Michael Brownstein
@michaelbrownstein.bsky.social
professor of philosophy and department chair, John Jay College
professor of philosophy, CUNY Grad Center
alum, Deep Springs College
author, Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
professor of philosophy, CUNY Grad Center
alum, Deep Springs College
author, Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
Pinned
My new book--with Alex Madva and @dryan149.bsky.social--has a cover!
In print 9.16.25, but why not preorder a copy now? mitpress.mit.edu/978026204978...
@mitpress.bsky.social #CoverReveal #Bookstagram
Thanks to Frank Augugliaro for the cover design
In print 9.16.25, but why not preorder a copy now? mitpress.mit.edu/978026204978...
@mitpress.bsky.social #CoverReveal #Bookstagram
Thanks to Frank Augugliaro for the cover design
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
The duality of man
@jennitaur.bsky.social @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social
@jennitaur.bsky.social @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 2:44 PM
"The only way to keep the space from imploding is to fill it . . . to claim all the room there still is for speaking, writing, publishing, protesting, voting. It’s what the people of Minnesota appear to be doing, and it’s something each of us needs to do — right now, while we still can."
Opinion | One Year of Trump. The Time to Act Is Now, While We Still Can.
www.nytimes.com
January 18, 2026 at 2:11 PM
"The only way to keep the space from imploding is to fill it . . . to claim all the room there still is for speaking, writing, publishing, protesting, voting. It’s what the people of Minnesota appear to be doing, and it’s something each of us needs to do — right now, while we still can."
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Super fun talk with Blaine Bartlett about social change on
Soul of Business Office Hours a few weeks ago about
Soul of Business Office Hours a few weeks ago about
January 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Super fun talk with Blaine Bartlett about social change on
Soul of Business Office Hours a few weeks ago about
Soul of Business Office Hours a few weeks ago about
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Was a genuine pleasure to be on The Michael Brian Show!
"Creating True Social Change"
linktr.ee/michael_mcdo...
"Creating True Social Change"
linktr.ee/michael_mcdo...
The Michael Brian Show | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
View michael_mcdonnell1’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a click away!
linktr.ee
January 13, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Was a genuine pleasure to be on The Michael Brian Show!
"Creating True Social Change"
linktr.ee/michael_mcdo...
"Creating True Social Change"
linktr.ee/michael_mcdo...
A serious honor to join the @casbsstanford.bsky.social podcast with @dryan149.bsky.social. Thanks a million to Damon Centola for asking great questions and to Mike Gaetani for setting it up. @madva.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
🎙️ NEW CASBS PODCAST EPISODE
Your Field Guide for Creating Social Change
Timely! @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social (CASBS fellow 2019-20) & @dryan149.bsky.social (2018-19) discuss their book "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Create Social Change" w/Damon Centola (2014-15)
🎧 bit.ly/459VSVL
Your Field Guide for Creating Social Change
Timely! @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social (CASBS fellow 2019-20) & @dryan149.bsky.social (2018-19) discuss their book "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Create Social Change" w/Damon Centola (2014-15)
🎧 bit.ly/459VSVL
January 13, 2026 at 7:05 PM
A serious honor to join the @casbsstanford.bsky.social podcast with @dryan149.bsky.social. Thanks a million to Damon Centola for asking great questions and to Mike Gaetani for setting it up. @madva.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
10,000 people honoring Renee Nicole Good
at the site of her murder
at the site of her murder
January 8, 2026 at 3:09 AM
10,000 people honoring Renee Nicole Good
at the site of her murder
at the site of her murder
Probably doing a little more than leaning to the left here. Thanks for a fun interview @bobgatty.bsky.social!
@madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
@madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
How Small Actions Spark Big Social Change in a Broken System
YouTube video by The Lean to the Left Podcast
youtu.be
January 6, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Probably doing a little more than leaning to the left here. Thanks for a fun interview @bobgatty.bsky.social!
@madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
@madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
A reminder - before Trump, MAGA, Musk and Fox rewrote history - that this is what the entire country agreed had happened five years ago today:
January 6, 2026 at 12:40 PM
A reminder - before Trump, MAGA, Musk and Fox rewrote history - that this is what the entire country agreed had happened five years ago today:
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funded NPR, PBS and hundreds of local radio and TV stations across the U.S. for more than a half-century, said on Monday that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization because Congress cut off its federal money.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Votes to Shut Down
Executives debated whether to allow the corporation to lie dormant after federal funding ended last year, but decided against it.
nyti.ms
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 AM
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funded NPR, PBS and hundreds of local radio and TV stations across the U.S. for more than a half-century, said on Monday that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization because Congress cut off its federal money.
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Holy shit it's real
January 1, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Holy shit it's real
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Mayor Mamdani has nullified every executive order issued by Eric Adams after he struck his corrupt bargain with Trump to secure dismissal of the indictment against him.
January 1, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Mayor Mamdani has nullified every executive order issued by Eric Adams after he struck his corrupt bargain with Trump to secure dismissal of the indictment against him.
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
A 2025 highlight ⚡
View below the cover images of books entered into CASBS's Ralph W. Tyler Collection in 2025. Such books are conceived, initiated, completed, or otherwise undertaken by fellows during their residence and acknowledge the Center.
Much more on the Tyler Collection: bit.ly/3JUl5vV
View below the cover images of books entered into CASBS's Ralph W. Tyler Collection in 2025. Such books are conceived, initiated, completed, or otherwise undertaken by fellows during their residence and acknowledge the Center.
Much more on the Tyler Collection: bit.ly/3JUl5vV
January 1, 2026 at 7:43 PM
A 2025 highlight ⚡
View below the cover images of books entered into CASBS's Ralph W. Tyler Collection in 2025. Such books are conceived, initiated, completed, or otherwise undertaken by fellows during their residence and acknowledge the Center.
Much more on the Tyler Collection: bit.ly/3JUl5vV
View below the cover images of books entered into CASBS's Ralph W. Tyler Collection in 2025. Such books are conceived, initiated, completed, or otherwise undertaken by fellows during their residence and acknowledge the Center.
Much more on the Tyler Collection: bit.ly/3JUl5vV
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Specifically, enjoying my continued read of @sgj.bsky.social's Buffalo Hunter Hunter, finished North Woods by Daniel Mason, reading some SF shorts, and savored the opening chapters of Somebody Should Do Something by @dryan149.bsky.social @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social & Alex Mavda
December 27, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Specifically, enjoying my continued read of @sgj.bsky.social's Buffalo Hunter Hunter, finished North Woods by Daniel Mason, reading some SF shorts, and savored the opening chapters of Somebody Should Do Something by @dryan149.bsky.social @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social & Alex Mavda
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
One of the most conservative organizations in the world, again, selects a leader who seems more moderate, passionate, and reasonable than most leaders of conservative political parties.
December 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
One of the most conservative organizations in the world, again, selects a leader who seems more moderate, passionate, and reasonable than most leaders of conservative political parties.
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social hosts a terrific newsletter, "The Power of Us," and it was an honor to contribute to it, along with @madva.bsky.social and @dryan149.bsky.social.
@mitpress.bsky.social
@mitpress.bsky.social
"We got mad about the endless either/or debate between the “individual action” versus “systemic change” and decided to try to fix it."
Read our fantastic interview on the new book "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone can Help Create Social Change": www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
Read our fantastic interview on the new book "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone can Help Create Social Change": www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
An interview & book giveaway with Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva, and Daniel Kelly about their new book "Somebody should do something"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social hosts a terrific newsletter, "The Power of Us," and it was an honor to contribute to it, along with @madva.bsky.social and @dryan149.bsky.social.
@mitpress.bsky.social
@mitpress.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
I count 10 cities in 2025 that are on track to have the fewest murders since at least 1970. Newark is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1956 (though only have data through Oct this year) and San Francisco is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1942.
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
The importance of social identity to social change in today's Power of Us newsletter!
We're also giving away 5 books to commenters over on Substack who answer the question, "What’s one thing you could do today to help create social change?"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
We're also giving away 5 books to commenters over on Substack who answer the question, "What’s one thing you could do today to help create social change?"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change
An interview & book giveaway with Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva, and Daniel Kelly about their new book "Somebody should do something"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
The importance of social identity to social change in today's Power of Us newsletter!
We're also giving away 5 books to commenters over on Substack who answer the question, "What’s one thing you could do today to help create social change?"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
We're also giving away 5 books to commenters over on Substack who answer the question, "What’s one thing you could do today to help create social change?"
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/how-anyone...
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
We tend to assume that rules are mostly about maintaining order, reducing prediction errors, and generally helping people cooperate. But not all rules do that--and, as Connie Chiu and I found in our most recent paper, people will buy rules in economic games of little use osf.io/preprints/ps...
December 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
We tend to assume that rules are mostly about maintaining order, reducing prediction errors, and generally helping people cooperate. But not all rules do that--and, as Connie Chiu and I found in our most recent paper, people will buy rules in economic games of little use osf.io/preprints/ps...
Hard to think of a more unqualified recent success
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Hard to think of a more unqualified recent success
Reposted by Michael Brownstein
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
December 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
A podcast about civic action and democracy? Yes, please! Very fun conversation with @milaatmos.bsky.social on @futurehindsight.bsky.social
Your Hidden Political Power: Michael Brownstein — Future Hindsight
We discuss orienting our personal choices toward the collective in order to make the changes in the systems that organize our world.
www.futurehindsight.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:24 AM
A podcast about civic action and democracy? Yes, please! Very fun conversation with @milaatmos.bsky.social on @futurehindsight.bsky.social