Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Danielle Blake @abradacabla.bsky.social · 16d

doomers: there’s not going to be elections in America ever again

me: if they can’t even cancel an entertainer due to popular pushback what the fuck makes you think they can cancel elections

140 470 2.2K

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 23d

“Alpha status is more like a temporary job role than an innate characteristic of the leading individual”

www.livescience.com/animals/are-...

Are alpha males real?

The term "alpha male" was coined in 1970 to describe wolves. But what does science think about the term now?

www.livescience.com

9 50

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

WholesomeMemes @wholesomememe.bsky.social · 25d

30 150

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Sep 4

Fantastic relationship science in the nytimes - nice work, Maya and Erica!

Maya Rossignac-Milon @mrossignacmilon.bsky.social · Sep 4

What kinds of conversations spark instant connection?

Excited to share my first NYT Guest Essay, with @ericaboothby.bsky.social.

We argue that playful riffing — creating a little world together — forges and deepens relationships through shared reality.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/o...

Opinion | You’re Probably Doing Small Talk Wrong

www.nytimes.com

1 4

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Sep 3

Now through 9/5: Preorder from Barnes & Noble and get a special discount on my book! B&N Rewards and Premium Members get 25% off preorders. Premium Members get an additional 10% off physical books. Use coupon code PREORDER25. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bonded-by-... @BarnesandNoble #BNPreorder

1 5

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Eli Finkel @elijfinkel.bsky.social · Sep 3

📢 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

@nourkteily.bsky.social and I are delighted to introduce the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement, supercharged by a $20M gift from Jennifer and Alec Litowitz.

The #LitowitzCenter helps people harness the power of difference.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/n...

Northwestern trustee and husband gift $20 million to Center for Enlightened Disagreement

A Northwestern University trustee and her husband have donated $20 million to support the school’s Center for Enlightened Disagreement.

www.chicagotribune.com

2 3 18

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Aug 22

Had a blast chatting with Alex Curmi on the Thinking Mind Podcast!

open.spotify.com/episode/1Vy0...

The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

Mental Health Podcast · Updated Biweekly ·

podcasts.apple.com

1

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Eli Finkel @elijfinkel.bsky.social · Aug 4

A big THANK YOU to @davidmcraney.bsky.social for featuring the #LoveFactually podcast on #YouAreNotSoSmart!

The episode delves into #TheNotebook, figuring out what the movie gets right -- and what it gets wrong -- about how relationships work.

Enjoy!

youarenotsosmart.com/2025/08/04/y...

YANSS 319 – What movies often get wrong about romantic love, relationships, and human mating in general

Two psychologists who study love, relationships, and human mating behavior pick apart the movie “The Notebook” and tell us what it gets right and what it gets wrong when it comes to por…

youarenotsosmart.com

3 8

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Jul 27

Delighted that you liked it! We don’t have any immediate plans to cover TV but that could certainly change - you’ve made a compelling pitch for Lucifer…

1 1

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Jul 6

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/u...

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas

www.nytimes.com

1 4

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Jun 10

Another fantastic piece about modern dating by @faith-hill.bsky.social!

#PsychSciSky

The Growing Belief in ‘Love at First Sight’

Dating vibes may be dark, but a surprisingly optimistic notion about romance seems to be making a comeback.

www.theatlantic.com

1 3

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · May 20

Great chatting with @dkthomp.bsky.social about relationship science and what it can tell us about online dating, soul mates, and Julia Roberts movies!

More on the science behind your favorite rom coms on the Love Factually Podcast with me and Eli at: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

The Rules of Attraction and the Psychology of Romance

Plain English with Derek Thompson · Episode

open.spotify.com

1 2 3

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · May 19

When I was in grad school, this was THE resource...and it cost a ton. Now it's free. Amazing.

#PsychSciSky

Daniel Gilbert @danielgilbert.bsky.social · May 19

Since 1954, "The Handbook of Social Psychology" has been the field’s most authoritative reference work, and today is the launch of the 6th edition with 50 new chapters by 100 leading scholars. Best news? The HSP is now an open-access public resource—free to read, download, and share. the-hsp.com

Cover of the Handbook of Social Psychology 6th edition 2025

2 11 44

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · May 16

A terrific HuffPost writeup of our recent PNAS paper! #PsychSciSky

Brittany Wong @brittanywong.huffpost.com · May 16

Expectation: Women prefer to date men who are slightly older than them. Men prefer slightly younger women.

Reality: When people actually go on dates, both men *and* women prefer to date younger, new research shows. 👀

I talked to the study's author here: www.huffpost.com/entry/women-...

Turns Out Women Like Dating Younger, Too, A New 'Major' Study Shows

Here's what men and women say they prefer, versus who they'd rather see again after a first date.

www.huffpost.com

4

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · May 10

“reactionary backlash is a feature of two main milestones in the academy’s history: the democratization of admissions and the diversification of curriculum. Trump and Vance’s attacks are part of a longer history of rightwing backlash that follows each time college becomes more democratic”

‘The universities are the enemy’: why the right detests the American campus | Lauren Lassabe Shepherd

For centuries, the academy was exclusive to the Christian elite. When that began to change, an onslaught began

www.theguardian.com

8 25

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Stacey D. Smith @iochromaland.bsky.social · May 5

On Friday, my son stayed home from school because he had a sore throat and wasn’t feeling well. He went with my husband to his office for the morning while I handled our daughter. When he came back at lunch, he was not interested in eating, saying his throat hurt too much. 1/n

37 390 1.1K

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · Apr 25

ICYMI: Georgetown Law students made a 853-row spreadsheet of Trump-caving firms. It drew national headlines. Recruiters noticed some talent looked elsewhere. Firms lobbied to change their designation.

An organizer tells @www.AllRiseNews.com the background www.allrisenews.com/p/skadden-st...

69 1.5K 4.6K

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Apr 25

In the most recent Bridget Jones film, we find our heroine drawn to younger men.

According to our recent PNAS article, this aspect of the movie is spot on: On average, women say they want an older partner, but they are initially attracted to younger ones.

#PsychSciSky

Bridget Jones is an Avatar for the Science of Attraction | SPSP

Both men and women are—perhaps surprisingly—more attracted to younger partners.

spsp.org

1 4

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Apr 24

these fuckers being able to destroy everything is not a foregone conclusion

57 1.7K 6.5K

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Mar 20

“You’re going to need an alliance that pulls together American families, employers, unions, companies, the whole network of people and institutions beyond your campus who understand that the universities of America are critical to everything that is good about the country…”

How a University Fights an Authoritarian Regime

Viktor Orbán came for me. Donald Trump is coming for you. Here’s what to do.

www.chronicle.com

3

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Eiko Fried @eikofried.bsky.social · Mar 13

Dissertation by Dr Rachel Los not only includes acknowledgements, but also .. anti-acknowledgements.

delta.tudelft.nl/en/article/a...

5 72 190

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Julia Serano @juliaserano.bsky.social · Mar 12

just did this, you should too: bsky.app/profile/aoc....

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · Mar 12

🚨 Everyone needs to call their Dem Senator right now. They are starting to cave.

Tell them:
1. Vote NO on Cloture
AND
2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill.

Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it.

TODAY is the showdown.
🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121

5 21 48

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · Mar 7

All the pundits spending time on Dems’ message on trans sports could maybe use a little of their power and platform to talk about how vile this is.

Sam Levin @samtlevin.bsky.social · Mar 7

We've confirmed the US Bureau of Prisons has transferred trans women to men's prisons despite three court rulings blocking Trump's executive order

“I’m continuing to be punished for existing. I'm a pawn in others' political games" -Whitney, 31-year-old woman taken to men's prison this week, told us

Trans women transferred to men’s prisons despite rulings against Trump’s order

Incarcerated trans women report being groped by male guards and suicidal thoughts: ‘I’m punished for existing’

www.theguardian.com

380 2.2K 7.6K

Reposted by Paul Eastwick

Not that other guy, that's for sure @neogliberal.bsky.social · Mar 6

Nature published a misguided op-ed on using LLM's in peer review. The author suggested LLM's could be an aid.

But I was interested in a larger question. Can ChatGPT do a peer reivew?

So I uploaded a first-submission manuscript for it to review. I also have human reviews for comparison.

1 13 25

Paul Eastwick @pauleastwick.bsky.social · Feb 5

The coding in this paper was a shocker. We see plenty of adoption of new practices....except in the relationships-specific journals, which tend not to have explicit policies 🤨

Table of prevalence of open science practices by topic and journal.

3 7