Formal Social Sciences

The attempt to apply the methods of formal sciences—mathematics, logic, abstract modeling—to the study of human society, with predictably mixed results. Game theory explains why people cooperate (sometimes), social network analysis maps who talks to whom (approximately), and formal models of political behavior predict elections (except when they don't). The challenge is that humans are not logical symbols; we are messy, contradictory, and prone to doing things just because. Formal social sciences are what happen when mathematicians discover that people refuse to follow the rules.

Example: "A formal social sciences study used game theory to prove that rational actors would never start a war, as the costs always outweigh the benefits. The researchers then looked at human history, which is basically a list of wars, and concluded that humans are either irrational or playing a different game. Probably both."

Formal Social Sciences by Abzugal February 14, 2026

Psionic Social Sciences

The study of how groups of people pursuing psionic development interact, form communities, and establish social norms around abilities that are, at best, unproven. It examines the hierarchy of psionic forums (newbies ask questions, intermediates give confident answers, experts just post cryptic emojis), the phenomenon of "psionic dueling" (two people pretending to fight with mind energy while standing perfectly still), and the complex etiquette of "psionic shielding" (everyone claims to have impenetrable mental defenses, yet everyone also claims to feel everyone else's energy).

Example: "A psionic social sciences study observed an online community where members regularly reported 'psionic attacks' from rival groups. The researchers noted that these attacks always coincided with disagreements about forum rules, suggesting that psionic warfare was indistinguishable from regular internet drama, just with more talk about 'energetic boundaries.'"

Psionic Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Psychic Social Sciences

The study of how groups of people who believe in psychic phenomena organize themselves, establish credibility, and interact with the skeptical mainstream. It examines why psychic fairs always have the same layout (tarot in the corner, palmistry by the window, aura photos near the exit), how psychic networks form hierarchies (the more cryptic, the higher the status), and the complex social dynamics of "proving" something that can't be proven. It's anthropology for people who communicate with the dead, which makes fieldwork unusually complicated.

Example: "A psychic social sciences study observed that at psychic conferences, the most popular booths were those whose practitioners made the vaguest predictions. 'You will experience a change' was universally preferred to 'you're getting a new job in October,' because vagueness can't be proven wrong. This was called the 'Barnum Effect in action.'"

Psychic Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Exotic Social Sciences

The study of how human societies would organize themselves if they encountered the truly alien—whether extraterrestrials, interdimensional beings, or AIs that are actually smart. It asks questions like: Would we immediately start a war? Would we form a religion around them? Would we try to sell them timeshares? Exotic social sciences also examine how contact with the alien changes us, whether that's through cultural exchange, technological acceleration, or the profound existential crisis of realizing we're not the center of the universe. So far, the field is entirely theoretical, which hasn't stopped anyone from having very strong opinions.

Example: "A paper in exotic social sciences hypothesized that first contact with aliens would go badly because humans would immediately form factions—those who worship the aliens, those who fear them, and those who want to negotiate a licensing deal. The paper was considered pessimistic but probably accurate."

Exotic Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Esoteric Social Sciences

The study of how groups of people united by hidden or secret knowledge organize themselves, establish hierarchies, and develop their own bizarre social norms. It examines why Freemasons love aprons, why occult orders have such complicated initiation rituals (mostly to see who really wants it), and why every secret society eventually develops the same internal politics as a community college student council. Esoteric social sciences reveal that no matter how transcendent your hidden wisdom, you will still have arguments about who gets to be in charge of the newsletter.

Example: "A study in esoteric social sciences observed that in a group of 50 people claiming to channel ascended masters, 47 of them believed their master outranked everyone else's master. The remaining three were masters themselves and refused to participate in the study, citing 'higher priorities.'"

Esoteric Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Consciousness Social Sciences

The study of how groups of conscious beings collectively shape each other's inner experiences through culture, language, and the simple act of being together. It examines why laughter is contagious, why crowds develop a shared mood, and why being alone in a room full of people feels different from actually being alone. It's the field that asks: if consciousness is private, how do we manage to synchronize it so effectively at concerts, protests, and awkward family dinners? The answer seems to be something like "vibes," which is not a scientific term but is apparently accurate.

Example: "A consciousness social sciences study observed that when one person in a meeting yawned, the entire room would follow within 90 seconds. This unconscious synchronization suggested that despite their individual private awarenesses, the group was operating as a single, slightly bored, collective consciousness. The researchers then yawned and went to lunch."

Consciousness Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Metaformal Social Sciences

The study of how human societies create, adopt, and fight over forms, structures, and templates. It examines why bureaucratic forms are always designed by sadists, why certain architectural styles become associated with power (columns = democracy, brutalist concrete = authoritarianism), and why the shape of a table can determine the outcome of a negotiation (round = collaborative, rectangular = adversarial). Metaformal social sciences reveal that humans are not just content-driven creatures; we are deeply influenced by the invisible structures that shape our interactions, from the layout of a classroom to the design of a smartphone app.

Example: "A metaformal social sciences study compared cities with grid layouts to those with organic, winding streets. It found that grid-city residents were more likely to get lost but more confident about giving directions, while organic-city residents had given up on navigation entirely and just followed vibes. The form of the city had shaped the psyche of its inhabitants."

Metaformal Social Sciences by Nammugal February 14, 2026