iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

My son keeps saying he’s disappointed that we haven’t figured out how to blend the genes of spiders and chicken. “Because spiderchickens would have eight legs mmmmmmm” Frightening. Not wrong, but frightening.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

One of the most dangerous things humans do is believe in the literal tangible existence and causal powers of hypothetical concepts which we ourselves created.

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paolo @paolopalma.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

my dissertation data is old but at least i know it’s not AI

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Ryan Carpenter @rwcarpenterphd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I'm reviewing applications for Notre Dame's clinical psych PhD program this fall! If you like daily-life processes, studying drugs, and talking about pizza, consider applying! Lab website: spiel-lab.nd.edu

spiel-lab.nd.edu

Studying Processes in Everyday Life (SPIEL) Lab

Explore the Studying Processes in Everyday Life Lab at Notre Dame! We study real-time behaviors using mobile devices like smartphones. Research alcohol, substance use, pain, and more.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Did my annual donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for my mom’s birthday today, and discovered they are tripling (matching x3) donation amounts for World Cancer Research Day later this week. Too cool! Pitch in if you feel able and so inclined. Mom would be 68 today. 🩷 www.bcrf.org #BCRF

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Jennifer Graham @jennrgraham.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Every intro to sociology class I teach gets this image.

A small digger trying its hardest to dig out the Ever Given ship that has run aground. It says, “Structural Problem” on the giant Ever Given and, “Making different personal choices” on the tiny digger.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

“I don’t know, man…” “Unfortunately, we know jack shit…” I love how real this post is. But also, @awaisaftab.bsky.social, you good man? www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/maybe-dont...

psychiatrymargins.com

Maybe Don’t Ask Your Doctor if Zoloft Is Right for You

On imperfect tools

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Rebecca Saxe @rebeccasaxe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I have a question about the future of metrics for hiring and promoting faculty in science. Academic journal articles have been our currency for a long time, but are under extreme & mounting pressure. Is any dept or field already using a better metric *for hiring and promoting faculty*?

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

For example, it would come up in group supervision. If an early clinical student said something like “my client is reporting lots of anxiety but they seem so calm, I don’t get it” then the supervisor would say their client is a “duck”

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

1) Yes, but during grad school not college. The analogy was used to showcase one specific way people can experience anxiety (internally/cognitively rather than visibly with psychomotor agitation or sweating, etc), and was about people in general not just students. 2) Saint Louis University 3) 2009

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

“Underrated” implies that there are formal knowable ratings (operationalized data about popularity), that they’re wrong (somehow psychometrically unreliable), and that they’re specifically too low (accurate ratings would be higher). For most things I can imagine, these are totally bogus claims!

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

For instance, my favorite music isn’t underrated, it’s just not universally well-liked. The ratings aren’t wrong, but perhaps my taste is atypical. I see complaints online about things being “underrated” soooooo often and I want to go full psychometrics lecture on people.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

FYI: you are allowed to like things that are unpopular without complaining about their being “underrated”

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I would think that if your alums exhibit a combo of career success and ongoing desire to maintain a healthy connection with you, then you have mentored well. Really interesting question tho, and something I ponder a lot with my own students (mostly undergrad research advisees, but still).

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Jerry Chen @jcsalterego.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

bro all your borogoves are mimsy rn

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Josh Grubbs @joshuagrubbsphd.com · 28/08/2026

1/43 Ok folks, after much teasing and anticipation, I'm THRILLED to share our new paper in Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. Not gonna lie: I'm proud of this one, and I hope it makes an impact on the field (so please share!). A thread 🧵👇

To Be a Mental Disorder: Revisiting Behavioral Addictions
Joshua B. Grubbs, * Nicholas C. Borgogna, Beáta Bőthe, Hyoun S. Kim, Rory A. Pfund, Shane W. Kraus

Manuscript to appear in the 2027 edition of Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, this preprint may not
exactly represent the final printed copy.

Grubbs, J.B., Borgogna, N.C., Bőthe, Beáta, Kim, H.S., Pfund, R.A., & Kraus, S.W. (2027) To Be a Mental Disorder: Revisiting Behavioral Addictions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-061225-045608

Behavioral addictions have been recognized in various forms for centuries, yet only three—Gambling Disorder, Gaming Disorder, and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder—are currently included in formal diagnostic systems. In the past decade, research on these conditions has expanded dramatically in both volume and methodological rigor, drawing on longitudinal, neurobiological, and cross-cultural designs and evolving into a truly global science. Even so, the field remains beset by unresolved controversies. Chief among these is a persistent tendency to import substance use disorder concepts—tolerance, withdrawal, and dependence—that lack conceptual and empirical support when applied to behavior. Related challenges concern the over-pathologizing of normal engagement and a reliance on confirmatory, self-report measurement of uncertain validity. We argue that advancing the field requires sustained funding, theory grounded in the disorders themselves, objective and intensive-longitudinal methods, greater diversity, and public health and regulatory attention to increasingly technological environments.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Anyone else noticing their Ring notifications getting really specific? “Fatigued quadragenerian man returns from a light but painful jog, resembles a reheated burrito, sits on porch, is motionless for quite a while, looks like he regrets his running hobby. Perhaps consider sending water or snacks.”

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Noticed today that in PsycINFO, when you select a specific article and pull up the full text, the system automatically shows an AI summary. WHY?! The abstract is right fucking there—a short section of text which just so happens to be a summary of the article BY THE AUTHORS!

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jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful

An aircraft passenger oxygen mask: a drop down passenger mask with air bag and yellow plastic mouth and nose cover, oxygen tube has been cut; Demonstration model used by flight attendant crew for passenger instruction. Has text on the side indicating that it's non-functional.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

(Yes it’s birthday cake flavored ice cream. I am forever a child.)

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Last day of being in my 30s! Ran my usual 5k this morning, took my daughter to science camp, nice long bike ride with the fam, enjoyed entirely too much ice cream, and filled out my mail-in vote for the MI primary. Not a lick of any work productivity. Pretty solid finish I’d say. Tomorrow I’m 40.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Shared insights, developed half a century apart, coined as the same name. Just incredible. I’ll have to get Torrey’s book. Alfred Benjamin and Jerome Kottler made similar (and illustrative for students I think) analogies between psychotherapy and faith healers. open.substack.com/pub/awaisaft...

open.substack.com

The Principle of Rumpelstiltskin: Psychiatrists and Witchdoctors

Torrey on the magic of the right word

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Oh yeah. He’s big time everywhere! Thank you for sharing him, we needed this 🤣

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The diarrhea lettuce content is good, as is the green reflecting pool stuff, but I gotta say I’m with Jimothy. I just don’t think this bonkers summer will have anything better than this little creature. He’s clearly thriving. #TeamJimothy

static.klipy.com

jimothy

ALT: jimothy

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

As a Michigander, I gotta say that I would absolutely LOVE permanent daylight savings time.

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 13/07/2026

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY that you can leave a public comment on the OMB Grant Proposal. Join us from 2 - 3 PM ET today at our OMB Deadline Day meeting to hear from experts and learn what comes next. Leave your comment 👉 zurl.co/oz4dV Register for the meeting 👉 zurl.co/iv9o0 Or links in bio!

The graphic displays images of speakers at the SUFS OMB Deadline Day meeting. Their titles read: "Dr. Colette Delawalla, Founder & CEO of SUFS, Dr. Veena Dubal, AAUP General Council, Randi Weingarten, President of AFT, Jillian Blanchard, Senior VP of Climate Change & Environmental Justice, LFGG". More speakers that are not displayed in the graphic will be attending. The graphic also displays a photo of Russell Vought and the logos of Stand Up for Science, American Association of Professors, American Federation of Teachers, Democracy Forward, and Lawyers for Good Government. The graphic reads: "Today, 2 - 3 PM ET, OMB Deadline Day, The Fight is Just Beginning, Virtual and Accessible, Registration Link in Bio!"

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I encourage folks to join me in nominating @cdelawalla.bsky.social for a Rising Star award! It's the least we can do to honor her tireless fight to protect our field, and science more broadly, with @standupforscience.net. Importantly her academic and scholarly endeavors outside #SUFS shine as well!

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Association for Psychological Science @psychscience.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

There is STILL TIME to submit your own comment on the proposed OMB rule! Here's our detailed guide to help, as well as our own comments for reference:

psychologicalscience.org

Act Now: Submit Your Comment to the OMB Proposal

Federal science funding is under the most significant threat in decades — and the window to act closes July 13.

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Ashley Watts @ashleylwatts.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Excited to share a paper recently accepted at Nature Mental Health! 😄 For decades, we've assumed that covariance among psychopathology informs comorbidity. What if we’ve been wrong?

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Reminder that if you mentor students interested in mental health careers, please refer them to my free advising resource! There are so many options for how to train and specialize, this might help clarify desired routes. #MIMHHP ~Michigan Mental Health Helping Professions~ mimhhp.com

mimhhp.com

MI Mental Health Helping Professions

Helping helpers find the right career path.

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Maria Popova @mariapopova.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

If you are spinning with the not-knowingness of life, this #birddivination is for you. Find the original deck of 100, along with the story and process behind them, at almanacofbirds.org

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Colette Delawalla, PhD @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

On the 4th of July: It’s hard to hold a clear view of reality in one hand and hope for better in the other, and to fully commit to both of these things at the same time. This is the hard work of “a Republic, if you can keep it.” Patriotism is to use our freedoms to make America more free for ALL.

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Colette Delawalla, PhD @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

"If scientists align with campaigns that pitch their opponents as anti-science, they should not be surprised if greater polarization is the result." I have some real strong thoughts on this piece. Let's talk about it... 1/? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Scientists should recognize their own political biases to build public trust

Public trust in science can’t be sustained by the support of narrow constituencies at one end of an ideological spectrum.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Submitted just for your enjoyment. Emotional support dumpster fire. Tucked above the refrigerator. My mother-in-law’s camper.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Great time today talking with local public library patrons about mental disorders! Even snuck in some fun conceptual analogies (e.g., disorders are like fish, storms, and fevers (@eikofried.bsky.social & @jonathanshedler.bsky.social)), plus other ideas to chew on. #FoodForThought #Community #BCLS

Info flier about today’s event at the Sage Branch of the Bay County Library System (Bay City, Michigan, USA). Event title is “What Exactly *Is* A Mental Disorder?” Flier explains that I’ll discuss mental health, the definition of “disorder,” how society tends to interpret mental health issues, and how we can helpfully respond. Program series is called “Food For Thought” as the patrons get a light lunch.

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liberation psychiatrist @libpsych.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

The first Memorial Day dates to 1865 when members of Black churches re-buried Union soldiers from a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp to individual grave sites. Memory of the event was later suppressed. apnews.com/31e1623c7565...

apnews.com

Charleston can lay a claim to 1st Memorial Day

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The city that plunged the nation into its bloodiest conflict can also lay a claim to holding the first Memorial Day observance honoring the dead from the Civil War. In a little...

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Equine therapist? Ranch medium? Gangnam style?

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🐂 Zeeroh Bovine 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈⛺🌳🌲🐂👨‍🌾 @zeerohbovine.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Sometimes ya just need to sit alone in the bleakness and darkness, ya know?

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Lynda Boothroyd @drboothroyd.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

As always, the problem is actually structural inequality and capitalism and discrimination, not the thing that yields massive benefits to a subgroup of people with an intractable health problem.

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Nathaniel C. Green @nathanielcgreen.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

The key to being a good scholar or teacher, the key to being a good anything, really, is wanting to be with people. There are a lot of people out there who are terrible scholars and teachers because they don't like people and want nothing to do with them.

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Me in April: “Oh yeah I’ll totally get to that like next month after the hectic stuff of the semester is done.” Me in May: “Sorry, no brain power available, I am basically three squirrels in a trench coat and cannot be held responsible for anything.”

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

***Seeking connections/referrals for a departmental external evaluator!*** Our undergrad psych dept is due for external review and we're seeking a consultant. Previously had luck with APA/STP's "Departmental Consulting Service," but no response this time around. Any leads or ideas? Big thanks!!

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Travis Pashak @profpash.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Clear, compassionate, concise, and critical. Fantastic writing as usual by @awaisaftab.bsky.social. "Each of these labels can capture something useful and inform treatment options, but none of them do justice to the dimensional and dynamic nature of mental illness." www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Here’s What Psychiatrists Mean When They Say You Have A.D.H.D.

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Eiko Fried @eikofried.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Wimsatt: Perhaps, just perhaps, the best explanation of a phenomenon at a given level is to be found at the same level. Kendler: Noone would seek to explain hypertension at the level of quarks. A few of my favourite papers on this topic of absurd biological reductionism: 🧵

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