gets warped when women are left out.
The story doesn’t just shrink—it breaks.
Put women back in, and the truth gets messier, more honest, and a lot more interesting.
I write about that here: https://www.historyinthemargins.com 🗃️
The story doesn’t just shrink—it breaks.
Put women back in, and the truth gets messier, more honest, and a lot more interesting.
I write about that here: https://www.historyinthemargins.com 🗃️
Reposted by mj
The US's withdrawal from the WHO today makes it a good time to reflect on their shifting relationship over the years (article from March 2025)
www.statnews.com/2025/03/07/u...
www.statnews.com/2025/03/07/u...
The long history of the U.S. trying to control and dismantle the WHO
The United States has bribed and bullied the WHO from the earliest days of the organization.
www.statnews.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:15 AM
The US's withdrawal from the WHO today makes it a good time to reflect on their shifting relationship over the years (article from March 2025)
www.statnews.com/2025/03/07/u...
www.statnews.com/2025/03/07/u...
Reposted by mj
Really cool seeing this kind of reflection on citational practices, I wish we had more of it in #philsci. I feel like people are increasingly aware of the epistemic injustices created by the ways in which our discipline builds and relies on canons. But what does changing it look like in practice?
New paper! "Struggling with Citational Politics as a Pathway to Unlearning and Relearning for Collective Action" on the material challenges of trying to cite ethically.
We did a citation experiment. We found there were specific stages, and they didn't advance linearly.
kula.uvic.ca/index.php/ku...
We did a citation experiment. We found there were specific stages, and they didn't advance linearly.
kula.uvic.ca/index.php/ku...
kula.uvic.ca
January 30, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Really cool seeing this kind of reflection on citational practices, I wish we had more of it in #philsci. I feel like people are increasingly aware of the epistemic injustices created by the ways in which our discipline builds and relies on canons. But what does changing it look like in practice?
Humans have so many #biases that I think #asymmetry is rule rather than the exception.
One of the main ones is related to the "fight or flight" instinct and our basic hardwired reactions to pain & pleasure.
In our modern #media, both sides are used to trigger fast-thought behaviors.
One of the main ones is related to the "fight or flight" instinct and our basic hardwired reactions to pain & pleasure.
In our modern
"There is an asymmetry in the study of trust in science: instead of examining the full spectrum from extreme distrust to extreme trust, it is heavily skewed towards the distrust end."
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
January 30, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Humans have so many #biases that I think #asymmetry is rule rather than the exception.
One of the main ones is related to the "fight or flight" instinct and our basic hardwired reactions to pain & pleasure.
In our modern #media, both sides are used to trigger fast-thought behaviors.
One of the main ones is related to the "fight or flight" instinct and our basic hardwired reactions to pain & pleasure.
In our modern
Reposted by mj
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our continual #polycrisis environment.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
January 27, 2026 at 4:09 PM
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our continual #polycrisis environment.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Reposted by mj
"Knowing when to #think in broad and integrative ways and when, for efficiency’s sake, to view things in a simpler, more straightforward manner is itself an example of #cognitive #complexity.": buff.ly/oGIaBfe
by JHermanKleiger
#perspective #thinking
by JHermanKleiger
#perspective #thinking
Cognitive Complexity vs Simplicity & the Value of Mental Flexibility | J. Herman Kleiger
In our fraught social and political climate and with authoritarianism on the rise, my thoughts turn to creating stories that depict the tension between simplicity and complexity, rigidity and…
buff.ly
January 4, 2026 at 12:30 PM
"Knowing when to #think in broad and integrative ways and when, for efficiency’s sake, to view things in a simpler, more straightforward manner is itself an example of #cognitive #complexity.": buff.ly/oGIaBfe
by JHermanKleiger
#perspective #thinking
by JHermanKleiger
#perspective #thinking
Reposted by mj
Archaeologists have uncovered one of the first instances of interaction between #Neolithic farmers and #Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in central Europe, indicating a level of technology transfer not observed before.
🏺A communicative #AntiquityThread 1/10 🧵
🏺A communicative #AntiquityThread 1/10 🧵
January 21, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Archaeologists have uncovered one of the first instances of interaction between #Neolithic farmers and #Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in central Europe, indicating a level of technology transfer not observed before.
🏺A communicative #AntiquityThread 1/10 🧵
🏺A communicative #AntiquityThread 1/10 🧵
Reposted by mj
The #scientific-method that was forming placed more emphasis on replication by peers, through more reliance on mathematization & testable experimentation and demonstration.
The field of #Music was no different, but it also had models from a large # of specialists w/1000s of yrs of trial & error.
The field of #Music was no different, but it also had models from a large # of specialists w/1000s of yrs of trial & error.
January 26, 2026 at 7:52 PM
The #scientific-method that was forming placed more emphasis on replication by peers, through more reliance on mathematization & testable experimentation and demonstration.
The field of #Music was no different, but it also had models from a large # of specialists w/1000s of yrs of trial & error.
The field of #Music was no different, but it also had models from a large # of specialists w/1000s of yrs of trial & error.
One of the goals of the #Information_Paradigm is the reframing of the "mile-markers" of History. Its contention is this is not only a frequent chore of cleaning up loose ends & missing pieces, but also of the more rare paradigm shifts throughout recorded #history.
For example, the naming of "Ages."
For example, the naming of "Ages."
The common thread through these posts is the Renaissance & evolution of "Science: the Institution" that arose w/the decentralization of #knowledge as the printing press churned out books, journals, magazines, daily news, etc & allowed participants to become interactive co-producers of shared method.
January 28, 2026 at 3:41 PM
One of the goals of the #Information_Paradigm is the reframing of the "mile-markers" of History. Its contention is this is not only a frequent chore of cleaning up loose ends & missing pieces, but also of the more rare paradigm shifts throughout recorded #history.
For example, the naming of "Ages."
For example, the naming of "Ages."
Reposted by mj
Who is the Big Tobacco of today?
In new work, we find 50% of high profile social media papers are connected to big tech through funding, collaboration and employment. Most connections aren't disclosed. @jbakcoleman.bsky.social @jevinwest.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com 1
arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507
In new work, we find 50% of high profile social media papers are connected to big tech through funding, collaboration and employment. Most connections aren't disclosed. @jbakcoleman.bsky.social @jevinwest.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com 1
arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507
Industry Influence in High-Profile Social Media Research
To what extent is social media research independent from industry influence? Leveraging openly available data, we show that half of the research published in top journals has disclosable ties to indus...
arxiv.org
January 19, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Who is the Big Tobacco of today?
In new work, we find 50% of high profile social media papers are connected to big tech through funding, collaboration and employment. Most connections aren't disclosed. @jbakcoleman.bsky.social @jevinwest.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com 1
arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507
In new work, we find 50% of high profile social media papers are connected to big tech through funding, collaboration and employment. Most connections aren't disclosed. @jbakcoleman.bsky.social @jevinwest.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com 1
arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507
Reposted by mj
Data visualization: Every human language, from modern day back through protolanguage to a hypothetical common origin. Accurate, sourced, possibly complete. Includes sign language!
Tap or mouse over to highlight individual branches; many also have more info.
🛌 this project has been a beast
Tap or mouse over to highlight individual branches; many also have more info.
🛌 this project has been a beast
Networking
7,370 languages visualized as a force-directed network
dr.eamer.dev
January 21, 2026 at 5:14 AM
Data visualization: Every human language, from modern day back through protolanguage to a hypothetical common origin. Accurate, sourced, possibly complete. Includes sign language!
Tap or mouse over to highlight individual branches; many also have more info.
🛌 this project has been a beast
Tap or mouse over to highlight individual branches; many also have more info.
🛌 this project has been a beast
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our continual #polycrisis environment.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
January 27, 2026 at 4:09 PM
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by our continual #polycrisis environment.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Surrounded by the #asymmetry of information overload & diverse interpretations of what the problems & solutions even are, we ask: Where will order come from?
When it does emerge, it's immediate: we are masters of #adaptation.
Reposted by mj
"Failure to examine the conceptual structures and frames of reference which are unconsciously implicated in even the seemingly most innocent factual inquiries is the greatest single defect that can be found in any field of inquiry." (Dewey)
#Epistemology #PhilSci
#Epistemology #PhilSci
January 17, 2026 at 9:20 AM
"Failure to examine the conceptual structures and frames of reference which are unconsciously implicated in even the seemingly most innocent factual inquiries is the greatest single defect that can be found in any field of inquiry." (Dewey)
#Epistemology #PhilSci
#Epistemology #PhilSci
Never bury your CTA in the same post as your shareable quips or internet meta-references to internet trivia!
#Nonlinear space & time intervals?
Before #spacetime had been conceived?
Involving the same characters who would anchor us to absolute time & space for another 300 yrs or so?
#philsci
#Nonlinear space & time intervals?
Before #spacetime had been conceived?
Involving the same characters who would anchor us to absolute time & space for another 300 yrs or so?
#philsci
January 26, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Never bury your CTA in the same post as your shareable quips or internet meta-references to internet trivia!
#Nonlinear space & time intervals?
Before #spacetime had been conceived?
Involving the same characters who would anchor us to absolute time & space for another 300 yrs or so?
#philsci
#Nonlinear space & time intervals?
Before #spacetime had been conceived?
Involving the same characters who would anchor us to absolute time & space for another 300 yrs or so?
#philsci
Reposted by mj
This chart by @nathanielbullard.com is one reason data centers are driving up our electricity prices. Tech companies usually build data centers close to cities, where accommodating their GW-scale power demand entails costly reinforcement of wires or transformers. Utilities pass those costs on to us.
January 19, 2026 at 4:41 PM
This chart by @nathanielbullard.com is one reason data centers are driving up our electricity prices. Tech companies usually build data centers close to cities, where accommodating their GW-scale power demand entails costly reinforcement of wires or transformers. Utilities pass those costs on to us.
"Sounds can shed more light on #Philosophy than any other quality, which is why the #science of #Music should not be neglected even if all singing and playing were completely abolished and forbidden."
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
January 24, 2026 at 6:47 PM
"Sounds can shed more light on #Philosophy than any other quality, which is why the #science of #Music should not be neglected even if all singing and playing were completely abolished and forbidden."
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Marin Mersenne (1636)
A Catholic priest, polymath, prodigious writer, "father of acoustics"...
Reposted by mj
Why is losing ice from land a major problem for people living near the ocean? Using a miniature beach to demonstrate one of the many impacts of going past #planetaryboundaries, the Planetary Boundaries Science lab asks "Is sea level rise worse than you think?"👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ao...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ao...
Is sea level rise worse than you think? Planetary Boundaries Science
YouTube video by Planetary Boundaries Science
www.youtube.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Why is losing ice from land a major problem for people living near the ocean? Using a miniature beach to demonstrate one of the many impacts of going past #planetaryboundaries, the Planetary Boundaries Science lab asks "Is sea level rise worse than you think?"👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ao...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ao...