iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I recently built an AI Memory Contagion Simulation to visualize social contagion when passed through a chain of AI agents in my AI and Cognition class. I did this both in Turkish and in English, and I want to share the results for those interested.

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This was a really fun in-class exercise, and a great way to make theoretical memory constructs more accessible. Highly recommend! #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #AIAgents #SocialContagion #CollectiveMemory

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Here are the results. The meaning, tone and content of the latest iteration is totally different in two languages, and curiously enough, the Turkish simulations are more verbose with a tendency to optimize in the latest step. This was not the case in the English simulation.

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Even though reliable agents try to keep the story straight, the "gossip" permeates and the end result feels somewhere between a hallucination and science fiction. The simple truck delivery becomes a convoluted thriller about "bio-luminescent termites" taking over the mayor's body.

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We start with a boring, grounded fact: "A red delivery truck carrying 50 boxes of hardware arrived at 8:00 AM." The story is then passed through AI agents. Most are instructed to be accurate, but in every 5th step, a "Gossip Agent" instructed to inject one dramatic, unverified detail.

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

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I've finally put together the syllabus for the AI & Cognition course I'll be teaching this upcoming term. It was challenging for sure, but it reminded me once again of just how closely intertwined artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology are. Sharing it here for anyone who's interested:

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Joe Bak-Coleman @jbakcoleman.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Interesting thread and paper about replication in the psych literature pre-2012. It turns out that replication was a pretty common (20%+) study goal, and reproducing existing methods was a part of psychology.... pre-2012. Setting aside Makel's paper; Why was the opposite so widely believed?

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Ashwini Ashokkumar @ashwinia.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

New paper in @nature.com with @lukebeehewitt.bsky.social, @isaiasghezae.bsky.social, & @robbwiller.bsky.social: Can LLMs predict results of social science experiments? Across 70 experiments, we find a strong correspondence (r=.85) between predicted and observed effects. doi.org/10.1038/s415... 🧵

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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The anatomy of an AI-supported academic article is becoming more apparent. I desk reviewed ~70 manuscripts this week for our journal. Reckon 20ish had significant AI assistance. On top of hundreds of others recently I'm starting to see patterns. Are other editors are seeing the same or similar? 1/

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Here's the "behind the paper" post about our recent paper on "collective mental time travel pathways" after 2023 Turkish Presidential Elections. We used how events are remembered to psychologically profile participants with sociopolitical nuances. communities.springernature.com/posts/lost-a...

communities.springernature.com

Lost an Election Recently? Here's How to Move Beyond Winners versus Losers.

Elections are often viewed through the lens of winners vs losers. Here, we introduce a new concept, collective mental time travel pathways to show how a high-stakes political event is related to disti...

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Considering the place of the summit, it is not surprising. Today the opposition’s jailed leader wasn’t even allowed to defend himself in a sham trial. They all stay silent and give much needed legitimacy for Erdogan to complete his authoritarian transformation of Turkey.

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Atlas Shvitzed @therafischwartz.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Unfortunately, a stunned Paris is how they all got into this whole mess to begin with

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

We develop a new concept called "collective mental time travel pathways" and demonstrate that we can understand sociopolitical nuances via how the events are remembered. We anchored to the 2023 Turkish Presidential Elections for collective mental time travel,but it's applicable to many other events.

Lisel Hintz @liselhintz.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

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The Boğaziçi University resistance is indefatigable. Yesterday marked its 1324th vigil. For FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, they have has stood EACH DAY in protest against govt-installed rectors, judicial targeting of faculty and students, campus bans (including Can Hoca), group closures, more. Solidarity.

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Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

More evidence, from a large-scale study in China, that using AI hurts learning if it undermines mental effort. When homework time drops due to AI use, so do test scores. Across studies, there is a clear theme: AI tutoring in support of classes is good, using AI to "help" with homework is bad.

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Also proud to be a part of this project with non-weird data in a non-american political context. I would still be procrastinating without my coauthors @ayaecanb.bsky.social and Meymune Nur Topçu, 10/10 would recommend working with them!

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Still, we had a hopeful finding, where remembering a highly agentic past event was related to high *future* political agency, regardless of winning or losing this consequential election. Collective memories are a thing of the past- but they have a bearing on the future.

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Just got accepted from Nature Communications Psychology. The research is about how we can psychologically profile participants via how they remember the past and project the future in relation to 2023 Turkish presidential elections, probably our last free elections- it hasn’t been fair for awhile.

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Seeing APS 2026 posts and having thoughts about inclusivity. It coincides with Eid al-Adha, which makes it less accessible to Muslims who observe it and people who live by that schedule. Can’t imagine an international conference during Christmas or Rosh Hashanah, can you? #APS26BCN

Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Yeah, maybe a pressure valve? Just happy for Bilgi people, at least someone is having a good day :)

Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Not to underestimate the protests of the students, but I think there are a lot of Bilgi graduates with access to Saray and its goodwill because it was one of the few institutions that was lenient re the headscarf ban. Protests alone couldn’t save Bogazici or Sehir.

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Also notice how DOMA (defense of marriage act, bans gay marriage on federal level) is perceived closer to now by Republicans, and closer to the beginning of his term by Dems. Classic Ross & Wilson temporal distancing

media.tenor.com

a close up of a person playing a saxophone .

ALT: a close up of a person playing a saxophone .

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Here is the temporal distance networks for significant events in Clinton's presidency: Notice how Monica Lewinsky situation is closer to Clinton leaving office for Dems, but it clusters with him playing saxophone on live TV for Republicans... lol.

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Writing the progress report on my current project, and I have disproportionately enjoyed doing the title page:

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Reviewer Zero @reviewerzero.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Are your students entering research culture without ever learning how peer review actually works? We'd love to help. We're offering free "Peer Review 101" virtual workshops for undergrad/grad seminars, tailored to Psych, Neuro, and related fields. Visit our website to learn more tinyurl.com/2ra56w72

reviewerzero.net

Reviewer Zero Guest Lectures

🌱Reviewer Zero Guest Lectures🌱 Are your students entering research culture without ever learning how peer review actually works? We'd love to help. We are now offering free Zoom guest lectures tailo...

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Sinem Adar @sinemadar.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Today, Ekrem Imamoglu stands trial on the most Kafkaesque allegation of establishing a " criminal organisation for illicit gain." The most threatening political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan allegedly sought, through this purported network, +

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Invisible inequality moment: my poster was accepted to #aps2026 in barcelona, but there has not been a visa appointment in their system until the end of May. This is systematic with all schengen countries. It’s not only time and money- this is humiliating.

Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Me to my manuscript after 3 desk rejects:

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simine vazire @simine.com · 04/02/2026

Why are many academics still ok signing with Brockman (or his agency)? Many are oblivious to the Brockman-Epstein link (despite the 2019 articles above). It’s still not widely known. So let’s change that. If you or someone you know is planning a popular book, don’t go with the Brockman agency.

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simine vazire @simine.com · 04/02/2026

Academics: If you’re trying to make sense of how people you know knew Epstein, it’s book agent John Brockman. He’s savvy enough to lay low, but we should be talking about him. Friends don’t let friends sign with Brockman. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pete... And newrepublic.com/article/1548...

buzzfeednews.com

How Jeffrey Epstein Bankrolled An Exclusive Intellectual Boys Club And Reaped The Benefits

The Edge Foundation runs what has been called the “world’s smartest website” and held annual “billionaires’ dinners.” It was also financed by Jeffrey Epstein and gave him access to elite circles in sc...

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Reminds me of this. That's exactly how I felt as I read this. bsky.app/profile/kare...

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Every "smart" woman in academia: "Yeah, right." There's a way in which we have to network but not too much because you never know, dress nice but not too nice because you know... Never mind that he is exchanging these emails with someone convicted of CHILD PROSTITUTION at the time. Yeah right.

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Chris Krupenye @chriskrupenye.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Imagination in bonobos! I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko

youtu.be

Apes Share Human Ability to Imagine

YouTube video by Johns Hopkins University

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Ruth Michaelson @ruthmichaelson.com · 02/02/2026

“She was my daughter for 29 years – it’s impossible she jumped from that height." Hundreds of women are recorded in Turkish state data every year as committing suicide by 'throwing themselves from a high place.' But did they all jump– or were they pushed? Reporting with @berileski.bsky.social

theguardian.com

‘There’s no way my daughter would have jumped’: why are so many Turkish women falling to their deaths?

Every year in Turkey, hundreds of women are recorded as having taken their lives by ‘throwing themselves from a high place’. But many grieving families maintain that investigators are missing the full...

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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Larry Summers complaining to Epstein that his kids admire Bernie Sanders too much

From: Larry Summers <
To: jeffrey E. <jeevacation@gmail.com>
Subject: Re:
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:54:40 +0000
Jamaica very good
Kids great though tired of some of their admiration for Bernie sanders.
How ru?
Sent from my iPad

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

My peppers are now red, tomatoes and basild are thriving, but still no news from reviewer 3… Academia is truly a dopamine deprivation tank

Ozan Kuru @ozankuru.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

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“Why do both economically advantaged and disadvantaged voters sometimes converge in their support for conservative parties? ... Because inequality is inherently relational, its political implications arise not only from the objective distribution of resources but from ... themselves and others"

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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 26/12/2025

☕️📖 Nothing like spending a cozy morning curled up under a blanket with a cup of tea and a book on my lap to keep me company while I endlessly scroll my phone

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womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

A few years ago...Australia’s oldest man knitted tiny sweaters for penguins injured in oil spills..... ( Just ths once.... #MensArt ;) )

Three images, the top is of an elderly white man holding a blue knitted item, the second and third showing small penguins in colourful sweaters

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Philipp Lorenz-Spreen @lorenzspreen.eurosky.social · 10/12/2025

Christmas came early this year! Very happy to see our paper out in Science Advances. Led by @lfoswaldo.bsky.social, we ran a unique collective field-experiment on Reddit, to better understand who is participating in online debates and why. Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... And more below 👇

science.org

Disentangling participation in online political discussions with a collective field experiment

A field experiment examines patterns of online political discussion participation and the challenges of addressing inequality.

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Elif @elifsozer.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Presented my work on collective mental time travel at MiS Lab at MEF University. Hope to share the published version soon, and thanks to the wonderful audience!