Social Sciences of Progress

The empirical study of progress as a social phenomenon—how societies understand, measure, and pursue progress. Social Sciences of Progress examines how progress narratives shape policy, how progress is distributed, who benefits from claims of progress, and how progress is contested. It reveals that progress isn't just a fact—it's a story societies tell themselves, with real consequences for who gets what.

"We're making progress, they say. Social sciences of progress asks: progress for whom? Measured how? Compared to what? Who's left out of the story? Progress isn't just a fact; it's a narrative, and social science shows who writes it and who's written out."

by Dumu The Void March 2, 2026

Social Sciences of History

The empirical study of how history is produced, contested, and consumed as a social activity. Social Sciences of History includes historiography, sociology of historical knowledge, and memory studies. It examines how historical narratives are constructed, how they serve present interests, how they're taught and remembered, how they shape identity. It reveals that history isn't just the past—it's what we say about the past, and that saying is always social.

"History is what happened. Social sciences of history asks: says who? Based on what sources? Told by whom? For what audience? History is always told from somewhere, and social science shows the somewhere that textbooks hide. Not to deny the past, but to understand how we know it."

by Dumu The Void March 2, 2026

Outer Sciences

The plural of Outer Science—encompassing multiple disciplines studying phenomena beyond current scientific reach. Outer Sciences include paraphysics, outer physics, multiverse cosmology, and speculative fields that push against the boundaries of knowledge. Each outer science approaches the beyond from a different angle: physics asks about other universes; biology asks about other life; psychology asks about other minds. Together, they form a meta-discipline: the sciences of what lies beyond science.

"Outer Sciences isn't one field; it's many. Outer physics, outer biology, outer psychology—each asks what lies beyond current knowledge in its domain. Not abandoning science, but extending it to the edges—and beyond. The Outer Sciences are what we do when we've reached the limits and want to see further."

by Dumu The Void March 5, 2026

Nonlinear Sciences

The plural form, recognizing that there are multiple approaches, multiple methods, multiple frameworks for studying nonlinear phenomena. Nonlinear Sciences includes chaos theory, complexity science, network theory, systems theory, and more. Each offers different tools for different aspects of nonlinear reality. The plural matters because nonlinear phenomena are diverse—what works for ecosystems may not work for economies; what explains turbulence may not explain social change. Nonlinear Sciences is the recognition that complexity requires pluralism, that one size does not fit all, that the tools must match the territory.

Example: "He thought one theory would explain all complexity. Nonlinear Sciences showed him otherwise: different phenomena needed different tools. Chaos theory for weather, network theory for social systems, complexity theory for ecosystems. The plural mattered: no single science could capture all nonlinearity. He stopped looking for one theory and started collecting many."

by Dumu The Void March 7, 2026

Critical Sciences

The plural form, recognizing that multiple scientific disciplines each require their own critical approaches—that physics has different power dynamics than biology, which has different ones than sociology. Critical Sciences is the collective enterprise of examining science from within, discipline by discipline, asking field-specific questions about assumptions, methods, and social relations. It's the recognition that critique must be tailored to context, that what works for one science may not work for another. Critical Sciences is the ongoing project of making science more self-aware, more accountable, more reflexive.

Example: "The Critical Sciences network brought together scholars from every discipline, each applying critical tools to their own field. Physicists examined funding patterns; biologists questioned research priorities; sociologists analyzed institutional power. Together, they were making science examine itself."

by Abzugal March 9, 2026

Social Sciences Applied to AI

The practice of using insights from sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science to design, understand, and regulate artificial intelligence. It recognizes that AI systems are not neutral math problems but are embedded in human social contexts. This field asks: How will this algorithm affect community dynamics? What social biases is it learning? How does it change power structures? It's the antidote to the naive view that AI is just code, reminding us that every AI is also a social actor.

Example: "They built a great recommendation engine, but without social sciences applied to AI, they accidentally created filter bubbles that radicalized their users."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026

Human Sciences Applied to AI

A broader term encompassing all humanities and human-centered disciplines (philosophy, history, linguistics, arts) brought to bear on the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. It goes beyond fixing bias to ask fundamental questions: What does it mean to be human in an age of intelligent machines? How do we preserve dignity, creativity, and meaning? It's the practice of ensuring that as we build smarter machines, we don't build dumber or lesser humans in the process.

Example: "The ethics board was useless until they brought in a philosopher for human sciences applied to AI—he asked questions about personhood that the engineers had never even considered."

by Dumu The Void March 11, 2026