Vivek Nityananda
@viveknityananda.bsky.social
I research behaviour. Writing. Illustration. Improv. Scicomm. Views my own. (He/Him) 🏳️🌈
website: www.viveknityananda.com
website: www.viveknityananda.com
Pinned
I Dream of Theresa May: an electric black comedy about the hostile environment
The former Home Secretary torments and guides a queer Indian immigrant as he desperately seeks settled status
www.standard.co.uk
How thrilling is this! A glowing review of I Dream of Theresa May in the London Evening Standard:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"There’s honestly not a weak link in this hilarious and heart-breaking production"
www.standard.co.uk/culture/thea...
On until November 29th @taratheatre.com :
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"There’s honestly not a weak link in this hilarious and heart-breaking production"
www.standard.co.uk/culture/thea...
On until November 29th @taratheatre.com :
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Mario Algaze, Two phones, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1984
December 2, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Mario Algaze, Two phones, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1984
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Currently dorking out over this graph about child mortality with my brother. Just mind boggling to take in.
December 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Currently dorking out over this graph about child mortality with my brother. Just mind boggling to take in.
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
November 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
And also, life is not supposed to be *permanently* stressful. We're adapted to short periods of stress. If you maintain that kind of thing for weeks, let alone months or years, with no respite or hope, that's putting people into PTSD territory.
Right, but is it that we’re “forgotten life can be stressful” or is it that neoliberal capitalism doesn’t allow us to have natural, normal reactions to stress, so we seek treatment? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Life being stressful is not an illness' - GPs on mental health over-diagnosis
Hundreds of GPs in England tell the BBC they are also worried about a lack of help for patients.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 7, 2025 at 9:52 AM
And also, life is not supposed to be *permanently* stressful. We're adapted to short periods of stress. If you maintain that kind of thing for weeks, let alone months or years, with no respite or hope, that's putting people into PTSD territory.
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
📣 📣The Open Call for submissions to Vol 2 of Between Worlds: The IF Anthology of New Indian SFF is live. 📣📣
Details and submission link in the posts below! 👇🏼
Details and submission link in the posts below! 👇🏼
December 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
📣 📣The Open Call for submissions to Vol 2 of Between Worlds: The IF Anthology of New Indian SFF is live. 📣📣
Details and submission link in the posts below! 👇🏼
Details and submission link in the posts below! 👇🏼
Sad to see how low Nickel Boys is on this list. Such a stunning movie that needs more love!
And the winner is… ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Paul Thomas Anderson’s incendiary portrait of modern America has been voted best film of 2025 by our critics
Find out what Sight and Sound critics have voted as the 50 best films of the year
www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-so...
Paul Thomas Anderson’s incendiary portrait of modern America has been voted best film of 2025 by our critics
Find out what Sight and Sound critics have voted as the 50 best films of the year
www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-so...
The 50 best films of 2025
Our annual international critics’ poll of 2025's best movies shows cinema thriving in a year of troubles
www.bfi.org.uk
December 5, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Sad to see how low Nickel Boys is on this list. Such a stunning movie that needs more love!
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
YouGov suggest Reform and Farage have a somewhat worse contemporary reputation on racism with British Asians than the Black British (19% trust, 61% mistrust) - though he scored a little better with Indians (14% trust, 68% mistrust) than south Asian Muslims (7% trust, 82% mistrust) in October.
December 5, 2025 at 8:57 AM
YouGov suggest Reform and Farage have a somewhat worse contemporary reputation on racism with British Asians than the Black British (19% trust, 61% mistrust) - though he scored a little better with Indians (14% trust, 68% mistrust) than south Asian Muslims (7% trust, 82% mistrust) in October.
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
UK Metascience Funding
"The UK government has announced a major increase in funding for metascience over the next four years, including a more than trebling of investment in the UK Metascience Unit."
"The UK government has announced a major increase in funding for metascience over the next four years, including a more than trebling of investment in the UK Metascience Unit."
UK Government boosts investment in metascience - Research on Research
The UK government has announced a major increase in funding for metascience over the next four years, including a more […]
researchonresearch.org
December 5, 2025 at 9:02 AM
UK Metascience Funding
"The UK government has announced a major increase in funding for metascience over the next four years, including a more than trebling of investment in the UK Metascience Unit."
"The UK government has announced a major increase in funding for metascience over the next four years, including a more than trebling of investment in the UK Metascience Unit."
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Another report on how our high visa costs deter top R&D talent
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
April 22, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Another report on how our high visa costs deter top R&D talent
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
The last H had to ask for help was a year ago, when his toddlers were facing shrapnel & deadly cold in their tent. He hasn’t asked since—trusting us to come through for them each month while protecting these girls’ privacy.
You’ve never failed. Join in:
You’ve never failed. Join in:
Keep Hope Alive: a Gaza Giving Circle
We are a team of volunteers in the US and UK, led by two sisters passionate about helping our friends on the ground keep their families and neighbors alive with food, water, & shelter. We saw that their...
chuffed.org
December 5, 2025 at 8:02 AM
The last H had to ask for help was a year ago, when his toddlers were facing shrapnel & deadly cold in their tent. He hasn’t asked since—trusting us to come through for them each month while protecting these girls’ privacy.
You’ve never failed. Join in:
You’ve never failed. Join in:
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
I'm no purist when it comes to participating in things we all know are bad. I try to reduce my harm but I'm an honest hypocrite.
I won't judge you for still using Spotify, just try this rad alternative. I'm listening to music from Dar es Salaam. Where will you listen to? radio.garden/listen/furah...
I won't judge you for still using Spotify, just try this rad alternative. I'm listening to music from Dar es Salaam. Where will you listen to? radio.garden/listen/furah...
Explore live radio by rotating the globe
Explore live radio by rotating the globe.
radio.garden
December 4, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I'm no purist when it comes to participating in things we all know are bad. I try to reduce my harm but I'm an honest hypocrite.
I won't judge you for still using Spotify, just try this rad alternative. I'm listening to music from Dar es Salaam. Where will you listen to? radio.garden/listen/furah...
I won't judge you for still using Spotify, just try this rad alternative. I'm listening to music from Dar es Salaam. Where will you listen to? radio.garden/listen/furah...
Think I'm getting the hang of this. Would totally recommend.
I solved the daily Clues by Sam, Dec 5th 2025 (Hard), in less than 11 minutes
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
cluesbysam.com
I solved the daily Clues by Sam, Dec 5th 2025 (Hard), in less than 11 minutes
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
cluesbysam.com
Clues by Sam
A daily logic puzzle where you deduce who is a criminal!
cluesbysam.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Think I'm getting the hang of this. Would totally recommend.
I solved the daily Clues by Sam, Dec 5th 2025 (Hard), in less than 11 minutes
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
cluesbysam.com
I solved the daily Clues by Sam, Dec 5th 2025 (Hard), in less than 11 minutes
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
cluesbysam.com
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
If anyone wants to learn a bit about our work on vocal expression of emotions, here is a recording of the talk I gave at @oredev.org conference last month in Malmö: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPS...
Elodie Mandel-Briefer - Deciphering animal emotions using machine learning and vocalisations
YouTube video by Øredev Conference
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM
If anyone wants to learn a bit about our work on vocal expression of emotions, here is a recording of the talk I gave at @oredev.org conference last month in Malmö: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPS...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Spotify is garbage on every count: Its treatment of artists, its ICE advertising, the CEO's investment in military AI, its leading role in the commodification and AI slopification of music, its terrible audio quality—you name it.
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
How to quit Spotify
This Black Friday, here's a guide to finding the best Spotify alternative
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Spotify is garbage on every count: Its treatment of artists, its ICE advertising, the CEO's investment in military AI, its leading role in the commodification and AI slopification of music, its terrible audio quality—you name it.
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
So I quit, and put together a complete guide to getting off Spotify:
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Excited to get this paper published! 🌟
We argue that men exaggerate patriarchal beliefs in an effort to signal conformity to others, which in turn fuels misperceptions about peers - making patriarchal norms resistant to change.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
We argue that men exaggerate patriarchal beliefs in an effort to signal conformity to others, which in turn fuels misperceptions about peers - making patriarchal norms resistant to change.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
December 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Excited to get this paper published! 🌟
We argue that men exaggerate patriarchal beliefs in an effort to signal conformity to others, which in turn fuels misperceptions about peers - making patriarchal norms resistant to change.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
We argue that men exaggerate patriarchal beliefs in an effort to signal conformity to others, which in turn fuels misperceptions about peers - making patriarchal norms resistant to change.
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
September 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
New PhD position available! For applicants keen to combine evolutionary ecology, neuroscience and animal cognition. Based at UCL with me, @maxreuter.bsky.social, @fcamus.bsky.social and Tamara Boto (Bristol). Directly funded, see here for details and eligibility: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
How Memory Evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila at University College London on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - How Memory Evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience, and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila at University College London, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
New PhD position available! For applicants keen to combine evolutionary ecology, neuroscience and animal cognition. Based at UCL with me, @maxreuter.bsky.social, @fcamus.bsky.social and Tamara Boto (Bristol). Directly funded, see here for details and eligibility: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Part of a special issue:
Transforming cultural evolution research and its application to global futures
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/issue/3...
Transforming cultural evolution research and its application to global futures
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/issue/3...
Volume 380 Issue 1940 | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B | The Royal Society
Influential themed journal issues across the life sciences.
royalsocietypublishing.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Part of a special issue:
Transforming cultural evolution research and its application to global futures
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/issue/3...
Transforming cultural evolution research and its application to global futures
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/issue/3...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
New paper out in Phil Trans with Angel Jimenez, Keith Jensen and Lei Chang
From information free-riding to information sharing: how have humans solved the cooperative dilemma at the heart of cumulative cultural evolution?
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
From information free-riding to information sharing: how have humans solved the cooperative dilemma at the heart of cumulative cultural evolution?
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
From information free-riding to information sharing: how have humans solved the cooperative dilemma at the heart of cumulative cultural evolution?
Abstract. Cumulative cultural evolution, where populations accumulate ever-improving knowledge, technologies and social customs, is arguably a unique featu
royalsocietypublishing.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:23 AM
New paper out in Phil Trans with Angel Jimenez, Keith Jensen and Lei Chang
From information free-riding to information sharing: how have humans solved the cooperative dilemma at the heart of cumulative cultural evolution?
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
From information free-riding to information sharing: how have humans solved the cooperative dilemma at the heart of cumulative cultural evolution?
royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Good news for trans workers
After the Girl guiding and WI announcements, some comfort for trans workers.
A Scottish tribunal has ruled that a trans-inclusive workplace policy is NOT discriminatory against a woman with gender critical views in the workplace.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
After the Girl guiding and WI announcements, some comfort for trans workers.
A Scottish tribunal has ruled that a trans-inclusive workplace policy is NOT discriminatory against a woman with gender critical views in the workplace.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Woman loses sex discrimination case after toilet complaint - BBC News
Maria Kelly took legal action against Leonardo UK alleging harassment and discrimination after seeing a trans colleague in female toilets.
www.bbc.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Good news for trans workers
After the Girl guiding and WI announcements, some comfort for trans workers.
A Scottish tribunal has ruled that a trans-inclusive workplace policy is NOT discriminatory against a woman with gender critical views in the workplace.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
After the Girl guiding and WI announcements, some comfort for trans workers.
A Scottish tribunal has ruled that a trans-inclusive workplace policy is NOT discriminatory against a woman with gender critical views in the workplace.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
New paper: Stick dexterity in carrion crows🥢 Commentary on Moll et al. 2025 in which they trained crows to use stick tools. Their neat set-up allowed tracking tool motions, showing that crows became more efficient over time. Could nest building affect their stick dexterity? Full text: rdcu.be/eSOMF
a drawing of a crow with its mouth open
Alt: a drawing of a crow with its beaks opening and closing
media.tenor.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:28 AM
New paper: Stick dexterity in carrion crows🥢 Commentary on Moll et al. 2025 in which they trained crows to use stick tools. Their neat set-up allowed tracking tool motions, showing that crows became more efficient over time. Could nest building affect their stick dexterity? Full text: rdcu.be/eSOMF
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
I'm relaunching Dominion of the Fallen in the US with @awfulagent.bsky.social
Magnificent covers by @fringe-element.net
Deliciously gothic atmosphere, queer characters from across the world, and high intrigue--in a Paris wrecked by magical cataclysms
March 10th, 2026!
awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-h...
Magnificent covers by @fringe-element.net
Deliciously gothic atmosphere, queer characters from across the world, and high intrigue--in a Paris wrecked by magical cataclysms
March 10th, 2026!
awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-h...
December 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I'm relaunching Dominion of the Fallen in the US with @awfulagent.bsky.social
Magnificent covers by @fringe-element.net
Deliciously gothic atmosphere, queer characters from across the world, and high intrigue--in a Paris wrecked by magical cataclysms
March 10th, 2026!
awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-h...
Magnificent covers by @fringe-element.net
Deliciously gothic atmosphere, queer characters from across the world, and high intrigue--in a Paris wrecked by magical cataclysms
March 10th, 2026!
awfulagent.com/ebooks/the-h...
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
December 3rd 1999 we lost one of THE best character actors of ALL time and one of my all time favorites, Ms. Madeline Kahn... she stole every single scene she was ever in... for example 👇🏼
December 3, 2025 at 3:13 PM
December 3rd 1999 we lost one of THE best character actors of ALL time and one of my all time favorites, Ms. Madeline Kahn... she stole every single scene she was ever in... for example 👇🏼
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
The #ASABWinter2025 Tinbergen lecture will be by @toshitakaszk.bsky.social on animal linguistics. He’s studied the communication system of Japanese tits, revealing striking parallels with human language, incl. referential calls, compositional messages & symbolic gestures.
A talk not to be missed…
A talk not to be missed…
December 3, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The #ASABWinter2025 Tinbergen lecture will be by @toshitakaszk.bsky.social on animal linguistics. He’s studied the communication system of Japanese tits, revealing striking parallels with human language, incl. referential calls, compositional messages & symbolic gestures.
A talk not to be missed…
A talk not to be missed…
Reposted by Vivek Nityananda
Here’s my Spotify Wrapped 🎵✨
December 3, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Here’s my Spotify Wrapped 🎵✨