Manikya Alister
@manikyaalister.bsky.social
Melbourne based PhD candidate interested in all things social reasoning, cognition, modelling, and philosophy of science 🤓
https://manikyaalister.github.io/
https://manikyaalister.github.io/
Pinned
We know that a consensus of opinions is persuasive, but how reliable is this effect across people and types of consensus, and are there any kinds of claims where people care less about what other people think? This is what we tested in our new(ish) paper in @psychscience.bsky.social
Reposted by Manikya Alister
🎉 New preprint: Bayesian Competence Inference guides Knowledge Attribution and Information search
If someone knows that Venus is the only planet in the Solar System that rotates clockwise, will they also know what Earth’s only natural satellite is? What about which planets have no moons at all?
If someone knows that Venus is the only planet in the Solar System that rotates clockwise, will they also know what Earth’s only natural satellite is? What about which planets have no moons at all?
November 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM
🎉 New preprint: Bayesian Competence Inference guides Knowledge Attribution and Information search
If someone knows that Venus is the only planet in the Solar System that rotates clockwise, will they also know what Earth’s only natural satellite is? What about which planets have no moons at all?
If someone knows that Venus is the only planet in the Solar System that rotates clockwise, will they also know what Earth’s only natural satellite is? What about which planets have no moons at all?
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Hello fellow nerds! The upcoming Australasian Mathematical Psych Conference (AMPC) is going to be on Feb 23-25, and they've just put out the call for abstracts.
Details below. This is one of my favourite conferences and this year it's in Singapore(!!) which should be awesome.
Details below. This is one of my favourite conferences and this year it's in Singapore(!!) which should be awesome.
November 13, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Hello fellow nerds! The upcoming Australasian Mathematical Psych Conference (AMPC) is going to be on Feb 23-25, and they've just put out the call for abstracts.
Details below. This is one of my favourite conferences and this year it's in Singapore(!!) which should be awesome.
Details below. This is one of my favourite conferences and this year it's in Singapore(!!) which should be awesome.
Reposted by Manikya Alister
FYI, if you are using Zotero, koofr.eu provides a free 10 gb cloud with webdav that could be used for synchronizing pdfs. I tested it this week as I no longer have access to the server I used previously. Seems to work well. koofr.eu/blog/posts/k...
Koofr with Zotero via WebDAV
Are you using Zotero with Box and don’t know what to do when Box support for WebDAV eventually runs out? Are you searching for Zotero with Box alternative? Don’t fret, Koofr is here for you. Read abou...
koofr.eu
November 8, 2025 at 4:11 PM
FYI, if you are using Zotero, koofr.eu provides a free 10 gb cloud with webdav that could be used for synchronizing pdfs. I tested it this week as I no longer have access to the server I used previously. Seems to work well. koofr.eu/blog/posts/k...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
disappointed that @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social is implicitly endorsing the use of LLMs to replace scientific thought
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
IT'S HAPPENING! 💥 I'm psyched to launch the collaboration between @qedscience.bsky.social & @openrxiv.bsky.social @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social! Preprint + q.e.d = your science is out there, and anyone can appreciate it. Let's care about making discoveries, and not on “getting published” (1/3) 👇
November 7, 2025 at 9:06 AM
disappointed that @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social is implicitly endorsing the use of LLMs to replace scientific thought
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Getting nervous for the talk I'm about to give at a workshop about "using AI to drive impact" which features slides such as these.
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Getting nervous for the talk I'm about to give at a workshop about "using AI to drive impact" which features slides such as these.
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Interested in how we make preference-driven decisions, and how this is implemented in the brain?
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
Tracing the neural trajectories of evidence accumulation and motor preparation processes during voluntary decisions
Voluntary decisions have previously been described by where they arise in the brain and how actions corresponding to one's choice are prepared. However, the processes by which these internally guided ...
www.biorxiv.org
November 3, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Interested in how we make preference-driven decisions, and how this is implemented in the brain?
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
We report that neural correlates of evidence accumulation (CPP, Mu/Beta) are also observed during value-based decisions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Led by @laurencf.bsky.social (Lauren Fong)
1/n
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Hey memory folks! I got a question from a student I couldn't quite answer. I talked about consolidation, and how HM's loss of 3-5 years of recent memories led the field to believe that consolidation might take the same period of time.
A student asked - "why would it take so long?"
A student asked - "why would it take so long?"
October 30, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Hey memory folks! I got a question from a student I couldn't quite answer. I talked about consolidation, and how HM's loss of 3-5 years of recent memories led the field to believe that consolidation might take the same period of time.
A student asked - "why would it take so long?"
A student asked - "why would it take so long?"
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Do AI agents ask good questions? We built “Collaborative Battleship” to find out—and discovered that weaker LMs + Bayesian inference can beat GPT-5 at 1% of the cost.
Paper, code & demos: gabegrand.github.io/battleship
Here's what we learned about building rational information-seeking agents... 🧵🔽
Paper, code & demos: gabegrand.github.io/battleship
Here's what we learned about building rational information-seeking agents... 🧵🔽
October 27, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Do AI agents ask good questions? We built “Collaborative Battleship” to find out—and discovered that weaker LMs + Bayesian inference can beat GPT-5 at 1% of the cost.
Paper, code & demos: gabegrand.github.io/battleship
Here's what we learned about building rational information-seeking agents... 🧵🔽
Paper, code & demos: gabegrand.github.io/battleship
Here's what we learned about building rational information-seeking agents... 🧵🔽
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Hive mind, I need your help! What are good resources to give to a PhD student to catch up on basic calculus in their own time?
For example: logarithms, finding the integral/derivative of a function, basic matrix algebra...
High-school level is fine, no need for proofs!
#AcademicSky #StatsSky
For example: logarithms, finding the integral/derivative of a function, basic matrix algebra...
High-school level is fine, no need for proofs!
#AcademicSky #StatsSky
October 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Hive mind, I need your help! What are good resources to give to a PhD student to catch up on basic calculus in their own time?
For example: logarithms, finding the integral/derivative of a function, basic matrix algebra...
High-school level is fine, no need for proofs!
#AcademicSky #StatsSky
For example: logarithms, finding the integral/derivative of a function, basic matrix algebra...
High-school level is fine, no need for proofs!
#AcademicSky #StatsSky
Very cool study and accompanying @theconversation.com article by @violetchae.bsky.social. Follow her if you’re interested in food, decision-making, and/or cognitive neuroscience!
Using EEG 🧠⚡ and representational similarity analysis, we mapped how the neural representations of food attributes (e.g., taste & health) unfold over time when viewing foods🍎🍰🥗 @danfeuerriegel.bsky.social @tgro.bsky.social
theconversation.com/our-brains-e...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...
theconversation.com/our-brains-e...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...
Redirecting
doi.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Very cool study and accompanying @theconversation.com article by @violetchae.bsky.social. Follow her if you’re interested in food, decision-making, and/or cognitive neuroscience!
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Reposted by Manikya Alister
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
October 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
How do humans keep inventing tools and technologies that no single person could create alone?
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Our new preprint, led by
@anilyaman.bsky.social & @ts-brain.bsky.social
shows that semantic knowledge guides innovation and drives cultural evolution. 🧠📘 arxiv.org/abs/2510.12837
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Very excited to share a new preprint that’s been brewing for a long time! This work was led by the exceptional @traceym.bsky.social, and made possible by a developmental + comparative + computational dream team.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
October 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Very excited to share a new preprint that’s been brewing for a long time! This work was led by the exceptional @traceym.bsky.social, and made possible by a developmental + comparative + computational dream team.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
A little while ago I wrote a blog post about this work for @spspnews.bsky.social 🧑🤝🧑👫👭 Check it out here: spsp.org/news/charact...
October 13, 2025 at 10:05 PM
A little while ago I wrote a blog post about this work for @spspnews.bsky.social 🧑🤝🧑👫👭 Check it out here: spsp.org/news/charact...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
just finished steve levinson's new book! it's a beautifully articulated argument for social interaction as the evolutionary niche which made language possible, rather than the other way around. progress in linguistics depends on a stronger science of interaction.
www.cambridge.org/core/books/i...
www.cambridge.org/core/books/i...
The Interaction Engine
Cambridge Core - Semantics and Pragmatics - The Interaction Engine
www.cambridge.org
October 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
just finished steve levinson's new book! it's a beautifully articulated argument for social interaction as the evolutionary niche which made language possible, rather than the other way around. progress in linguistics depends on a stronger science of interaction.
www.cambridge.org/core/books/i...
www.cambridge.org/core/books/i...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
The Social Action Lab + Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn are hiring postdocs! Work on decision-making, attitudes, persuasion, social cognition, and behavior change with an interdisciplinary team. PhD in psych required. Apply here: my.spsp.org/Career-Cente...
Job Search
my.spsp.org
October 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The Social Action Lab + Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn are hiring postdocs! Work on decision-making, attitudes, persuasion, social cognition, and behavior change with an interdisciplinary team. PhD in psych required. Apply here: my.spsp.org/Career-Cente...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
We’re recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to join our team! 🎉
I’m happy to share that I’ve opened back up the search for this position (it was temporarily closed due to funding uncertainty).
See lab page and doc below for details!
I’m happy to share that I’ve opened back up the search for this position (it was temporarily closed due to funding uncertainty).
See lab page and doc below for details!
The Visual Learning Lab at UC San Diego is looking for a postdoctoral research fellow to join our lab!
Read more about our lab at www.vislearnlab.org
Read more about our lab at www.vislearnlab.org
Home | The Visual Learning Lab at UCSD
Lab webpage for the Visual Learning Lab at UCSD, lead by Dr. Bria Long, Ph.D. Launching in July 2024!
www.vislearnlab.org
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 AM
We’re recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to join our team! 🎉
I’m happy to share that I’ve opened back up the search for this position (it was temporarily closed due to funding uncertainty).
See lab page and doc below for details!
I’m happy to share that I’ve opened back up the search for this position (it was temporarily closed due to funding uncertainty).
See lab page and doc below for details!
Reposted by Manikya Alister
📢POSTDOC POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT📢
@nourkteily.bsky.social & I are recruiting a postdoc in the #LitowitzCenter for Enlightened Disagreement. We seek research excellence regarding navigating conflict.
Application deadline: Nov. 17.
Salary: ~$80k.
facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MjQzNw==
@nourkteily.bsky.social & I are recruiting a postdoc in the #LitowitzCenter for Enlightened Disagreement. We seek research excellence regarding navigating conflict.
Application deadline: Nov. 17.
Salary: ~$80k.
facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MjQzNw==
Northwestern Faculty Search -
facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu
October 5, 2025 at 6:24 PM
📢POSTDOC POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT📢
@nourkteily.bsky.social & I are recruiting a postdoc in the #LitowitzCenter for Enlightened Disagreement. We seek research excellence regarding navigating conflict.
Application deadline: Nov. 17.
Salary: ~$80k.
facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MjQzNw==
@nourkteily.bsky.social & I are recruiting a postdoc in the #LitowitzCenter for Enlightened Disagreement. We seek research excellence regarding navigating conflict.
Application deadline: Nov. 17.
Salary: ~$80k.
facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MjQzNw==
Reposted by Manikya Alister
We’re hiring! The Berkeley School of Education is hiring a tenure track Assistant Professor of AI and STEM education. Due 10/23. aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05125
Assistant Professor (N/T) - Using AI and the Learning Sciences to Advance STEM Teaching and Learning: K12-Higher Education - Berkeley School of Education
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
October 1, 2025 at 10:55 PM
We’re hiring! The Berkeley School of Education is hiring a tenure track Assistant Professor of AI and STEM education. Due 10/23. aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05125
Reposted by Manikya Alister
One of the most depressing phd experiences is hearing of others' advisors (the ones that are supposed to train us into good scientists) encourage the use of chatbots in lieu of their students' development. thankfully mine don't.
Getting close to 50k views and I'm wondering is it just everybody is scared to say this and pleased I did? Because if there's so many of us who agree, trust me I'd know if 1k people disagreed with me let alone 50k, why are we letting AI ruin our universities?
Together we can turn back the tide.
Together we can turn back the tide.
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
September 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM
One of the most depressing phd experiences is hearing of others' advisors (the ones that are supposed to train us into good scientists) encourage the use of chatbots in lieu of their students' development. thankfully mine don't.
Reposted by Manikya Alister
It is a common theme in academia to forget that faculty also get paid to do research and write papers. Getting paid doesn't mean no intellectual contribution to a paper, otherwise unpaid interns would be the only authors on papers.
Someone asked us (neuromatch.social/@tenzingCont...): if you are paid to do data collection, are you qualified to be an author?
Let me know your thoughts! Here is my draft of an answer:
Taking on just the service-for-payment dimension of this for now,
Let me know your thoughts! Here is my draft of an answer:
Taking on just the service-for-payment dimension of this for now,
tenzing and contributorship (@[email protected])
172 Posts, 83 Following, 126 Followers · We (https://contributorshipcollaboration.github.io/) are working on initiatives to shift science from traditional authorship to contributorship. For example, w...
neuromatch.social
September 22, 2025 at 5:04 AM
It is a common theme in academia to forget that faculty also get paid to do research and write papers. Getting paid doesn't mean no intellectual contribution to a paper, otherwise unpaid interns would be the only authors on papers.
Reposted by Manikya Alister
Excited to finally have my first paper officially published! "How Do Psychology Journals Handle Postpublication Critique?" is now online with AMPPS. Huge thanks to my supervisors @tomhardwicke.bsky.social and @simine.com and co-authors @bethclarke.bsky.social, N Moodie, S Schiavone, and R Thibault ☺️
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
doi.org
September 17, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Excited to finally have my first paper officially published! "How Do Psychology Journals Handle Postpublication Critique?" is now online with AMPPS. Huge thanks to my supervisors @tomhardwicke.bsky.social and @simine.com and co-authors @bethclarke.bsky.social, N Moodie, S Schiavone, and R Thibault ☺️
Reposted by Manikya Alister
out now in Open Mind: "People Evaluate Agents Based on the Algorithms That Drive Their Behavior"
by Bigelow & me
Paper: direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
OSF: osf.io/yzbrq/?view_...
by Bigelow & me
Paper: direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
OSF: osf.io/yzbrq/?view_...
September 15, 2025 at 1:29 PM
out now in Open Mind: "People Evaluate Agents Based on the Algorithms That Drive Their Behavior"
by Bigelow & me
Paper: direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
OSF: osf.io/yzbrq/?view_...
by Bigelow & me
Paper: direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
OSF: osf.io/yzbrq/?view_...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
For all who use Bayesian hierarchical models, have a look at our new preprint, out now together with @linushof.bsky.social @nunobusch.bsky.social and @thorstenpachur.bsky.social
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io
September 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
For all who use Bayesian hierarchical models, have a look at our new preprint, out now together with @linushof.bsky.social @nunobusch.bsky.social and @thorstenpachur.bsky.social
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Manikya Alister
This is an epic paper!
I very much enjoyed chatting with @dyamins.bsky.social about the connections between world models and counterfactual simulation.
I very much enjoyed chatting with @dyamins.bsky.social about the connections between world models and counterfactual simulation.
Here is our best thinking about how to make world models. I would apologize for it being a massive 40-page behemoth, but it's worth reading. arxiv.org/pdf/2509.09737
arxiv.org
September 15, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This is an epic paper!
I very much enjoyed chatting with @dyamins.bsky.social about the connections between world models and counterfactual simulation.
I very much enjoyed chatting with @dyamins.bsky.social about the connections between world models and counterfactual simulation.