Very interesting work that reminded me of the Bonini Paradox from computer science that I often reference in the context of stem-cell-based embryo models and organoids:

The Ramsey Lab@theramseylab.bsky.social · last wk.

New 📄 🚨! #CellBio is teeming with simulations comprising an extraordinarily high number of components. We argue that model complexity will not automatically lead to a better understanding of biological systems & discuss how modeling practices could be repurposed: arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998 #philsci

What can development contribute to predicting evolution? I argue it sets what evolution can access, and this depends on timescale since different parts of development evolve at different rates. Hence coarse-graining: keep only what matters 📣 New in @evojlinnsoc.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/evol...

As simulations grow in complexity, a set of non-trivial issues emerge: diminished identifiability as free parameters become too numerous relative to exp. constraints & difficulties grasping causality. In our new 📄, we point to potential avenues to move #CellBio forward 👇 arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998

Simulating is not always understanding: When model complexity obscures biology

In cell biology, computational models of biological systems range from minimal representations with a handful of parameters to whole-cell simulations tracking thousands of molecular species across a c...

arxiv.org

The Ramsey Lab@theramseylab.bsky.social · last wk.

New 📄 🚨! #CellBio is teeming with simulations comprising an extraordinarily high number of components. We argue that model complexity will not automatically lead to a better understanding of biological systems & discuss how modeling practices could be repurposed: arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998 #philsci

New article in @nature.com by @sylviawenmackers.be & a great team of collaborators: the widely reported finding that disruptive science is in decline may be explained by dataset artefacts. Check out the 🧵 by @vincentholst.bsky.social 👇 www.nature.com/articles/s41... #philsci #academicsky #metasci

Dataset artefacts can partially drive the measured decline in disruption - Nature

Nature - Dataset artefacts can partially drive the measured decline in disruption

nature.com

vincentholst.bsky.social@vincentholst.bsky.social · 5d ago

In 2023, @nature.com published 'Papers and patents are becoming less disruptive over time', receiving world-wide media attention. Our Matters Arising, published after a 32 month delay (more on that soon), shows that the reported decline can largely be attributed to dataset artefacts. 🧵

New 📄 🚨! #CellBio is teeming with simulations comprising an extraordinarily high number of components. We argue that model complexity will not automatically lead to a better understanding of biological systems & discuss how modeling practices could be repurposed: arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998 #philsci

Simulating is not always understanding: When model complexity obscures biology

In cell biology, computational models of biological systems range from minimal representations with a handful of parameters to whole-cell simulations tracking thousands of molecular species across a c...

arxiv.org

New 📄 🚨! #CellBio is teeming with simulations comprising an extraordinarily high number of components. We argue that model complexity will not automatically lead to a better understanding of biological systems & discuss how modeling practices could be repurposed: arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998 #philsci

Simulating is not always understanding: When model complexity obscures biology

In cell biology, computational models of biological systems range from minimal representations with a handful of parameters to whole-cell simulations tracking thousands of molecular species across a c...

arxiv.org

"The central challenge is no longer building models that reproduce biological behavior, but building models from which causal structure can be inferred." Very sensible paper about not just throwing everything into your simulation or model. arxiv.org/abs/2608.06998

Simulating is not always understanding: When model complexity obscures biology

In cell biology, computational models of biological systems range from minimal representations with a handful of parameters to whole-cell simulations tracking thousands of molecular species across a c...

arxiv.org

Join us in Vienna! We are looking for a #PhD student and a #Postdoc to investigate #innovation in great #apes: PhD ad: share.eva.mpg.de/index.php/s/... Postdoc ad: share.eva.mpg.de/index.php/s/... Application deadline: August 17th. Please share widely!

My joint work w/ Matteo Bedetti is now officially out in Biology & Philosophy! [Re-sharing the 🧵, with full-text link 👇] We examine how evidential standards are negotiated in funerary #archaeology debates, using the Homo #naledi burial controversy as a case study in epistemological practice.🧪🏺💀

Buried, or maybe not: adherence to evidential standards in paleoanthropology - Biology & Philosophy

This paper examines how evidential standards are constructed, interpreted, and enforced in paleoanthropology and funerary archaeology, focusing on claims of deliberate burial practices in Homo naledi....

link.springer.com

Guess whose book was spotted on the shelves of the Whipple Library in Cambridge the other day @alejandrofabregastejeda.com

My first #SPSP conference in Cambridge was fun. Best bits: getting a glimpse of the many facets of philosophy of science in practice, presenting my work as part of a fun symposium on "making data speak" in archaeology, cows on campus, and a fantastic final gig ✨️ #philsky #philbio #evosky #hps 💀🏺

What do people actually mean when they say cells *communicate*? That question drove my PhD. The preprint with the main findings is now live: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30461/ 1/

Are you interested in climate modeling & #ML? Sylvia Wenmackers is looking for a #philsci PhD student to examine #uncertainty & #causality in climate science 👇🌍🌡️ www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo... Apply by August 31 & please help us spread the word! #philsky #academicsky #MLsky #envhum #HPS

What if some biological #traits are both one & many? 🤔 📄In our forthcoming paper @philsci.bsky.social, we show why recognizing composite traits matters for evolutionary inquiry & highlight the challenges they pose for #comparativebiology Preprint: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30388/ #philbio #philsky

What if some biological #traits are both one & many? 🤔 📄In our forthcoming paper @philsci.bsky.social, we show why recognizing composite traits matters for evolutionary inquiry & highlight the challenges they pose for #comparativebiology Preprint: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30388/ #philbio #philsky

➡️ New article out! ⬅️ What Lives? A Meta-Analysis of Diverse Opinions on the Definition of Life by Reed Bender, Karina Kofman, Blaise Agüera y Arcas & Michael Levin (@blaiseaguera.bsky.social, @drmichaellevin.bsky.social) Open access: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

What Lives? A Meta-Analysis of Diverse Opinions on the Definition of Life - Biological Theory

The question of "what is life?" has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries, producing an array of definitions that reflect both the mystery of its emergence and the diversity of discipli...

link.springer.com

Worried #AI will turn selfish & harm us? In our new 📄(forthcoming @philscijournal.bsky.social), we argue that selfishness isn't the real danger. The threat is "niche prospecting"—evolutionary #AI exploring the space of possible niches: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30221/ #AISafety #HPS #philsci #philsky

Worried #AI will turn selfish & harm us? In our new 📄(forthcoming @philscijournal.bsky.social), we argue that selfishness isn't the real danger. The threat is "niche prospecting"—evolutionary #AI exploring the space of possible niches: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30221/ #AISafety #HPS #philsci #philsky

Since @philsci-archive.bsky.social has been experiencing some issues in recent days, we are also sharing the link to our recent manuscript on ResearchGate (@researchgate.bsky.social) 👇📃 www.researchgate.net/publication/... #philsci #HPBio #evosky #academicsky #paleosky #HPS

The Ramsey Lab@theramseylab.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We are very excited to share our latest 📄 (@philsci.bsky.social): a revamped version of #nicheconstruction theory that captures the evolutionary consequences of organismic activities beyond changes in selection. We call it the 'Matrix Account' 👇 philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30043/ #evobio #HPS #hpbio

I'm pleased to share that my paper, "Rethinking the Nature of Matter: Active Matter Physics and the Naturalisation of Teleology," is now published (Open Access) in the journal Erkenntnis!! link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Rethinking the Nature of Matter: Active Matter Physics and the Naturalisation of Teleology - Erkenntnis

Contemporary efforts to naturalize teleology typically locate intrinsic purposiveness in the self-organizing dynamics of far-from-equilibrium biological systems, most prominently within the organizati...

link.springer.com

How do other animals experience time? It's been a pleasure to work with @singhal.bsky.social and @anilseth.bsky.social on a paper exploring how temporal illusions and other experimental strategies can shed light on this. It's our today! www.cell.com/trends/cogni...

A new Science study shows that bumble bees can position a ball underneath a fake “flower” to reach a reward, suggesting they can exhibit spontaneous problem-solving and challenging the notion that such advanced cognitive abilities are exclusive to large-brained vertebrates. https://scim.ag/4vs08dC

The Organism–Environment Pairing was published by @mitpress.bsky.social one month ago! As a reminder, the book is available #openaccess through the D20 initiative: direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon... Please share it & help us bring this 📗 to as many readers as possible! #HPS #evosky #histsci #booksky

Had a great time at the "Earliest Symbols" conference in Bologna. Kudos to Silvia Ferrara, Ludovica Ottaviano, Adhi Agus Oktaviana and all the #sapience team for putting together such a stimulating event on one of the hard problems of archaeology 🏺 #sapiencefis #archaeosky #evosky #preliteracy

Another new report on wild chimpanzee plant tool use, this time breaking down the fundamentals of fishing for algae in Guinea (part of the @mbchimp.bsky.social project). It comes with a figure on fishing techniques that doubles as dance instructions 💃🏺🧪 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

We are very excited to share our latest 📄 (@philsci.bsky.social): a revamped version of #nicheconstruction theory that captures the evolutionary consequences of organismic activities beyond changes in selection. We call it the 'Matrix Account' 👇 philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30043/ #evobio #HPS #hpbio

We are very excited to share our latest 📄 (@philsci.bsky.social): a revamped version of #nicheconstruction theory that captures the evolutionary consequences of organismic activities beyond changes in selection. We call it the 'Matrix Account' 👇 philsci-archive.pitt.edu/30043/ #evobio #HPS #hpbio

How do social networks become adaptive? From self-organisation and phase transitions to cultural learning, social networks are shaped by feedback between individual interactions and collective dynamics. Check my new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Excited to share that our paper on mirror use in octopuses is published today in @currentbiology.bsky.social! This is the first time mirror-mediated spatial navigation has been demonstrated in an invertebrate. 🐙 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Octopus bimaculoides can learn to utilize a mirror to localize a reward outside the line of sight

Mirror-mediated localization of hidden objects is well documented in vertebrates1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 but has never been demonstrated in inverteb…

sciencedirect.com

For more on this topic, check out Ramsey's #OpenAccess Cambridge Element on Human Nature: www.cambridge.org/core/books/h...

Human Nature

Cambridge Core - Philosophy of Science - Human Nature

cambridge.org