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

there’s an election for Cat Mayor currently happening in Somerville, Mass. and every cat deserves to win

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." theguardian.com/books/2025/aug…

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

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?” spokesman.com/stories/2025/a…

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?

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). rand.org/pubs/research_…

As well as descriptive demographic trend data, Jennifer Huang Bouey and I interviewed SMEs to identify and evaluate potential policy responses to mitigating the aging population: pro-natalist policies, immigration, the rural-urban divide, reliance on tech, and increasing retirement age.

Gallup: in 2023 65% of Republicans said they drink alcohol – about the same as Democrats and independents. In 2025, that number has plunged a staggering 19 points to 46%. Democrats and independents also report drinking less, but each only by single digits. theguardian.com/us-news/2025/o…

To understand what China’s demographic trends mean for China’s future, RAND is publishing a series of analyses focusing on their implications for China's regional and global security. First in the series by Michael S. Pollard Jennifer Huang Bouey et al: rand.org/pubs/research_…

"Dreams of teeth falling out occur across cultures...Research suggests that 40% of the adult population will have had one such dream over the course of their lives." I've had these kind of dreams forever, but now I also have them about my cat's teeth. theguardian.com/wellness/2025/…

I was happy to brief (with Jennifer Huang Bouey) the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission staff last week on our recent introductory report on China's demographics and national security (broadly defined). Hopefully just the first in a series. rand.org/pubs/research_…

About 15% of young people in middle and high school eventually become disconnected—that is, not engaged in school, training, or work—by ages 18 to 24. Here are the factors that predict disconnection among youth: bit.ly/4oKU1Op

Want to spend your summer working on public policy research with RAND experts? Apply to our Graduate Student Summer Associate Program by Monday, 12/1: rand.org/jobs/summer-as…