iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Simon Evans @sevans.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Evolution and adaptation are frequently used interchangeably when describing trait change. Does it really matter? Our new paper in PLOS Biology shows that yes, it really does. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... Buckle up, we're going for a ride...

journals.plos.org

Gene flow drives periods of both evolutionary stasis and change in a wild bird population

Why do we not see evolutionary change in heritable, fitness-related traits of free-living populations? This multi-decade study of the evolution of clutch size in populations of great tits before, duri...

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COSYNE @cosynemeeting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

📢Have work to share with the computational and systems neuroscience community? Abstract submissions for #COSYNE2027 are now open. Deadline: 18 October 2026, 11:59 p.m. AoE Submit your abstract: www.cosyne.org/abstracts-su... #Neuroscience

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Servei de Recerca de la UPF @sdrecercaupf.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The @ec.europa.eu has launched a comprehensive interactive infographic designed to equip researchers with both strategic and practical guidance on maximising the impact of their work through effective intellectual property management. ➡️ ja.cat/Pfe5Q

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MwahahahahahadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

You want to 'democratize' science? Fight for funding and opportunities. Companies are trying to take that away from you🧪

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Kostas Chatzimichail @kochatzi.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🧵 Excited to share my first paper, now out in Science Advances! 🧠 How does premotor cortex represent actions when we perform them vs. when we watch others? We looked at this using population-level recordings in macaque premotor cortex. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (1/3)

science.org

Dynamic population coding of kinematic structure across executed and observed actions in primate premotor cortex

Premotor neural populations dynamically integrate seeing and doing by reflecting the unfolding kinematics of grasping actions.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Using a reference-dependent model based on Prospect Theory (PT), we reveal a functional asymmetry: More neurons encoded potential gains than losses, and gain-related signals were more tightly aligned with choices. This highlights a bias toward positive, goal-relevant outcomes in dACC value coding.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The core novelty of our model stands in the definition of a Prospect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky 1979) inspired reference r(ATC) that dynamically models the utility u(v,ATC) as the comparison of alternative offers for ATC<3 🤑 (r(ATC)→0) and of offer value to missing tokens (r(ATC)→6-ATC) for ATC≥3 😬.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Even when explicitly modeling interactions between value and token accumulation, neural encoding remained primarily driven by value signals. However, these signals were subtly reshaped across the task, suggesting that token accumulation modulates, but does not simply scale, value representations.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

At the neural level we found that dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) encodes subjective value (SV) and ATC. SV-related signals peak during offer presentation, while ATC signals are sustained across the task, indicating progress monitoring. SV- but not ATC-related signals correlate with choices.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Importantly, this change followed a structured pattern: risk-taking attitude 🤑 increased early on (ATC<3), peaked around ATC=3, and decreased 😬 near jackpot (ATC≥3). This inverse-u profile clearly outlines that choices are guided by a shifting internal reference point tied to progress toward reward.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Accumulating tokens also reshapes risk preferences. Subjects are more risk-seeking when far from the jackpot, but became increasingly risk-averse as they approached it, especially when decisions were easier. This reveals a dynamic shift in strategy as ATC increases ↗️ and the goal becomes attainable.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Looking more closely, a clear pattern emerges: errors (i.e.,best choice misses) decrease as ATC increases, particularly when choices were not so trivial 🎰 (A). This improvement was most prominent at intermediate difficulty, indicating improved ability to discriminate between competing options 🧐 (B).

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Analyzing behavior, we find that difference in Expected Value (EV), Mean EV (MEV), offer risk level (ORL), ATC and jackpot on previous trial (JPT) consistently influence choices (A). Strikingly, we find that ATC concurrently increases the speed ⏱️ AND accuracy ✅ of subject's choice reports 👀 (B-E).

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

We adopted a task where risky decisions don’t pay off immediately, but deliver virtual tokens 🪙 to collect across trials. Hitting accumulated tokens count (ATC) = 6 leads to a jackpot reward delivery 💰, and ATC reset. Leading question: do decision strategies depend on such dynamic ATC reference?

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Excited to share our latest publication, out now in @natcomms.nature.com !🧠🔍 Accumulating virtual rewards enhances both decision-making accuracy and neural value encoding in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex by dynamically shifting a goal-dependent internal reference point. doi.org/10.1038/s414...

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The core novelty of our model stands in the definition of a Prospect-Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979) inspired reference r(ATC) that dynamically models the utility u(v,ATC) as the comparison of alternative offers for ATC<3 (r(ATC)→0) and of offer value to missing tokens (r(ATC)→6-ATC) for ATC≥3.

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Demetrio Ferro @d-ferro.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

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Dorian @flvillager.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

A Super El Niño is coming. The last time ocean temperatures looked like this, millions died. Reshare. Earthlyeducation

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Ed Hawkins @edhawkins.org · 08/05/2026

Spiralling global temperatures (1850-2026) It is exactly 10 years since I first put this animated graphic of changes in global temperature online. #ClimateSpiral It instantly went viral. People watched it over and over again. It still offers the power to shock a decade on.

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Luke ❌👑 @lukehklipp.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Been really struggling to wrap my mind around this graph. It shows just how wildly off the charts global temps are right now. When is so hot that it becomes an imperative to organize around and meaningfully address?

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👻 David Weiskopf believes in spooks 👻 @dave.bzky.team · 20/03/2026

I, too, am calling for people to cut oil demand. In addition to these ideas, also try demanding: -adequate funding for transit operations, -protected bike lanes, and -an end to freeway expansions.

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Renato Duarte @rcfduarte.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I tracked every keyword in 22 years of Cosyne abstracts to map how computational neuroscience evolved — from Bayesian brains to neural manifolds to LLMs — and where it's heading next.

open.substack.com

22 years of Brain Science: what CoSyNe tells us about the evolution of Neuroscience

Tracking the intellectual DNA of Computational and Systems Neuroscience through its flagship meeting

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Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 03/03/2026

For Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, Nature spoke to scientists from around the world about how their work has been shaped by playing Pokémon games, watching animated TV series and films and trading cards in school playgrounds. 🧪

go.nature.com

Pokémon turns 30 — how the fictional pocket monsters shaped science

The Japanese media sensation has inspired generations of researchers in fields as diverse as evolution, biodiversity and research integrity.

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BAMB! @bamb-school.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

You're still in time to apply to BAMB! and learn the art of modeling behavior with us! 🧠 The deadline is this Friday, March 6th. Run! 🏃‍♂️💨 Apply here: 🔗 www.bambschool.org

bambschool.org

BAMB! 2026 | Barcelona Summer School for Advanced Modeling of Behavior

Intensive training for experienced researchers in cognitive science, computational neuroscience and neuro-AI. Five interconnected modules, expert faculty, hands-on projects. July 12-23, 2026.

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 24/02/2026

Climate change can flip some mountain ecosystems from grasslands to woodlands, according to a study in Colorado. Artificially warmed plots transitioned from mostly herbaceous plants to mostly woody shrubs over 29 years. In PNAS: ow.ly/vOGH50Yl7JC

Green sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) was one of the studied shrubs and increased in biomass in warmed plots. Stock photo.

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Stanford University Press @stanfordpress.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Gerald Zaltman's pioneering research methods for understanding the unconscious desires of customers are used by companies around the world. Dare to Think Differently draws on these groundbreaking methods to explain the innovative thinking used by successful executives ow.ly/YfqL50Yiu19

Book cover of Dare to Think Differently:
How Open-Mindedness Creates Exceptional Decision-Making by Gerald Zaltman

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Jens-Bastian Eppler @j-b-eppler.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

As promised: a detailed figure-by-figure thread on our @pnas.org paper: doi.org/10.1073/pnas... We use signal correlations and noise correlations in chronic imaging data to show that representational drift is shaped by a balance between Hebbian and stochastic changes. Let’s dive in 👇 🧠🧪 1/9

doi.org

Representational drift reflects ongoing balancing of stochastic changes by Hebbian learning | PNAS

Recent evidence indicates that even under stable environmental and behavioral conditions, responses to sensory stimuli undergo continuous reformatt...

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Fanny Cazettes @fannycazettes.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Marseille folks: I’m organizing a one-day workshop on Distributed Computations for Flexible Behavior (Apr 16, Timone Campus) with a great line-up of speakers bridging theory, circuits & whole-brain dynamics! 🧠 Free registration (mandatory, incl. lunch): fannycazettes.limesurvey.net/172448?lang=...

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Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 17/02/2026

A study published in Nature analyses the impact of AI on scientific research, revealing that AI-augmented scientists publish 3.02 times more papers and receive 4.84 times more citations compared to their peers. go.nature.com/4rmyX2x 🧪 #ArtificialIntelligence

Increasing prevalence of AI adoption in science.

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Alessandro Gozzi @gozziale.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

🚨Do we need a large, expensive MRI scanner to map whole-brain networks in the mouse? Not necessarily! In our new preprint ▶️ tinyurl.com/3a2h4r9f we show that transcranial functional ultrasound (fUSI) can map connectome-scale networks with striking agreement to fMRI 🧵👇

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Biff Rendar @biffrendar.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

“Why does MAGA hate the planet?” open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

open.substack.com

Turning Our Back on Clean Energy

Why does MAGA hate the planet?

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Earl K. Miller @earlkmiller.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

This is cool. Complex behavior is built from subcomponents. Building compositional tasks with shared neural subspaces www.nature.com/articles/s41... #neuroscience

nature.com

Building compositional tasks with shared neural subspaces - Nature

The brain can flexibly perform multiple tasks by compositionally combining task-relevant neural representations.

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Natalie Schaworonkow @nschawor.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

the cutoff scores for #MSCA postdoc fellowships are very high this year. has the score distribution shifted compared to previous years? I made a plot with scores from past years. if scores are at ceiling level, the process becomes essentially a lottery, because minor issues can lead to deductions.

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Ali Shiravand @alishiravand.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

💡 Our new #preprint is available online! How do people adapt their decisions when priorities change? In our new study, we examine how the way people represent value shapes their ability to adjust in multi-goal environments. 🔗 OSF link: doi.org/10.31234/osf... It's a thread 🧵

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