Tag: Society

The Pursuit of Prestige: Questioning Academic Titles in Russia | September 19 2026, 04:18

Mark Solonin shared in his latest video some information and reflections that made one think. His first thought was that a true professional simply signs with his name; non-specialists always accompany the surname with titles like “academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,” “corresponding member of the International Academy of Informatization,” “senior research scientist of the International Institute for the Study of Global Threats to Universal Security” and that such a long signature is a “red flag.”

To substantiate his thesis, he presents interesting figures and facts. The “Law on Science” of 1996 allowed scientists to create “public academies of sciences” — meaning essentially any association of citizens can call itself an academy and distribute titles. As early as 2013, Kommersant counted more than 80 academies of sciences in the country, of which six were state academies. The rest, more than seventy, are public organizations where memberships are sold or distributed by their own rules.

Among them, the absolute record holder is a former reference office. The “International Academy of Informatization” grew out of the Moscow City Reference Service. Its founders included the leadership of the Moscow City Reference Service, and its first president was its director. In 1990, the “Academy of Informatization of the USSR” was registered as a small enterprise. Today, it proudly announces on its website: more than 19,000 active members. Nineteen thousand academics from one office. The chairman of the Russian Academy of Sciences Commission against Pseudoscience Eduard Kruglyakov wrote that the MAI stamps out specialists in 101 specialties, including astrology, ufology, telepathy, and telekinesis. Bonus — since 1995, the MAI has had consultative status with the UN ECOSOC (don’t laugh, this is the Economic and Social Council at the UN), so now there are also “academicians at the UN.”

The most dangerous is the one that sounds the most solid. The Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS) – by 2003 had about 4000 members. The name is almost indistinguishable from RAS, and it indeed includes real academicians — hence the signature “corresponding member of RANS” works so well on the unprepared reader (for example, “‘We will literally defeat everyone’: a brilliant scientist-prophet predicted the triumph of Russia” — this headline is about Kvasha, a cor.-m. of this RANS). The president of the RAS Yuri Osipov directly asked at a meeting of the Presidium — who preaches torsion fields? — and answered himself: RANS. In 2006, 29-year-old Ramzan Kadyrov became an honorary member of RANS. The president of RANS later confirmed that the title was awarded for saving the lives of servicemen in Chechnya.

There was also the Academy of Security, Defense, and Law Enforcement Issues (2000–2008). According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, it, along with its “National Public Rewards Committee,” established 73 types of awards identical to state ones, introduced academic degrees, its own military uniform, and military ranks. It issued identifications of professor, corresponding member, and academician, externally similar to state ones. Annual budget — about a million dollars. This is the only “academy” that was eventually shut down (December 10, 2008; the Supreme Court liquidated it at the request of the Prosecutor General — not for trading titles, but for imitating state awards). The former president was fined 500 rubles.

In 2013, there were 500 academicians in the RAS. After the reform and the addition of the Medical and Agricultural Academies, their number increased to 941 by 2025 — a growth of 71%. This is not the assessment of “enemies of science”: this is reported by the chief research scientist of the Institute for Science Development Issues of the RAS in the journal “Economics of Science,” particularly noting the election of officials, politicians, and businessmen to academicians, and cases of nepotism.

To defend a thesis, you need publications in “vakovskie” journals. The list today includes more than three thousand such journals. Imagine, in Russia, there are several thousand scientific journals that no one reads 🙂

In general, the thought is quite original — when you see the signature “academician of such-and-such academy, corresponding member of such-and-such, senior research scientist of the international institute of something,” — it’s not a credential, but a red flag. A real professional has a name. And that’s enough.

Politeness Index: Cleaning Up Social Media and Profiting from Civility | September 15 2026, 23:34

Politeness Index: How to Clean Up Social Media from Rudeness and Profit from It

Social networks have long needed a “politeness index” for each post and comment. The idea is simple: an algorithm directly ties displays to the tone of the message. Aggressive comments are not removed, but simply shown less frequently in the feed.

Write a calm and diplomatic comment — you gather a normal audience. Come to be abusive and quarrel — your comment will be seen by no more than three people.

How it works in practice. Technically, it’s all possible now: neural networks easily assess the tone of text in the background. The main thing in this system is to give the user clear feedback.

For example: A commentator gets personal. The social network sends him a notification: “Your text could have been twice as noticeable if you hadn’t used foul language towards the author and hadn’t belittled that woman in the white coat.”

People receive a clear signal: audience attention depends on how the thought is formulated, not on the loudness of the scandal. Initially, this function can be tested not on everyone, but only on a portion of posts.

Why do users and businesses need this? Would platforms themselves want to spend money on moderating tone if their business is built on views and endless emotional debates? It’s a complicated question.

But a solution could be a premium “clean feed” feature. Many would happily agree to watch additional advertising or pay a small subscription fee for an ecological information space. We pay cleaners to clean our houses — paying for cleanliness in social networks is no worse. In the long run, the habit of communicating politely for likes may change people beyond the internet. Or did I fall from another planet?

The Invisible Merchants of Spain: The Manteros of Top Manta | July 31 2026, 18:59

Here in Spain, they are called manteros (mantas sellers)—from the Spanish word manta (blanket or cover). And the process of such illegal street vending is called top manta.

Since their activity is illegal, they have developed a rigorous system of alerts. As soon as one of the vendors spots the police, they signal (often yelling the code word “Agua!”—water). After this, all the manteros on the street in a split second gather their blankets into bags and melt into the crowd. If someone had managed to give them money – apparently, they will run together with them.

The vast majority of manteros are migrants from sub-Saharan African countries (most often from Senegal, Gambia, and Mali). They are not doing this for an easy profit: most of them are status sin papeles (without documents), making legal employment in Spain impossible.

In Spain, the police fight not only the supply but also the demand. By law, if the police catch you in the act of buying a bag or sunglasses from such a blanket, you, as a buyer, can be fined up to several hundred euros.

In Barcelona, the vendors have united into the “Union of Street Vendors” (Sindicato Popular de Vendedores Ambulantes) and made a brilliant marketing move. They registered their own legal brand of clothing and footwear, calling it Top Manta. Now they produce quality sneakers and T-shirts, giving migrants the opportunity to leave the streets and work legally.

Absurdist Reactions to Government Promises in Crisis | July 30 2026, 16:20

“Once on TV appeared a deathly pale Finance Minister and declared:

— The financial crisis will not affect us. Because. I am telling you for sure.

The population, knowing the nature of official statements, silently swore and went to stock up on salt, matches, and sugar.

The next day, an utterly bewildered Minister of Trade appeared on TV and said:

— The stocks of bread and basic necessities allow us to proudly state, that there is no threat of hunger or shortages. Here are the figures.

— Oh! – said the population and bought even more flour and cereals.

The Minister of Agriculture, for emphasis, danced on the podium and joyfully announced:

— Unprecedented harvest! Hopes for export! We are reviving! The storerooms are bursting!

— Really now! – the population was horrified and ran to convert their savings into foreign currency.

— Real estate prices will fall! A penthouse for every student! In the near future! – declared the Minister of Construction, unflinchingly.

— What’s happening, huh? – the population wailed and rushed to purchase kerosene, kerosene lamps, wood, and coal.

— A modern army on a contractual basis. As early as tomorrow. And grenades of a new system. The likes of which the world has not yet seen. – stated the Minister of Defense solemnly. – Well, why not? We have plenty of money. Reserves, supplies, and a surplus in general.

— Mom!… the population squeaked and began digging dugouts.

Everything is AWE-SOME! Do you understand? AWE-SOME!! – the President insisted. – We could have built communism today. The only thing stopping us is there’d be nothing left for us to do. So, you can sleep peacefully! It doesn’t get more stable than this! Pensioners are buying caviar by the bucket! I foresee a qualitative leap and bound. And quantitatively – it’s simply a run! Taking seven-league steps towards prosperity and abundance. The Caribbean is getting closer. From here we shall threaten the world. One hundred and thirty tons of roses from each flowerbed. We will even have to reduce dairy production. The cows cannot carry the udders. The population is outraged by the cheapness. South America is asking to join us as a state farm. Hurrah!

— What on earth are you cooking up, you beasts?! – the population screamed and just in case, changed into all their clean clothes…”

Zhvanetsky. Link in comments

The Overmedication of American Children: A Deep Dive into Prescription Trends | May 13 2026, 19:29

Today I dug up something interesting about kids and pills.

Local doctors are somewhat surprised that I’m not on any medication. Recently, an acquaintance of a doctor said in passing that he has lots of young patients who regularly take 12–14 pills a day. I started researching — and my eyes nearly popped out.

I found that according to CDC data, nearly one in five children under 12 years old are on prescription drugs. In the 12–19 age cohort, it’s every third one. Moreover, the rate among boys up to 12 years old is one and a half times higher than among girls, which is largely explained by early ADHD diagnoses. If we’re talking about long-term use (3 months or more continuously), a fifth of all children and teenagers are involved. It is reported that ADHD was diagnosed in 11.4% of children, about 7 million people, approximately every ninth child in the country. Of those with an active diagnosis, 53.6% are taking stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, and equivalents). In terms of the entire child population, this means about 6% of American children are constantly on psychostimulants. Besides ADHD, there are antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and antipsychotics. 9.3% of all children ages 5–17 have taken some kind of “mental health” medication. Among teenagers 12–17 years old — 10.7%.

This is probably the most interesting thing I’ve found. The variability between states is threefold. In Louisiana, ADHD is diagnosed in nearly every fifth child, in California – three times less often. In Louisiana 80.2% of the diagnosed children were immediately put on medication, in California – 66.7%. The southern cluster (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina) consistently shows the highest figures.

Even more interesting is the breakdown by urbanization. In large metropolises, 7.1% of children take psychotropic drugs, in small towns — 8.5%, in rural areas — 12.1%. Yet, the proportion of those receiving psychotherapy is the same everywhere — about 11–13%. Why is that? Because rural areas disastrously lack psychologists and behavioral specialists, and the pill becomes the only alternative.

There’s a separate phenomenon — polypharmacy. This is the simultaneous use of 2+ drugs for over a month. Growth from 1.8% in the early 2000s to 3.3% today. About 300,000 American children regularly take three or more classes of psychotropic substances at the same time. And for children with complex chronic conditions (Children with Medical Complexity), the situation is completely off: 52.7% take 5+ medications daily, and 19.5% take more than 10 medications per day. Thus, the stories about 12–14 pills a day. Reports say that approximately every 12th child in the USA, taking multiple drugs concurrently, risks serious drug interaction. For teenage girls on combination therapy, this risk reaches 20%.

Reading why this has happened.

It turns out that here the child’s psyche is increasingly perceived as neurochemistry that needs to be corrected with a pill, rather than as a result of sleep, stress, family environment, and a heap of other factors. Or at least the parents understand that since the rest is not fixed, the pills are an easy way out. Deprescribing (planned drug withdrawal) is hardly practiced — it’s easier to prescribe than to take off.

Secondly, rates for commercial insurance visits to a psychotherapist are on average 22% lower than for a visit to a somatic specialist. As a result, 18.2% of psychologists operate outside insurance networks (compared to 1.7% of somatic specialists). Our family pays an average of $1507 a year for psychotherapy on top of the insurance. But the pill is covered by the formulary, and the prescription copay is minimal. What choice will a tired family make? Why we are unable to raise children without mental health issues is another big topic.

Well, and another interesting point. According to our laws, an official ADHD diagnosis requires the school to provide the child with “Sec 504”: double time on tests, reduced homework, a separate quiet room for exams, allowed breaks during lessons. In the race for college admission, many parents from affluent layers consciously go for a diagnosis — it’s a legal way to give a child an advantage. And here’s the delicate part: Sec 504 specifically forbids the school from considering the effect of “mitigating measures,” which the law counts as medication. Meaning, even if the child on medication is fully functional and excels in studies — their privileges are maintained. There is simply no incentive for the family to decrease the dosage or get off the drug. The system is set up to keep the child on medication until graduation.

Human Behavior Under Isolation: Lessons from the SPHINX Experiment | May 10 2026, 18:01

In the book Project Hail Mary, Stratt tells Grace that in the USSR there was supposedly an experiment where people were locked up for several months to see what would happen, and that the people almost killed each other, leading to the experiment being halted. That wasn’t the case, but I googled and found there was another experiment – SPHINX in 1999.

There were several groups. In the first, there were four Russians and during the New Year celebrations with alcohol, they beat each other up (10 minutes, blood, they had to be pulled apart). Another group had three guys and a girl (Judith Lapier) and the mission ended because during the New Year’s celebrations, driven by excitement, Judith was attempted to be kissed twice, leading to the mission being terminated.

As VICE reports, the dialogue was “We should try kissing, I haven’t smoked for six months. Then we can kiss after the mission and compare. Let’s experiment now.”

The team included doctors with degrees (Lukyanuk, Karashkin, Murashov) and Haider Hobikhozhin, who essentially was a randomly included technician with secondary education, taking the place of the Japanese man to the right in the photo and who was first in the second photo. Who beat up or kissed whom is now somewhat forgotten.

Vadim Gushchin, a coordinator from IMBP, after the scandal stated that the fight was “friendly,” and that Lapier “ruined the mission, the atmosphere, by refusing to be kissed.”

At the Canadian Space Agency, Lapier was told that such behavior is normal for Russians and that public complaints would be considered taboo in the culture of the host country.

Taste and Protest: Unveiling the Symbols at an Iranian Restaurant | May 03 2026, 19:40

A very tasty Iranian restaurant. Perhaps you didn’t know, but there are two flags of Iran. This one – the historical flag, used before the Islamic revolution of 1979, and today its use inside Iran itself is a political crime. The main difference from the official one is the emblem of the lion and the sun. Therefore, when Iranian protesters in Washington hold demonstrations, it’s interesting to see which flags they carry. If there’s four crescents and a sword in the middle, those are protesters from another camp 😉

Rethinking Karma: A Crafted Tale of Redemption and Survival | April 27 2026, 21:37

An interesting interview with Ilya Remeslo by Sobchak. But if I were Ilya’s political technologist, I would have suggested a much more coherent story: as if, one morning, he woke up, looked back at the past, and decided to fix his karma, rather than drown. Everything I did before that morning – my past life. We can talk about it, but for me, it is a closed page, I am ashamed of it, and if someday they decide to punish me for it – it would be fair, I am ready. If they punish for today’s stance – it would be unjust, but I am ready nonetheless. Either option is better than drowning, hence the boldness. Such a story would have been much more coherent, and it doesn’t matter if it has anything to do with reality.

From realistic explanations, I keep to myself that the guy was genuinely threatened with death, someone close to the powers that be, unclear why, the reasons could be numerous, and from all the options on what to do, this one had the best chances of staying alive because if the threat is realized now, the ratings will drop even more. Well, if he is jailed, it’s almost state protection from threats.

There’s one more thing. Possibly, this individual made it known to the right people that if he is locked up, some very serious dirt will immediately go to the media, but if nothing happens to him, there will be silence.