Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
@alirezakr.bsky.social
Postdoctoral researcher @NeuroSpin | AI 🤖 & neuroscience 🧠 enthusiast
https://linktr.ee/alirezakr
https://linktr.ee/alirezakr
Pinned
A brief bio for those who do not know me as a junior researcher 👋: I'm a postdoctoral researcher studying math cognition with @standehaene.bsky.social. Previously, I completed my PhD at CIMeC, supervised by @manpiazza.bsky.social, focusing on numerosity perception.
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Y’all are reading this paper in the wrong way.
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Y’all are reading this paper in the wrong way.
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
We love to trash dominant hypothesis, but we need to look for evidence against the manifold hypothesis elsewhere:
This elegant work doesn't show neural dynamics are high D, nor that we should stop using PCA
It’s quite the opposite!
(thread)
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Émission frustrante. Soyons clairs: La psychanalyse :
- ne fait pas progresser les enfants
- s’appuie sur un fatras de chimères théoriques (œdipe, castration, jeux de mots Lacaniens) qu’on a encore entendues ce soir
- conduit trop de CMPP à culpabiliser les parents au lieu de les outiller
- ne fait pas progresser les enfants
- s’appuie sur un fatras de chimères théoriques (œdipe, castration, jeux de mots Lacaniens) qu’on a encore entendues ce soir
- conduit trop de CMPP à culpabiliser les parents au lieu de les outiller
📻18h20
Psychanalyse : pourquoi certains veulent dérembourser tous les soins ?
Sur @franceculture.fr, @quentinlafay.bsky.social recevra les psychanalystes @elsagodart.bsky.social et Louis Sciara ainsi que @franckramus.bsky.social, chercheur en sciences cognitives
Psychanalyse : pourquoi certains veulent dérembourser tous les soins ?
Sur @franceculture.fr, @quentinlafay.bsky.social recevra les psychanalystes @elsagodart.bsky.social et Louis Sciara ainsi que @franckramus.bsky.social, chercheur en sciences cognitives
Psychanalyse : pourquoi certains veulent dérembourser tous les soins ?
Le 18 novembre 2025, onze sénateurs ont proposé de mettre fin, au 1er janvier 2026, au remboursement des soins et prestations "se réclamant de la psychanalyse ou reposant sur des fondements théoriques...
www.radiofrance.fr
November 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Émission frustrante. Soyons clairs: La psychanalyse :
- ne fait pas progresser les enfants
- s’appuie sur un fatras de chimères théoriques (œdipe, castration, jeux de mots Lacaniens) qu’on a encore entendues ce soir
- conduit trop de CMPP à culpabiliser les parents au lieu de les outiller
- ne fait pas progresser les enfants
- s’appuie sur un fatras de chimères théoriques (œdipe, castration, jeux de mots Lacaniens) qu’on a encore entendues ce soir
- conduit trop de CMPP à culpabiliser les parents au lieu de les outiller
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Numerosity Is Directly Sensed and Dynamically Transformed in the Human Brain: Evidence from MEG-MRI Fusion https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.15.687894v1
November 16, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Numerosity Is Directly Sensed and Dynamically Transformed in the Human Brain: Evidence from MEG-MRI Fusion https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.15.687894v1
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Noise ceilings are really useful: You can estimate the reliability of your data and get an index of how well your model can possibly perform given the noise in the data.
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
November 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Noise ceilings are really useful: You can estimate the reliability of your data and get an index of how well your model can possibly perform given the noise in the data.
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
But, contrary to what you may think, noise ceilings do not provide an absolute index of data quality.
Let's dive into why. 🧵
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
I’m looking for interns to join our lab for a project on foundation models in neuroscience.
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
AI and Neuroscience | IVADO
ivado.ca
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I’m looking for interns to join our lab for a project on foundation models in neuroscience.
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
I think “Academia = papers” vs. “Science = helping society” is too simplistic. Science isn’t always about direct utility; sometimes its value is understanding itself. And academia isn’t defined by papers — that’s just the current incentive system.
how I feel sitting in large projects ... evaluation of projects remains based on articles and journals these are published in #AcademiaVsScience
November 5, 2025 at 9:12 AM
I think “Academia = papers” vs. “Science = helping society” is too simplistic. Science isn’t always about direct utility; sometimes its value is understanding itself. And academia isn’t defined by papers — that’s just the current incentive system.
An exciting opportunity to work with @martinhebart.bsky.social
Please repost! I am looking for a PhD candidate in the area of Computational Cognitive Neuroscience to start in early 2026.
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
The position is funded as part of the Excellence Cluster "The Adaptive Mind" at @jlugiessen.bsky.social.
Please apply here until Nov 25:
www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns...
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
An exciting opportunity to work with @martinhebart.bsky.social
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Pleased to share new work with @sflippl.bsky.social @eberleoliver.bsky.social @thomasmcgee.bsky.social & undergrad interns at Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, UCLA.
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
October 27, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Pleased to share new work with @sflippl.bsky.social @eberleoliver.bsky.social @thomasmcgee.bsky.social & undergrad interns at Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, UCLA.
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Algorithmic Primitives and Compositional Geometry of Reasoning in Language Models
www.arxiv.org/pdf/2510.15987
🧵1/n
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
When does new learning interfere with existing knowledge in people and ANNs? Great to have this out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com
Work with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social, @tsonj.bsky.social, Lukas Braun and Jan Grohn
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Work with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social, @tsonj.bsky.social, Lukas Braun and Jan Grohn
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 31, 2025 at 2:47 PM
When does new learning interfere with existing knowledge in people and ANNs? Great to have this out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com
Work with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social, @tsonj.bsky.social, Lukas Braun and Jan Grohn
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Work with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social, @tsonj.bsky.social, Lukas Braun and Jan Grohn
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
For your enjoyment (by @jagarikin)
October 25, 2025 at 11:58 AM
For your enjoyment (by @jagarikin)
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
From ancient Greece to the Arabic golden age, scholars have been driven by their curiosity to investigate astronomy, history, philosophy, and sundry other disciplines. Is there a structure to that curiosity? Are astronomers as likely to also be historians or to also be philosophers?
August 11, 2025 at 12:05 PM
From ancient Greece to the Arabic golden age, scholars have been driven by their curiosity to investigate astronomy, history, philosophy, and sundry other disciplines. Is there a structure to that curiosity? Are astronomers as likely to also be historians or to also be philosophers?
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
📣 Apply now for the 🌵CaCTüS 3-month fully funded internship in Germany in 2026!
Work on ML, theor. neuroscience, computational psychiatry, behavioral experiments or data analysis at a top institution in Tübingen. For students facing barriers in higher education. 👉 cactus-internship.tuebingen.mpg.de
Work on ML, theor. neuroscience, computational psychiatry, behavioral experiments or data analysis at a top institution in Tübingen. For students facing barriers in higher education. 👉 cactus-internship.tuebingen.mpg.de
October 21, 2025 at 8:23 AM
📣 Apply now for the 🌵CaCTüS 3-month fully funded internship in Germany in 2026!
Work on ML, theor. neuroscience, computational psychiatry, behavioral experiments or data analysis at a top institution in Tübingen. For students facing barriers in higher education. 👉 cactus-internship.tuebingen.mpg.de
Work on ML, theor. neuroscience, computational psychiatry, behavioral experiments or data analysis at a top institution in Tübingen. For students facing barriers in higher education. 👉 cactus-internship.tuebingen.mpg.de
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science
While AI coding tools have demonstrated potential to accelerate software development, their use in scientific computing raises critical questions about code quality and scientific validity. In this pa...
arxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
🚨Preprint: Semantic Tuning of Single Neurons in the Human Medial Temporal Lobe
1/8: How do human neurons encode meaning?
In this work, led by Katharina Karkowski, we recorded hundreds of human MTL neurons to study semantic coding in the human brain:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/8: How do human neurons encode meaning?
In this work, led by Katharina Karkowski, we recorded hundreds of human MTL neurons to study semantic coding in the human brain:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Semantic Tuning of Single Neurons in the Human Medial Temporal Lobe
The Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL) is key to human cognition, supporting memory, emotional processing, navigation, and semantic coding. Rare direct human MTL recordings revealed concept cells, which were ...
doi.org
October 27, 2025 at 3:32 PM
🚨Preprint: Semantic Tuning of Single Neurons in the Human Medial Temporal Lobe
1/8: How do human neurons encode meaning?
In this work, led by Katharina Karkowski, we recorded hundreds of human MTL neurons to study semantic coding in the human brain:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/8: How do human neurons encode meaning?
In this work, led by Katharina Karkowski, we recorded hundreds of human MTL neurons to study semantic coding in the human brain:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
I am close to tears; they listened and made an english version apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
@apache.be you rule 🖤
@apache.be you rule 🖤
October 24, 2025 at 10:13 AM
I am close to tears; they listened and made an english version apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
@apache.be you rule 🖤
@apache.be you rule 🖤
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
How does our brain excel at complex object recognition, yet get fooled by simple illusory contours? What unifying principle governs all Gestalt laws of perceptual organization?
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
October 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
How does our brain excel at complex object recognition, yet get fooled by simple illusory contours? What unifying principle governs all Gestalt laws of perceptual organization?
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
We may have an answer: integration of learned priors through feedback. New paper with @kenmiller.bsky.social! 🧵
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Please enjoy my series of essays on the subtle distinction between the game-theoretic concepts of tactics and strategies.
www.infinitelymore.xyz/t/tactic #InfinitelyMore
www.infinitelymore.xyz/t/tactic #InfinitelyMore
October 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Please enjoy my series of essays on the subtle distinction between the game-theoretic concepts of tactics and strategies.
www.infinitelymore.xyz/t/tactic #InfinitelyMore
www.infinitelymore.xyz/t/tactic #InfinitelyMore
Interesting PhD positions in AI & ML with the ELLIS–Max Planck AI Network. Potential opportunities for interdisciplinary projects bridging AI and neuroscience.
🚀 ELLIS partners with the newly launched 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝗜 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 to expand doctoral opportunities across Europe.
Fully funded PhDs with dual supervision: one advisor in ML/AI, one in an application domain, with optional ELLIS co-advisors.
📅 Oct 1-31
🔗 ellis.eu/news/ellis-p...
@maxplanck.de
Fully funded PhDs with dual supervision: one advisor in ML/AI, one in an application domain, with optional ELLIS co-advisors.
📅 Oct 1-31
🔗 ellis.eu/news/ellis-p...
@maxplanck.de
ELLIS Partners with New Max Planck AI Network to Expand Doctoral Opportunities
The ELLIS mission is to create a diverse European network that promotes research excellence and advances breakthroughs in AI, as well as a pan-European PhD program to educate the next generation of AI...
ellis.eu
September 29, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Interesting PhD positions in AI & ML with the ELLIS–Max Planck AI Network. Potential opportunities for interdisciplinary projects bridging AI and neuroscience.
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Variance partitioning is used to quantify the overlap of two models. Over the years, I have found that this can be a very confusing and misleading concept. So we finally we decided to write a short blog to explain why.
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
September 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Variance partitioning is used to quantify the overlap of two models. Over the years, I have found that this can be a very confusing and misleading concept. So we finally we decided to write a short blog to explain why.
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
I wanted to add some thoughts to this excellent blog post, not detailed, maybe wrong, maybe useful:
1. Unique variance is easy to interpret as a lower bound of what a variable explains (the upper bound being either what the variable explains alone or what the other variables cannot explain uniquely)
1. Unique variance is easy to interpret as a lower bound of what a variable explains (the upper bound being either what the variable explains alone or what the other variables cannot explain uniquely)
Variance partitioning is used to quantify the overlap of two models. Over the years, I have found that this can be a very confusing and misleading concept. So we finally we decided to write a short blog to explain why.
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
@martinhebart.bsky.social @gallantlab.org
diedrichsenlab.org/BrainDataSci...
September 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
I wanted to add some thoughts to this excellent blog post, not detailed, maybe wrong, maybe useful:
1. Unique variance is easy to interpret as a lower bound of what a variable explains (the upper bound being either what the variable explains alone or what the other variables cannot explain uniquely)
1. Unique variance is easy to interpret as a lower bound of what a variable explains (the upper bound being either what the variable explains alone or what the other variables cannot explain uniquely)
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
Dear scientists of BlueSky: Wouldn't it be great to learn how large language models work by running experiments on them and analyzing the data? Yeah, you can do that, and I'll show you how.
mikexcohen.substack.com/s/ml-on-llms
mikexcohen.substack.com/s/ml-on-llms
Dissecting LLMs with ML | Mike X Cohen | Substack
Understand how large language models (LLMs) really work by applying machine learning (ML) methods to their internal activations. Each post explores how LLMs process text, isolate patterns, and generat...
mikexcohen.substack.com
September 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Dear scientists of BlueSky: Wouldn't it be great to learn how large language models work by running experiments on them and analyzing the data? Yeah, you can do that, and I'll show you how.
mikexcohen.substack.com/s/ml-on-llms
mikexcohen.substack.com/s/ml-on-llms
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
I’m recruiting committee members for the Technical Program Committee at #CCN2026.
Please apply if you want to help make submission, review & selection of contributed work (Extended Abstracts & Proceedings) more useful for everyone! 🌐
Helps to have: programming/communications/editorial experience.
Please apply if you want to help make submission, review & selection of contributed work (Extended Abstracts & Proceedings) more useful for everyone! 🌐
Helps to have: programming/communications/editorial experience.
Fill out the form here to be involved in #CCN2026
tinyurl.com/ccn26committee
And definitely fill out the #CCN2025 feedback form!
tinyurl.com/ccn25partici...
tinyurl.com/ccn26committee
And definitely fill out the #CCN2025 feedback form!
tinyurl.com/ccn25partici...
CCN 2025 Participant Survey
❗ This is the general CCN post-conference survey. For the application form for positions on the committees at CCN 2026, please see the CCN 2026 Committee Application.
Thank you for participating in C...
tinyurl.com
August 19, 2025 at 2:12 PM
I’m recruiting committee members for the Technical Program Committee at #CCN2026.
Please apply if you want to help make submission, review & selection of contributed work (Extended Abstracts & Proceedings) more useful for everyone! 🌐
Helps to have: programming/communications/editorial experience.
Please apply if you want to help make submission, review & selection of contributed work (Extended Abstracts & Proceedings) more useful for everyone! 🌐
Helps to have: programming/communications/editorial experience.
Thrilled that #CCN2026 will be hosted at NYU! Having experienced an amazing summer school there last year, I know how inspiring the city is. It’s heartbreaking, though, that many brilliant Iranian students and researchers may be excluded due to the new travel restrictions.
The rumors are true! #CCN2026 will be held at NYU. @toddgureckis.bsky.social and I will be executive-chairing. Get in touch if you want to be involved!
August 16, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Thrilled that #CCN2026 will be hosted at NYU! Having experienced an amazing summer school there last year, I know how inspiring the city is. It’s heartbreaking, though, that many brilliant Iranian students and researchers may be excluded due to the new travel restrictions.
Come and check out our poster at #CCN2025, presented by @tlmnhut.bsky.social
August 15, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Come and check out our poster at #CCN2025, presented by @tlmnhut.bsky.social
Reposted by Alireza Karami | علیرضا کرمی
New preprint out! We propose that action is a key dimension shaping the topographic organization of object categories in lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC)—and test whether standard and topographic neural networks capture this pattern. A thread:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
Investigating action topography in visual cortex and deep artificial neural networks
High-level visual cortex contains category-selective areas embedded within larger-scale topographic maps like animacy and real-world size. Here, we propose action as a key organizing factor shaping vi...
www.biorxiv.org
August 7, 2025 at 3:17 PM
New preprint out! We propose that action is a key dimension shaping the topographic organization of object categories in lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC)—and test whether standard and topographic neural networks capture this pattern. A thread:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n