📢 A New EvoThan Symposium is coming! Join us Sept. 14–15, 2026 at UCL, London (and online) for EvoThan2026: International Symposium on Comparative Evolutionary Thanatology. Come learn how animals respond to death and dying. Free to attend! Link: evothanatology.wixsite.com/evothan #EvoThan2026

I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful

The data report from the first three months of the Australian social media ban has now been released: www.esafety.gov.au/research/soc... Some thoughts:

Out now in PNAS. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... Thank you to all peers and colleagues who provided invaluable feedback during the process!

A demographic theory of similarity-biased social learning | PNAS

We develop a demographic theory of similarity-biased social learning that formalizes our understanding of when and why individuals should preferent...

pnas.org

Alejandro Pérez Velilla@apvelilla.bsky.social · 5mo ago

New preprint with @psmaldino.bsky.social on the evolution of similarity-biased learning: osf.io/preprints/so... This mathematical treatment both simplifies and extends our previous simulation treatment of the subject: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

A short thread explaining trans exclusion in the law, and the Code of Practice, in response to a load of questions 🧵 Obviously this is necessarily simplified. I cannot write a legal textbook on Bluesky.

So cool! 🌕 🐒

Cat Hobaiter@nakedprimate.bsky.social · last wk.

It’s a little nerve-wracking playing in another field’s sandbox, but this was a really fun way to bring some primatology to an ancient Egyptian conundrum.. so if you’re into big baboons, Egyptian dieties, etymological puzzles, &/or spectroscopy of shiny things.. read on! 🧪🏺🐒🌕 tinyurl.com/moonbaboon

We're recruiting! Join Durham University's internationally recognised Department of Psychology as an Assistant Professor (Research & Education). Work at the forefront of psychology, AI and computational research in a collaborative, research-led environment. 🔗 durham.taleo.net/careersectio...

See also: "The published literature is not a pile of facts. It is a record of struggle against a hostile universe." @rmcelreath.bsky.social elevanth.org/blog/2022/09...

Tom Stafford@tomstafford.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy · 2w ago

I read a post recently that said half of the participants in the debate believed in scholarship as "a record of facts" and the other half believed in scholarship as "a record of discourse" and you could understand a lot by recognising the different mental models people subscribe to (obvious […]

Weekend reading has arrived! @rhiannonagrist.bsky.social

St Andrews is hiring! I'm biased but I think it's a pretty lovely place

School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews@standrewspsyneuro.bsky.social · 3w ago

We are advertising for www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSG131/l...

In our Viewpoint (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...) we synthesize the gametic definition (outlined by Janicke et al below) and other definitions of sex (e.g., multivariate definition). We contend that is NO consensus on “biological sex” (maybe a consensus isn’t actually necessary…)

There is No Consensus on Biological Sex

At this critical moment when misinformation about sex is being applied to policy globally, scientific clarification on the definition of biological sex is valuable. Here, we evaluate the primary appr...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Tim Janicke@timjanicke.bsky.social · 4w ago

In a new #Viewpoint we argue that the binary definition of #BiologicalSex based on gamete size is a scientifically robust framework that is entirely compatible with the diversity of sexual phenotypes and human gender identities. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Christine Webb presented The Arrogant Ape. Drawing on primatology and animal cognition, she argues that human exceptionalism is more a cultural belief than a scientific fact. Seeing ourselves as part of—not above—the living world is a timely call for humility. #Evolution #AnimalBehaviour #EFP2026

Join us in Vienna! We are looking for a PhD student and a Postdoc to investigate innovation in corvids within the “Comparative ecological innovation styles” project funded by @fwf-at.bsky.social. More info: barbaraklump.com Application deadline July 24th. Please share widely!

I have managed to abstract the template for replies to critiques.

This is what makes it art: '(...) the publisher posted a blank white page with the cryptic phrase, “This article has been withdrawn due to article violation.” Springer Nature is nevertheless still selling the empty PDF for $39.95.' www.science.org/content/arti...

Why have papers by one of history’s most famous physicists been retracted?

Springer Nature has removed two studies by Max Planck. A bot may be to blame

science.org

A final note: your tickets will almost certainly be refundable. When there is a national advisory that it's unsafe to travel this is usually the case, even if your tickets are usually of a non-refundable nature.

Trans+ Solidarity Alliance@transsolidarity.bsky.social · last mo.

Important mass lobby update: With a red weather warning in place for the day, it will not go ahead. We are reaching out to participants with further detail and actions, but please do not travel. We are arranging a future date and will update ❤️ www.transsolidarityalliance.com/post/weather...

"Like a quilt, our fight for trans rights is made up of lots of smaller pieces – together they make a promise of a better future" Here is something I wrote explaining how all of our trans rights work at Good Law Project fits together. I hope you find it useful 👇

Piecing together our fight for trans rights

Like a quilt, our fight for trans rights is made up of lots of smaller pieces – together they make a promise of a better future

goodlaw.social

I like ba-o-babs and I can not lie… but as it turns out I’m not the only one! Fongoli chimpanzees incorporate baobab hollows into their vocal drumming displays!! 🧪🐵🥁 Are you sitting comfortably… 1/n #newpaper #sciencestorytelling brill.com/view/journal...

Over 100 MPs have signed an early day motion to reject the EHRC's Code of Practice. If your MP hasn't signed yet, it takes two minutes to email and ask them to take action. equalrecognition.eaction.org.uk/rejectthecode

Email your MP to reject the Code of Practice and support EDM 240

equalrecognition.eaction.org.uk

Just a few tickets left for our show this Wednesday at the Byre Theatre! Get 'em while you can byretheatre.com/shows/bright...

Bright Club

7.30pm - Pay What You Can £11.00 / £8.00 / £5.00 Stand-up and academia align when six researchers and university experts swap lectures for laughter under the watchful eye of their comedy mentor and o...

byretheatre.com

It's not wholly unprecedented for institutions to refuse to accept "partial performance" and withhold all pay from staff who take part in a marking boycott. But I don't think I've heard one suggest that they might also withhold pay from non-striking staff who don't take on extra work.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2mo ago

'The university has adopted the position that boycotting staff are in "breach of contract", will receive no pay, and are therefore not expected to work at all, leading to what some have described as a "lockout".' 1/3

A-level psych: Mrs B declares that those of us who are dating someone should bring that person to class next week to discuss our relationship (we're 16-17). Neither boyfriend nor I are up for that, thank you. Mrs B drags me in class for 'not being brave enough to look at' my relationship.

Arousal's *two* things: It splits into 'energy' and 'agitation' Lydia Ren (Supervisors: D Donaldson & J Ales) #sciencehaiku #sciku @standrewspsyneuro.bsky.social

Dancing's good for you: Scottish country and ballet both make folk happy Chetan Choksi (Supervisors: G Doherty & P Miles) #sciencehaiku #sciku @standrewspsyneuro.bsky.social

Today we have published an in-depth summary of the EHRC’s Code of Practice. See our full statement and summary below.

Scottish Trans@scottishtrans.bsky.social · 2mo ago

After taking a few days to read and process the EHRC’s new Code of Practice we have produced an in-depth summary of its changes & what we believe they mean for trans people & organisations who wish to be inclusive. You can read it in full on our website here: www.scottishtrans.org/supreme-cour...

please do share widely | University of St Andrews Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) PGR Scholarship www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/schola...

Section 28 was passed on this day in 1988. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It came from a society where 75% of people thought homosexuality was wrong. It came from a society that believed ignorance was better for children than any knowledge of lesbian or gay lives. 🧵 1/16

Also want to be clear: the specific context here is, e.g. banning trans men from the women's changing room after you've also banned them from the men's changing room. Complete exclusion, based on no principle other than awkwardly backfilling from "biological sex" then realising that doesn't work.

By the way, I'm always suspicious of screenshot posts that cut off halfway through a paragraph, so I do encourage everybody to read the whole thing to see this isn't out of context. Beyond being a grim attack on trans people, what also comes across most strongly is that it's just an unworkable mess.

Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, 2026

gov.uk