Reposted by Michael BrownsteinIn Medias Malone @professormusgrave.bsky.social · 29/09/2026As a professor, most of what I do is log in to things 461414192
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinBill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Ezra Klein @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social did the country 2 big favors this week His talk with the Nvidia CEO revealed a shallow, glib, defensive man (and thus a technology) nowhere near safe maturity His talk with Abdul El-Sayed revealed a humane, responsive, and morally rich man ready for leadership 1528458
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Chuffed to learn that my book with @dryan149.bsky.social and @madva.bsky.social has been shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Book Prize for Social Justice. The winner will be announced Oct 7th. @mitpress.bsky.social @goddardriverside.bsky.social 063
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinBrian Nosek @briannosek.bsky.social · 14/09/2026I am sad to share that Project Implicit, my first non-profit and foundation of my career, is closing. The IAT website will continue, managed by the next generation of leaders in implicit bias research. Here's the statement I posted to LinkedIn. It didn't vibe right as a bsky thread. 55425
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinFreedom of Species @freedomofspecies.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Today Lottie and Hayden covered the book Somebody Should Do Something by @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social & @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social from the lens of #animaljustice. Think about how YOU can encourage #vegan ethics to the people around you #systemchange www.3cr.org.au/freedomofspe...3cr.org.auSomebody Should Do Something: How to help create social change for the animals and environmentLottie and Hayden discussed how anyone, yes even YOU, can help create social change for important issues like animal justice and the climate. They drew from the book 'Somebody Should Do Something: How... 077
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinG Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 26/08/2026trump now underwater on every policy issue, including border security. dems drawing even on handling deportations, immigration, and crime -- the GOP's last significant issue advantages. is that bad? seems bad www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-08-25... 924265
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinCenter for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford @casbsstanford.bsky.social · 11/08/2026So awesome that this book now is in paperback. Consider listening to CASBS's podcast episode about the book with two of its coauthors, @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social (CASBS fellow 2019-20) & @dryan149.bsky.social (CASBS fellow 2018-19) 🎙️🎧 ➡️ bsky.app/profile/casb... 043
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinSam Ladner @sladner.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Pete Hegseth is “out here performing a masculinity that is not real, not healthy, and not sustainable” says El-Sayed. Didn’t think we’d have a Gender Trouble Candidate but I’ll take it. 468891
Reposted by Michael Brownsteinwhet moser @whetmoser.com · 11/08/2026"One important element is a person’s comfort with uncertainty; people who get involved in fights for justice tend to be more comfortable than others in recognising that they don’t know what the future holds." 1104
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinMIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Newly released in paperback, @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social, @madva.bsky.social, and @dryan149.bsky.social's “Somebody Should Do Something” provides a novel approach to creating transformative social change—and the ways that each of us can help make a difference: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204978... 04716
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinCUNY Graduate Center @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Prof. @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social explains how ‘structure-facing virtues’ tie the personal to the big picture psyche.co/ideas/mother...psyche.co 052
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 06/08/2026In July, on ABC, CBS, and NBC, there were 194 segments on the extreme heat waves rolling across the US. Number that mentioned climate change: 0.mediamatters.orgABC, CBS, and NBC aired nearly 200 segments about three U.S. heat events without mentioning climate changeFrom late June through July, successive heat waves swept across large portions of the United States, breaking temperature records and placing more than 100 million people at a time under heat alerts. ... 541553711
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinPhilip Laughlin @philiplaughlin.bsky.social · 09/08/2026The paperback edition of "Somebody Should Do Something" set to publish on August 11! mitpress.mit.edu/978026204978...mitpress.mit.eduSomebody Should Do SomethingChanging the world is difficult. One reason is that the most important problems, like climate change, racism, and poverty, are structural. They emerge from o... 053
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinPsyche Magazine @psyche.co · 08/08/2026There’s more to virtue than how we treat other individuals. ‘Structure-facing virtues’ tie the personal to the big picture. An Idea by @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social & @madva.bsky.socialpsyche.coMother Teresa was virtuous, but she was wrong about virtue | Psyche IdeasThere’s more to virtue than how we treat other individuals. ‘Structure-facing virtues’ tie the personal to the big picture 0105
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Great piece by @leahstokes.bsky.social dispelling two myths: that Trump killed the full IRA and that the political theory behind it was proven wrong.theatlantic.comBidenomics Was More Successful Than People ThinkConventional wisdom holds that Joe Biden’s bet on climate investment was a bust. The data suggest otherwise. 020
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Mother Teresa was virtuous, but she was wrong about virtue 🧵 “If there are people who feel that God wants them to change the structures of society, that is something between them and their God,” Mother Teresa wrote in 1975... psyche.co/ideas/mother... 165
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Our book's final chapter explores how people can focus on the social roles they already occupy—in their jobs, families, pastimes, and friend networks—to find opportunities to make a difference. We begin with a profile of Nigerian feminist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. 🧵 www.youtube.com/shorts/q6N1e...youtube.comFunmilayo Ransome-Kuti: The Lioness of Lisabi #history #community #FunmilayoRansomeKuti #shortsYouTube video by California Center for Ethics and Policy 156
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Spent the last 2 days bingeing all 8 episodes of the latest season of The UnMute Podcast with Myisha Cherry, and every one is a banger! Honored to be interviewed on one of the OG philosophy podcasts, "where philosophy and real-world issues collide" www.unmutepodcast.com/all-episodes... 185
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 30/07/2026Too cool to be part of this event at @molimuseum.bsky.social! Amazing commentators who share the commitment to merge scholarship with public engagement and civic activism (... and who were also very careful readers of our work for @mitpress.bsky.social!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVqp... 175
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Not every day that you get to give a talk with an opener, the opener plays 17th century Irish folk music, and previous speakers in the series were Thoreau and Emerson. Bet those chumps didn't even have good slides. @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.socialyoutube.comMichael Brownstein ; Somebody should do somethingYouTube video by Monadnock Summer Lyceum 063
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Four philosophers on social change and why our personal choices still matter in the face of intractable, global, wickedly complex problems @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.socialunmutepodcast.comEpisode 72: Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva, and Daniel Kelly on Social Change — The UnMute PodcastMyisha Cherry chats with philosophers Michael Brownstein (John Jay College/CUNY), Alex Madva (Cal Poly Pomona), and Daniel Kelly (Purdue) about structural change, either/or thinking, why individual ch... 097
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinOpinion Today @opiniontoday.bsky.social · 23/07/2026Fox News Poll: Voters say Democrats can better handle income inequality (+22 points), healthcare (+21), inflation (+10), the economy (+9), and foreign policy (+7). More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/260723 0127
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 17/07/2026AQI in ft. greene is 278. Looks and feels awful outside. 020
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 15/07/2026New podcast appearance! (Recorded in December, but still.) @madva.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.socialearthboundpodcast.comIndividual Action vs. Systemic Change: Finding AgencyIndividual action vs systemic change: Are individual actions pointless against climate change? Bridge the gap between either/or to both/and thinking. 032
Reposted by Michael Brownsteincapitolhunters @capitolhunters.bsky.social · 13/07/2026Journalists: please, please get ready for this in ADVANCE. We know Trump's going to claim "new evidence shows the 2020 election was stolen". You've got 3 days to write a story that confronts that lie head-on before he says it - pre-write this like an obit. America is begging you: plan ahead. 1/ 9746361599
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 27/06/2026www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThe threat of Trump is vast. But don’t underestimate incremental change | Michael BrownsteinThe work of making change is difficult. Most of it is boring, unsexy and, at best, modestly incremental from day to day 010
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinG Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 24/06/2026Generally speaking, polls have shown the Democratic Party's problem is not being seen as too woke, but weak and ineffective. Judging by tonight's primary results, Democratic Primary voters are intent on fixing this www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...gelliottmorris.comNew poll: Democrats' real problem isn't being too liberal — it's being seen as too weakAmericans, including swing voters, see the Republican Party as 20 points more extreme than Democrats — and the Democrats as weak and ineffective. So why would the *Democrats* moderate? 683602827
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinDaniel Kelly @dryan149.bsky.social · 23/06/2026newbooksnetwork.com/somebody-sho... News Books Network! 295
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18/06/2026Mamdani's speech at the Knicks parade was easily the best I've ever heard at an event of that sort. I posted the whole thing on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Highly recommended.youtube.comMamdani Remembers Some Knicks Guys during phenomenal parade speechYouTube video by Aaron Rupar 27064331775
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 18/06/2026Who made the call to swap out bologna sandwiches for PB&J at the March on Washington? I found out from Tom Discenna for the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social as we shared stories of social change newbooksnetwork.com/somebody-sho... @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.socialnewbooksnetwork.comMichael Brownstein et al., "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change" (MIT Press, 2025) - New Books Network 154
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinMother Jones @motherjones.com · 06/06/2026Every single refugee we've let in since December is supposedly fleeing white genocide.motherjones.comUS accepts only white refugees for sixth consecutive monthThe Trump administration is spending more than $100 million to fight the "emergency" of "white genocide" in South Africa. 631166501
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 30/05/2026Got to visit my grad school alma mater for a book talk and conversation about "moral fragmentation" with @dryan149.bsky.social, @dcameron.bsky.social, @mattlindauer.bsky.social and other terrific scholars. Good times! @madva.bsky.social @mitpress.bsky.socialvimeo.comPanel - Somebody Should Do Something- 063
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 28/05/2026"Meaningful change happens when individuals work with others to challenge and reshape existing structures" Had a wonderful conversation with Dr Waseem Akhtar for the podcast, Bridging the Gaps: A Portal for Curious Minds www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2026/05/some...bridgingthegaps.ie“Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change” with Professor Alex MadvaIn their recent book “Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change” Michael Brownstein, Alex Madva, and Daniel Kelly present a novel and scientific account of how personal ch... 172
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 18/05/2026Episode of @goodisinthedetails.bsky.social with me and @dryan149.bsky.social is 1 of 3 finalists (out of 155 submissions) for Episode of the Year for HigherEd PodCon! www.edupexperience.com/podconawardf... @mitpress.bsky.social @michaelbrownstein.bsky.socialedupexperience.comAnd the HigherEd PodCon Awards finalists are...It's YOUR time to #EdUp! And the HigherEd PodCon Awards finalists are... Outstanding Podcast Series “Where What If Becomes What’s Next” (Carnegie Mellon University)… 1105
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinCUNY Graduate Center @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social · 18/05/2026In Slate, Prof. @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social explains how virtue signaling can often be virtuous slate.com/news-and-pol...slate.comWe Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.Yes, it's good to do good things. It may be even more effective to tell people you're doing them. 096
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Slate hooked us up with the non-paywalled link too: slate.com/news-and-pol...slate.comWe Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.Yes, it's good to do good things. It may be even more effective to tell people you're doing them. 052
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Madva @madva.bsky.social · 15/05/2026"It may feel like nothing we can do as individuals will make a difference to stem the climate crisis. But this is a mistake. Individual actions do matter, just not the way we usually think." Check out my new piece with @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social for @slate.com slate.com/news-and-pol...slate.comWe Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.Yes, it's good to do good things. It may be even more effective to tell people you're doing them. 143
Michael Brownstein @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Short essay in @slate.com today with @madva.bsky.social on using social influence for good. Draws from ideas in our recent book with @dryan149.bsky.social. Check it out!slate.comWe Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.Yes, it's good to do good things. It may be even more effective to tell people you're doing them. 1116
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinAlex Plakias @alexplakias.bsky.social · 15/05/2026slate.com/news-and-pol... It’s @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social & @madva.bsky.social in Slate! & if you’re one of those already thinking about next semester’s syllabi, highly recommend their book ‘somebody should do something’ (w @dryan149.bsky.social)!slate.comWe Do a Lot of Sneering at “Virtue Signaling.” It May Be Time to Rethink Our Approach.Yes, it's good to do good things. It may be even more effective to tell people you're doing them. 262
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinBen Railton @americanstudier.bsky.social · 10/05/2026For this holiday weekend, here’s the mother of all #ScholarSunday threads, my epic 275th of public scholarly writing, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...blackwhiteandread.com#ScholarSunday Thread 275 (5/10/26) – Black and White and Read All OverFor this holiday weekend, here’s the mother of all #ScholarSunday threads, my epic 275th of public scholarly writing, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, shar... 24841
Reposted by Michael Brownsteinjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 18/04/2026yeah it is critical that dems win the senate 14176511141
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinDaryl Cameron @dcameron.bsky.social · 16/04/2026@michaelbrownstein.bsky.social @dryan149.bsky.social @mattlindauer.bsky.social, Chuck Huff and Ben Jones will all be on hand to talk about their books. Come by and say hi! Thanks to @wiktoriampedryc.bsky.social for the poster and helping to organize. More on the rest of the event here...moralconsortium.psu.eduMoral Fragmentations and Boundaries - Consortium on Moral Decision-MakingThis event through the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making will bring together several scholars in the social sciences and humanities to talk about different disciplinary approaches to the study of “f... 041
Reposted by Michael Brownsteincpp-ccep.bsky.social @cpp-ccep.bsky.social · 14/04/2026Celebrating Dr. Alex Madva 👏 As part of the 2025–26 Provost’s Awards for Excellence at Cal Poly Pomona, Dr. Madva—Professor of Philosophy, CO-Director for the DHC and CCEP—is recognized for his exceptional, field-shaping scholarship. His work spans 184
Reposted by Michael Brownsteinmtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · 12/04/2026this is a boring take but if we want this from a Dem President in 2029 we need to deliver the type of huge legislative majority Magyar just achieved and not the razor-thin one that Biden was forced to work with. 12348471132
Reposted by Michael BrownsteinDavid Roberts @volts.wtf · 11/04/2026A milestone in March: for the first time ever, renewables provided more power on the US grid than natural gas.canarymedia.comIn a first, renewables beat natural gas on US grid last monthIt’s just one month, but it’s a sign of where the U.S. is headed as renewable energy — namely solar — surges onto the grid. 272691743