Michael A. Lewis
@michaelalewis10.bsky.social
Sociologist/social worker also interested in stats, economics, and philosophy . Opinions mine, not my employer’s. Website: https://sites.google.com/view/prof-michael-a-lewis/
Question for you philosophers (or kindred spirits). When I teach I emphasize critical thinking and so have required students to write analytical essays of the kind that, as I understand it, are often required in philosophy courses. With ChatGpt and similar around, that may no longer be the best
November 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Question for you philosophers (or kindred spirits). When I teach I emphasize critical thinking and so have required students to write analytical essays of the kind that, as I understand it, are often required in philosophy courses. With ChatGpt and similar around, that may no longer be the best
Latest piece on UBI here:
www.greshm.org/blog/we-must...
@alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @theubiguy.bsky.social
www.greshm.org/blog/we-must...
@alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @theubiguy.bsky.social
We Must Challenge the Job Ethic
I recently co-authored an essay arguing that a Universal Basic Income (UBI) might attain the goals of Guaranteed Income advocates better than a targeted Guaranteed Income would. I stand by the points ...
www.greshm.org
September 21, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Michael A. Lewis
Essay about the the recent study of unconditional cash and child development the NY Times covered:
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae...
@socio-steve.bsky.social @alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @amycastro.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae...
@socio-steve.bsky.social @alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @amycastro.bsky.social
August 11, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Essay about the the recent study of unconditional cash and child development the NY Times covered:
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae...
@socio-steve.bsky.social @alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @amycastro.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae...
@socio-steve.bsky.social @alexhowlett.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @amycastro.bsky.social
Well, I didn't see this coming:
www.sublationmag.com/post/why-i-h...
I first encountered J. Church's work about 6 years ago and was inspired to write this:
medium.com/@michael.a.l...
@etvpod.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social
www.sublationmag.com/post/why-i-h...
I first encountered J. Church's work about 6 years ago and was inspired to write this:
medium.com/@michael.a.l...
@etvpod.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social
July 31, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Well, I didn't see this coming:
www.sublationmag.com/post/why-i-h...
I first encountered J. Church's work about 6 years ago and was inspired to write this:
medium.com/@michael.a.l...
@etvpod.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social
www.sublationmag.com/post/why-i-h...
I first encountered J. Church's work about 6 years ago and was inspired to write this:
medium.com/@michael.a.l...
@etvpod.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social
Me and @jordanmossbx.bsky.social on open mic night in the Bronx:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8GY...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @kevinzollman.com @stevenstrogatz.com @lastpositivist.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @cailinmeister.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8GY...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @kevinzollman.com @stevenstrogatz.com @lastpositivist.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @cailinmeister.bsky.social
Michael A. Lewis and Jordan Moss cover of Angel from Montgomery
YouTube video by Michael Lewis
www.youtube.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Have come across the book Modeling Social Behavior by P. Smaldino. Wondering if folks have read it and what those who have think of it as an intro to agent-based modeling. @kevinzollman.com @cailinmeister.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social
May 21, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Have come across the book Modeling Social Behavior by P. Smaldino. Wondering if folks have read it and what those who have think of it as an intro to agent-based modeling. @kevinzollman.com @cailinmeister.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael A. Lewis
Over 8M NYers will soon be getting inflation relief checks, but do we need a crisis to justify cash aid?
@michaelalewis10.bsky.social & Eri Noguchi argue that targeted help has its place, but basic income is how we build lasting economic security. rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/an-equa...
@michaelalewis10.bsky.social & Eri Noguchi argue that targeted help has its place, but basic income is how we build lasting economic security. rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/an-equa...
May 8, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Over 8M NYers will soon be getting inflation relief checks, but do we need a crisis to justify cash aid?
@michaelalewis10.bsky.social & Eri Noguchi argue that targeted help has its place, but basic income is how we build lasting economic security. rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/an-equa...
@michaelalewis10.bsky.social & Eri Noguchi argue that targeted help has its place, but basic income is how we build lasting economic security. rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/an-equa...
This rooseveltinstitute.org/publications... just out
Restoring Economic Democracy: Progressive Ideas for Stability and Prosperity - Roosevelt Institute
Our vital task in the coming years is to prove that democracy can deliver, better and more quickly than any alternative. We must renew and create institutions that empower people and ensure the materi...
rooseveltinstitute.org
April 30, 2025 at 7:17 AM
This rooseveltinstitute.org/publications... just out
This may be of interest:
www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/h...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/h...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
German experiment gave people a basic monthly income – the effect on their work ethic was surprising | CNN
A German experiment has found that people are likely to continue working full-time even if they receive no-strings-attached universal basic income payments.
www.cnn.com
April 15, 2025 at 4:56 PM
This may be of interest:
www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/h...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/h...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @scottsantens.com @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Just read this piece on Mill's "free speech" argument:
philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2018/11/mill...
I'm a fan of free speech but wonder if Mills needs to be updated in a world where "disinfo," "misinfo," etc. can spread on social media in a matter of hours. Have any of you philosophers
philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2018/11/mill...
I'm a fan of free speech but wonder if Mills needs to be updated in a world where "disinfo," "misinfo," etc. can spread on social media in a matter of hours. Have any of you philosophers
Mill's Argument for Free Speech: A Guide
( Note to reader: These are lightly expanded notes for a class I once gave on freedom of speech. The notes are intended to explain the...
philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com
March 4, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Just read this piece on Mill's "free speech" argument:
philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2018/11/mill...
I'm a fan of free speech but wonder if Mills needs to be updated in a world where "disinfo," "misinfo," etc. can spread on social media in a matter of hours. Have any of you philosophers
philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2018/11/mill...
I'm a fan of free speech but wonder if Mills needs to be updated in a world where "disinfo," "misinfo," etc. can spread on social media in a matter of hours. Have any of you philosophers
I’m writing an expository paper on Bayesian stats and had to include some graphs. Instead of using my rusty R skills to try to figure out the code, I asked ChatGPT for it. In a matter of seconds it came up with code which provided exactly what I needed. As programming goes, the stuff I need to do
February 14, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I’m writing an expository paper on Bayesian stats and had to include some graphs. Instead of using my rusty R skills to try to figure out the code, I asked ChatGPT for it. In a matter of seconds it came up with code which provided exactly what I needed. As programming goes, the stuff I need to do
My attempt at philosophy of statistics/science. I did correspond with @kevinzollman.com about it to, hopefully, keep me from saying something too off. But if I still did, I'm the one to blame. @gizem-karaali.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @stevenstrogatz.com
February 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM
My attempt at philosophy of statistics/science. I did correspond with @kevinzollman.com about it to, hopefully, keep me from saying something too off. But if I still did, I'm the one to blame. @gizem-karaali.bsky.social @karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @stevenstrogatz.com
@etvpod.bsky.social I meant to post this on here in celebration of you completing your dissertation on moral luck but am just getting around to it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_hx...
😊 Congrats again!
😊 Congrats again!
Nothing Is Ever Anyone's Fault - feat. Rachel Bloom & Scott Michael Foster - 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'
YouTube video by racheldoesstuff
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
@etvpod.bsky.social I meant to post this on here in celebration of you completing your dissertation on moral luck but am just getting around to it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_hx...
😊 Congrats again!
😊 Congrats again!
I just spent the past almost 24 hours with my Japanese in-laws. If they are representative, then what I’ve often heard is true. Teachers/professors really are revered in Japan. Here, not so much. 😊 😊@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @gdivinetz.bsky.social @stevenstrogatz.com @kevinzollman.com
January 10, 2025 at 10:05 PM
I just spent the past almost 24 hours with my Japanese in-laws. If they are representative, then what I’ve often heard is true. Teachers/professors really are revered in Japan. Here, not so much. 😊 😊@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @gdivinetz.bsky.social @stevenstrogatz.com @kevinzollman.com
Just read this: www.thegauntlet.news/p/bidens-usd...
Also, ChatGPT (hopefully it wasn't "hallucinating") says the mutation rate (in units of mutations/genome/replication) of a genome is mu*L. Here "mu" is mutation rate per nucleotide per replication and "L" is the length of the genome in
Also, ChatGPT (hopefully it wasn't "hallucinating") says the mutation rate (in units of mutations/genome/replication) of a genome is mu*L. Here "mu" is mutation rate per nucleotide per replication and "L" is the length of the genome in
Biden's USDA Let H5N1 Spread. Now Bird Flu is a Loaded Gun in Trump's Hands
The Biden Administration never had any plan to control the H5N1 outbreak on dairy farms; now, it's spreading widely in a country ill equipped to understand or control airborne disease.
www.thegauntlet.news
January 9, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Just read this: www.thegauntlet.news/p/bidens-usd...
Also, ChatGPT (hopefully it wasn't "hallucinating") says the mutation rate (in units of mutations/genome/replication) of a genome is mu*L. Here "mu" is mutation rate per nucleotide per replication and "L" is the length of the genome in
Also, ChatGPT (hopefully it wasn't "hallucinating") says the mutation rate (in units of mutations/genome/replication) of a genome is mu*L. Here "mu" is mutation rate per nucleotide per replication and "L" is the length of the genome in
Reposted by Michael A. Lewis
"It might seem inefficient to give people a benefit if you’re going to essentially take it back from them in taxes, but what you actually end up with is a much more efficient program that is more easily administered and doesn’t leave anyone out."
This is why UBI. 👇
www.vox.com/policy/39322...
This is why UBI. 👇
www.vox.com/policy/39322...
What if everyone qualified for welfare benefits?
Universal programs are much easier to administer than means-tested ones.
www.vox.com
January 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
"It might seem inefficient to give people a benefit if you’re going to essentially take it back from them in taxes, but what you actually end up with is a much more efficient program that is more easily administered and doesn’t leave anyone out."
This is why UBI. 👇
www.vox.com/policy/39322...
This is why UBI. 👇
www.vox.com/policy/39322...
Reading this report on the use of AI in allocating public benefits like SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.:
static1.squarespace.com/static/65a1d...
It's long but just by skimming it you'll see how AI can be a barrier to people getting benefits, they're entitled to.
static1.squarespace.com/static/65a1d...
It's long but just by skimming it you'll see how AI can be a barrier to people getting benefits, they're entitled to.
static1.squarespace.com
January 5, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Reading this report on the use of AI in allocating public benefits like SSI, SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.:
static1.squarespace.com/static/65a1d...
It's long but just by skimming it you'll see how AI can be a barrier to people getting benefits, they're entitled to.
static1.squarespace.com/static/65a1d...
It's long but just by skimming it you'll see how AI can be a barrier to people getting benefits, they're entitled to.
Not exactly about UBI but I think in more or less the same "neighborhood":
jacobin.com/2024/12/capi...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @scottsantens.com
jacobin.com/2024/12/capi...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @scottsantens.com
How Capitalism Undermines Freedom
In his refutation of the famous libertarian arguments of Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia, socialist thinker G. A. Cohen showed the absurdity of thinking that we had to accept an unequal soc...
jacobin.com
January 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Not exactly about UBI but I think in more or less the same "neighborhood":
jacobin.com/2024/12/capi...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @scottsantens.com
jacobin.com/2024/12/capi...
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social @socio-steve.bsky.social @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social @etvpod.bsky.social @scottsantens.com
Reposted by Michael A. Lewis
"The cash seems to motivate participation in community work, while the community work catalyzes the impact of the cash. We saw this especially in the formation of a labor union among the garbage collectors participating in our experiment in India."
UBI 🤝 unions
theconversation.com/we-cant-beli...
UBI 🤝 unions
theconversation.com/we-cant-beli...
‘We can’t believe you would just trust us’: why social assistance shouldn’t come with strings attached
Recent experiments make the case for a paradigm shift in the provision of social assistance.
theconversation.com
January 2, 2025 at 5:12 PM
"The cash seems to motivate participation in community work, while the community work catalyzes the impact of the cash. We saw this especially in the formation of a labor union among the garbage collectors participating in our experiment in India."
UBI 🤝 unions
theconversation.com/we-cant-beli...
UBI 🤝 unions
theconversation.com/we-cant-beli...
This piece www.weforum.org/stories/2017... by @scottsantens.com was written in 2017 soon after Trump’s first win. While rereading it, I was struck by what I think is Scott’s claim that a UBI might neutralize at least some of Trump’s appeal. Curious to hear what UBI folks think about this.
Why We Should All Have a Basic Income
Imagine everyone getting a basic income just because they are a citizen. Read on to know how this basic income will change things in society.
www.weforum.org
December 19, 2024 at 6:01 PM
This piece www.weforum.org/stories/2017... by @scottsantens.com was written in 2017 soon after Trump’s first win. While rereading it, I was struck by what I think is Scott’s claim that a UBI might neutralize at least some of Trump’s appeal. Curious to hear what UBI folks think about this.
Reposted by Michael A. Lewis
You read this post and some part of you thinks he must be exaggerating, but no, they’re rolling out the “parents need the right to send their kids to religious schools so they get pregnant earlier” argument. Pretty ironic given the whole moral panic over teen pregnancies.
December 17, 2024 at 4:32 AM
You read this post and some part of you thinks he must be exaggerating, but no, they’re rolling out the “parents need the right to send their kids to religious schools so they get pregnant earlier” argument. Pretty ironic given the whole moral panic over teen pregnancies.
This piece is interesting ravenmagazine.org/magazine/why... and I predict that academic freedom and freedom of speech will become much more of a thing in the coming months. I liked a lot of what the author said in the piece, but also found some of it troubling. His view is that in order for our
Why Academic Freedom Matters
A frequently misunderstood argument in Mill’s On Liberty explains why academic freedom is essential in higher education.
ravenmagazine.org
December 17, 2024 at 5:03 AM
This piece is interesting ravenmagazine.org/magazine/why... and I predict that academic freedom and freedom of speech will become much more of a thing in the coming months. I liked a lot of what the author said in the piece, but also found some of it troubling. His view is that in order for our