iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Unfortunately I couldn't attend this year's #NetSci2025, but I am there in spirit, and hopefully in text, which mentions the work of many of my inspirations, like Max Schich, Mirta Galesic, Cynthia Siew, Olaf Sporns, Filippo Menczer, and many more.

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Maximilian Schich @schichmax.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

🐈🏳️‍🌈 🛫✈️🛬 🚂 🚂 🚂 🎉 Just arrived in Maastricht for #NetSci2025 (@netsciconf.bsky.social), scheduled to present the #HISTONET satellite #keynote on #NetworkHistory. Tuesday, Jun 3, 17:40-18:20 at @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social Abstract & details: historicalnetworkresearch.github.io/netsci-maast...

Network visualization has come a long way in the last 700 years.

The inset figure shows a circular network layout of a bipartite graph with multiple components, conncecting 12 tribes in black with 5 cities in red via 13 links; source: Codex Cremifarnensis 243, fol. 57v (dated circa 1330 CE).

The background figure shows a spring-embedded Touchgraph layout of a bipartite graph with a 89.9% Giant Connected Component connecting 7984 Ancient monuments in blue with 2934 Renaissance documents in brown via 19983 binned links; data source: Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance (1947-2004).

Both figures from
Schich, Maximilian. Rezeption und Tradierung als Komplexes Netzwerk. Der CENSUS und visuelle Dokumente zu den Thermen in Rom. Munich: Verlag Biering & Brinkmann, 2009. Figs. 25 & 167
open access: https://doi.org/10.11588/artdok.00000700

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Interested in learning how to deal with big data, web scraping, network science, or natural language processing in the lovely Lugano this summer? The list of courses is rich and some still have open seats. Check it out: www.usi.ch/en/education...

usi.ch

Workshops / Programme

The academic programme for the 29th edition of the Summer School is ready - minor changes can still occur. Registration: Registrations for the Summer School is now OPEN! Places are assigned on a first...

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Very cool. So now I'm wondering--for no particular reason--how might age alter the outcome these simulations? 🍄

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Anu Realo @arealo.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Cognitive slowness and disjointedness that often come with aging might be better seen as a symptom of a brain full of 'cluttered' wisdom rather than a sign of decline. Thanks so much @thomhills.bsky.social at @warwickpsych.bsky.social for giving us all some hope that it's not all lost as we age! 😊

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Does the mind degrade or become enriched as we grow old? To explain healthy aging effects, the evidence supports enrichment. Indeed, the evidence suggests changes in crystallized (enrichment) and fluid intelligence (slowing) share a common cause. psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

psycnet.apa.org

APA PsycNet

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Two PhDs with me on offer, focusing on language, information, well-being, and the attention economy. Project-Linked Studentships Deadline April 14. warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...

warwick.ac.uk

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

I am a strong proponent of this for all departments (which would increase productivity and avoid numerous biases and costs associated with current funding policies). There even merit based routes to achieving it. I lay out one such approach in the final chapter of my recent book.

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Years ago I argued that the Research Excellence Framework (RAE then) does more harm than good and should be replaced (at least in the humanities) with equal research funding for everyone who meets a threshold for being research active. Have not changed my mind. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

theguardian.com

Jonathan Wolff on the research assessment exercise

Although in financial terms no one has won the jackpot, there are some who are nursing huge losses, says Jonathan Wolff

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Nichol Castro @nicholcastro.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Excited to see an inside peek in @thomhills.bsky.social's new network science book!! Just added this to my cart! #netsci

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Neil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

1/8. This week I had a few different conversations with scholars who, in the face of the attacks on science and institutions of learning in the U.S., are wondering what to do. One suggestion I have is: keep doing your work. It matters in and of itself. Why do I say that? A few reasons.

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Simon Kirby @simonkirby.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

A thread explaining our new discovery about humpback whale song published today in Science... We found key statistical properties that characterise all human languages in another species for the first time. We have more in common with whales than we previously thought! doi.org/10.1126/scie...

A picture of a humpback whale just below the sea surface taken by Marc Quintin

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Agreed. Scientists need not be so thoughtful they cannot act. Most scientists have chosen a life of service to truth and the curiosity it requires,...above authority "Resistance need not be overt"--it cannot be for everyone--but it should be woven into our deeds.

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Suzanne Aussems @suzanneaussems.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

The Psychology Department (@warwickpsych.bsky.social) at the University of Warwick is seeking new talent! If you're interested in pursuing a PhD focused on the topics of language and gesture, I encourage you to get in touch with me and apply: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLI727/f...

jobs.ac.uk

Four PhD Fellowships in Psychology at University of Warwick

Discover a Four PhD Fellowships in Psychology on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other PhD opportunities.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

A cheerful little watercolor and ink I made from a picture of Salt Lake City a friend sent me. I miss them both.

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Gábor Békés @gaborbekes.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

ICYMI: A comprehensive textbook on data analysis for business, applied economics, and public policy students that uses case studies with real-world data. gabors-data-analysis.com/getting-star... Datasets Code #Rstats #python #stata. Slides. Courses. #EconSky #econsky_data #data #econometrics

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Roger Beaty @roger-beaty.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

The Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity (@tsfnc.bsky.social) has a starter pack of folks doing creativity research. We're trying to build the creativity research community here. Please follow and let us know if you'd like to be added.

go.bsky.app

SfNC Starter Pack

Join the conversation

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Here's a network lesson on #creativity @yoedkenett.bsky.social and I came up: How to be more creative? Get noisy! Try lots of things. It's the old exploration-exploitation trade-off, and good practice when you don't know what to do. DM for a copy of the paper. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...

psycnet.apa.org

APA PsycNet

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Rory Turnbull @roryturnbull.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Just got my hands on this wonderful book - looking forward to getting stuck in to it!

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Many thanks, Rory! I really appreciate it.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

There is a general theme here of hidden connections that this book only grazes. Where can I lean more about vegetation/behavior? Yes to humans, but the arrows go both ways.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Hi Alejandro, there is no real consensus on this. Any views I've heard strongly pitching one way or another sound more dogmatic than informed. Determinist, non-deterministic, it remains an open question.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

The value of shamanism on this festive holiday--a long form article for those looking for a positive diversion from minimal contrast information: aeon.co/essays/why-d...

aeon.co

Why did shamanism evolve in societies all around the globe? | Aeon Essays

The trances and healing powers of shamans are so widespread that they can be counted a human universal. Why did they evolve?

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Yes, this is sensitivity to initial conditions arbitrarily small. IF we had access to tunable non- determinism, we could alter aspects of the choice and do so on our own terms in a way that no one could predict.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

You got it. The question is open, of course, but I've yet to hear a convincing argument either way.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

This multi part series of Art from code, from Danielle Navarro is a work of love and genius. Many thanks.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Glorious day. The Behavioral Network Science: Language, Mind, and Society is now available. Thanks for waiting and thanks to all you network scientists (and other scientists) who made the project a joy to work on. TOC and code at thomasthills.github.io/BehavioralNe....

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Dr. Verónica Espinoza @verukita1.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

📕 The Atlas for the Aspiring Network Scientist by Michele Coscia is amazing! 👉Available as a free electronic PDF: networkatlas.eu #Networkscience #Datavisualization #ArtificialIntelligence

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

'all behaviors are social' does the former student have any published work on this? It is indeed related to something I'm currently working on.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Thanks BJ. The Fogg B=MAP looks interesting. To be fair, the book doesn't cover it all, but it tries to tackle what we speak, think, and do in relation to others (game theory, social influence, friendship paradox). My pub pdfs are here. You might find 'the ABCs of behavioral influence' fun.

warwick.ac.uk

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Fascinating. Just read some of Chapter 1. Mesmerizing stuff. Thanks for sharing.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Nicely done. I wouldn't mind being on the list, if room remains. Thanks.

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Harrison Ritz @hritz.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Starter pack for researchers studying the control of cognitive processes e.g., attentional control, inhibition, task switching, working memory, error adaptation etc go.bsky.app/12KTqED

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Melissa Florer-Bixler @melissaf-b.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

A poem for my last day working at the writing center for the semester (by Joseph Fasano)

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The Toulouse-Latrec? Très cool. I'm a fan. Go Rudy.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Rudy's got nice colors. Thanks for sharing!

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I have a whole chapter on network illusions in my upcoming book, and I tried to think of all these ways that we live them, but I didn't think of the enmity paradox. That is clever, indeed. Thanks for posting this, Koenfucius.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Me getting a new idea. I start off feeling like the worm. Then, later, I feel like the fish. btw, Eunice aphroditois are beautiful things. See comments on Rachel's post.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

So true. It feels very systemic--reminds me of tribal systems that reduce inequality, Ostrom-esque mechanisms for constraining what Picketty clearly identifies as capital accumulation, etc, rich-get-richer mechanisms that happen from government to science--and for so many reasons.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

My nose does that when I talk.

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Thomas Hills @thomhills.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

I continue to think dreams are an unopened gift to mind science. Here a case where lucidity of consciousness is graded. There is contrast and control. And lovely questions about who can dream, rats? future llms?, and about what (can you dream you're snow?). Bravo. A science of magical realism.

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