Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Amazing paper I'm honoured to be a part of! It's a motivational and evolutionary framework of the psychology of stories. Go check it out! 121
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomThe Psychologist @psychmag.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Back at Space Park Leicester to hear @herebehumans.bsky.social on 'Imagining the final frontier'. Here she is on 'the unreal in everyday life'. www.bps.org.uk/psychologist... 051
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 10/04/2026New article in @theconversation.com about finding flow through hobbies 🎻🎾🎮 theconversation.com/feeling-dist...theconversation.comFeeling distracted? How hobbies can help you find ‘flow state’ and save your brainHobbies are a fun way to turn down the noise and increase focus. 010
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomThe Psychologist @psychmag.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Use your imagination! The unreal in everyday life… On the eve of World Imagination Day, @herebehumans.bsky.social showcases a framework for understanding the importance of fiction and imagination. www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...bps.org.ukUse your imagination! The unreal in everyday life… | BPSOn the eve of World Imagination Day, Dr Valerie van Mulukom showcases a framework for understanding the importance of fiction and imagination. 164
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026So, next time you consider components of religion as separate from major aspects of human nature, think also of the broad picture! I hope you enjoyed this thread. Follow me for more research updates throughout the year! (she says, New Year's resolution firmly in mind). Thanks! 000
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026..And recently for art performances. Like religious rituals, experiencing art together reduced people's self-boundaries, sometimes to the point of feeling merged with the other. 🤝 This increased self-other overlap was associated w/ increased bonding.🫂 osf.io/6atkp_v2osf.ioOSF 100
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026Rituals -whether religious or secular- are also known to bring us together. We feel more connected to others around us, particularly those who had the same experience as us. We showed this previously for raves.. doi.org/10.3389/fpsy... 100
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026This tells us two main understandings: (1) Feelings are not always frivolous bodily responses that we need to overcome, but can be guiding principles; (2) Social constructs through which we structure our worlds can be established & changed through rituals osf.io/g34m9_v1osf.ioOSF 100
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026Religious rituals actually function much like secular rituals, awe experiences, and even art performances: They are collective experiences during which feelings are encoded into powerful memories or symbols of meaning, encapsulating complex ideas. osf.io/7y6w8osf.ioOSF 100
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 19/01/2026For yesterday's #WorldReligionDay, consider our research showing what religion can tell us about human nature. Religious rituals may seem like either stifled Sunday mornings or exotic events in lands far away, but neither capture the reality of these events 🧵 110
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomKOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 05/10/2025Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death. 8223813316942
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 06/10/2025Event: 📅 Thursday 26 February 🕔 5.00pm to 7.00pm 📍 Headington Campus, Sinclair Building, Room 4.01 More info on the MSc psych website: www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/post...brookes.ac.ukMSc or PGDip or PGCert in Psychology at Oxford Brookes UniversityPsychology, PGDip/PGCert or MSc, degree course from the Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development at Oxford Brookes University 011
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 06/10/2025Thinking about studying MSc psych? Discover what it’s like to study Psychology at Oxford Brookes (@obu-hst-research.bsky.social), meet members of the course team & gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum & learning experience. Find out more and register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oxford-bro... 152
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 23/09/2025I will share the results again here in a month or so! That way, you may learn more about what your genre may say about you.. Thanks! 000
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 23/09/2025We're looking for participants for a 10-15 minute survey asking about your favourite fiction genre, interests, worries & coping styles. brookeshls.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... We're trying to better understand how engagement with fiction relates to how you engage with the world - let us know! 121
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 23/09/2025We're looking for participants for a 10-15 minute survey on your favourite TV/film or book genre, as well as your interests, worries, and coping styles. I promise to report the results back here so you can reflect on what this says about you.. Thanks! brookeshls.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... 010
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 20/05/2025To me it seems more like deeply engrained feudalism; either way, it is as frustrating. 000
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 15/05/2025I think because people there are really motivated to learn; they don't want to squander their time and money being at Oxford *not* getting educated. 010
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 15/05/2025Not in capitalism it isn't (it not being about the outcome but the process). I think that's a major part of the problem. 020
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 23/04/2025Relevant to research on true crime and related fiction: We love the feeling of insight we get from finding or hearing the solution to whodunits, crossculturally! 020
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomSean Mullen, Ph.D. @drseanmullen.bsky.social · 21/04/2025179 experts. 28 countries. 1 message: Long COVID is real, multi-systemic, and devastating. It affects over 400 million people. And we're not prepared. New global consensus just dropped. link.springer.com/content/pdf/10… 🧵link.springer.com 501225489
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomEmily Carter @emilycurates.bsky.social · 16/04/2025A #crab in a fish tank discovered the air pump… and turned it into a personal jacuzzi. Crabs are curious creatures and often interact with their environment in surprisingly playful ways. 26967101038
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomProf. Gillian Brown @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social · 16/04/2025Great talk at #ehbea2025 by @paulajasheppard.bsky.social on family size and child health: inconsistent findings across populations, which would be expected if we focus on asking 'under what conditions/context do we see X', rather than expecting one answer. 062
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 16/04/2025Ayesha Ali from @brunelcce.bsky.social presenting on the importance of Spiritual-But-Not-Religious practices providing community for people in Glastonbury, including a slide with the first quote from a male witch I’ve seen so far at #ehbea2025 1114
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 15/04/2025Great presentation from @brunelcce.bsky.social’s Julieta Baker on how a high proportion of parents in post-industrial settings have little experience of parenting before having their own kids, and frequently experience parenting problems they don’t know how to solve #ehbea2025 11810
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 24/03/2025Did you know that crows participate in true crime investigations? vm.tiktok.com/ZNdR8RvNy/ Are you a fan of true crime? Participate in our 5-10 minute survey on fiction genre preferences, interests & coping styles! brookeshls.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... We're still looking for +50 ppl; thnx! 020
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomRebecca Fielding-Miller @rebeccafieldingmiller.com · 22/03/2025Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women. More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications. I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that. 849288099020
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 20/03/2025Thanks to all who have taken part already! We now have a large number of scifi & thriller fans 🛸🧟, but true crime, horror, drama, and fantasy fans are lagging (among others) 👮👹🧝 - where these fans at? Take part to tell us why your genre is your favourite & take a 5-10 min break from scrolling! 001
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 18/03/2025📺 Feel like a small break from scrolling to tell us about your favourite TV/movie genre?🎞️ Here is a 5-10 minute survey for our latest research project project on understanding the functions of fiction: brookeshls.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... Thanks very much for participating (&/or RT/likes)! 000
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 15/03/2025Same, but also: Why isn't the Library better? Like even if it has the same information as the Store has, and which you can see in one easy go, it'd be so much easier to remind myself why I got it, and then it'd be easier to see if it's something I feel like. 000
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 14/03/2025EvoDemoS 2025 website is now live. The 10th Evolutionary Demography Conference will be held 22-24 September 2025, at Oxford University, organised by @robsalgo.bsky.social and colleagues evodemo2025.weebly.comevodemo2025.weebly.comEvoDemoS 2025EvoDemoS 2025 International Conference. The local organising committee welcomes you to the 10th International Conference of the Evolutionary Demography Society, hosted at Pembroke College, Oxford, bet... 076
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 13/03/2025The petition is here: www.change.org/p/demand-spo...change.orgSign the PetitionDemand Spotify Remove Andrew Tate’s Harmful Courses on How to Traffic Women 041
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 11/03/2025It's so hard to believe it's true, but here we are. 000
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomDr Sarah Myers @drsarahmyers.bsky.social · 11/03/2025Post Doctoral Research Assistant ‘50 Years of Becoming A Mother’ www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...ucl.ac.ukUCL – University College LondonUCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021). 052
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomWilliam B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 10/03/2025if you find yourself reluctant to support the guy at Columbia because you find some of the politics he espoused distasteful or even abhorrent, you should know that this is exactly the reaction that they hoped for in choosing him as a target for unlawful detention based on political speech. 212180984737
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomKelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 10/03/2025“She’s in this orange prison outfit,” he said. “She just feels so isolated and desperate, you can imagine, she’s saying, ‘I want to come home’.” She is safe, he said, but living “in horrendous conditions” and had not had access to legal representation. Stop traveling to the U.S, It’s not safe.theguardian.comBritish tourist detained by US authorities for 10 days over visa issueBackpacker Rebecca Burke was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Washington state 12303146
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 11/03/2025"Ministers run away from a wealth tax and then concoct a punitive benefits system in the name of growth. They have made that shameful choice" So disappointing of Labour. The neoliberal turn truly is here. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThere is a shameful tradition of demonising disabled people. Why is Labour reigniting it? | Frances RyanMinisters run away from a wealth tax and then concoct a punitive benefits system. They have made that choice and it’s immoral, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan 010
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 10/03/2025I think it's time as a society that we face the implicit agreement we've made that if you don't financially contribute to the economy, you're not afforded the same human rights. It's horrific, and shows that we largely live in economies, not societies. 140
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomSleestak @sleestak.bsky.social · 03/03/2025James Harrison, whose blood donations saved over 2 million babies, has died. www.npr.org/2025/03/03/n...npr.orgJames Harrison, whose blood donations saved over 2 million babies, has diedHarrison, whose plasma contained a rare antibody, rolled up his sleeve 1,173 times from 1954 to 2018. The Australian is credited with helping 2.4 million babies and advancing scientific research. 131114360
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 04/03/2025😒 ugh. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...theguardian.comUK awarded its lowest ranking for workplace gender equality in a decade‘Sluggish’ pace in tackling gender pay gap and worsening employment levels push UK back to 18th in PwC index of OECD countries 000
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomFilippo Valsorda @filippo.abyssdomain.expert · 28/02/2025As I sit home with a terrible cold, I can’t help but be pissed that we decided as a society that we’re just cool with getting sick. We applied technology to water-borne and food-borne illness, and you generally don’t get sick that way anymore. But airborne? Nah, let’s keep getting sick. 2669191
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 01/03/2025Unbelievable but true. My son's nursery keeps refusing air purifiers, even after all staff got sick and a child ended up in hospital a couple of months ago. 000
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 01/03/2025We really need to get better at spotting abuse. 100
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomNicholas Gibson @njsgibson.bsky.social · 26/02/2025Religion data for reuse! Those stories about U.S. religion you're currently seeing in the news? They're from the Pew 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study. While anyone can explore the data with their online tools, Pew has also shared the underlying dataset: doi.org/10.58094/3kw...doi.org2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) Dataset Archives 1108
Valerie van Mulukom @herebehumans.bsky.social · 24/02/2025Very cool study finding that people engaged with negative content longer when it was presented as art vs non-art 🎨 I agree with the study's leading author that it's time we're embracing art's other functions beyond mere aesthetics. We discuss this aesthetic cognitivism in doi.org/10.31234/osf... 000
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomNancy Levine Stearns @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 22/02/2025💥The Netherlands' largest pension fund, has sold its shares in Tesla, Meta, and Alphabet (Google). The fund with US $569 billion equivolent in assets is "directing more money to companies and projects that help to improve society and the environment." #Divest www.reuters.com/markets/euro...reuters.comDutch pension fund ABP sells all Alphabet and Meta shares, CEO tells newspaper FDABP, the Netherlands' largest pension fund, has sold its shares in tech companies Meta and Alphabet , its CEO told Dutch newspaper FD in an interview published on Monday. 293200374888
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomNorbert Schwarz @nschwarz.bsky.social · 23/02/2025An important reminder: a truly tolerant society must retain the right to deny tolerance to those who promote intolerance or it will fail. 213647
Reposted by Valerie van MulukomMorteza Dehghani @mdehghani.bsky.social · 24/02/2025Our new paper in PNAS Nexus. County morals > politics for carbon footprints? 🤯 We find that county-level values predict actual green behavior (emissions!), not just attitudes. Stronger than political leaning. 196