Vivienne Ming
@socos.org
Professional Mad Scientist
socos.org
Professional Mad Scientist
My amazing new book, "Robot-Proof": https://socos.org/robot-proof
"It’s fascinating. It’s terrifying. It’s funny!"
socos.org
Professional Mad Scientist
My amazing new book, "Robot-Proof": https://socos.org/robot-proof
"It’s fascinating. It’s terrifying. It’s funny!"
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: Are LLMs “agentic pilots” or “zombie autopilots”? Let’s look at an everyday, ill-posed task that turns most professionals into shallow zombies: reading resumes.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:43 PM
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: Are LLMs “agentic pilots” or “zombie autopilots”? Let’s look at an everyday, ill-posed task that turns most professionals into shallow zombies: reading resumes.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: Are LLMs “agentic pilots” or “zombie autopilots”? Let’s look at an everyday, ill-posed task that turns most professionals into shallow zombies: reading resumes.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
AI Self-preferencing in Algorithmic Hiring: Empirical Evidence and Insights
<p>As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools become widely adopted, large language models (LLMs) are increasingly involved on both sides of decision-maki
papers.ssrn.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:42 PM
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨-𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: Are LLMs “agentic pilots” or “zombie autopilots”? Let’s look at an everyday, ill-posed task that turns most professionals into shallow zombies: reading resumes.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Hey, AI Utopians, there is no single algorithm—DNN, LLM/transformers, RL—that scales to godhood. Human cognition is so much more interesting than a one-trick robot.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:22 PM
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Hey, AI Utopians, there is no single algorithm—DNN, LLM/transformers, RL—that scales to godhood. Human cognition is so much more interesting than a one-trick robot.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
After the launch announcement yesterday, I’ve received a lot of questions about how to get a 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 of my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇. How flattering!
For a signed copy (and support our research!), you must pre-order directly through the Mad Science Alliance on my website: socos.org/robot-proof
For a signed copy (and support our research!), you must pre-order directly through the Mad Science Alliance on my website: socos.org/robot-proof
Robot-Proof
socos.org
January 12, 2026 at 7:31 PM
After the launch announcement yesterday, I’ve received a lot of questions about how to get a 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 of my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇. How flattering!
For a signed copy (and support our research!), you must pre-order directly through the Mad Science Alliance on my website: socos.org/robot-proof
For a signed copy (and support our research!), you must pre-order directly through the Mad Science Alliance on my website: socos.org/robot-proof
“It’s fascinating. It’s terrifying. It’s funny!”
And it’s finally here. Pre-orders for my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, are officially open. 🤖🦾
#AI #RobotProof #TechEthics #PossibilitySciences
And it’s finally here. Pre-orders for my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, are officially open. 🤖🦾
#AI #RobotProof #TechEthics #PossibilitySciences
January 11, 2026 at 11:54 PM
“It’s fascinating. It’s terrifying. It’s funny!”
And it’s finally here. Pre-orders for my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, are officially open. 🤖🦾
#AI #RobotProof #TechEthics #PossibilitySciences
And it’s finally here. Pre-orders for my new book, 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕-𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, are officially open. 🤖🦾
#AI #RobotProof #TechEthics #PossibilitySciences
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐭: There may be no more important truth I can speak this day…than to bitch about “percent “ and significant figures.
I just read an article that included the following: “worker productivity grew by eight percent in the EU and 9.6 percent in Brazil”.
Where to begin…
I just read an article that included the following: “worker productivity grew by eight percent in the EU and 9.6 percent in Brazil”.
Where to begin…
January 1, 2026 at 5:47 PM
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐭: There may be no more important truth I can speak this day…than to bitch about “percent “ and significant figures.
I just read an article that included the following: “worker productivity grew by eight percent in the EU and 9.6 percent in Brazil”.
Where to begin…
I just read an article that included the following: “worker productivity grew by eight percent in the EU and 9.6 percent in Brazil”.
Where to begin…
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: I’m taking this week to spend some "inefficient" time with my family and enjoy some fireworks. I’ll be back in your inbox next week to start the next 365 cycles of the loop. Don’t worry about "New Year, New You." Be you; go deep.
academy.socos.org/goodbye-2025/
academy.socos.org/goodbye-2025/
Goodbye, 2025
For many, January 1st is a fresh slate—a clean data point where you can magically reset your preferences and "optimize" a new version of yourself.
As a mad scientist who studies hysteresis (and hybri...
academy.socos.org
December 31, 2025 at 11:54 PM
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: I’m taking this week to spend some "inefficient" time with my family and enjoy some fireworks. I’ll be back in your inbox next week to start the next 365 cycles of the loop. Don’t worry about "New Year, New You." Be you; go deep.
academy.socos.org/goodbye-2025/
academy.socos.org/goodbye-2025/
I don’t think I ever shared this interview with The Future of Storytelling podcast. The title was appropriate: “Vivienne Ming: Science is a Story, Revisited”
futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/v...
futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/v...
December 29, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I don’t think I ever shared this interview with The Future of Storytelling podcast. The title was appropriate: “Vivienne Ming: Science is a Story, Revisited”
futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/v...
futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/v...
"The Science of Digital Persuasion"
academy.socos.org/the-science-...
In this week's Research Roundup, we looked at the terrifying efficiency of the current digital ecosystem.
academy.socos.org/the-science-...
In this week's Research Roundup, we looked at the terrifying efficiency of the current digital ecosystem.
The Science of Digital Persuasion
Musing's professional mad scientist working to maximize human potential
academy.socos.org
December 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"The Science of Digital Persuasion"
academy.socos.org/the-science-...
In this week's Research Roundup, we looked at the terrifying efficiency of the current digital ecosystem.
academy.socos.org/the-science-...
In this week's Research Roundup, we looked at the terrifying efficiency of the current digital ecosystem.
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth (1953)
libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
The Space Merchants Audiobook on Libro.fm
In a vastly overpopulated near-future world, businesses have taken the place of governments and now hold all political power. States exist merely to ensure the survival of huge transnational corporati...
libro.fm
December 26, 2025 at 5:59 PM
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth (1953)
libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: If AI is persuasive, why? A massive study with 76k participants took apart the machine to find the levers. It tested model size, personalization, and rhetorical strategy. Conclusion: the louder and faster the AI talks, the more we believe it. [1]
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The levers of political persuasion with conversational artificial intelligence
There are widespread fears that conversational artificial intelligence (AI) could soon exert unprecedented influence over human beliefs. In this work, in three large-scale experiments (N = 76,977 part...
www.science.org
December 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: If AI is persuasive, why? A massive study with 76k participants took apart the machine to find the levers. It tested model size, personalization, and rhetorical strategy. Conclusion: the louder and faster the AI talks, the more we believe it. [1]
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐌𝐫. 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐨: James Carville’s new book is titled Winning Is Everything, Stupid! Apparently, LLMs got the message…and they want your vote.
December 24, 2025 at 6:02 PM
𝐋𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐌𝐫. 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐨: James Carville’s new book is titled Winning Is Everything, Stupid! Apparently, LLMs got the message…and they want your vote.
Can you change the trajectory of a life? My new paper addressing that question, "Quantifying the Lifelong Impact of Resilience Interventions via Agent-Based LLM Simulation" just went live in arXiv.
arxiv.org/abs/2512.18803
arxiv.org/abs/2512.18803
December 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Can you change the trajectory of a life? My new paper addressing that question, "Quantifying the Lifelong Impact of Resilience Interventions via Agent-Based LLM Simulation" just went live in arXiv.
arxiv.org/abs/2512.18803
arxiv.org/abs/2512.18803
𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐲𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 We’ve long debated the chickens and eggs of angry social media: Do angry people curate angry feeds, or do angry feeds create angry people? Your social feed doesn’t just reflect your mood; it creates it. And is likely even influencing your vote.
Reranking partisan animosity in algorithmic social media feeds alters affective polarization
Today, social media platforms hold the sole power to study the effects of feed-ranking algorithms. We developed a platform-independent method that reranks participants’ feeds in real time and used thi...
www.science.org
December 23, 2025 at 5:20 PM
𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐲𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 We’ve long debated the chickens and eggs of angry social media: Do angry people curate angry feeds, or do angry feeds create angry people? Your social feed doesn’t just reflect your mood; it creates it. And is likely even influencing your vote.
This photo of silent auction items for the Kennedy Human Rights Center's "Ripple of Hope Awards" isn't terrible good, but if you scan around a bit you will see that one of these items is not like the others!
December 22, 2025 at 7:48 PM
This photo of silent auction items for the Kennedy Human Rights Center's "Ripple of Hope Awards" isn't terrible good, but if you scan around a bit you will see that one of these items is not like the others!
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝐼𝓈 𝒩𝑜 𝒜𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓈 𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃
For years, my son has been trying to get me into the world of SCP: a massive, collaborative sci-fi project about a secret organization cataloging the impossible.
For years, my son has been trying to get me into the world of SCP: a massive, collaborative sci-fi project about a secret organization cataloging the impossible.
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Humanity is under assault by malevolent “antimemes”—ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself—in this whip-...
www.audible.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝐼𝓈 𝒩𝑜 𝒜𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓈 𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃
For years, my son has been trying to get me into the world of SCP: a massive, collaborative sci-fi project about a secret organization cataloging the impossible.
For years, my son has been trying to get me into the world of SCP: a massive, collaborative sci-fi project about a secret organization cataloging the impossible.
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲!
I often complain about "cognitive laziness": the human tendency to default to the path of least resistance. Let’s be clear, though, cognitive laziness isn't a moral failing; it's a neuroeconomic calculation based on our lived experiences.
I often complain about "cognitive laziness": the human tendency to default to the path of least resistance. Let’s be clear, though, cognitive laziness isn't a moral failing; it's a neuroeconomic calculation based on our lived experiences.
December 18, 2025 at 4:20 PM
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲!
I often complain about "cognitive laziness": the human tendency to default to the path of least resistance. Let’s be clear, though, cognitive laziness isn't a moral failing; it's a neuroeconomic calculation based on our lived experiences.
I often complain about "cognitive laziness": the human tendency to default to the path of least resistance. Let’s be clear, though, cognitive laziness isn't a moral failing; it's a neuroeconomic calculation based on our lived experiences.
𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒚; 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆: Here is a fascinating claim about LLMs: “out-of-the-box reasoning models reflect core features underlying problem and task complexity in human cognition, without requiring any built-in symbolic mechanisms.”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
December 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒚; 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆: Here is a fascinating claim about LLMs: “out-of-the-box reasoning models reflect core features underlying problem and task complexity in human cognition, without requiring any built-in symbolic mechanisms.”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 We love to label people. "She is wise." "He is foolish." We treat wisdom like a stat on a D&D character sheet—something you simply have. But new research suggests wisdom (and for that matter problem-solving) is less a stable trait and more of a fleeting, high-cost state of mind.
December 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 We love to label people. "She is wise." "He is foolish." We treat wisdom like a stat on a D&D character sheet—something you simply have. But new research suggests wisdom (and for that matter problem-solving) is less a stable trait and more of a fleeting, high-cost state of mind.
Someone shared this image with me of a remote talk I gave in South Africa. As far as I could tell, I was all by myself in my studio in Berkeley. I had no idea how many people were watching. (Good thing I'm so charmingly mad, even when I'm alone.)
@SUSAsummit
@SUSAsummit
December 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Someone shared this image with me of a remote talk I gave in South Africa. As far as I could tell, I was all by myself in my studio in Berkeley. I had no idea how many people were watching. (Good thing I'm so charmingly mad, even when I'm alone.)
@SUSAsummit
@SUSAsummit
What if I told you that I cloned you over and over again?
December 15, 2025 at 5:17 AM
What if I told you that I cloned you over and over again?
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂 by Greg Egan. A thousand years from now, humanity has split into "fleshers," cyborgs, and "citizens"—pure software consciousness living in digital utopias.
www.audible.com/pd/Diaspora-...
www.audible.com/pd/Diaspora-...
Diaspora
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Behold the orphan. Born into a world that is not a world. A digital being grown from a mind seed, a genderless cybernetic citizen in a vast network of probe...
www.audible.com
December 12, 2025 at 3:21 PM
𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂 by Greg Egan. A thousand years from now, humanity has split into "fleshers," cyborgs, and "citizens"—pure software consciousness living in digital utopias.
www.audible.com/pd/Diaspora-...
www.audible.com/pd/Diaspora-...
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 Why do people spiral during a crisis? Why is it so hard to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" when you are drowning in stress? Chronic stress literally disconnects your agency.
academy.socos.org/resilience-w...
academy.socos.org/resilience-w...
The Resilience Wind Tunnel
<<Support my work: book a keynote or briefing!>> Want to support my work but don't need a keynote from a mad scientist? Become a paid subscriber to this newsletter and recommend to friends!
Research...
academy.socos.org
December 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 Why do people spiral during a crisis? Why is it so hard to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" when you are drowning in stress? Chronic stress literally disconnects your agency.
academy.socos.org/resilience-w...
academy.socos.org/resilience-w...
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 We often view childhood adversity solely through a "deficit model"—assuming it simply breaks the brain. But ignoring the harms of childhood adversity is also flawed. What happens when we “integrate deficit and adaptation frameworks” to understand the effects of adversity?
APA PsycNet
psycnet.apa.org
December 10, 2025 at 12:54 PM
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 We often view childhood adversity solely through a "deficit model"—assuming it simply breaks the brain. But ignoring the harms of childhood adversity is also flawed. What happens when we “integrate deficit and adaptation frameworks” to understand the effects of adversity?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 Can your outlook on life actually help you live longer? A major new study in PNAS not only says “yes”, the effect size is enormous
December 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 Can your outlook on life actually help you live longer? A major new study in PNAS not only says “yes”, the effect size is enormous