Brian Holt
@brianholt.bsky.social
I teach psychology at a local small college as a tenured faculty member, tend to overthink things, so I try not to overthink things here, I like basketball, have dyslexia, and think stats are pretty cool.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Nicolas Maduro is a monster. Among other things, he overthrew a presidential election that, deep down, he knew he lost.
by Donald J. Trump
by Donald J. Trump
January 5, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Nicolas Maduro is a monster. Among other things, he overthrew a presidential election that, deep down, he knew he lost.
by Donald J. Trump
by Donald J. Trump
Reposted by Brian Holt
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Absolutely wild. Sample rooftop solar costs of $0.50/W in Australia and order of week(s) install time vs $3.3/W and 6 months in San Francisco. 40% of Australian households have rooftop solar.
Today on Volts: you've probably heard that Australia has cheap rooftop solar power. You've probably also heard some rumors & myths about it. (Is it destabilizing the grid?) I called my favorite Australian energy expert to clear it all up. This is a fun one!
www.volts.wtf/p/whats-the-...
www.volts.wtf/p/whats-the-...
What's the real story with Australian rooftop solar?
Saul Griffith joins me to debunk the myths surrounding Australia's massive influx of solar energy.
www.volts.wtf
December 31, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Absolutely wild. Sample rooftop solar costs of $0.50/W in Australia and order of week(s) install time vs $3.3/W and 6 months in San Francisco. 40% of Australian households have rooftop solar.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves | PNAS
The “machinal bypass” and how we’re using AI to avoid ourselves
www.pnas.org
December 21, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Love this short opinion piece on “mechanical bypass” in analogy to “spiritual bypass”.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Imagine turning to the frauds and failures of U.S. mainstream news for advice about how to run a progressive city.
November 17, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Imagine turning to the frauds and failures of U.S. mainstream news for advice about how to run a progressive city.
I could have sworn he gave clownstick the first presidency when he reopened the Clinton email case.
September 26, 2025 at 6:03 AM
I could have sworn he gave clownstick the first presidency when he reopened the Clinton email case.
Reposted by Brian Holt
If there is one lesson to draw from the history of fascism in the interwar period in Europe, it is this:
Democracy falls if and when mainstream conservatives and centrist/center-right elites decide to make common cause with extremists because they consider the “radical Left” the more acute threat.
Democracy falls if and when mainstream conservatives and centrist/center-right elites decide to make common cause with extremists because they consider the “radical Left” the more acute threat.
“The New York Times collaborated with a white nationalist eugenicist hacker and agreed to keep his identity a secret to publish a Zohran Mamdani hit piece” is a way bigger story than “18 year old Zohran Mamdani ticked ‘African American’ on his Columbia application because he was a citizen of Uganda”
July 4, 2025 at 2:13 PM
If there is one lesson to draw from the history of fascism in the interwar period in Europe, it is this:
Democracy falls if and when mainstream conservatives and centrist/center-right elites decide to make common cause with extremists because they consider the “radical Left” the more acute threat.
Democracy falls if and when mainstream conservatives and centrist/center-right elites decide to make common cause with extremists because they consider the “radical Left” the more acute threat.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Why does President Trump perceive Harvard as his enemy? Doesn’t he know it’s a place where racist narcissists can receive tenure in the psychology department?
by Stephen Pinker
by Stephen Pinker
May 25, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Why does President Trump perceive Harvard as his enemy? Doesn’t he know it’s a place where racist narcissists can receive tenure in the psychology department?
by Stephen Pinker
by Stephen Pinker
Reposted by Brian Holt
May 23, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Brian Holt
It pains me to say this but the right sees this more clearly than the liberals and centrists who think education can be apolitical. Fascists know that independent, verifiable knowledge is counter to their politics. Fascists aren't opposed to content, but to empowering understanding.
It's victim blaming. Fascists hate academia because it's an independent institution of knowledge and power. Nothing you you did or can do would stop their attacks on academia, it's ideological. It's stupid to pretend otherwise and only legitimizes the fascists.
This Harvard comp sci prof laments Republicans’ declining public opinion of universities and blames it on professors who, unlike him, inject politics into their classes.
As evidence of politicization, he references Google, Coinbase, Bud Light—ie not academia—and one email from one law school TA.
As evidence of politicization, he references Google, Coinbase, Bud Light—ie not academia—and one email from one law school TA.
May 3, 2025 at 1:03 PM
It pains me to say this but the right sees this more clearly than the liberals and centrists who think education can be apolitical. Fascists know that independent, verifiable knowledge is counter to their politics. Fascists aren't opposed to content, but to empowering understanding.
Reposted by Brian Holt
you cannot rebuild american society with this supreme court. you cannot rebuild american society while billionaires pour money into politics. you cannot rebuild by meeting segregationists half way.
April 7, 2025 at 1:35 PM
you cannot rebuild american society with this supreme court. you cannot rebuild american society while billionaires pour money into politics. you cannot rebuild by meeting segregationists half way.
Reposted by Brian Holt
every college, corporate, and nonprofit president right now
March 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
every college, corporate, and nonprofit president right now
Gotta say, a tad bitter about this because for many years Dems have said they haven't been able to use the filibuster.
It's a good time to show spine, for sure.
It's a good time to show spine, for sure.
1. Today, Senate Democrats showed spine, and killed a national transgender sports ban bill via filibuster.
Not a SINGLE Democrat voted for cloture.
S. Baum writes about what happened today, including some of the speeches.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Not a SINGLE Democrat voted for cloture.
S. Baum writes about what happened today, including some of the speeches.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Senate Dems Show Spine, And National Sports Ban Bill Dies
The failed legislation reflects a wider effort to disallow trans women (or anyone suspected of being a trans woman) from women’s sports and spaces.
www.erininthemorning.com
March 4, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Gotta say, a tad bitter about this because for many years Dems have said they haven't been able to use the filibuster.
It's a good time to show spine, for sure.
It's a good time to show spine, for sure.
Reposted by Brian Holt
If the government won’t hand over all of our financial data to Elon Musk, I’m going to become an even bigger libertarian.
February 17, 2025 at 2:45 PM
If the government won’t hand over all of our financial data to Elon Musk, I’m going to become an even bigger libertarian.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Zero doubt that he made the buys. Zero doubt he'll lie in every single ad, probably egregiously. Zero doubt "conservative" will lap it up and immediately begin parroting every single lie within minutes. Twitter will explode with them in seconds.
February 8, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Zero doubt that he made the buys. Zero doubt he'll lie in every single ad, probably egregiously. Zero doubt "conservative" will lap it up and immediately begin parroting every single lie within minutes. Twitter will explode with them in seconds.
Reposted by Brian Holt
I want to make it clear that Biden’s expansion of the detention facilities in the U.S., as well as Obamas bullshit with Guantanamo, made this possible. When you see so many people yelling that liberal policy leads to fascism, this is what we mean.
Trump: Today I'm also signing an executive order to instruct the departments of defense and homeland security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay
January 29, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I want to make it clear that Biden’s expansion of the detention facilities in the U.S., as well as Obamas bullshit with Guantanamo, made this possible. When you see so many people yelling that liberal policy leads to fascism, this is what we mean.
Reposted by Brian Holt
A huge problem right now is that the media is credulously reporting that so many things Trump is doing by EO/edict/OMB or OPM memo is just the end of the matter, that he can do it by fiat.
That is not true.
That is not true.
January 28, 2025 at 1:51 PM
A huge problem right now is that the media is credulously reporting that so many things Trump is doing by EO/edict/OMB or OPM memo is just the end of the matter, that he can do it by fiat.
That is not true.
That is not true.
Reposted by Brian Holt
A spending law, passed by Congress and signed by the President, sets the policy per Article I of the Constitution. A new President can't unilaterally override that policy, even temporarily. And that's the point of this provision of the ICA -- to enforce Congress's power of the purse.
January 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM
A spending law, passed by Congress and signed by the President, sets the policy per Article I of the Constitution. A new President can't unilaterally override that policy, even temporarily. And that's the point of this provision of the ICA -- to enforce Congress's power of the purse.
The nice thing about teaching psychology is that non verbal behavior is one of the things we study, so saying on social media that Musk gave all the indicators that he meant to perform a Nazi salute, and not be fired for saying so.
January 23, 2025 at 3:30 AM
The nice thing about teaching psychology is that non verbal behavior is one of the things we study, so saying on social media that Musk gave all the indicators that he meant to perform a Nazi salute, and not be fired for saying so.
Reposted by Brian Holt
if there is one funny thing about yesterday’s blitzkrieg of executive orders is that it makes the “democratic opposition went too far last time” crowd look like total dipshits
January 21, 2025 at 11:04 AM
if there is one funny thing about yesterday’s blitzkrieg of executive orders is that it makes the “democratic opposition went too far last time” crowd look like total dipshits
A reminder that today is a solemn reflection on a person who forced us with kindness to see that terrorizing black people is not okay. Thank you Dr. Marti. Luther King Jr.
January 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
A reminder that today is a solemn reflection on a person who forced us with kindness to see that terrorizing black people is not okay. Thank you Dr. Marti. Luther King Jr.
Reposted by Brian Holt
Trump hanging his supporters in DC out to dry in favor of an exclusive inauguration where only his inner circle and top donors can attend is the perfect metaphor for this administration and today’s GOP.
January 19, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Trump hanging his supporters in DC out to dry in favor of an exclusive inauguration where only his inner circle and top donors can attend is the perfect metaphor for this administration and today’s GOP.
Reposted by Brian Holt
The future (imo) will be filled with a constant ache and continual search for — with increasingly diminished capacity for discovery / identification of — authenticity.
I am fascinated by the people at Meta who think this is a *good* idea in exactly the same way I'm fascinated by conspiracy theorists.
It just seems so patently awful to me. And in ways that every sensible person I know would immediately grasp.
It just seems so patently awful to me. And in ways that every sensible person I know would immediately grasp.
why do we need AI-generated profiles. why
January 3, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The future (imo) will be filled with a constant ache and continual search for — with increasingly diminished capacity for discovery / identification of — authenticity.