iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Ooo check out this fun project 😉 These projects have been driven by our excellent team of placement students!

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

University of Manchester Child Study Centre @childstudycentre.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

(Late) ✨Friday Fact✨ Research at the Child Study Centre often takes the form of fun, play-based activities. In a recent study, Dr Alissa Ferry and Dr Katherine Twomey used a game involving towers and stickers to explore how children understand words like bigger and smaller.

032

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I literally just finished reading Nuclear War: A Scenario yesterday, and today the government sends an absolutely ear splitting siren alert through my headphones. thankfully it was about wildfire risk, not impeding Armageddon, but really, impeccable panic-inducing timing.

000

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Can we turn off the wildfires please? I would like to breathe again.

Air quality ratings of the levels of pm2.5 particles in Manchester. Levels since last night have been in the unhealthy and hazardous range.

000

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I’m sorry, but did someone pay a lot of money to replace a transparent window with this abomination?

020

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

Damián Blasi @damianblasi.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Join us in Barcelona for a postdoc! We are looking for candidates with a strong NLP/ML/AI background and an interest in linguistic diversity and human and machine cognition: dub.sh/blasi_nlp_po...

01921

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Went to go play wordle today and put wordle into google and it spat out an AI overview, complete with the answer for the day. Whhhhhy? I’ve blurred out the answer in my image because no one wants spoilers!!!

An AI overview of world complete with the spoiler answer for the word of the day.

100

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

ManyLanguages @manylanguagesc.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

The recently accepted ManyLanguages project CLAPS - A Crosslinguistic Approach to Passive Semantics led by @ambridge.bsky.social is looking to fill four key leadership roles (Analysis Lead, Scaling Coordinator, Translation Coordinator, Ethics Coordinator). ⏰Deadline: 30th Jan.

168

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I really do love when the Design feature on PowerPoint helpfully selects an image to go with your slides.

A PowerPoint slide about Washoe the chimpanzee and the Design feature of PowerPoint helpfully added in a photo of laundry

020

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

It’s election day which means it’s time for my reminder that you shouldn’t just chuck everything into google translate. #fiestaverde

A ballot with the Spanish translation of the Green Party to Fiesta Verde

051

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

BogaertsLab @bogaertslab.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Curious about the human ability to extract regularities from sensory input (i.e., “statistical learning”) and individual differences therein? #CognitiveScience #Learning Our #Consensus paper presents the collective insights of 27 researchers worldwide 🌎 💬 🌍 💬 🌏 💬: 🔗 doi.org/10.31234/osf...

12615

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

A year after getting covid, which resulted in Long Covid, I was finally able to mostly breathe again after various rehab programs. I’ve now got Covid and can’t breathe again. I was vaccinated 4 weeks ago and mask regularly. Can we please stop doing this to each other? 😞 #LongCovid

090

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

It still fails the Ferry rebus puzzle test: Today’s puzzle from ChatGPT: 🎯 Goal: Solve the rebus to find a theory of language development. 🧀 ➕ 🐝 ➕ 👂 ➕ 🔑

130

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

I have been having ChatGPT generate rebus puzzles for me to solve. Today’s psychology related puzzle: 🧠 + 👶 + 🔄 + “Pi” + 👂👁️

111

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

Duncan Astle @duncanastle.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Funded PhD opportunity with @sjblakemore.bsky.social and I, at Cambridge. We are looking for someone interested in developmental science, to start in the coming academic year. Please share it with anyone you think might be interested (see details attached 😁). drive.google.com/file/d/1RIvg...

drive.google.com

Funded PhD opportunity.pdf

24558

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Adobe has strong opinions on the standing of neuroscience as a scientific field.

A form where the word “neuroscience” is highlighted as a misspelling with the suggestion to replace it with “pseudoscience”

030

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

University of Manchester Child Study Centre @childstudycentre.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

We've got quite a few different studies going on at the Child Study Centre at the minute! Here's two of our studies. If you want to get involved send us a message or email childstudycentre@manchester.ac.uk :)

011

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

bergelsonlab @bergelsonlab.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

bit of good news: approved technical staff position! link below. please be in touch if this matches your skills & interests! drive.google.com/file/d/16J2J... (hr listing posted harvard-internal now; external soon, per guidelines), happy for ?s & plan on quick turnaround! #CogSciSky #PsychSciSky 🐦🐦

drive.google.com

research_data_specialist_Bergelson_ad_2025.pdf

12321

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Should I stand on a street corner with an apology banner?

A screenshot from the Guardian saying that immigration has done incalculable damage to the UK.

030

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

An otter along the River Mersey! 😍😍😍 #Didsbury #RiverMersey

020

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

University of Manchester Child Study Centre @childstudycentre.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

The CSC is excited to learn about dyslexia in monolingual and bilingual children from Prof. Manon Jones at out LuCiD seminar this morning! Find out more about our seminar series here: www.lucid.ac.uk/seminars-new...

lucid.ac.uk

Seminar Series

011

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

New study for 3- and 4-year-olds at Manchester’s Child Study Centre!

001

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

University of Manchester Child Study Centre @childstudycentre.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Is your child 3- to 4.5-years-old? Take part in our study to help our understanding of language development! This 30-minute study will use a fun, game-based activity using stickers and blocks. To find out more information, please email: dania.elayan@student.manchester.ac.uk.

A advert for a University of Manchester Child study Centre study! Join our study! Is your child between the ages of 3 to 4.5 years? Get involved in our study investigating child development! This 30 minute study involves a fun, game-based activity using stickers and blocks!

023

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Come join us! We (me, Jill Lany, Perrine Brusini, and Gert Westermann) are recruiting a #devpsych PhD student to Lancaster Uni to join our ongoing Levehulme funded research project on how word learning shapes visual representations in infants! Please share! More info : tinyurl.com/ynbfkhbj

tinyurl.com

PhD - Lancaster University

044

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

LCICD @lcicd.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

📢 We are delighted to announce our keynote speakers for LCICD 2025! We will be joined by Karen Adolph, Diane Poulin-Dubois, and Judit Gervain. Abstract submission is OPEN now. Submit: wp.lancs.ac.uk/lcicd/abstra... #PsychSciSky Thank you to sponsors @nirx-nirs.bsky.social

066

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

If you live in AK, AL, IN, FL, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, OH, and SC, your reps are on the Senate HELP Committee which has jurisdiction over NIH. Write to them pointing out the jobs and money coming to your state from NIH: www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-... describe impact of NIH cuts on....

unitedformedicalresearch.org

NIH In Your State - United For Medical Research

Select a state on the map to see the impact of NIH funding across America.

25946

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Send help to the geologists trying to review the linguistic grants about grammatical gender 🫣

Around 10,000 research grants have been flagged for review and distributed to various programme directors. Grants in one area of science are being distributed to directors in a separate area of science. For instance, the geosciences division is examining grants from the division of social, behavioural and economic sciences. The grants are being reviewed independently by two staff members instructed to indicate any potential violations of Trump’s orders. They will submit their reviews in a spreadsheet by 5 p.m. today.

010

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I took the window bird feeder down because of the storm. This decision was not appreciated by everyone. #birds

A European robin, peering in through the window.

000

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Szilvia Linnert and I have a six-week funded research placement advertised for undergrads (from uk universities in the middle of their degree) with the Wellcome Trust placement scheme. The project will be doing EEG with infants and adults on object categorisation! Please share! tinyurl.com/3wbsffpk

Information about the placement scheme (taken from the link in the text). It says that placements run from 7 July to 15 august.

164

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Now at 6 months + with Long Covid and today I started the English National Opera breathing rehabilitation programme. Hopefully this will help with my persistent shortness of breath 🤞

040

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

It’s still December and the Cadbury eggs have already arrived?

A grocery store shelf with various candbury crème eggs

000

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

I found a second Danny Devito life size cutout just down the road (the first one being mine, sent to watch over me while I was sick with covid). Can anyone beat South Manchester in Danny Devito density?

A cutout Danny Devito covered in trickling lights looks out from a window.

000

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

The Indiana Jones of Hallmark Christmas movies. There’s a mystery quest with clues that require an expert old Norse linguist. In a bold take on the state of academia, the linguist was found at his side gig selling Christmas trees.

The movie poster of The Christmas Quest, with a man and woman in front of northern lights.

130

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Some quite old research shows that misaligned maps (here, looking at the map requires a mental rotation to align it with the perspective of the viewer) result in navigation problems. I wonder if that’s gotten worse in the age of auto-aligning phone maps?

A misaligned map pointing out alternative routes across the river, at a closed bridge.

020

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

The @childstudycentre.bsky.social is now on BlueSky! Follow us to hear about language, social, and cognitive development research from the University of Manchester 🐝🐝🐝

083

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

I don’t think even Elton John can fix marmite.

Jars of Elton John limited edition marmite.

140

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

Prof Sheena Cruickshank @sheencr.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

More evidence published of the huge costs of long Covid (LC) for the economy. We know vaccines reduce risk of developing LC yet JCVI DO NOT factor LC into decision and cost benefit analysis for Covid vaccines 🧪 www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/no...

ucl.ac.uk

Long Covid could cost the economy billions every year

Working days lost to long Covid could be costing the economy billions of pounds every year as patients struggle to cope with symptoms and return to work, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

610151

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

We’ve had a patch of cold weather and I dug out my cold, wet weather coat. Apparently I last wore it on the @ucu.org.uk picket line. The sticker is still holding strong. What is this glue made of?!? @umucu.bsky.social

A winter jacket with a UCU strike sticker on it.

030

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Here in Manchester it snowed all night and we woke up to a magical winter wonderland ❄️❄️❄️

A tree with a tiny patch of white snow on a single branch.

110

Reposted by Alissa Ferry

Darren Dahly @statsepi.bsky.social · 10/11/2024

Sharing this new blog post so I can spot all the typos. You're useless survey isn't cost free, so please stop asking me to fill them out. statsepi.substack.com/p/your-usele...

statsepi.substack.com

Your useless survey isn't cost free

So pretty please stop asking me to fill them out

1239

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

My marking of essays about cultural evolution in non-humans was interrupted by a squirrel innovating a new way to access my bird feeder (jumping down from the roof). Let’s hope this behaviour doesn’t spread to the other squirrels. #culturalevolution #squirrels

A squirrel clinging to a slightly open window.

040

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

I stress woke up at 4am. I am not comforted.

020

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 05/11/2024

The big election day question, is my vote going to be challenged? So far, I have not received any notifications!

An email from a reporter asking me if I received notification of my ballot being challenged.

100

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

Read about our new paper on children’s interpretation of comparative words like bigger, smaller, and taller. #devpsych #devsci #psychscisky #language #cogpsy #linguistics

0131

Alissa Ferry @alissaferry.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

Our new paper (doi.org/10.1111/cdev... ) looked at when children figure out the meaning of words like bigger, smaller, and taller. We built something out of blocks and then asked children to build something (“Can you build one that’s bigger?”).

A picture of a table four blocks stacked on top of each other next to a pile of more blocks and a text box saying, “OK. here’s mine, can you build one that’s bigger?”. Another picture with the same table and text but with four blocks lined up in a row.

173