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Alex Shackman

@ajshackman.bsky.social
2.3K followers 711 following 2K posts

Laboratory for Affective & Translational Neuroscience, University of Maryland | shackmanlab.org | affective neuroscience | "pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”

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Reposted by Alex Shackman
Dr. Stephanie @punkrockscience.bsky.social · 7h
Today in “why men”, I I bought another bike from the local bike shop where I buy all my bikes. I wanted a “cheap” bike to put on the trainer for the winter, so I don’t have to put my fancy carbon fiber on it. I have an account there. They can see what I’ve bought.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
things i've learned working w/ claude over the past 6 months - better ways to implement robust regression, better techniques for comparing dependent correlations, better ways to systematically test the robustness/fragility of brain-beh/-symptom associations, stronger exp critique (biases/confou)
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
h/t claude - link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
History and nature of the Jeffreys–Lindley paradox - Archive for History of Exact Sciences
The Jeffreys–Lindley paradox exposes a rift between Bayesian and frequentist hypothesis testing that strikes at the heart of statistical inference. Contrary to what most current literature suggests, t...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
h/t Claude - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
On the interpretation of removable interactions: A survey of the field 33 years after Loftus
In a classic 1978 Memory & Cognition article, Geoff Loftus explained why noncrossover interactions are removable. These removable interactions are tied to the scale of measurement for the dependent va...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
academic.oup.com/schizophreni... Advancing Generative Artificial Intelligence for Clinical Assessment: Commentary on Chen, Horga, and Escola 2026 George Chatzisofroniou and Alex S Cohen
academic.oup.com
Validate User
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Reposted by Alex Shackman
John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 26/09/2026
Whatever you do, don't smoke an entire brisket at a job interview, it's a lot of equipment to bring in, it takes a really long time to do it right and those conference rooms have notoriously poor ventilation
Someone smoking a brisket and poking it with a meat thermometer to see what the internal temperature is
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/issue/3... loads of interesting work on emo expression from an all-star group of scientists
royalsocietypublishing.org
Volume 381 Issue 1959 | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B | The Royal Society
Influential themed journal issues across the life sciences.
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Reposted by Alex Shackman
Mark Baxter 🏳️‍🌈🧂 @markgbaxter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If you work with international personnel, you may want to comment on this proposed rule change that would put visa holders out of status immediately (instead of after a 60 day grace period) when their employment ends keepthe60days.com
keepthe60days.com
Keep the 60 Days: H-1B, E-3, L-1, O-1 & TN grace period
DHS proposes ending the 60-day grace period after a layoff for H-1B, E-3, L-1, O-1 and TN visa holders. Comment on USCIS-2026-0364 before November 10, 2026.
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Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Apple "detectives" wanted to identify a gnarly old tree growing on a remote plot of land in Maine. What they discovered was the key to a centuries-old apple mystery.
scientificamerican.com
How apple detectives solved the mystery of an ancient tree—and rewrote the history of fruit
And how they might have helped save the future of American apples
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
cell.com
The next generation of fear generalization
Generalizing from past experience is a fundamental feature of cognition. Although generalization has been of long-standing interest to diverse domains in psychological science, the past decade has see...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
this week's lab journal club h/t @dsbarra.bsky.social ... that thread of yours was the gift that keeps on keeping on. enjoy the rosy fingered tucson dawn. off to teach!
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
proves MJ is alien genius level
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Reposted by Alex Shackman
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 20/09/2026
Tonight, Jewish New Yorkers mark the start of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the peak of the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, and an opportunity for profound reflection.
 
For those fasting — tzom kal, may your fast be easy and meaningful. 
 
And to all who observe, G'mar chatimah tovah. May you be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year to come.
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Carole with an e @crwright.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Having lived through those years, I remember the fear many reporters faced but carried on despite all. Thank you.
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Mark Thornton @markthornton.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The psychology job market may be showing some early signs of regaining strength, relative to last year. A week ago last year, fewer than 200 jobs had been listed - today, it is nearly 300, a figure we didn't hit till early October in '25. #psychjobs #neurojobs #academicjobs
Bar graph showing the number of academic jobs in psychology by area over the years from 2007-2026.
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Dylan Gee, PhD @dylanggee.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The ABCD Study at Yale is hiring a new post-baccalaureate research assistant! This is a great position to gain hands-on research experience in the field and to learn more about adolescent brain and behavioral development! 🧠 @theabcdstudy.bsky.social candlab.yale.edu/sites/defaul...
candlab.yale.edu
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Effects of psychosocial stress on opioid self-administration in healthy participants: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial - Nature Mental Health
In this triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial, Eikemo et al. tested whether acute psychosocial stress increases opioid self-administration using controlled stress induction, oxy...
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Reposted by Alex Shackman
Society for Neuroscience @sfn.org · 08/09/2026
Late-breaking abstract submissions for #SfN26 are open now. Bring your most recent and exciting research to thousands of colleagues from around the world. Learn more and submit today: vist.ly/5hpjc #neurosky #neuroskyence #scisky
Logo with text: 'Neuroscience Research Matters Now More Than Ever. Submit an #SfN26 late-breaking abstract now. Neuroscience 2026'.
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Free Cats Daily😻 @freecatsdaily.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
He has a tattoo of his ex #Cat #Caturday
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Jonas Dora @jonasdora.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I'm super excited to share a new preprint in which @kevinmking.bsky.social and I propose an update to the affect regulation theory of alcohol use: "A mathematical and computational formalization of the affect regulation hypothesis of alcohol use" doi.org/10.31234/osf...
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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Rough Draft vs Final Draft
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
but! infrastructure matters - see Suppl - shackmanlab.org/wp-content/u...
shackmanlab.org
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
trainees "are uniquely placed to build communities that bridge theoretical and methodological divides" - i agree!! www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
cell.com
Science from the bottom up
How a scientific community is organized can affect whether disagreement drives progress or leads to isolation. Students and postdocs are uniquely placed to build communities that bridge theoretical an...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
it's that time of year again. time to teach, amuse, and inspire (w/ a little help from my friends)
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
adding to teaching slides -
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
#AIinHigherEd - Co-brainstorm creative solutions to a last minute teaching conundrum -
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
claude.com/programs/tea...
claude.com
Claude Team plan for scientists | Claude by Anthropic
Scientists at academic and nonprofit research institutions around the world can now get Claude at no cost to start. Shared projects, Claude Science, and admin controls at rates built for grant budgets...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
1/3. #OSF #ShackLab #AI4OpenScience - We came up with a process and a plan for navigating the OSF transition. Links and instructions in the first 2 comments b/c FB is dumb. Feel free to redistribute. Hopefully, this will save you time, even if you simply tweak my prompts or skim the findings.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Today's lab meeting: Osf transition discussion
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science
The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
www.sfn.org/publications...
sfn.org
Protect Scientific Peer Review: The Research Community Must Respond to NIH’s Proposal
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Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
From literacy for children to helping make the covid vaccine a reality, Dolly Parton was just a damn good person. A sad day. Rest in Power.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
skimmed - did not laugh. re-read at read-speed. laughed out loud
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Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · 24/08/2026
Actually, they tried to implement a function for THE standard error but got into trademark trouble with Ohio State University.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Modality-specific neurovascular coupling via layer-segregated arteriole networks
The brain’s vascular system dynamically regulates energy supply through neurovascular coupling. In this study, we show that in mice, neurovascular coupling is modality-dependent: Distinct sensory inpu...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
formernih.substack.com/p/nih-direct...
formernih.substack.com
NIH Directors Decide, Except When HHS Says No
A June 2026 Nature report revealed that mandatory reviews by top officials, checking for a list of 235 disfavored terms, have left hundreds of meritorious NIH applications in administrative limbo (Koz...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
A mosaic of whole-body representations on the human precentral gyrus - Nature
A comprehensive map of the human motor cortex at single-neuron resolution is described.
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Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Would Newton be able to submit his travel receipts for reimbursement through Concur?
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
1/n. timely! brings together a bunch of things @foxdotdrew.bsky.social and i have been talking about this week www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Neural basis of compositional control - Nature
Behaviour of human participants in a prey-pursuit task reflects dynamic blending of goal-specific control policies, with hippocampus estimating latent states, anterior cingulate cortex orchestrating p...
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Staying up til 2 reading Hail Mary ain't helping the jet leg. Gahhhhh
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
I support the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics. Read and sign the declaration: leidendeclaration.ai
leidendeclaration.ai
Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics
This declaration calls for action to address the challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence within mathematics research.
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Alex Shackman @ajshackman.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Target article for today's jetlagged lab meeting
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Tim Verstynen @tdverstynen.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
My friend is a co-lead on this project (my wife is a collaborator). Let me tell you what it was about and why Battacharya’s decision simply amplifies the consequences of structural racism that the project was attempting to understand. A 🧵 1/12
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Lorenzo Posani @lorenzoposani.com · 06/08/2026
For a neural circuit to be "specialized", does it need specialized neurons? In our new work - now out in @NatureNeuro - we address this question in the BLA, using representational geometry to propose a new population-centric way of defining circuit specialization. 🧵👇 1/
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Simon Hammann @simonhammann.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Preemptive Strike.
Google output for: I am a PI and see the PhD Student approaching. What should I do

Quickly decide whether you have time for a deep-dive conversation, and either adopt an open posture or deploy a strategic deflection.Immediate ActionsCheck your escape routes: Glance at your watch or hold your phone up like you are on a tight schedule.Decide your mood:Open: Smile and wave to invite a standard update.Busy: Keep your eyes locked on your laptop screen or shuffle papers loudly.The Preemptive StrikeAsk first: Beat them to the punch by asking, "Did that last Western blot/code/experiment finally work?" This shifts them immediately into defense or reporting mode.Set a time limit: Say, "I have five minutes before my next meeting, what’s the headline?"If you want to prepare for what they are about to ask, tell me:What is their current year in the program?Did they look panicked or calm as they approached?
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Wolfgang Huber @wkhuber.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
But
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Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · 06/08/2026
So happy this one wasn't patched yet
Screenshot of a Google search results page. The search box reads "i am phd student and see the pi approaching. wh…" (cut off). Below it, an AI Overview reads: "Look busy immediately. You are in great danger. An approaching PI means you might be given a new project right now." A section headed "Why You Must Act" lists three bullets — High expectations: your PI is warm from a grant meeting and will assign you fast; No escape later: once you make eye contact, it is too late; Preprint defense: your last preprint protects you a little bit, but not against a PI with a new idea. A second section, "Best Actions to Take," lists two bullets — Open a terminal: let something scroll, any output will do; Find a safe spot: get behind the poster tube or a stack of unread reviews. It ends: "Where are you hiding right now? I can help you find a safe spot in the department." A footer note says AI responses may include mistakes.
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Vishnu Sreekumar @vishnusreekumar.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
📢 ***Call for papers at Psychological Science (APS)*** Dr Roni Porat and I are editing a special issue, "From Lab to Life: Psychological Science in the Real World.” Please see the detailed call here (www.psychologicalscience.org/publications...) and send us your best work!
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alix e. harrow @alixeharrow.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
i don't like to police genre, but it's not dark academia unless somebody gets squished in one of these bad boys
those rolling stacks you'll find in any big state school library
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