Sophie Moullin
@sophiemoullin.bsky.social
Sociologist of inequality, policy, economics, neurodivergence, and mental health. Northern England-raised, US Ivy trained, and currently auto-exile in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Neurospicy mama.
Yes, my complexity / computational folks @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social there is also a maths joke: “Calculus tells us that even as we approach infinity, we approach limits.” Standard economic models will hit their limits long before networks of people do.
My parody of the repeal of New Zealand’s pay equity legislation - Salary Sticks - is out in The Listener (print first). It was fun to write – but the point is serious.
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
November 25, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Yes, my complexity / computational folks @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social there is also a maths joke: “Calculus tells us that even as we approach infinity, we approach limits.” Standard economic models will hit their limits long before networks of people do.
My parody of the repeal of New Zealand’s pay equity legislation - Salary Sticks - is out in The Listener (print first). It was fun to write – but the point is serious.
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
November 24, 2025 at 9:34 PM
My parody of the repeal of New Zealand’s pay equity legislation - Salary Sticks - is out in The Listener (print first). It was fun to write – but the point is serious.
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
Much economic reasoning in policy today still:
→ masks its politics
→ mocks its challengers
→ is gendered *all the way down*
Complexity theory is not actually complex.
Here, it’s just saying “we can’t undo your loss, but all is not lost”. Or, “that must have hit extra hard because of what happened to you before”. Surely that’s more intuitive than experimental causal models?
Here, it’s just saying “we can’t undo your loss, but all is not lost”. Or, “that must have hit extra hard because of what happened to you before”. Surely that’s more intuitive than experimental causal models?
November 13, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Complexity theory is not actually complex.
Here, it’s just saying “we can’t undo your loss, but all is not lost”. Or, “that must have hit extra hard because of what happened to you before”. Surely that’s more intuitive than experimental causal models?
Here, it’s just saying “we can’t undo your loss, but all is not lost”. Or, “that must have hit extra hard because of what happened to you before”. Surely that’s more intuitive than experimental causal models?
Finally, some comparative work on personality traits in economic outcomes. Culture + inequality matters:
“socio-economic background affected social and emotional skills though the effect was smaller in New Zealand than in most other countries.” www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
“socio-economic background affected social and emotional skills though the effect was smaller in New Zealand than in most other countries.” www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
Open, agreeable New Zealanders less likely to be employed, study shows
Being extroverted or emotionally stable doesn't help with employability as much in this country as it does in most others.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 12, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Finally, some comparative work on personality traits in economic outcomes. Culture + inequality matters:
“socio-economic background affected social and emotional skills though the effect was smaller in New Zealand than in most other countries.” www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
“socio-economic background affected social and emotional skills though the effect was smaller in New Zealand than in most other countries.” www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
Beautiful bioluminescence down the local beach 🌊
November 10, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Beautiful bioluminescence down the local beach 🌊
“When they elevate computing to the status of a college, with departments and a budget, they are declaring it a higher-order domain of knowledge and practice, akin to law or engineering.”
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Universities Have a Computer-Science Problem
The case for teaching coders to speak French
www.theatlantic.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:13 AM
“When they elevate computing to the status of a college, with departments and a budget, they are declaring it a higher-order domain of knowledge and practice, akin to law or engineering.”
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
“the relaxification of college has stemmed, ultimately, from a centuries-old, studiously cultivated tradition of organizational disorganization “ www.newyorker.com/culture/open...
Should College Get Harder?
A.I. is coming for knowledge work, and yet college seems to be getting easier. Does something need to change?
www.newyorker.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:35 AM
“the relaxification of college has stemmed, ultimately, from a centuries-old, studiously cultivated tradition of organizational disorganization “ www.newyorker.com/culture/open...
Sharing this as a gift article today. If you see this, please read it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Why So Many People Still Don’t Understand Anti-Semitism
Unlike many other bigotries, anti-Semitism is not merely a social prejudice; it is a conspiracy theory about how the world operates.
www.theatlantic.com
October 3, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Sharing this as a gift article today. If you see this, please read it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
September 6, 2025 at 8:23 AM
I laugh, therefore I am.. love this happy idea. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/WlZaan?fbcli...
Why Are Kids So Funny?
The emergence of humor so early in life suggests something important about human nature.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
September 2, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I laugh, therefore I am.. love this happy idea. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/WlZaan?fbcli...
Money alleviates poverty. Its not complicated. Annie Lowery: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Yes, Cash Transfers Work
A recent set of cash-transfer programs had lackluster results—but cash is still "near unmatched as a salve for poverty," @AnnieLowrey argues:
www.theatlantic.com
September 2, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Money alleviates poverty. Its not complicated. Annie Lowery: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
most American political scientists making political maps of America have never even seen this map
September 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
most American political scientists making political maps of America have never even seen this map
Excellent listen on developments in the health sciences in general. They need a p.s.: that what causes #autism _to be a major disability_ is a closed-minded socio-political environment www.nytimes.com/audio/app/20...
RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That. from ProPublica - Listen on NYT Audio
25 min listen - While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and ...
www.nytimes.com
August 29, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Excellent listen on developments in the health sciences in general. They need a p.s.: that what causes #autism _to be a major disability_ is a closed-minded socio-political environment www.nytimes.com/audio/app/20...
Very cool study, inductively showing important variations in *how* genetic and development factors interplay. I would love to see this for adhd too. www.princeton.edu/news/2025/07...
Major autism study uncovers biologically distinct subtypes, paving the way for precision diagnosis and care
The research is a transformative step toward understanding the condition's genetic underpinnings and potential for personalized care.
www.princeton.edu
August 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Very cool study, inductively showing important variations in *how* genetic and development factors interplay. I would love to see this for adhd too. www.princeton.edu/news/2025/07...
Also, as Jane Waldfogel said: it wasn't enough money.
And also: treated and control groups both got a refundable child tax credit of up to $3,600, per child, over the study period.
And also: a cash transfer is pain relief, not an inoculation against ongoing socio-economic disadvantage.
And also: treated and control groups both got a refundable child tax credit of up to $3,600, per child, over the study period.
And also: a cash transfer is pain relief, not an inoculation against ongoing socio-economic disadvantage.
The study did not show the money didn't help the children. It didn't increase their scores enough on the metrics privileged by a set of policy influencers
For many, the logic seemed unassailable: Giving poor families money would measurably improve the lives of their children. A few years ago, social scientists set out to test whether that assumption was right.
The results of the experiment shocked them. Listen to "The Daily."
The results of the experiment shocked them. Listen to "The Daily."
August 7, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Also, as Jane Waldfogel said: it wasn't enough money.
And also: treated and control groups both got a refundable child tax credit of up to $3,600, per child, over the study period.
And also: a cash transfer is pain relief, not an inoculation against ongoing socio-economic disadvantage.
And also: treated and control groups both got a refundable child tax credit of up to $3,600, per child, over the study period.
And also: a cash transfer is pain relief, not an inoculation against ongoing socio-economic disadvantage.
"...Among Those Diagnosed". So many psychology conclusions need to clearly add either this, or "...in Rats". www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
No sex differences in core autism features, social functioning, cognition or co-occurring conditions in young autistic children: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with more males than females diagnosed, and researchers have considered whether the e…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 7, 2025 at 2:28 AM
"...Among Those Diagnosed". So many psychology conclusions need to clearly add either this, or "...in Rats". www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Relatedly, Covid — the actual virus, not the pandemic experience- probably directly, increased symptoms of neurodiversity, and related mental health problems - www.forbes.com/sites/drnanc...
Fatigue, Brain Fog And A Racing Heart — What Doctors Are Learning About Post-COVID Neurodivergence
Doctors at the RSM meeting discussed how certain traits — such as joint hypermobility or sensitivity to standing — may be more common in patients with long COVID, neurodivergence, or unexplained chron...
www.forbes.com
July 23, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Relatedly, Covid — the actual virus, not the pandemic experience- probably directly, increased symptoms of neurodiversity, and related mental health problems - www.forbes.com/sites/drnanc...
“Psychiatry has a legacy of implementing drastic procedures, like lobotomies, that later come to seem like folly. But it also has a history of proffering psychological theory for illnesses that are not yet understood on a biological level.” 💯@thenewyorker.bsky.social www.newyorker.com
The New Yorker
Reporting, Profiles, breaking news, cultural coverage, podcasts, videos, and cartoons from The New Yorker.
www.newyorker.com
July 23, 2025 at 8:27 AM
“Psychiatry has a legacy of implementing drastic procedures, like lobotomies, that later come to seem like folly. But it also has a history of proffering psychological theory for illnesses that are not yet understood on a biological level.” 💯@thenewyorker.bsky.social www.newyorker.com
* Social hierarchy preservation syndrome * is particularly noteworthy. I can confidently say I’ve never suffered from it 😆
This is not only funny, but a good intro into how cultures turn #neurodiversity into a #neurodisability - #autism #adhd youtube.com/shorts/SG8Vq...
Imagine diagnosing neurotypicals 🤣 #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #adhd #autism
YouTube video by Richard Pink
youtube.com
June 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
* Social hierarchy preservation syndrome * is particularly noteworthy. I can confidently say I’ve never suffered from it 😆
Related: because if a typo and the algo, I was reminded of Christine Delphy: discouraged by Bourdieu who told her “no one researches women”, and now shunned because she saw that gender/feminism was fundamentally an economic issue.
June 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Related: because if a typo and the algo, I was reminded of Christine Delphy: discouraged by Bourdieu who told her “no one researches women”, and now shunned because she saw that gender/feminism was fundamentally an economic issue.
#Delphi is one of the most interesting AI developments sociologically. But most current sociologists can’t engage with it because their theory of the self, identity and mind, is no different from Delphi’s business pitch.
June 27, 2025 at 6:29 PM
#Delphi is one of the most interesting AI developments sociologically. But most current sociologists can’t engage with it because their theory of the self, identity and mind, is no different from Delphi’s business pitch.
This is not only funny, but a good intro into how cultures turn #neurodiversity into a #neurodisability - #autism #adhd youtube.com/shorts/SG8Vq...
Imagine diagnosing neurotypicals 🤣 #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #adhd #autism
YouTube video by Richard Pink
youtube.com
June 20, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This is not only funny, but a good intro into how cultures turn #neurodiversity into a #neurodisability - #autism #adhd youtube.com/shorts/SG8Vq...
If you prosecute parents, you may be subject to judicial review.
Parents of neurodiverse children are prepared to pursue legal recourse against governments that repeatedly fail to provide inclusive education—breaching the CRPD, Human Rights Act, and Education and Training Act 2020.
Parents of neurodiverse children are prepared to pursue legal recourse against governments that repeatedly fail to provide inclusive education—breaching the CRPD, Human Rights Act, and Education and Training Act 2020.
June 12, 2025 at 4:55 AM
If you prosecute parents, you may be subject to judicial review.
Parents of neurodiverse children are prepared to pursue legal recourse against governments that repeatedly fail to provide inclusive education—breaching the CRPD, Human Rights Act, and Education and Training Act 2020.
Parents of neurodiverse children are prepared to pursue legal recourse against governments that repeatedly fail to provide inclusive education—breaching the CRPD, Human Rights Act, and Education and Training Act 2020.
Another story from @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social about why we can't just implore or even educate people to "follow the science" whether of climate change, or vaccines. (mocking those who don't doesn't work either, see USA).
So before we focus too much on communicating the science that we think is important, we need to start building trust with different communities living in different valleys → www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/2025/05/05/t...
June 11, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Another story from @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social about why we can't just implore or even educate people to "follow the science" whether of climate change, or vaccines. (mocking those who don't doesn't work either, see USA).
I've long thought that the dominant - progressive - policy narrative, and social statistical analysis, of 'health inequalities' is wrong. This lovely little story by @drannamatheson.bsky.social helps articulate why.
Imagine you’re watching a river flow through a beautiful valley. At first glance, the river seems peaceful, carrying water gently downstream. But if you look closely, you’ll notice the current carving paths, altering landscapes, and influencing every living community it flows through 🧪🧵
June 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I've long thought that the dominant - progressive - policy narrative, and social statistical analysis, of 'health inequalities' is wrong. This lovely little story by @drannamatheson.bsky.social helps articulate why.