Christopher J Stevens
@metaphysiology.bsky.social
Lecturer/researcher in phil & neuro.
Éireannach en France/immigrant.
Education, evolution, embodied mind/metaphysiology, memory, deliberation, myside bias, representation, reasoning, perspectivism, pragmatism.
Universités de Bordeaux & Bdx-Montaigne.
Éireannach en France/immigrant.
Education, evolution, embodied mind/metaphysiology, memory, deliberation, myside bias, representation, reasoning, perspectivism, pragmatism.
Universités de Bordeaux & Bdx-Montaigne.
Pinned
Mice-side bias: Deliberative decision making in a model of rule revision reveals 'myside' confirmation bias-like cognitive processes in mice. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.03.626648v1
Will do a thread on this soon, too busy with corrections, etc., right now. In the meantime, new preprint from my PhD project in a single hypothesis: the deep cognitive bases of myside confirmation bias run much deeper in evolutionary history than posited in the literature.
#cognition #behavior
#cognition #behavior
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
The UN just held a vote on ending torture, in which three countries voted against ending torture.
🔍 Zoom in…
🔍 Zoom in…
November 23, 2025 at 10:42 AM
The UN just held a vote on ending torture, in which three countries voted against ending torture.
🔍 Zoom in…
🔍 Zoom in…
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
If you’re a journalist who’s still on Twitter, from now on in your writing you have to replace “the American people want” with “troll bots in Eastern Europe demand”
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
November 23, 2025 at 4:27 PM
If you’re a journalist who’s still on Twitter, from now on in your writing you have to replace “the American people want” with “troll bots in Eastern Europe demand”
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Nous organisons un colloque à Lyon la semaine prochaine pour célébrer les 100 ans de la parution d'"Expérience et nature", le grand livre de John Dewey où il s'attache à déconstruire le dualisme entre la nature et l'humanité.
Ce sera uniquement en présentiel. Au plaisir de vous y voir !
Ce sera uniquement en présentiel. Au plaisir de vous y voir !
November 21, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Nous organisons un colloque à Lyon la semaine prochaine pour célébrer les 100 ans de la parution d'"Expérience et nature", le grand livre de John Dewey où il s'attache à déconstruire le dualisme entre la nature et l'humanité.
Ce sera uniquement en présentiel. Au plaisir de vous y voir !
Ce sera uniquement en présentiel. Au plaisir de vous y voir !
Sarko, eleven days after his release from a risible twenty day prison stint, has announced a forthcoming book about his incarceration. If I could suggest 'De Superficialis' as a subtitle..?
November 21, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Sarko, eleven days after his release from a risible twenty day prison stint, has announced a forthcoming book about his incarceration. If I could suggest 'De Superficialis' as a subtitle..?
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
An absolute scandal compounded in this case by failure of French government and EU institutions to forcefully react and sanction in turn those who have sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors. Makes a total mockery of FR/EU's repeated commitment to the rule of law/ICC
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
November 21, 2025 at 9:58 AM
An absolute scandal compounded in this case by failure of French government and EU institutions to forcefully react and sanction in turn those who have sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors. Makes a total mockery of FR/EU's repeated commitment to the rule of law/ICC
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
If you scroll on X, you are only being shown what Elon wants you to see. If you create content on X, no one will see it unless Elon wants them to.
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
If you scroll on X, you are only being shown what Elon wants you to see. If you create content on X, no one will see it unless Elon wants them to.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Happy World Philosophy Day!
To celebrate, I’ll be giving a talk about the philosophy of Helen De Cruz at my local library tonight. In her memory, I’m donating several of her books as well as a few from which they drew inspiration.
I miss their voice everyday. May many more find their wisdom.
To celebrate, I’ll be giving a talk about the philosophy of Helen De Cruz at my local library tonight. In her memory, I’m donating several of her books as well as a few from which they drew inspiration.
I miss their voice everyday. May many more find their wisdom.
November 20, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Happy World Philosophy Day!
To celebrate, I’ll be giving a talk about the philosophy of Helen De Cruz at my local library tonight. In her memory, I’m donating several of her books as well as a few from which they drew inspiration.
I miss their voice everyday. May many more find their wisdom.
To celebrate, I’ll be giving a talk about the philosophy of Helen De Cruz at my local library tonight. In her memory, I’m donating several of her books as well as a few from which they drew inspiration.
I miss their voice everyday. May many more find their wisdom.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Not sure where to start strengthening Diamond Open Access?
Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll be sharing the DIAMAS recommendations — clear, practical steps to make scholarly communication sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality.
Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll be sharing the DIAMAS recommendations — clear, practical steps to make scholarly communication sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality.
November 20, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Not sure where to start strengthening Diamond Open Access?
Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll be sharing the DIAMAS recommendations — clear, practical steps to make scholarly communication sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality.
Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll be sharing the DIAMAS recommendations — clear, practical steps to make scholarly communication sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Yes & no. Science got into bed with millions of dollars of dark money decades ago (in large part via Ghislaine Maxwell's father no less!) & still hasn't managed to reach the consensus acceptance of this fact which would be the first step in getting out of the relationship it thereby found itself in.
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 20, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Yes & no. Science got into bed with millions of dollars of dark money decades ago (in large part via Ghislaine Maxwell's father no less!) & still hasn't managed to reach the consensus acceptance of this fact which would be the first step in getting out of the relationship it thereby found itself in.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
It’s World Philosophy Day today so here’s a poem in celebration of that.
November 20, 2025 at 11:02 AM
It’s World Philosophy Day today so here’s a poem in celebration of that.
Yes & no. Science got into bed with millions of dollars of dark money decades ago (in large part via Ghislaine Maxwell's father no less!) & still hasn't managed to reach the consensus acceptance of this fact which would be the first step in getting out of the relationship it thereby found itself in.
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 20, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Yes & no. Science got into bed with millions of dollars of dark money decades ago (in large part via Ghislaine Maxwell's father no less!) & still hasn't managed to reach the consensus acceptance of this fact which would be the first step in getting out of the relationship it thereby found itself in.
Who knows this or that?
Hark in the wall to the rat
Since the world was, he has gnawed
Of his wisdom, of his fraud
What dost thou know
In the wretched little beast
Is life&heart
Child&parent
Not without relation
To fruitful field & sun & moon
What art thou? His wicked cruelty
Is cruel to thy cruelty
Hark in the wall to the rat
Since the world was, he has gnawed
Of his wisdom, of his fraud
What dost thou know
In the wretched little beast
Is life&heart
Child&parent
Not without relation
To fruitful field & sun & moon
What art thou? His wicked cruelty
Is cruel to thy cruelty
November 19, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Who knows this or that?
Hark in the wall to the rat
Since the world was, he has gnawed
Of his wisdom, of his fraud
What dost thou know
In the wretched little beast
Is life&heart
Child&parent
Not without relation
To fruitful field & sun & moon
What art thou? His wicked cruelty
Is cruel to thy cruelty
Hark in the wall to the rat
Since the world was, he has gnawed
Of his wisdom, of his fraud
What dost thou know
In the wretched little beast
Is life&heart
Child&parent
Not without relation
To fruitful field & sun & moon
What art thou? His wicked cruelty
Is cruel to thy cruelty
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
November 19, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The real BBC bias story, narrated by Anna Ford
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨
November 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
My new favorite kind of meme is "here are detailed instructions on how to turn off AI". 🔨
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
We need public outreach precisely because general scientific education, worldwide, tends to fail in communicating genuinely scientific habits of thought. The most pressing issue for public scientific outreach is therefore to redress that lack. This can be done via any particular scientific domain.
Perhaps the core element of Carl Sagan's Cosmos--the dimension that makes it so timeless, regardless of how far beyond the scientific results he presented in it we have come--is his continuous recalling of the arch-importance of perpetual skepticism and openness to revision: the empirical method.
"People have to know that science is important and cool"
I believe people "have to know" that the scientific method is a powerful instrument which works only insofar as it is respected. This is an infinitely more important and cool message to transmit than any given piece of even certain knowledge
I believe people "have to know" that the scientific method is a powerful instrument which works only insofar as it is respected. This is an infinitely more important and cool message to transmit than any given piece of even certain knowledge
November 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
We need public outreach precisely because general scientific education, worldwide, tends to fail in communicating genuinely scientific habits of thought. The most pressing issue for public scientific outreach is therefore to redress that lack. This can be done via any particular scientific domain.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
We’re watching a shift where AI simulates the cohesion and reinforcement that used to require an entire online community. A single person can now build a complete parallel reality with nothing more than a prompt window. Which seems bad.
November 19, 2025 at 2:25 PM
We’re watching a shift where AI simulates the cohesion and reinforcement that used to require an entire online community. A single person can now build a complete parallel reality with nothing more than a prompt window. Which seems bad.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
LLMs give people with delusional belief systems a way to organise those beliefs. The model fills in gaps, supplies connective tissue, and wraps the madness in formal language.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
November 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
LLMs give people with delusional belief systems a way to organise those beliefs. The model fills in gaps, supplies connective tissue, and wraps the madness in formal language.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
It doesn't make the claims more credible to us, it just tidies them up.
Perhaps the core element of Carl Sagan's Cosmos--the dimension that makes it so timeless, regardless of how far beyond the scientific results he presented in it we have come--is his continuous recalling of the arch-importance of perpetual skepticism and openness to revision: the empirical method.
"People have to know that science is important and cool"
I believe people "have to know" that the scientific method is a powerful instrument which works only insofar as it is respected. This is an infinitely more important and cool message to transmit than any given piece of even certain knowledge
I believe people "have to know" that the scientific method is a powerful instrument which works only insofar as it is respected. This is an infinitely more important and cool message to transmit than any given piece of even certain knowledge
November 19, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Perhaps the core element of Carl Sagan's Cosmos--the dimension that makes it so timeless, regardless of how far beyond the scientific results he presented in it we have come--is his continuous recalling of the arch-importance of perpetual skepticism and openness to revision: the empirical method.
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Grok n'est pas une source d'information. Que faut-il de plus – après une semaine de désinformation par Grok concernant les attentats du 13 novembre – voyez ce cas gravissime de #négationnisme et d' #antisémitisme.
En France, c'est un délit. Pourquoi puis-je voir ce post alors ?
En France, c'est un délit. Pourquoi puis-je voir ce post alors ?
November 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Grok n'est pas une source d'information. Que faut-il de plus – après une semaine de désinformation par Grok concernant les attentats du 13 novembre – voyez ce cas gravissime de #négationnisme et d' #antisémitisme.
En France, c'est un délit. Pourquoi puis-je voir ce post alors ?
En France, c'est un délit. Pourquoi puis-je voir ce post alors ?
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
In case you missed it, our Irish Fine Gael MEPs voted with the far right on this one. #speirgorm
For the first time, the European Parliament passed major legislation with a coordinated majority between the centre-right EPP and far-right groups, breaking the long-standing pro-EU coalition that installed von der Leyen.
November 19, 2025 at 11:45 AM
In case you missed it, our Irish Fine Gael MEPs voted with the far right on this one. #speirgorm
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
Can I add another point, very much in line with your original message? it is this:
We tend to think of animals like mammoths, mastodons, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths as "prehistoric", belonging in the same big time-bin as dinosaurs etc. But they are not! They are modern animals that
We tend to think of animals like mammoths, mastodons, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths as "prehistoric", belonging in the same big time-bin as dinosaurs etc. But they are not! They are modern animals that
November 19, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Can I add another point, very much in line with your original message? it is this:
We tend to think of animals like mammoths, mastodons, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths as "prehistoric", belonging in the same big time-bin as dinosaurs etc. But they are not! They are modern animals that
We tend to think of animals like mammoths, mastodons, sabre-toothed cats and giant ground sloths as "prehistoric", belonging in the same big time-bin as dinosaurs etc. But they are not! They are modern animals that
Reposted by Christopher J Stevens
1. Trump suggests that Jamal Khashoggi may have deserved to be assassinated or at least should not be a sympathetic figure, and then says that the Saudi Crown Prince was unaware in advance of the assassination plot.
Trump’s own intel agencies concluded that MBS was aware in advance of the plot.
Trump’s own intel agencies concluded that MBS was aware in advance of the plot.
November 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
1. Trump suggests that Jamal Khashoggi may have deserved to be assassinated or at least should not be a sympathetic figure, and then says that the Saudi Crown Prince was unaware in advance of the assassination plot.
Trump’s own intel agencies concluded that MBS was aware in advance of the plot.
Trump’s own intel agencies concluded that MBS was aware in advance of the plot.
Excellent talks & discussion between Sam Scheiner and @alkistiseg.bsky.social just now: check out their work!
Also occurs to me I haven't yet announced I started working on the PhilInBioMed team 2 weeks ago: my first research post-doc, studying the impact of philosophical thinking in neuroscience.
Also occurs to me I haven't yet announced I started working on the PhilInBioMed team 2 weeks ago: my first research post-doc, studying the impact of philosophical thinking in neuroscience.
Upcoming PhilInBioMed Seminar:
Nov 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm CET | Virtual (Zoom)
Join us for a dialogue between Alkistis Elliott‑Greaves (Bielefeld University) and Sam Scheiner (NSF, USA) on the impact of philosophy and theoretical thinking on ecology.
More details: philinbiomed.cnrs.fr/event/philin...
Nov 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm CET | Virtual (Zoom)
Join us for a dialogue between Alkistis Elliott‑Greaves (Bielefeld University) and Sam Scheiner (NSF, USA) on the impact of philosophy and theoretical thinking on ecology.
More details: philinbiomed.cnrs.fr/event/philin...
Dialogue between Alkistis Elliott-Greaves and Sam Scheiner (virtual): The impact of philosophy and theoretical thinking on ecology – philinbiomed
philinbiomed.cnrs.fr
November 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Excellent talks & discussion between Sam Scheiner and @alkistiseg.bsky.social just now: check out their work!
Also occurs to me I haven't yet announced I started working on the PhilInBioMed team 2 weeks ago: my first research post-doc, studying the impact of philosophical thinking in neuroscience.
Also occurs to me I haven't yet announced I started working on the PhilInBioMed team 2 weeks ago: my first research post-doc, studying the impact of philosophical thinking in neuroscience.
Mildly interesting curio: in Sherrington's 1906 work, The Integrative Action of the Nervous System, the bibliography appears to be ordered chronologically.
November 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Mildly interesting curio: in Sherrington's 1906 work, The Integrative Action of the Nervous System, the bibliography appears to be ordered chronologically.