For brief updates on our research – tracking its progress, adding a new team member or area of expertise – look here.
The core goal of MRC is to build a theoretically integrated, data-validated, assumption-relative demographic forecasting system based on a big-theory understanding of (non)religious identity and change. To achieve this goal, our team has collected vast amounts of data in three countries: the…
It has been long assumed that the attainment of higher education is a direct road towards declining religiosity. Past research suggests that higher education exposes students to new worldviews beyond the scope of the religion they grew up in, challenging the importance…
The declining public face of religion At one point, religion served as an integral part of society for people worldwide, but now there are many accounts of decreasing religiosity. The process of secularization and the decline of religion in the…
Modeling Religious Change combines demography, the scientific study of religion, and computational models to create simulations of religious change in the USA, Norway, and India. Our research tackles the challenge of creating more accurate projections of religious change in populations by taking account of multiple dimensions of religiosity.…
Designing cutting-edge technology to understand human cognition We’ve all experienced it. A terrifying monster is chasing you. You try to run but your legs won’t work. It’s as if you’re trudging through a thick swamp. You can’t escape. Fear and…
CMAC is conducting a study on frequent nightmares in people over 65 years old as part of Dr. Patrick McNamara’s project Neurocomputational Modeling of Nightmare Disorder. We are gathering information about the properties of nightmare imagery in individuals over the…
Trigger warning: suicide, suicidal means, and death. Please proceed with caution. If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the US, suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death,…
Modeling Religious Change (MRC) is a multi-million-dollar project dedicated to advancing our understanding of religious and nonreligious identity and change by developing a tool for scholars and policy makers to explore demographic analysis and forecasting. Although MRC began in 2020, we have…
Education is a concept that has been considered the great equalizer because the access and skills that it provides promotes improved career opportunities and can catapult an individual into the professional middle class. However, access to the great equalizer is…
Corporate wage inequity, or the unequal access to opportunity for women in corporate environments, presents a prevalent issue. Research shows that a person’s network and referrals have an impact on pay. According to researchers Herbert Dawid and Simon Gemkow, “an…
The first wave of Covid-19 vaccines Over the past year, we have witnessed a mass mobilization in vaccination of historic proportion. Lines wrapped around blocks to secure an early shot, sports stadiums opened to accommodate clinics, a frenzy to scavenge…
In recent decades, women are participating in the labor force in higher numbers, working longer hours, and pursuing higher levels of education. New laws, protections, and policies have been instituted locally and nationally to make workplaces more equitable. While longer…
Book Review Spirit Tech: The Brave New World of Consciousness Hacking and Enlightenment Engineering by Kate J. Stockly and Wesley Wildman, is an exploration of the various rising industries that focus on the spiritual growth of individuals. The book covers…
The role of trade unions There are many factors that have socially and historically contributed to wage inequalities along racial lines. But little attention is drawn to the factors that have not negatively impacted racial wage inequality, trade unions being…
Trigger warning: suicide, suicidal ideation, drug overdose, addiction. Please proceed with caution. If you or someone you know is in crisis, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Steve Rummler was prescribed opioids to alleviate severe pain…
The Covid-19 pandemic has shed light on the multiple layers of health inequities that exist in the areas of maternal, mental, geriatric, and child health. Patient narratives, surveys, and health outcomes data reported by hospitals illustrate how rising healthcare costs…
There are many connections to be uncovered at the intersection of academia, scientific data, and 21st century communications. When sharing our research, we aim to employ culturally competent communications. This is crucial when it comes to communicating the complicated and…
One of the first questions that comes up when talking about new spiritual services like deep brain stimulation or hallucinogenic experiences is: are they the real deal? Are these experiences authentic? Isn’t there some important difference between a nun who…
From hallucinogenic drugs to deep brain stimulation, we are constantly finding new ways to foster or deepen spiritual experiences. The sheer range of technology available today that aims to create, guide, and optimize spiritual experiences is dizzying. You may be…
Across the globe and throughout history, religiosity has been the norm. But occasionally, you find times or places where supernatural worldviews fade among a large portion of the population. Right now, for example, most of Northern Europe, Scandinavia, and many…