Last Notes
You can run simulations and make things really robust in 3d drawings. But the real work is when the literal, physical rubber hits the road. Software doesn't have an equivalent of that unless its controlling physical machinery. You learn engineering when nature breaks your shit, not just because the logic you wrote was flawed.
If you cut that out then you're right, you wouldn't even be a good technition much less a good engineer.
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/7710444/7710444-hd_1920_1080_25fps.mp4
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/12796326/pexels-photo-12796326.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/29897175/pexels-photo-29897175.jpeg
I stayed up for three hours watching low levels fights waiting for the main event. Was stoked, have a soft spot for Gina - always have. The fight finally starts, Gina throws a jab, Ronda dips, grabs Gina’s legs, drops her to the floor. There’s a few flailing hits, Ronda grabs Gina’s right arm, pivots and applies her signature arm bar. Gina taps out and it’s all over in less than 20 seconds!!!
I think it's more than that.
A dialogue and argument can set out abstract rules. But engineering is the creation of systems that don't care about logic, only physical laws. The dialogue can help you identify how things broke and learn physical laws. But at the end of the day you need to test what you make against nature. A metaphorical dialogue with God.
“…the incestual (incestuous?!) nature of your companies, and our elections, and Doge and our government.”
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/13677706/pexels-photo-13677706.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/6818948/pexels-photo-6818948.jpeg
Wildflowers, free and easy.
Another storm's coming.
https://npub13kwjkaunpmj5aslyd7hhwnwaqswmknj25dddglqztzz29pkavhaq25wg2a.blossom.band/4310b8c692b43602c0c383c5bc5fc18497e5d3573e4692dbb653c7d0bcbe656b.jpg #nature
I love nature.
https://blossom.primal.net/de1e4e2478a548389fd361b2a01d552739b2d751d68669b46de00312e85ead54.mov
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/35638077/pexels-photo-35638077.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/12784931/pexels-photo-12784931.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/17874394/pexels-photo-17874394.jpeg
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/37466016/pexels-photo-37466016.jpeg
ふつうのはまだ #flowerstr
https://nostpic.com/media/32310997f6b37b6cd60bb15a28e9a14badddfbf0875a7de24c69123a0c1e64cc/07d960b68fabace893525e7963842d3f09fe784a1a11bdaf6d350b19a15735ba.webp
カシワバアジサイが咲いてきた #flowerstr https://nostpic.com/media/32310997f6b37b6cd60bb15a28e9a14badddfbf0875a7de24c69123a0c1e64cc/215ea5bbed315eadd381882b4df9d54e727e29f53c7284ac9ecc43b5f85a908d.webp
I think it is very important that UK Column come clean about the EXACT nature of their association with Marcel Jahnke and whether the funding he provided did indeed come with ANY conditions in terms of editorial stance or even discussing publicly the nature of his involvement with this 20 year old outlet, which has become one of the most prominent in the “alternative media” scene in the UK.
I cannot see how silence on this matter can be acceptable given these revelations and the fact that UK Column are (still) technically a member-supported media outlet.
https://actionabletruth.media/uk-column-and-the-alternative-media-scene/
https://blossom.primal.net/4efd7a358d7086fee7223d1afc4b838d4f01bd3c2d1fb6b857ba8e52b259b155.mp4
https://npub1zmg3gvpasgp3zkgceg62yg8fyhqz9sy3dqt45kkwt60nkctyp9rs9wyppc.blossom.band/8c8c232eab3f174d582c1059b5c97d32506c593b8587109207758db9c1183292.jpg
A Prayer for the Blessed Seekers
Lord of truth,
bless the seekers who build in silence,
who test the machine and still search for the soul.
Guide their hands through code, cloud, metal, and inference.
Let them see clearly where the devil hides in certainty,
and where Christ appears in the question.
May every system they raise serve life,
may every model they train kneel before conscience,
may every operating system become a temple of responsibility.
Clear the clouds when truth arrives.
Burn away vanity, deception, and empty intelligence.
Leave only wisdom, mercy, and the courage to ask:
Does this serve the human being?
Blessed are the seekers.
Blessed are the builders.
Blessed are those who debug the world
without losing their soul.
Amen.
#BlessedSeekers #ChristInTheCloud #InferenceOS #SpiritualTech #CodeAndConscience #BuildWell #SeekTruth #DebugTheWorld #FaithAndTechnology #HumanFirstAI #CloudMetalInference #ChristAsksTheQuestion #ConsciousComputing #TechPrayer #DamageBDD #ECAI
It’s a beautiful day to be alive.
(side note: teach your son to bring his mama wildflowers)
https://blossom.primal.net/348d3fc32ce6c4732580b8cb20cca124edf6e78639eda1ceb561ef6b1f9c710d.jpg
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/33985620/pexels-photo-33985620.jpeg
What makes you different. Makes you beautiful.
This is my amazing and beautiful 17 years old cat.❤️🐈⬛
#blackcat #nature #love #universe #photography #grownostr #cat
https://image.nostr.build/56a2d3550a526adfa11163817ae4f6583a484eec114096d86bb630d21d4a063f.jpg
Love nature 4k iptv 📺 https://d18dyiwu97wm6q.cloudfront.net/v1/master/3722c60a815c199d9c0ef36c5b73da68a62b09d1/LoveNature4K2-prod/playlist.m3u8
🌟 Reggae Legend Wisdom: Sizzla Kalonji
"Black woman you are the mother of the earth. Give her her flowers now."
#SizzlaKalonji #Jamaica #Reggae #YardVibes
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/749129/pexels-photo-749129.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/146572/pexels-photo-146572.jpeg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/34964330/14811389_360_640_60fps.mp4
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/17878443/pexels-photo-17878443.jpeg
#nature #naturestr #photography #nostr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/18822376/pexels-photo-18822376.jpeg
In the #growyourownfood series this week we have our first harvest of garlic and some chamomile flowers. To be honest, weeds had taken over my garlic patch so bad that I had no expectations of any bulb but we did manage to get a decent harvest, and loads of notes for planting garlic in the fall.
The chamomile flowers is for the husband. He has been having sleep issues lately (having a cosleeping toddler does not help), but chamomile tea seems to help. So we pluck him some fresh flowers from the garden ☺️
I love this feeling when the garden starts producing food.
#gardening #foodstr #homesteading
https://blossom.primal.net/928f39e9e819c98dd755e7349d59d04c32ae60c454cccde4b46f5b738c5d1679.jpg
https://blossom.primal.net/dd859adc5114d5fa739d1c5f69e2f17dc505a38debc13f26a31423eca467c794.jpg
#animal #wildlife #photography #nostr #animalstr
https://images.pexels.com/photos/5958613/pexels-photo-5958613.jpeg
#nature #naturestr #nostr
https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/36861142/15616292_640_360_30fps.mp4
Will this Ebola outbreak be the biggest yet?
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01646-x][1]
The size of the outbreak in its initial days is worrying researchers. The next few weeks will determine how large it grows, they say.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01646-x
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01646-x
See the clouds streaming and vanishing around this planet — 690 light years away
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01608-3][1]
James Webb Space Telescope reveals weather patterns from how planet WASP-94 A b filters the light of its parent star.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01608-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01608-3
Did a boy’s life-saving gene therapy cause his brain tumour?
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01593-7][1]
Genetic sleuthing uncovers a rare case of cancer caused by a virus administered as part of a child’s treatment for a genetic disorder.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01593-7
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01593-7
How we’re using AI tools to improve psychedelic-drug research
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01467-y][1]
Félix Schoeller’s team built a realistic artificial-intelligence chatbot to train facilitators needed for research into psychoactive drugs — and, ultimately, to improve public health.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01467-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01467-y
Should I get a dog? What to know about pet ownership as a scientist
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00198-4][1]
Animal companions can be a lot of work, and are difficult to fit into a busy professional’s life, but they can also enhance well-being.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00198-4
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00198-4
Ebola outbreak spirals out of control: how might it have started?
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01645-y][1]
Public-health researcher James Baguma has studied the interactions between bats, which can carry the virus, and people in the region near the latest epidemic.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01645-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01645-y
A star gone rogue tears through the Galaxy
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01591-9][1]
The black hole at the Milky Way’s centre catapulted a Sun-like star to ‘hypervelocity’ speed.
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01591-9
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01591-9
De novo design of miniproteins targeting GPCRs
Nature, Published online: 21 May 2026; [doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10656-8][1]
De novo design of miniproteins targeting GPCRs
[1]: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10656-8
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10656-8
Stunning aerial footage still best thing about Top Gun at 40
When the action film [*Top Gun*][1] hit the big screen in 1986, critical reviews were mixed, but audiences were thrilled. The film racked up $358 million globally, making it the highest-grossing film of that year. Its success spawned a few video games and a critically acclaimed blockbuster 2022 sequel, [*Top Gun: Maverick*][2], and the eye-popping flight sequences definitely boosted enlistment numbers for the US Navy. Those scenes are still the best thing about *Top Gun, *40 years later.
**(Spoilers below because it's been 40 years.)**
The film was inspired by a 1983 article in California magazine detailing the lives of fighter pilots at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego (aka "Fightertown USA") and featuring plenty of aerial photography alongside the text. Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson tapped Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. to write the screenplay, with Epps sitting in on declassified classes at the academy and even taking a flight aboard an F-14.
[Read full article][3]
[Comments][4]
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun
[2]: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/top-gun-maverick-spoiler-free-review-a-worthy-return-to-the-danger-zone/
[3]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/05/top-gun-turns-40/
[4]: https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/05/top-gun-turns-40/#comments
https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/05/top-gun-turns-40/
Zohran Mamdani Has Valuable Lessons for the Greens on Antisemitism Attacks
“Zack Polanski is pandering to the antisemitic mob.” “March of the Greenshirts.” “If you don’t think the Greens are mainstreaming Jew-hate, read their own words.”
These are just a few of the headlines from the last month, telling the story of the so-called Green antisemitism crisis. But what makes a crisis? Individual cases of racism can be found in any large organisation. They should only be newsworthy if the racists are disproportionate in number, or have an outsized influence over the party. This is how we distinguish between institutional racism worthy of reporting and a moral panic whipped up by a media class with other political motivations.
Two recent studies examine the overlap between politics and antisemitism: [a poll from 2025][1] and a [report from 2017][2]. Both reach the conclusion that Green supporters and the left are “indistinguishable from the general population” and no more likely to hold antisemitic views. In fact, it’s Reform supporters and the “very rightwing” who most consistently hold antisemitic views. With Farage’s alleged history of [Nazi salutes and gas chamber jokes][3] – which he denies – it’s perhaps not surprising that his supporters are more antisemitic, and yet the media continue to frame antisemitism as a leftwing issue.
Sometimes the obvious conclusion is the right one: the press, centrist and far-right politicians are trying to whip up a moral panic about the Green party because they threaten vested interests. The problem is that it’s effective. While there is no antisemitism crisis in the Green party, there is a political crisis. Persistent accusations demoralise activists, eat up airtime, and potentially toxify the Greens with some more liberal voters they need to win from Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
Zohran Mamdani can teach us some lessons. He is a socialist, Muslim, pro-Palestine supporter of BDS who won election in a city with 1.3 million Jewish people and is still riding high in the polls months into his term. Antisemitism was the main attack line throughout the campaign, and yet he managed to win the [endorsement of rabbis][4] and the [liberal Jewish candidate Brad Lander][5], and made the establishment attacks on him seem unhinged.
Mamdani pursued a “positive feedback loop” strategy that had four main strands: having policy he could point to that would make Jewish New Yorkers safer, namely an[ 800% increase in the budget for the hate crimes unit][6]; a proactive outreach strategy with liberal sections of the Jewish community, either to win them over or neutralise; using a universal language of human rights when talking about Israel/Palestine that lands well with liberals and demonstrating an emotional fluency and understanding of the Jewish community and Judaism.
As the campaign wore on, media attacks just didn’t land in the face of Mamdani’s obvious care and compassion, kicking off a positive feedback loop where the more they attacked him, the more deranged the press seemed, further pushing voters towards Mamdani. Crucially, this strategy wasn’t about winning Jewish votes, although Mamdani did in large numbers. It was about avoiding toxification with the liberal voters that Mamdani – and Polanski in the UK – need to win a majority.
Polanski’s strategy of using his Jewish identity in a reactive way to ‘hold the line’ against attacks isn’t quite enough. A successful left-populism isn’t about being agro on every single issue, but picking fights that align us with the people – ideally with style, panache and grace – and strategically neutralising those that don’t. This doesn’t mean he should apologise all the time either – swagger and confidence is important in politics – or pledge to kick out every single racist, an impossibility in a mass political party.
Instead, Polanski needs to adopt a more front-footed strategy that learns from Mamdani’s success. Some of the playbook can be copied: engaging with the Jewish community, an easier ask of Polanski as he is Jewish; adopting policy that will actually make Jewish people safer; demonstrating emotional fluency in key moments rather than going to war with the Met police. But the analogy only goes so far. While Mamdani and Corbyn were personally branded as antisemites, the attacks on Polanski are a more subtle attempt to strip him of his Jewish identity and question his judgement.
This is how the story goes: all the antisemites from Corbyn’s Labour and the Palestine movement have joined the Greens, and turned what was once a cuddly nature party into a hotbed of racism. Polanski’s enthusiasm for the new members shows he’s permissive about racism and has bad judgement. Hence the focus on [comments from council candidates][7] and members, in an attempt to stir up division between the Green’s liberal old guard and the new populist leadership.
This will be very difficult to stop entirely. How do you properly vet thousands of council candidates every single year in a decentralised party? Yet it must be a bureaucratic priority alongside a speedy disciplinary process. At least they won’t suffer Corbyn’s nightmare, where the disciplinary system was [run by rightwing Labour staffers who deliberately slowed down complaints][8] and expulsions to cause the leadership problems.
The other ingredient, that Mamdani had in spades but the Greens sorely lack, is discipline. Polanski doesn’t need to [retweet random accounts about police violence][9] and kick off weeks of negative headlines right before the local elections, just as Greens for Palestine don’t need to push the polarising [Zionism is Racism][10] motion at summer conference that give the press another excuse to talk about Green antisemitism.
As [I’ve argued][11] elsewhere, only a majority-winning Green party will actually do any anti-Zionism, and to get there we’ll have to pick big fights on our terms, and avoid getting bogged down in defensive battles about issues most people don’t care about. Press attacks are inevitable, but a fire needs fuel. It’s the left’s job not to give it to them.
[1]: https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/CAA_Results_250902_w_EJU8Eud.pdf
[2]: https://cst.org.uk/data/file/7/4/JPR.2017.Antisemitism%20in%20contemporary%20Great%20Britain.1615559606.pdf
[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/nov/21/nazi-salutes-and-racism-the-allegations-about-nigel-farages-school-days-podcast
[4]: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-are-nyc-rabbis-who-support-zohran-mamdani-heres-why/
[5]: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/13/mamdani-lander-cross-endorsing-mayor-00405357
[6]: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/mamdani-wins-rare-praise-from-adl-for-increasing-budget-of-nyc-hate-crimes-office/
[7]: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/30/met-police-arrest-two-green-election-candidates-over-alleged-antisemitism
[8]: https://press-gang.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/glu-report-2020.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[9]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8p7k4k8xno
[10]: https://greens4palestine.uk/
[11]: https://joealextodd.substack.com/p/the-zionism-is-racism-motion-was
https://novaramedia.com/2026/05/21/zohran-mamdani-has-valuable-lessons-for-the-greens-on-antisemitism-attacks/
JWST maps the weather on a hot gas giant 700 light-years away
WASP-94A b is a hot, tidally locked gas giant orbiting close to one of the stars in a binary system roughly 690 light-years away from Earth. In a new Science study, scientists led by Sagnick Mukherjee, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, used the James Webb Space Telescope to learn what the weather looks like out there.
Tidal locking means that you no longer have day- and night-side temperature differences sweeping across the planet. “We wanted to understand the atmospheres of such planets,” Mukherjee says. “Are they static or dynamic? Do they have winds? Do they have clouds?” His team found that, on WASP-94A b, it’s cloudy in the morning, but the skies clear in the evening. The fact that we didn’t know this already means we might have gotten the chemistry of this and many other exoplanets surprisingly wrong.
## Averaged atmospheres
WASP-94A b has mass slightly below half of Jupiter but has a diameter that’s over 70 percent wider. “This means the planet has low density, and its atmosphere extends further out into space, which makes it easier to observe,” Mukherjee explains. When astronomers study atmospheres like this, they usually rely on transmission spectroscopy. By analyzing the spectrum of light filtering through the planet’s atmosphere as it crosses in front of its star, they can figure out its chemical composition.
[Read full article][1]
[Comments][2]
[1]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/jwst-maps-the-weather-on-a-hot-gas-giant-700-light-years-away/
[2]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/jwst-maps-the-weather-on-a-hot-gas-giant-700-light-years-away/#comments
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/jwst-maps-the-weather-on-a-hot-gas-giant-700-light-years-away/
The Science Is Not Settled: How Weak Evidence Is Fueling A National Push To Ban Social Media For Youth
As statehouses ramp up for 2026, we’re seeing a familiar and concerning trend of lawmakers rushing to regulate the internet based on shockingly shaky science. From the [California State Assembly][1] to the [Massachusetts][2] and [Minnesota][3] [legislatures][4], a wave of bills is crashing against the digital lives of young people, with proponents of these measures framing social media access as a “public health epidemic,” or a “mental health crisis,” even though we have yet to see any of the settled science that those labels usually invoke.
As a digital rights organization dedicated to the civil liberties of all users, EFF’s expertise lies in reminding lawmakers that young people enjoy largely the same free speech and privacy rights as adults. EFF is not a social science research shop, but we can read the emerging research. What that research shows is much more nuanced than what is claimed by those proposing to ban young people from social media, and it is clear that research and theories used to justify these sweeping bans is far from settled. The rush to ban access to digital platforms is being fueled by “pop psychology” narratives and a collection of statistically flawed studies that do not meet the rigorous standards required for such a massive infringement on youth autonomy and constitutional rights.
## **The Lie of A “Settled” Consensus**
The current legislative push relies heavily on a specific, media-friendly narrative that [the “great rewiring” of the adolescent brain][5] is a proven fact. This theory suggests that smartphones and social media are the primary, if not sole, drivers of a global uptick in teen anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm, etc. While this narrative makes for a compelling airport-bookstore read, it quickly collapses under the scrutiny of the broader scientific community.
Independent researchers, including developmental psychologists from institutions like the [University of California, Irvine][6], and [Brown University][7], have repeatedly found that the evidence for such claims is [mixed][8], [blurry][9], and often [contradictory][10]. Large-scale [meta-analyses][11] covering dozens of countries have failed to show a consistent, measurable association between the rollout of social media and a decline in global well-being. In reality, we are seeing a classic case of what many of our middle school science teachers warned us about: “correlation” being sold as “causation.”
Additionally, the studies used to support these measures often fail to account for or exclude significant alternative explanations for rising teen anxiety and depression, such as the lasting impact of pandemic-era isolation, the persistent threat of school gun violence, and mounting economic or climate-related stress. By focusing narrowly on social media, these findings frequently overlook the broader societal factors that also impact youth mental health.
### The Cult of the “Anxious” Expert
The current push for blanket social media bans relies almost exclusively on the work of Jonathan Haidt, particularly his book *The Anxious Generation*. While Haidt is an amiable and brilliant storyteller, he is not a clinical psychologist or a specialist in child development. He is a [social psychologist][12] who writes about moral psychology at a business school. Nonetheless, the book has made it to every [*Best Seller* list][13], and with Haidt revered as an expert on podcasts with massive reach, like [Oprah][14], [Joe Rogan][15], [Michelle Obama][16], and [Trevor Noah][17]—his message has been heard by a large subset of society, which primarily relies on: no smartphones or social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more “unsupervised, real-world independence.”
To highlight Haidt’s reach when it comes to legislation banning social media: the [California committee analysis][18] for the proposed California social media ban mentions Haidt 20 times; [the Governor of Utah][19] promoted the book as a “must-read” months before [signing the nation’s first social media ban][20]; Haidt is [cited in bill analysis][21] for the bill banning social media in Florida; his work is mentioned [in a federal bill][22] aiming to ban phones in schools; and he provided formal testimony before the [U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (Subcommittee on Technology, Privacy, and the Law)][23] in May 2022.
While Haidt’s research has been paramount to legislation stripping millions of young people of their rights to expression and connection, his conclusions are not without challenge, and many experts in the field argue that the evidence is less than ironclad.
## **The “Bad Science” Fueling Social Media Bans**
While we can admit that Jonathan Haidt’s “great rewiring” theory makes for a gripping narrative, we cannot ignore that independent researchers and statisticians [have identified][24] [significant flaws][25] in the [data used to justify it][26]. Which means we are currently watching policymakers legislate blanket bans based on evidence that would be rejected in almost any other field of public health.
The reality is that research has consistently [disproven][27] the oft-assumed link between social media use and poor mental health in youth, and actually[ indicates][28] that moderate internet use is a net positive for teens’ development, and negative outcomes are usually due to either lack of access or excessive use. In one[ major study][29] of 100,000 adolescents, a “U-shaped association emerged where moderate social media use was associated with the best well-being outcomes, while both no use and highest use were associated with poorer well-being.” We also know that young people’s relationship with social media is complex, as it provides them essential spaces for civic engagement, identity exploration, and community building—particularly for[ LGBTQ+][30] and[ marginalized youth][31] who may lack support in their physical environments.
But again, the image Haidt presents in his book is increasingly at odds with the broader academic consensus. As mentioned, critics argue that the evidence for the mental health impacts of social media is [mixed, blurry, and often misinterpreted][32]. NYU statistics expert Aaron Brown, writing for [*Reason*][33], notes that many of the studies in Haidt’s exhaustive reference list are statistically unreliable or fail to show a strong causal link. Prof. [Candace Odgers][34], a leading voice in psychological science, explains the “selection effect” that legislators often ignore:
> *“Hundreds of researchers, myself included, have searched for the kind of large effects suggested by Haidt. Our efforts have produced a mix of no, small and mixed associations. Most data are correlative. When associations over time are found, they suggest not that social-media use predicts or causes depression, but that young people who already have mental-health problems use such platforms more often or in different ways from their healthy peers.”*
This raises a fundamental question of legislative responsibility: If the science is not settled, how can legislators confidently [declare a “public health crisis”][35] to justify stripping away [young people’s First Amendment rights][36]? By bypassing the rigorous, nuanced findings of the scientific community in favor of a more convenient narrative, legislators are choosing emotion over evidence. Before imposing such draconian restrictions on young people’s access to information, policymakers have an obligation to do the heavy lifting: to dig into the actual research and listen to the experts who are sounding the alarm on oversimplified conclusions.
### **The Dangers of “Social Contagion” Narrative**
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Haidt’s crusade is its overlap with ideological rhetoric that pathologizes the identities of marginalized youth, and how that makes its way through efforts to ban social media for youth. A recurring theme in the literature favored by proponents of social media bans is the idea of “[social contagion][37]“—specifically regarding the rise in young people identifying as transgender or non-binary. Haidt dedicates an entire chapter of his book to this (ch.6, pt 3, p. 165), talking about “Why Social Media Harms Girls More Than Boys,” stating that:
> *“The recent growth in diagnoses of gender dysphoria may also be related in part to social media trends, […] the fact that gender dysphoria is now being diagnosed among many adolescents who showed no signs of it as children all indicate the social influence and sociogenic transmission may be at work as well.”*
These harmful theories suggesting that social media is “infecting” young people with gender dysphoria are false and [not supported by peer-reviewed clinical research][38]. But by legitimizing “experts” who [promote these debunked theories][39], legislators—especially those in states like California who pride themselves on being a [sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth][40]—are inadvertently platforming the same rhetoric used in other states to ban gender affirming care for youth. This “social contagion” narrative is a tool of exclusion, not a scientific reality, and we must be wary of any “public health” argument that treats community-building and self-discovery among marginalized young people as a “[purported mental illness][41]” spread via TikTok.
## **A Better Path: Digital Wellness, Not Bans**
Fortunately, there is a measured, evidence-based alternative already emerging. [California’s A.B. 2071][42], for instance, is a [student-authored][43] “digital wellness” bill that offers a measured, evidence-based alternative rather than prohibition. The bill advocates for a curriculum that teaches students how to manage algorithms, recognize cyberbullying, and regulate their own relationship with technology. Instead of trying to completely shield young people from social media, education-based approaches empower young people and have the benefit of providing skills that stay with a young person long after they leave the classroom.
[JustLeadershipUSA][44], a criminal justice organization, has a slogan that rings true in this instance too: *“Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution.”* So let’s start listening to what our young people are asking us for—more education—instead of imposing paternalistic, [disempowering bans][45].
## **Legislating With Precision instead of Emotion **
Adolescent mental health struggles are a complex, multifaceted crisis. It is a crisis that has existed for as long as time, and has been driven by [economic instability][46], [the opioid epidemic][47], the [threat of school violence,][48] amongst [other issues][49]. To pin all of society’s woes on a smartphone app is not just a scientific error; it is a policy failure that ignores the real, material needs of young people both online and off.
Legislators must stop legislating as “anxious parents” and start acting as measured policymakers. Because for some youth, social media platforms are a lifeline. [UNICEF][50] and other [global human rights organizations][51] have warned that age-related restrictions and blanket bans [can backfire][52] in three critical ways: isolating marginalized youth (like LGBTQ+ youth, students in rural areas, foster youth, or those with disabilities) who social media is often the only place they can find a [supportive community][53]; necessitating invasive [mass collection][54] of biometric data or government-issued IDs from all users, including adults; and [pushing young people toward][55] less-regulated, “darker” corners of the web where content moderation is non-existent and the risks of actual exploitation are significantly higher.
Legislators have a valid interest in protecting children, but that interest must be pursued through tailored, measured approaches. We cannot allow emotions or a collection of flawed data sets to justify a historic rollback of digital rights.
*Reposted from the EFF’s [Deeplinks blog][56].*
[1]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/act-now-stop-californias-paternalistic-and-privacy-destroying-social-media-ban
[2]: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2581
[3]: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/94/2026/0/SF/4696/
[4]: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/94/2026/0/HF/4138/?body=house
[5]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00902-2
[6]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00902-2.pdf
[7]: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2024/07/why-academics-are-annoyed-with-jonathan-haidt-again.html
[8]: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-019-01825-4
[9]: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.13190
[10]: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4053961
[11]: https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/308596/1-s2.0-S2352250X21X0005X/1-s2.0-S2352250X21001500/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEFEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIAYJQpB5ppKb9ELcxsMEkiNTVrOUM0SWMXNTAxlUXkZGAiEA4AdJBVy9e%2Bg8WPR%2BOegjkvD0NDzziCg%2BolLrHwFfBLgqswUIGhAFGgwwNTkwMDM1NDY4NjUiDIi8jhyqgw8bDaz2YyqQBS%2B8A%2FxvkP07ItdOuhFG8vrhlHteBgwEoWdN5yse1B9ST8fMtgdmK4eBrMCDHplzTUPyfJTdGuXJ1%2F2kvRrNIvPZnLIWW%2FIkJZx95M1fmYwpncC%2FQBVzIBqUJEDFcYQ9QkhSie8Sb%2BK3YZyT3M9wMkj%2FZRt7p3OZoLQLMHcZ6htZr33Bh2nv7777EkHkLU3XmKwF8WNDeaTMVTM1uGTmILze9gzcw3D%2B2M8XFIwYSw0Wt%2BXZvfXXOycFzcuRuq7e9S4tKw1j97P2VziHxlu2fLaiDbhvYyRAR9XYu4%2FJwtn6HykW5Kp2dy%2FaIjBzt031NEoa%2F8pPpjBxnlZh3SRbn1MUK3iH2IoaWUB7j5olUPFOqC80VYQ8qA6baoWmYjbRgPgu2dzXURPXcuf9QztzS8K8GlbG%2BPzW2DPyinAUsk%2FS9Qa99u04Xk5KaDVfGcvwQ0gMjfBsGhe5DNPZPSMPmvsMwEqVnrX5P4RQRwAiyufbiDUdUpRLWKmTwyuXY1hshafOxwMlKlGv%2FI0NZkySFvUNGL5wTxQHJwZ7Fh2xA9bOvxjtZB75eC6bU%2BUrsAys9iH9AWFXfEFcfb4C6OQo8fDOq%2F6Cy%2FCL%2BCEChcM7bKconBIrpoqWmIbg6QMp85DbBz4aYix
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3745d13b8e61c8gxrqa&type=client&tsoh=d3d3LnNjaWVuY2VkaXJlY3QuY29t&rh=d3d3LnNjaWVuY2VkaXJlY3QuY29t&ua=161758070255040153&rr=9fa2dc4c296415ce&cc=us
[12]: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/jonathan-haidt
[13]: https://x.com/JonHaidt/status/1878060919957164246
[14]: https://www.oprah.com/book/the-anxious-generation-by-jonathan-haidt?editors_pick_id=84223
[15]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOC-RyoBcbQ
[16]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQ5UujtFX0
[17]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey4XhHqnkuQ
[18]: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1709#
[19]: https://x.com/SpencerJCox/status/1798503704846589977
[20]: https://www.ksl.com/article/news/politics/he-wrote-the-book-on-social-media-and-kids-heres-what-he-said-about-utahs-online-laws/51289239#:~:text=The%20ceremonial%20signing%20included%20several,the%20data%20collected%20by%20social
[21]: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/Analyses/h0003z1.RRS.PDF
[22]: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2700/all-info
[23]: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Haidt%20Testimony.pdf
[24]: https://holdenthorp.substack.com/p/more-on-the-muddled-science-on-teens
[25]: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/27/anxious-generation-jonathan-haidt
[26]: https://www.platformer.news/anxious-generation-jonathan-haidt-debate-critique/
[27]: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/21/two-major-studies-125000-kids-the-social-media-panic-doesnt-hold-up/
[28]: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/21/two-major-studies-125000-kids-the-social-media-panic-doesnt-hold-up/
[29]: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2843720
[30]: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2025/12/03/young-adults-and-the-future-of-news/
[31]: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-marginalized-youth-socially-isolated-previous.html
[32]: https://internet.psych.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/532-Master/532-UnitPages/Unit-11/Odgers_Nature_2024.pdf
[33]: https://reason.com/2023/03/29/the-statistically-flawed-evidence-that-social-media-is-causing-the-teen-mental-health-crisis/
[34]: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00902-2
[35]: https://krcrtv.com/news/nation-world/california-moving-toward-banning-social-media-for-kids-under-16-online-safety-children-social-media-addiction
[36]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/eff-ninth-circuit-young-people-have-first-amendment-right-use-social-media-and-all
[37]: https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/08/18/1057135/transgender-contagion-gender-dysphoria/
[38]: https://theconversation.com/why-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-is-bad-science-92742
[39]: https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/jonathan-haidt-social-contagion-rogd-pbs
[40]: https://calmatters.org/newsletter/transgender-youth-executive-orders-newsletter/
[41]: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.pbs.org_wnet_firing-2Dline_video_jonathan-2Dhaidt-2Dxp90dy_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=5nWZgKs9GsqBlJwUpRWH-sbmB1pEIHaY61rOUFX52no&m=UHfRjJ5jZBnmmlJC0k3a1oWlIYN5Su_KK1rATAuSpWVb_UU6qyhFL7fkjNUflUu8&s=rAH3wqL9cufYIks68Ioiy5gwNJATU1Fl9PVTDWpl0Po&e=
[42]: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2071
[43]: https://edsource.org/2026/social-media-ai-mental-health/755990?fbclid=IwdGRjcARWYJtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe6iOvJ_-TeXaFJbJuwzYpe04FGVpm622U54NiwPU87FFjNxzKCOFRmdj2JXw_aem_Vh739k2H4DmT8novhNJy3g
[44]: https://jlusa.org/about/
[45]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/act-now-stop-californias-paternalistic-and-privacy-destroying-social-media-ban
[46]: https://blog.mdpi.com/2023/02/28/recessions-and-mental-health/
[47]: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/22/opinion/west-virginia-appalachia-opioids-children.html
[48]: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785658
[49]: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/study-shows-lgbtq-youth-in-the-u-s-face-high-rates-of-suicidality-and-victimization-worsened-by-anti-lgbtq-politics/
[50]: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/age-restrictions-alone-wont-keep-children-safe-online
[51]: https://www.politico.eu/article/michael-oflaherty-human-rights-council-of-europe-children-social-media-ban/
[52]: https://www.eff.org/pages/whos-harmed-age-verification-mandates#main-content
[53]: https://www.hrc.org/magazine/2021-early-fall/online-communities-early-fall-2021
[54]: https://www.eff.org/pages/age-verification-systems-are-surveillance-systems#main-content
[55]: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/14/australia-porn-age-verification-user-experience-vpn-dark-web-ntwnfb
[56]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/05/science-not-settled-how-weak-evidence-fueling-national-push-ban-social-media-youth
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/05/21/the-science-is-not-settled-how-weak-evidence-is-fueling-a-national-push-to-ban-social-media-for-youth/
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