As well as providing descriptive demographic trend data, the research team interviewed SMEs to identify & evaluate potential policy responses to mitigating impacts of the aging population: pro-natalist policies, immigration, the rural-urban divide, reliance on tech, and increasing retirement age.

Well, boo to this. Coffee can contribute to high cholesterol. “Unfiltered coffee, such as espresso, is high in diterpenes ... which interfere with proteins that transport LDL [bad] cholesterol out of the bloodstream.” Sorry if this is also news to you. health.yahoo.com/wellness/nut...

My new report acts as an intro to China's current demographic challenges (rapid population aging, low fertility) and their implications for China's national security (military, economy, innovation, population well-being, and the CCP's self-perpetuation). www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

JOB ALERT FOR #SOCIOLOGIST: Come work with me. We have FOUR Assistant Professor positions in the Sociology Department at the University of Calgary. careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...

Writing an algorithm to identify cluster populations for desirability ratings. A k-pop demand hunter.

Fun new publication alert! Back in 2022 we fielded the same survey about political and policy attitudes to a national probability sample, and a sample of users on Twitter. The Twitter sample was younger and more liberal across a wide range of attitudes, compared to the probability sample. 1/3

@genebaxter.bsky.social @alliemackay.bsky.social Dawson's Creek chat: when I was writing my comprehensive exams at Duke, the cast was shooting these S5 promo pics right outside the sociology building. We grad students all flocked to the window despite the timed exam. Michelle had to stand on a box.

Relieved to report that a paper I submitted that has been under review for 18 months was just formally accepted. What's the longest review process at a single journal you've ever gone through?

It never occurred to me, but it did to County Auditor Vicky Dalton, that "...in a lot of states, anyone could get a copy of a marriage license. So how many Swifties will get a copy of the marriage certificate to hang on their walls?”

This is a wild ride of a read for all kinds of reasons. Researchers and people who read about research on the internet should all find some valuable stuff in here. The incidental note that THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF OBJECTS ON A TYPICAL FRIDGE IS 55 is just the icing on the cake for me.

Reading this KFF report, I'm struck by how it shows the effects of RAND's "Truth Decay" framework in action: Notably... -increase in the relative volume & influence of opinion & experience vs. fact -declining trust in formerly respected sources of factual info 1/

Went to download a paper from the Population Action International website, but apparently they got hacked and it advertises Russian online casinos now. oof.

The figure falls below the previous record low of 55% in 1958 in the nearly nine decades of such tracking by Gallup. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The world’s population is expected to start shrinking this century. Political demographer Jennifer Sciubba says that’s no reason to panic.

If you know me, you know my complicated feelings about "like." As this article says: "The word gives you a minute to get your shit together mentally and also lets the other person know that you are getting your shit together." www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Look, I hope I have some good personal news soon. For now all I have is robots.

From @theguardian.com : Robots perform in a band at the Robot Mall, said to be the world’s first humanoid intelligent robot store.

@uncpopcenter.bsky.social's Bob Hummer is giving the 18th NIH Matilda White Riley Distinguished Lecture on August 28th from 3-4pm ET. This honor recognizes Bob's contributions to population science & his stewardship of Add Health. Register for the webinar here: obssr.od.nih.gov/news-and-eve...

I saw Ozzy with Sabbath at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016. He shuffled onto the stage, but once the music started muscle memory kicked in and he sounded great. He would crouch down then leap up like a frog, all through the show. There were also black and purple balloons everywhere. RIP.

My latest @npr.org story: Postmaster General David Steiner eased the worries of some U.S. Postal Service union leaders for now by saying he doesn’t believe in privatizing USPS. President Trump has expressed support for such a move, which would likely hurt services in rural areas

In Seoul, single-person households are nearly 40% of all homes. A 2022 Seoul Institute survey found that 62% of single-person households report experiencing loneliness, while city estimates suggest 130,000 young people suffer from social isolation. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Well this is fun. Note that it's unclear if survey respondents had to have actually visited the country to provide an assessment. U.S. News designs its “Best Countries” ranking around 73 attributes grouped into 10 thematic subrankings. “Fun” was one attribute within its broader “Adventure” ranking.

@genebaxter.bsky.social Loved @alliemackay.bsky.social's Great News about loneliness on episode 682. One of my favorite career highlights was appearing on "Thanks For That Podcast, Bean" in 2017 to talk with you about all the ways loneliness can kill you. Now I study how it's linked to alcohol use.

RAND colleague Wendy Troxel suggests you'll get a better sleep if you don't let your pets sleep with you, but also has some sleep-improving recommendations for those of us who will ignore that first suggestion. www.rand.org/pubs/comment...

Excessive drinking is a leading factor in preventable deaths among U.S. veterans and is associated with higher health care usage. This RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute paper offers recommendations for preventing and treating alcohol use disorder: www.rand.org/pubs/perspec...

@genebaxter.bsky.social @alliemackay.bsky.social I heard your panic about illegal baby names in @acotaac.bsky.social episode 678. Rest assured that there were 99 babies born named Queen in 2024, but it has been in decline since 2020 (when there were 265). Thanks, SSA! www.ssa.gov/oact/babynam...

Great write-up of some my recent work with @srhayford.bsky.social! news.osu.edu/most-women-w...

Important post. As difficult as increasing the national birth rate is, even increasing it by something like 10% (extremely improbable) would contribute fewer workers longterm than simply maintaining 2023 immigration rates.

Declining birth rates are likely driven by "pregnancy avoidance" decisions - people repeatedly deciding that it's not a good time to get pregnant *right now* rather than deciding not to have any (more) children at all, as my colleagues and I show in a new paper. 1/ doi.org/10.1007/s111...

Grant terminations have gotten most of the attention, but death-by-non-renewal has been pretty devastating, too.

Are you an early career scholar in #work-family? Applications are open for @wfrn.bsky.social Early Career Fellowship. Join an amazing cohort of junior scholars in Montreal (June 2026) and beyond. Organized by @yanghu.co.uk & Nicole Denier. App is easy! Happy to answer Qs wfrn.org/early-career...

The Population Reference Bureau @prbdata.bsky.social is launching a webinar series on the new lower-fertility world. It kicks off June 26 with "Challenging the Low-Fertility Panic: A New Narrative for Reproductive Health." www.prb.org/articles/low...

Must be from one of the citations in the MAHA report.

We are thrilled to announce there are other words people on LinkedIn can use besides the word ‘thrilled.’ -exultant -jubilant -elated -enraptured

Not even 60 years ago some people were panicking about the "population bomb" and overpopulation. Now some people are panicking about not enough people. @drjenndowd.bsky.social has some helpful info for everyone.

Fun Fact about below-replacement level fertility in (part of) the UK!

Do you want to live to 100? 1 in 6 Americans born today will live to be 100. "David Bowie, a man who knew a thing or two about transitions, described ageing as 'an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been'." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Somehow the Social Security Administration still has the resources to release name counts for last year. Here's a quick thread on name trends. /1

There's been a lot of talk in certain circles about raising US marital birth rates. Here's the thing: marital birth rates have been stable in the US for about 30 years. 1/

“Because this thing is 500kg and only about a meter across it will probably survive.” While Nasa said the time and location at which it would re-enter should be known more accurately over the next day or so, uncertainty would be significant right up to re-entry. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

More than 70% of baby gear is manufactured in China, so it's about to get WAY more expensive to raise a baby in the US. But, yeah, this administration is just pro-baby, pro-family all the way. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Precious few pictures in the BBC article, but links to many more.

"Cash incentives like baby bonuses may offer a short-term nudge," but countries "which have sustained or moderately increased birth rates—like France or the Nordic nations— have done so by investing in affordable child care, paid parental leave, gender-equal workplaces, and housing support."

The world's tallest and smallest dogs meet (from Idaho and Florida, respectively). Tallest's owner: “He was like very cautious, like a little anxious, He was very careful, like he didn’t step on her or anything or anything crazy. He was just very aware that she was there.” apnews.com/article/guin...

@genebaxter.bsky.social @alliemackay.bsky.social Relevant to your interests: one in five grandparents hates their grandchild's name. "After being told the name of their grandchild, 9% simply just said: 'What?'" www.gransnet.com/online-surve...

RAND's Postdoctoral Program in the Study of Aging is recruiting fellows! This program provides an opportunity for junior scholars in demographic and aging research to sharpen their research skills at @rand.org. Application deadline is May 23. Learn more: www.rand.org/well-being/s...

“If one wanted to make a profound stabilization or fertility incline one would have to do something very significant. Challenges families face are just of a different order of magnitude than the policies being discussed by the current administration”. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Meanwhile: “Dogs offer a highly positive relationship with minimal conflict, strong social support, and the unique opportunity to have full control over another living being’s life,” said Prof Enikő Kubinyi, senior author of the research. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Absolutely fantastic. Seasonal outfits, to boot.

“We also know that sharing alcohol, including through traditions such as feasting, helps to form and strengthen social bonds. Now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits, the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?” www.theguardian.com/science/2025...