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Ben Balas

@bjbalas.bsky.social
1.5K followers 1.5K following 1.3K posts

Vision Scientist, Dad, Would-be artist & dreadful chess player. Check out my new #visionscience textbook here: www.routledge.com/Practical-Vision-… All opinions my own.

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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 16h
@erconwell.bsky.social and I just spent several minutes together (using two apps) to work out if we have ever been within 50 yards of a moose. Now one of us has to go change our answer to the local newspaper's poll. #FargoProblems
static.klipy.com
Majestic Moose Walking in Mountains
ALT: Majestic Moose Walking in Mountains
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Jennifer Shahade @jenshahade.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Four of my favorite tactics from this year's Chess Olympiad, with a clear star. jenshahade.substack.com/p/play-like-...
jenshahade.substack.com
Play Like an Olympic Chess Knight
Try your hand at four of my favorite tactics from Samarkand
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Checked out the matinee showing of PRIMETIME at the Fargo Theatre today and it was much more interesting and much weirder than I thought it was going to be - excited to talk about this at Film Club next week! #FilmSky
static.klipy.com
Primetime
ALT: Primetime
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Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
For the Day 26 #sciArtSeptember prompt cedar, I am sharing this one of a kind cyanotype on water colour paper 11” x 14” has an image of the moon, a fern leaf, cedar leaf and bedstraw, embellished with my linocut prints of pollinators. The insects are a yellow eastern swallowtail butterfly, a virgin
this one of a kind cyanotype on water colour paper 11” x 14” has an image of the moon, a fern leaf, cedar leaf and bedstraw, embellished with my linocut prints of pollinators. The insects are a yellow eastern swallowtail butterfly, a virgin tiger moth, an imperial moth and a spotted lanternfly.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Very excited that this paper with @mgreenephd.bsky.social is out! Check out the thread below for what we found out about how participant height changes the nature of visual input and subsequent perception. #visionscience
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Guy Delisle is one of my favorite comics creators & when I saw his book MUYBRIDGE on the shelf at the Fargo Public Library I snapped it up. It's a wonderful history of the man himself, the early experimental years of photography, & the birth of the motion picture. Highly recommended! #VisionScience
app.thestorygraph.com
Muybridge by Guy Delisle
How do you capture a changing world in the blink of an eye?Sacramento, California, 1870. Pioneer ...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Had a quick meeting with my recruitment coordinator this afternoon and we (1) Sorted out some details for an upcoming study, (2) Planned out our next outreach events, and (3) Found out that operators at the Lutefisk Hotline answer the phone on the 2nd ring! #fargofacts
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Comic Book Yeti @comicbookyeti.com · 22/09/2026
Tonight’s reading. This is not quite what I expected but it is truly a fascinating premise. Top five billing on artistic merit in 2026.
The Last Day of HP Lovecraft graphic novel
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The kiddo's latest article about the Fargo Centennial Series is up at the High Plains Reader! This time, she's writing about the September Feature, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. Enjoy! hpr1.com/a-sitcom-saf...
hpr1.com
‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ at 25: a sitcom gone strange
Wes Anderson’s dysfunctional-family classic screens Sept. 22 at the Fargo Theatre. Blaise Balas on why no one really wants to be a Tenenbaum.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Finally crossed the 1700 mark in Blitz on @chess.com! Wish it had been a cleaner win, but I'll take it - now to log off to keep my rating safe for at least a few hours. 😁 #chess
chess.com
Blitz 1700
You got a rating of 1700 in Blitz!
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Dr. Matt Schabath (he/him/his) @mattschabathphd.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
🧪 New cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century - Called Tilcayo by local communities, it is part of a group called tiger cats found across much of South America www.reuters.com/business/env...
reuters.com
New cat species identified in Bolivia, first in over a century
A diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia's cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living cat species has been formally named and described ​i...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Movie night at the Fargo Theatre and tonight's feature was Albert Brooks' DEFENDING YOUR LIFE. This was one of those movies I saw in fragments on HBO a bunch as a teenager, but only ever watched all the way through once. Neat concept, lots of funny bits, but heavy on the exposition at times.
imdb.com
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Come on - can't we do a show based on some more recent debunked/falsified science?
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My older brother is an outstanding musician, so I spent much of my youth being taken to his concerts & complaining about their length and frequency to my parents. But when he played the Kennedy Center, I knew how cool it was and I was proud to go to DC to see him. The hell with this garbage.
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James Kochalka Superstar @kochalka.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I like the way the ai guys keep saying ai could kill us all within 10 years. But they can’t stop or China will do it first.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Just impulse-bought tickets to see @therightram.bsky.social's THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR at the Minnesota Opera. No regrets. Also: You should go buy it at your local comic store and then you too will have no regrets. www.boom-studios.com/series/many-...
boom-studios.com
Many Deaths of Laila Starr - BOOM! Studios
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Weekend reading: HOW MINDS CHANGE by David McRaney. I've been thinking a lot lately about how to rebuild trust in science and this was recommended by a friend after a discussion about that. Overall, I found it a mixed bag. Some good review of the psychology of persuasion... <1/n>
app.thestorygraph.com
How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion by David McRaney
When self-delusion expert and psychology nerd David McRaney began a book about how to change some...
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Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
📚 Reading Women in Cognitive Science 📚 “Recommendations for readings are welcome, especially in the history of cognitive science (prior to 1950s, and the older the better).” irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2026/02/15/%...
irisvanrooijcogsci.com
📚 Reading Women in Cognitive Science 📚
Occasionally, I make threads on social media about papers and books that I read. It helps me focus and process deeper when I share highlights and thoughts with others. In this blogpost, I compile a…
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I picked up @imagecomics.com THE KARMEN BLADE up this week and loved it! I was a big fan of LITTLE BIRD, so very excited to see a new title from this creative team. Really excellent balance between a grim, epic tone in the text and art that is as exhilarating as it is nightmarish. #ComicsSky
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The premise is that there are Muppets and they're doing a show. I need nothing else.
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Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 09/09/2026
Astrophotographer Adam (AJ) Smadi caught this image a few hours ago from Washington state. A thin crescent Moon, sunlight illuminating the rugged lunar surface. And 2,400 times farther away—and on the other side of the Sun—mighty Jupiter, and its moons Io (left) and Ganymede (right).
A crescent Moon seen during the day, arcing from upper left to lower right of the frame. At lower centre is the full disk of Jupiter; the small dots to its upper left and lower right and Io and Ganymede, respectively.
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Andy @loveretrobtw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Anyone ever get a chance to play Time Traveler in the arcades? Or maybe you never even heard of it?
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Afternoon at the movies to see COYOTE VS. ACME! I am a life-long Wile E. Coyote fan and this didn't disappoint. Tons of excellent Looney Tunes cameos (Peter Lorre!), some excellent gags, and a script that balanced the humor with just enough heartfelt stuff. I'm really happy this made it to theaters!
static.klipy.com
Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Cartoon
ALT: Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Cartoon
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I've been thinking a lot about how to make my Neuropsych class an AI-free zone. In particular, I want my students to work on coming up w/ their own ideas rather than outsourcing that step to a model. To practice this, their 1st assignment was a bespoke puzzle, which you can try out here. <1/n>
docs.google.com
Psyc486 - Assignment #1 (F2026)
Psyc486 - Assignment #1 (F2026) In this first assignment you will be practicing solving a complex problem by generating your own ideas, testing hypotheses, and revising your ideas when/if they don’t w...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
That first sentence is great, but they also keep getting better as you go.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I try not to let stuff like threatening to change Lake Ontario's name to Lake America take up space in my brain, but I can't help but note that instead of HOMES, this would give us SHAME as a mnemonic. #welp
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Movie night at the Fargo Theatre & tonight's feature was THE END OF OAK STREET. Much different in tone than I expected: I thought we'd get lots ofmadcap energy and to borrow the kiddo's observation, it had a lot more genuineness than that. Weird, funny, scary and well worth watching! #FilmSky
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Summer's end usually means alternating optimism & pessimism about the coming term, but this past week @erconwell.bsky.social & I have been comped a cocktail & a dessert by different former students so I'm feeling better than usual! I assume these are the "rights & privileges" mentioned on my degree.
static.klipy.com
Man's Happy Reaction to Le Dessert
ALT: Man's Happy Reaction to Le Dessert
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I was just asking a colleague about this this morning: How much do students need to learn about AI so they aren't "left behind?" Are we talking an 8-week curriculum? More (or less?) Regardless, my neuropsych course starts in ~1 week and we're going to work on some brain-only reasoning. 🧠
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Recovering from a nasty cold. Today is the usual stage where if Aerosmith comes on the radio while driving I sound better-than-usual for the 1st half but have no hope for the 2nd. There will be a magic 30 minutes sometime tomorrow where I will be capable of a flawless version of "What it Takes."
static.klipy.com
Aerosmith Steven Tyler
ALT: Aerosmith Steven Tyler
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Really disappointed to see this: OSF has been very useful to my lab for a long time. Time to figure out a new strategy for making our work available to others.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
More great #movie commentary over at So Desensitized: This time it's an essay about JENNIFER'S BODY and why it deserved better than what the critics gave it upon release. Enjoy! #HorrorSky #FilmSky
buttondown.com
Kids These Days Don't Eat Their Classmates Anymore
Jennifer’s Body is perhaps the cultiest of cult classics. The movie critics were least ready for. And in retrospect, maybe it was too much to ask of 2009 to...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Weekend reading: Louise Erdrich's short story collection PYTHON'S KISS. Excellent throughout, but "Wedding Dresses" and "The Stone" were my favorites. #BookSky
app.thestorygraph.com
Python's Kiss: Stories by Louise Erdrich
From Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich, a captivating collecti...
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Jesse Lonergan @jesselonergan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Batgirl. 6mm Pilot Parallel Pen with Platinum Carbon ink and Daniel Smith watercolors on Arches hot press paper.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The most upsetting thing to me about the Hellman's ketchup slices is the potential impact on Burger Time. #retrogaming
static.klipy.com
BurgerTime Arcade Game Gameplay
ALT: BurgerTime Arcade Game Gameplay
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The next Fargo Theatre Centennial Film Series movie is THE PHILADELPHIA STORY & Blaise has a new article about it out in the High Plains Reader! Check it out for some great insights into the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope and how Katharine Hepburn's Tracy Lord turns out to be something more. #FilmSky
hpr1.com
Manic pixie dream woman: ‘The Philadelphia Story’ at 86
“The Philadelphia Story” is one of the only screwball comedies to actually deal with the real world repercussions of its plot points.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Weekend reading: Just finished TRUE COLOR by Kory Stamper. Being a #visionscience person, there was less color & more lexicographic administrivia here than I had hoped, but still a neat look into how one could define a color. I really wish we'd heard more about Margaret Godlove, though! #BookSky
app.thestorygraph.com
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color--from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper
A kaleidoscopic journey through the secret history of hues—and the story of the obsessive genius ...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
A new #science of #chess post is up on my Lichess blog! This time I'm unpacking what we know about what makes some chess moves seem beautiful to us-enjoy! #PsychSciSky #games
lichess.org
Science of Chess: Looking for Beauty on the Chessboard
Chess isn't just about rating points, accuracy, and centipawn loss, but how do we assess more subjective qualities of the game?
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Hey there #PsychSciSky - anybody out there able to help a fella get a copy of this article? Thanks in advance! journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2...
journals.sagepub.com
Principles of Beauty - Stuart Margulies, 1977
The principles of beauty in chess were derived from the judgments of expert chess players. The principles were: (1) successfully violate heuristics, (2) use the...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Blaise's latest column about the Fargo Theatre's Centennial Series is up at the High Plains Reader! This time she was writing about BACK TO THE FUTURE (which screened last week) and stay tuned for her forthcoming column about THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. hpr1.com/back-to-the-...
hpr1.com
'Back to the Future' and the anatomy of fun
Many people cite “Back to the Future” as their favorite movie. It is a classic for a reason.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Nice article in the Forum today about a local man's award-winning kaleidoscope. Might have to head out to Hawley, MN one of these days to check it out. www.inforum.com/lifestyle/ha...
inforum.com
Hawley man wins international kaleidoscope award
How Rodney Haug turned a childhood fascination into a lifetime of creating beauty, wonder and joy.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Matinee showing of THE ODYSSEY at the Fargo Theatre today! Some great scenes, but overall I was a little underwhelmed - I think the kiddo put it best: "It's like he wanted to make Oppenheimer again with the horse as the bomb." Still, that dog got me back in 10th grade & he did it again. #FilmSky
static.klipy.com
Wearing My Helmet Odysseus
ALT: Wearing My Helmet Odysseus
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Weekend reading: THE LUMINOUS FAIRIES AND MOTHRA - this includes the novella in which Mothra first appears and an excellent essay by the translator that highlights the political & historical richness of the story. I learned a ton & it left me wanting to revisit these classic monsters. #BookSky
app.thestorygraph.com
The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shin'ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, Yoshie Hotta
The original story that hatched Mothra, one of the most beloved monsters in the "kaijuverse"--ava...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Very excited about this collaboration with @emrich.bsky.social! Usually I'm writing about other people's #chess research, but this time I had the chance to work with a great colleague on a study designed to examine visual imagery, working memory, and chess expertise. Check out the preprint & enjoy!
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Movie night at the Fargo Theatre and tonight's feature was TWISTER! Like, it's not a good movie except for the fact that it's a good movie. Also, I now need to give all my lab members nicknames like Preacher/Dusty/Rabbit 'cause that seems like way more fun. #MovieSky
static.klipy.com
Twister Movie - Bill Paxton Looks at Sky
ALT: Twister Movie - Bill Paxton Looks at Sky
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Gavin Buckingham @drgbuckingham.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The Cognition Group in the Psychology dept at Exeter are at risk of redundancy because "basic cognitive psychology research does not align with the current priorities of funding bodies" If you think this is overtly wrong and misguided, please sign this open letter docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Open Letter in Support of the Cognition Group, University of Exeter
To Executive members of the University of Exeter, including Vice Chancellor Prof. Lisa Roberts, Senior Vice-President and Provost Prof. Dan Charman, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean Prof. Sallie...
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Well, I guess that's me going to Perham next Wednesday. 🐢
inforum.com
'Here from around the world': Turtle Races a huge summer draw in Perham
Perham’s Turtle Races have been a slow-and-steady summer tradition for more than 45 years, bringing families, tourists and volunteers downtown each week.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
All I'm saying is that if you've read enough PKD this idea will not at all surprise you. Authenticity will be the thing that's unaffordable. I mean, that's always been true to some degree, but the stratification's hitting harder and in new places now.
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Ben Balas @bjbalas.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Ooo - a new graphic novel about #chess? Gotta check this one out!
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Kelseypaintz @kelseypaintz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Me because I didn't sleep well last night. Your weekly dose of Beeker is up on etsy!
A color gouache portrait of beeker with mouth open over a yellow background
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