Nicole Rust
@nicolecrust.bsky.social
Mood & Memory researcher with a computational bent. https://www.nicolecrust.com. Science advocate. Prof (UPenn Psych) - on leave as a Simons Pivot Fellow. Author: Elusive Cures. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691243054/elusive-cures
Yes! *This* will make it great. Authenticity!
December 1, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Yes! *This* will make it great. Authenticity!
I hope this discussion doesn’t send anyone into an existential tailspin of the type that I was having before I sat down to write Elusive Cures (decades into my career). On the other side of sorting out what’s what, I’m “all in” re how this works. But it was a process & I don’t take it for granted.
November 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I hope this discussion doesn’t send anyone into an existential tailspin of the type that I was having before I sat down to write Elusive Cures (decades into my career). On the other side of sorting out what’s what, I’m “all in” re how this works. But it was a process & I don’t take it for granted.
I agree! Same for the papers we *write* - one goal is to keep iterating. A second goal is to efficiently get close enough to the truth so that We can deliver benefits to society - eg insights for new therapies and new tech don’t always require many decimal place precision.
November 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I agree! Same for the papers we *write* - one goal is to keep iterating. A second goal is to efficiently get close enough to the truth so that We can deliver benefits to society - eg insights for new therapies and new tech don’t always require many decimal place precision.
Under this definition of wrong, wrong is inevitable and we should not fear it - progress requires it! We have to start somewhere and refine our way to better answers. (But let’s shoot for direct-ish paths).
November 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Under this definition of wrong, wrong is inevitable and we should not fear it - progress requires it! We have to start somewhere and refine our way to better answers. (But let’s shoot for direct-ish paths).
Equations that model emotions and moods on par with the rest of systems and computational neuroscience.
November 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Equations that model emotions and moods on par with the rest of systems and computational neuroscience.
I like that example b/c you can probably go back and explain that same data very nicely with thermodynamics (perhaps even better than with the caloric model). But the conclusion of the study was arguably not "wrong" per se.
November 29, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I like that example b/c you can probably go back and explain that same data very nicely with thermodynamics (perhaps even better than with the caloric model). But the conclusion of the study was arguably not "wrong" per se.
Here's a fun one: there was an era of debate about whether temperature was governed by the existence of heat matter (caloric) or cold matter (figorific radation) that transferred from one thing to another. Let's say that in an expt, caloric was determined more likely. Was that wrong? 😉
November 29, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Here's a fun one: there was an era of debate about whether temperature was governed by the existence of heat matter (caloric) or cold matter (figorific radation) that transferred from one thing to another. Let's say that in an expt, caloric was determined more likely. Was that wrong? 😉
Here's a simple case: let's say that a study's conclusion boils down to: during a task, brain area X is more correlated with behavior than Y, established with a linear brain/behavior relationship. Later, it's revealed that it's true but there are also nonlinear terms. Was that study wrong?
November 29, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Here's a simple case: let's say that a study's conclusion boils down to: during a task, brain area X is more correlated with behavior than Y, established with a linear brain/behavior relationship. Later, it's revealed that it's true but there are also nonlinear terms. Was that study wrong?
I'm authentically curious. In the context of "all models are wrong but some are useful", they're all wrong, but I bet that's not what you mean. Where do you draw the line? I can imagine many possible dimensions to it. /1
November 29, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I'm authentically curious. In the context of "all models are wrong but some are useful", they're all wrong, but I bet that's not what you mean. Where do you draw the line? I can imagine many possible dimensions to it. /1
we can meaningfully study emotion in animals b/c there's no behavioral task or signature that's clearly indicative of emotion existing. eg When chatGPT says it "loves", we don't regard that as emotion. But if it recalls something about the past, that's memory.
November 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
we can meaningfully study emotion in animals b/c there's no behavioral task or signature that's clearly indicative of emotion existing. eg When chatGPT says it "loves", we don't regard that as emotion. But if it recalls something about the past, that's memory.
is the issue of whether a subject has awareness of a solution (eg blindsight). The two are related but not the same.
For emotion, the core phenomena of interest that exist separate from the subjective experience are less clear. Hence the big debates about whether /2
For emotion, the core phenomena of interest that exist separate from the subjective experience are less clear. Hence the big debates about whether /2
November 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
is the issue of whether a subject has awareness of a solution (eg blindsight). The two are related but not the same.
For emotion, the core phenomena of interest that exist separate from the subjective experience are less clear. Hence the big debates about whether /2
For emotion, the core phenomena of interest that exist separate from the subjective experience are less clear. Hence the big debates about whether /2
More: How a brain solves a memory task is a core phenomenon of interest; if an animal performs a memory task, there's no question that their brain performs that memory computation — and many are interested in how (for good reasons). *Also* of interest /1
November 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
More: How a brain solves a memory task is a core phenomenon of interest; if an animal performs a memory task, there's no question that their brain performs that memory computation — and many are interested in how (for good reasons). *Also* of interest /1
(Playing on www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...)
A call for more clarity around causality in neuroscience
In neuroscience, the term ‘causality’ is used to refer to different concepts, leading to confusion. Here we illustrate some of those variations, and w…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:47 PM
(Playing on www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...)
I endorse: please do! A call for more clarity around confusion in objective & subjective measures of brain & mental function.
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I endorse: please do! A call for more clarity around confusion in objective & subjective measures of brain & mental function.
Reposted by Nicole Rust
Can’t tell you how often I’ve had to ask critics what measure they think is better than self-report to know how someone subjectively feels
recently reviewers even asked us how people could possibly rate how good they felt 🤪
As if other a pulse measure or something would be better 😜
recently reviewers even asked us how people could possibly rate how good they felt 🤪
As if other a pulse measure or something would be better 😜
November 29, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Can’t tell you how often I’ve had to ask critics what measure they think is better than self-report to know how someone subjectively feels
recently reviewers even asked us how people could possibly rate how good they felt 🤪
As if other a pulse measure or something would be better 😜
recently reviewers even asked us how people could possibly rate how good they felt 🤪
As if other a pulse measure or something would be better 😜
In other words, we are very far short of the emotion research community erring on spelling these issues out too many times!
November 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In other words, we are very far short of the emotion research community erring on spelling these issues out too many times!
I hope you write it!
And even more broadly: I expect it's time to raise more awareness about what makes emotion research so much harder (than say memory) & the different visions to tackle that challenge. It's unfortunate that every brain mind researcher isn't aware the first (if not the second).
And even more broadly: I expect it's time to raise more awareness about what makes emotion research so much harder (than say memory) & the different visions to tackle that challenge. It's unfortunate that every brain mind researcher isn't aware the first (if not the second).
November 29, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I hope you write it!
And even more broadly: I expect it's time to raise more awareness about what makes emotion research so much harder (than say memory) & the different visions to tackle that challenge. It's unfortunate that every brain mind researcher isn't aware the first (if not the second).
And even more broadly: I expect it's time to raise more awareness about what makes emotion research so much harder (than say memory) & the different visions to tackle that challenge. It's unfortunate that every brain mind researcher isn't aware the first (if not the second).
Wow! I realize that researchers outside the field (like memory) don't understand the need for subjective report (not everyone realizes emotion is a fundametally a scientifically different problem). But I wasn't aware that it was controversial inside the field too. Yes, it's time for that review!
November 29, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Wow! I realize that researchers outside the field (like memory) don't understand the need for subjective report (not everyone realizes emotion is a fundametally a scientifically different problem). But I wasn't aware that it was controversial inside the field too. Yes, it's time for that review!
In mice:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A microbiome-dependent gut–brain pathway regulates motivation for exercise - Nature
It is demonstrated that the brain circuitry involved in regulating the motivation for physical activity is not strictly central nervous system autonomous but is shaped by peripheral influences that or...
www.nature.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:38 PM
In mice:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Got it! That would be a great review indeed. I’d love to see it include mood as well as emotion.
November 28, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Got it! That would be a great review indeed. I’d love to see it include mood as well as emotion.
As for my own take, keeping subjective experience in the loop is key!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
November 28, 2025 at 4:41 PM
As for my own take, keeping subjective experience in the loop is key!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...