Simon Kern
@skjerns.de
Sleep & Memory researcher @ CIMH Mannheim with @gordonfeld.bsky.social . Interested in replay and applied machine learning in the context of episodic and declarative memory.
MEG and Python enthusiast.
MEG and Python enthusiast.
Sleep & Memory summer school, in the picturesque Heidelberg this summer.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Save the date for the 1st MEEP – Heidelberg Summer School on Memory and Sleep: May 31st to June 3rd
Keynote speakers: @marwimber.bsky.social @mgarvert.bsky.social & Dan Bendor
Sessions on:
memory processes
sleep & replay
analysis and stimulation techniques
www.zi-mannheim.de/forschung/ab...
plz rp
Keynote speakers: @marwimber.bsky.social @mgarvert.bsky.social & Dan Bendor
Sessions on:
memory processes
sleep & replay
analysis and stimulation techniques
www.zi-mannheim.de/forschung/ab...
plz rp
MEEP – Heidelberg Summer School on Memory and Sleep
Join our 4-day summer school on memory consolidation, neural replay, and sleep. May 31–June 3, 2026 in Heidelberg. For Master, PhD students & postdocs.
www.zi-mannheim.de
February 13, 2026 at 11:59 AM
Sleep & Memory summer school, in the picturesque Heidelberg this summer.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Reposted by Simon Kern
Do you work or study in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, computer science, artificial intelligence, or philosophy?
What does the term 'representation' mean to you?
We invite you to participate in a brief survey on key conceptual questions across fields.
eu.surveymonkey.com/r/VX9GNXM
What does the term 'representation' mean to you?
We invite you to participate in a brief survey on key conceptual questions across fields.
eu.surveymonkey.com/r/VX9GNXM
February 12, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Do you work or study in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, computer science, artificial intelligence, or philosophy?
What does the term 'representation' mean to you?
We invite you to participate in a brief survey on key conceptual questions across fields.
eu.surveymonkey.com/r/VX9GNXM
What does the term 'representation' mean to you?
We invite you to participate in a brief survey on key conceptual questions across fields.
eu.surveymonkey.com/r/VX9GNXM
Reposted by Simon Kern
Discovered @patrickmineault.bsky.social's excellent Good Research Code Handbook today, which was always awesome, but is even more necessary as more scientists consider integrating coding agents into their workflows.
goodresearch.dev
goodresearch.dev
The Good Research Code Handbook
This handbook is for grad students, postdocs and PIs who do a lot of programming as part of their research. It will teach you, in a practical manner, how to organize your code so that it is easy to...
goodresearch.dev
January 31, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Discovered @patrickmineault.bsky.social's excellent Good Research Code Handbook today, which was always awesome, but is even more necessary as more scientists consider integrating coding agents into their workflows.
goodresearch.dev
goodresearch.dev
Reposted by Simon Kern
Preventing data leakage in neural decoding - "for autocorrelated neural time series, standard k-fold cross-validation can dramatically overstate performance." www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 30, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Preventing data leakage in neural decoding - "for autocorrelated neural time series, standard k-fold cross-validation can dramatically overstate performance." www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Simon Kern
A useful thing about MoltBook is that it provides a visceral sense of how weird a "take-off" scenario might look if one happened for real
MoltBook itself is more of an artifact of AI shared roleplaying (not new), but it gives people a vision of the world where things get very strange, very fast.
MoltBook itself is more of an artifact of AI shared roleplaying (not new), but it gives people a vision of the world where things get very strange, very fast.
January 31, 2026 at 6:34 AM
A useful thing about MoltBook is that it provides a visceral sense of how weird a "take-off" scenario might look if one happened for real
MoltBook itself is more of an artifact of AI shared roleplaying (not new), but it gives people a vision of the world where things get very strange, very fast.
MoltBook itself is more of an artifact of AI shared roleplaying (not new), but it gives people a vision of the world where things get very strange, very fast.
Reposted by Simon Kern
Are episodic and semantic memory really that different? Using closely matched tasks, we found no substantial neural differences between recalling personal experiences and general knowledge: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02390-4
January 29, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Are episodic and semantic memory really that different? Using closely matched tasks, we found no substantial neural differences between recalling personal experiences and general knowledge: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02390-4
Reposted by Simon Kern
I’m excited to share our preprint ‘Phase similarity between similar objects indicates representational merging across retrieval training but not sleep.’ We use EEG to compare representational changes to memories across retrieval-mediated and sleep-based consolidation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:25 AM
I’m excited to share our preprint ‘Phase similarity between similar objects indicates representational merging across retrieval training but not sleep.’ We use EEG to compare representational changes to memories across retrieval-mediated and sleep-based consolidation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Simon Kern
Wow, inspiring work.
IMO the 'jingle-jangle' fallacy is a majorly underappreciated source of confusion in many fields. In my field (sleep/memory), we have issues of a similar scale re:
-What is a "sleep spindle"?
-Correlations between "sleep stages" and "memory performance"
1/2
#sleeppeeps
IMO the 'jingle-jangle' fallacy is a majorly underappreciated source of confusion in many fields. In my field (sleep/memory), we have issues of a similar scale re:
-What is a "sleep spindle"?
-Correlations between "sleep stages" and "memory performance"
1/2
#sleeppeeps
The Iowa Gambling Task is an extreme example of Jingle Fallacy and schmeasurement.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
How many versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) exist? And how much does this affect research using the IGT? More than you might think. 🧵
January 25, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Wow, inspiring work.
IMO the 'jingle-jangle' fallacy is a majorly underappreciated source of confusion in many fields. In my field (sleep/memory), we have issues of a similar scale re:
-What is a "sleep spindle"?
-Correlations between "sleep stages" and "memory performance"
1/2
#sleeppeeps
IMO the 'jingle-jangle' fallacy is a majorly underappreciated source of confusion in many fields. In my field (sleep/memory), we have issues of a similar scale re:
-What is a "sleep spindle"?
-Correlations between "sleep stages" and "memory performance"
1/2
#sleeppeeps
very useful and a step towards the publication of the future.
If you think about it, it's kind of ridiculous that we're still stuck with what is basically a digitized version of a printed paper rather than using the vast possibilities of the web
If you think about it, it's kind of ridiculous that we're still stuck with what is basically a digitized version of a printed paper rather than using the vast possibilities of the web
At @elife.bsky.social you can now include explainer videos with every figure. Like going to a seminar while you engage with the paper. First example here elifesciences.org/articles/106...
Click the arrows next to each figure to get a video of @mathiassablemeyer.bsky.social explaining it for you!
Click the arrows next to each figure to get a video of @mathiassablemeyer.bsky.social explaining it for you!
January 23, 2026 at 8:39 AM
very useful and a step towards the publication of the future.
If you think about it, it's kind of ridiculous that we're still stuck with what is basically a digitized version of a printed paper rather than using the vast possibilities of the web
If you think about it, it's kind of ridiculous that we're still stuck with what is basically a digitized version of a printed paper rather than using the vast possibilities of the web
Reposted by Simon Kern
How do we achieve few-shot generalization? New work led by @fabianrenz.bsky.social dives into the role of replay in learning and using structure to generalize reward. Dream team effort with Shany Grossman @nathanieldaw.bsky.social Peter Dayan & @doellerlab.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
January 18, 2026 at 3:33 PM
How do we achieve few-shot generalization? New work led by @fabianrenz.bsky.social dives into the role of replay in learning and using structure to generalize reward. Dream team effort with Shany Grossman @nathanieldaw.bsky.social Peter Dayan & @doellerlab.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Simon Kern
📢 Postdoctoral Position (2 years) – Social Neuroscience / Psychophysiology
@monikaeckstein.bsky.social & myself invite applications from an outstanding early-career PostDoc to join a new project on social touch, stress, and health at the CIMH in Mannheim and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
@monikaeckstein.bsky.social & myself invite applications from an outstanding early-career PostDoc to join a new project on social touch, stress, and health at the CIMH in Mannheim and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
January 21, 2026 at 9:30 AM
📢 Postdoctoral Position (2 years) – Social Neuroscience / Psychophysiology
@monikaeckstein.bsky.social & myself invite applications from an outstanding early-career PostDoc to join a new project on social touch, stress, and health at the CIMH in Mannheim and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
@monikaeckstein.bsky.social & myself invite applications from an outstanding early-career PostDoc to join a new project on social touch, stress, and health at the CIMH in Mannheim and Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany
Reposted by Simon Kern
main goal for this year: find a new job! 🙂
looking for a role with fun & complex technical challenges & within a great community. my main expertise is in signal processing/EEG/MEG, but topic-wise I am quite flexible.
science/industry both great! starting mid-year. nschawor.github.io/cv
looking for a role with fun & complex technical challenges & within a great community. my main expertise is in signal processing/EEG/MEG, but topic-wise I am quite flexible.
science/industry both great! starting mid-year. nschawor.github.io/cv
January 16, 2026 at 10:14 AM
main goal for this year: find a new job! 🙂
looking for a role with fun & complex technical challenges & within a great community. my main expertise is in signal processing/EEG/MEG, but topic-wise I am quite flexible.
science/industry both great! starting mid-year. nschawor.github.io/cv
looking for a role with fun & complex technical challenges & within a great community. my main expertise is in signal processing/EEG/MEG, but topic-wise I am quite flexible.
science/industry both great! starting mid-year. nschawor.github.io/cv
Reposted by Simon Kern
Really thrilled that this paper led by @neurozz.bsky.social is now published in its final version in @elife.bsky.social!!
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
A unifying account of replay as context-driven memory reactivation
A context-driven memory model simulates a wide range of characteristics of waking and sleeping hippocampal replay, providing a new account of how and why replay occurs.
elifesciences.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Really thrilled that this paper led by @neurozz.bsky.social is now published in its final version in @elife.bsky.social!!
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
This is a memory-focused (as opposed to RL-focused) account of the detailed characteristics of forward and backward awake and sleep replay!
elifesciences.org/articles/99931
Reposted by Simon Kern
Save the date for ICOM-7 (aka the Memory Olympics)
January 12, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Save the date for ICOM-7 (aka the Memory Olympics)
Reposted by Simon Kern
Episodic memory consolidation by reactivation of human concept neurons during sleep reflects contents, not sequence of events https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.10.698827v1
January 11, 2026 at 8:16 AM
Episodic memory consolidation by reactivation of human concept neurons during sleep reflects contents, not sequence of events https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.10.698827v1
Reposted by Simon Kern
Our machine learning competition on forecasting depression is online! We'd love for as many people as possible to participate. Please share in your respective networks — thank you :).
www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/announcement...
www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/announcement...
Machine-learning competition on forecasting depression in young adults - Leiden University
After nearly 5 years of work, the research team led by Eiko Fried has finished data collection in the ERC-funded WARN-D project on building a personalised early warning system for depression. But just...
www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl
January 12, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Our machine learning competition on forecasting depression is online! We'd love for as many people as possible to participate. Please share in your respective networks — thank you :).
www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/announcement...
www.staff.universiteitleiden.nl/announcement...
Reposted by Simon Kern
Submit your symposium to PuG by 28th February 2026:
pug2026.org/submission/
And posters by 31st or March!
pug2026.org/submission/
And posters by 31st or March!
January 8, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Submit your symposium to PuG by 28th February 2026:
pug2026.org/submission/
And posters by 31st or March!
pug2026.org/submission/
And posters by 31st or March!
Reposted by Simon Kern
We should no longer trust data collected on MTurk
link.springer.com/article/10.3...
My guess is that other online data is going to drop in quality due to LLMs. This is going to be an existential crisis for the behavioral sciences.
link.springer.com/article/10.3...
My guess is that other online data is going to drop in quality due to LLMs. This is going to be an existential crisis for the behavioral sciences.
January 8, 2026 at 8:26 PM
We should no longer trust data collected on MTurk
link.springer.com/article/10.3...
My guess is that other online data is going to drop in quality due to LLMs. This is going to be an existential crisis for the behavioral sciences.
link.springer.com/article/10.3...
My guess is that other online data is going to drop in quality due to LLMs. This is going to be an existential crisis for the behavioral sciences.
Reposted by Simon Kern
Really cool stuff!
"Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms"
by the @earlkmiller.bsky.social lab, published in @cp-neuron.bsky.social
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
"Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms"
by the @earlkmiller.bsky.social lab, published in @cp-neuron.bsky.social
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms
Han et al. show that frontal theta oscillations rhythmically control access to working
memory. The theta rhythm sweeps across the mental image, shaping behavior by coordinating
spikes and beta oscilla...
www.cell.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Really cool stuff!
"Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms"
by the @earlkmiller.bsky.social lab, published in @cp-neuron.bsky.social
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
"Working memory readout varies with frontal theta rhythms"
by the @earlkmiller.bsky.social lab, published in @cp-neuron.bsky.social
www.cell.com/neuron/abstr...
Reposted by Simon Kern
After 5 years of data collection, our WARN-D machine learning competition to forecast depression onset is now LIVE! We hope many of you will participate—we have incredibly rich data.
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
WARN-D machine learning competition is live » Eiko Fried
If you share one single thing of our team in 2026—on social media or per email with your colleagues—please let it be this machine learning competition. It was half a decade of work to get here, especi...
eiko-fried.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:39 PM
After 5 years of data collection, our WARN-D machine learning competition to forecast depression onset is now LIVE! We hope many of you will participate—we have incredibly rich data.
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
Reposted by Simon Kern
Journal article: “the data are available on request”
The data:
The data:
December 20, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Journal article: “the data are available on request”
The data:
The data:
Reposted by Simon Kern
I have an early Christmas present for you! 🎅
Happy to announce that we have three excellent keynote speakers at Psychology and Brain 2026 in Heidleberg!
Professors Shamay-Tsoory, Schönauer and Allen will cover topics from empathy over memory to interoception!
pug2026.org
Happy to announce that we have three excellent keynote speakers at Psychology and Brain 2026 in Heidleberg!
Professors Shamay-Tsoory, Schönauer and Allen will cover topics from empathy over memory to interoception!
pug2026.org
December 19, 2025 at 8:00 AM
I have an early Christmas present for you! 🎅
Happy to announce that we have three excellent keynote speakers at Psychology and Brain 2026 in Heidleberg!
Professors Shamay-Tsoory, Schönauer and Allen will cover topics from empathy over memory to interoception!
pug2026.org
Happy to announce that we have three excellent keynote speakers at Psychology and Brain 2026 in Heidleberg!
Professors Shamay-Tsoory, Schönauer and Allen will cover topics from empathy over memory to interoception!
pug2026.org
Reposted by Simon Kern
📢 Coming soon: A fully funded PhD position in this project, thanks to @dfg.de .
If you're into social neuroscience, threat learning, or computational physiology — stay tuned!
If you're into social neuroscience, threat learning, or computational physiology — stay tuned!
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
📢 Coming soon: A fully funded PhD position in this project, thanks to @dfg.de .
If you're into social neuroscience, threat learning, or computational physiology — stay tuned!
If you're into social neuroscience, threat learning, or computational physiology — stay tuned!
The Renaissance of pupil dilation papers might be my favorite development in the recent years. They truly are the window to the soul
Synesthetes claim sensory experiences, such as seeing color when reading or hearing a (black) number.
But how genuine are these reports and sensations? We introduce a rather direct measure of synesthetic perception: Synesthetes’ pupils respond to evoked color as if it was real color #vision! 👁️🎨🧪
November 26, 2025 at 5:27 PM
The Renaissance of pupil dilation papers might be my favorite development in the recent years. They truly are the window to the soul
Reposted by Simon Kern
Synesthetes claim sensory experiences, such as seeing color when reading or hearing a (black) number.
But how genuine are these reports and sensations? We introduce a rather direct measure of synesthetic perception: Synesthetes’ pupils respond to evoked color as if it was real color #vision! 👁️🎨🧪
November 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Synesthetes claim sensory experiences, such as seeing color when reading or hearing a (black) number.
But how genuine are these reports and sensations? We introduce a rather direct measure of synesthetic perception: Synesthetes’ pupils respond to evoked color as if it was real color #vision! 👁️🎨🧪