Vincent Giampietro
@vincentgiampietro.bsky.social
Neuroscientist at @kingsioppn.bsky.social & @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social. French chatterbox and musicbox floating in a most peculiar way in Sarf London since the late 20th century...
Interesting to see that things haven't moved much since I was a student. We still debate global workspace theory of consciousness despite decades of neuroscience/psychology research on the topic: "Shouldn't the difference be as obvious as peering through a keyhole versus standing in an open field?"
Can We Introspectively Test the Global Workspace Theory of Consciousness?
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Interesting to see that things haven't moved much since I was a student. We still debate global workspace theory of consciousness despite decades of neuroscience/psychology research on the topic: "Shouldn't the difference be as obvious as peering through a keyhole versus standing in an open field?"
Fun way to spend 18 minutes during these liminal days when we don't even know what day of the week it is, and we don't care.
I taught an octopus piano (It took 6 months)
YouTube video by Mattias Krantz
www.youtube.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Fun way to spend 18 minutes during these liminal days when we don't even know what day of the week it is, and we don't care.
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
The introduction of spaces between words revolutionized reading and writing, transforming how individuals engage with texts and think. This innovation facilitated silent reading, deep reflection, and personal expression in writing.
How Word Gaps Transformed Reading and Writing
The introduction of spaces between words revolutionized reading and writing, transforming how individuals engage with texts and think. This innovation facilitated silent reading, deep reflection, and personal expression in writing. It reshaped the human brain, fostering complex thought and literary consciousness, ultimately enhancing both comprehension and creativity in communication.
thinkingbeyondscience.in
December 27, 2025 at 2:27 AM
The introduction of spaces between words revolutionized reading and writing, transforming how individuals engage with texts and think. This innovation facilitated silent reading, deep reflection, and personal expression in writing.
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Last week, the BNA joined the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee's Christmas Reception to champion UK #neuroscience, celebrate our members’ achievements, and highlight key policy priorities. Read more:
www.bna.org.uk/resource/bna...
www.bna.org.uk/resource/bna...
BNA in Parliament: A Festive End to a Busy Year
BNA Joins Christmas Parliamentary Science Reception at the House of Commons.
www.bna.org.uk
December 17, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Last week, the BNA joined the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee's Christmas Reception to champion UK #neuroscience, celebrate our members’ achievements, and highlight key policy priorities. Read more:
www.bna.org.uk/resource/bna...
www.bna.org.uk/resource/bna...
What a sad state of affairs...
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
December 11, 2025 at 6:35 PM
What a sad state of affairs...
Enough said: "The developers can’t debug code they didn’t write. Product managers can’t explain decisions they didn’t make. Leaders can’t defend strategies they didn’t develop" & "The developers who’ve been using AI since day one won’t have the architectural understanding to teach" by Josh Anderson.
I Went All-In on AI. The MIT Study Is Right.
My all-in AI experiment cost me my confidence
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Enough said: "The developers can’t debug code they didn’t write. Product managers can’t explain decisions they didn’t make. Leaders can’t defend strategies they didn’t develop" & "The developers who’ve been using AI since day one won’t have the architectural understanding to teach" by Josh Anderson.
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
We tested one of the most common prompting techniques: giving the AI a persona to make it more accurate
We found that telling the AI "you are a great physicist" doesn't make it significantly more accurate at answering physics questions, nor does "you are a lawyer" make it worse.
We found that telling the AI "you are a great physicist" doesn't make it significantly more accurate at answering physics questions, nor does "you are a lawyer" make it worse.
December 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM
We tested one of the most common prompting techniques: giving the AI a persona to make it more accurate
We found that telling the AI "you are a great physicist" doesn't make it significantly more accurate at answering physics questions, nor does "you are a lawyer" make it worse.
We found that telling the AI "you are a great physicist" doesn't make it significantly more accurate at answering physics questions, nor does "you are a lawyer" make it worse.
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Linus, the creator of Linux and Git, is so savage 🤣. He doesn't hold back.
Linus Torvalds is OK with vibe coding as long as it's not used for anything that matters www.theregister.com/2025/11/18/l...
Linus Torvalds is OK with vibe coding as long as it's not used for anything that matters www.theregister.com/2025/11/18/l...
Linus Torvalds: Vibe coding is fine, but not for production
: Linux inventor also discusses Rust in the kernel, Nvidia's proprietary code, and the problem of AI crawlers
www.theregister.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Linus, the creator of Linux and Git, is so savage 🤣. He doesn't hold back.
Linus Torvalds is OK with vibe coding as long as it's not used for anything that matters www.theregister.com/2025/11/18/l...
Linus Torvalds is OK with vibe coding as long as it's not used for anything that matters www.theregister.com/2025/11/18/l...
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Today I have seen more “just use Linux” messages than ever before.
Gurl, until Linux can absolutely get down plug-n-play like behavior, the general public will not be ready for Linux unless everyone gets a huge dosage of computer literacy.
And I will tell you now, from teaching adults: hahahahaha
Gurl, until Linux can absolutely get down plug-n-play like behavior, the general public will not be ready for Linux unless everyone gets a huge dosage of computer literacy.
And I will tell you now, from teaching adults: hahahahaha
November 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Today I have seen more “just use Linux” messages than ever before.
Gurl, until Linux can absolutely get down plug-n-play like behavior, the general public will not be ready for Linux unless everyone gets a huge dosage of computer literacy.
And I will tell you now, from teaching adults: hahahahaha
Gurl, until Linux can absolutely get down plug-n-play like behavior, the general public will not be ready for Linux unless everyone gets a huge dosage of computer literacy.
And I will tell you now, from teaching adults: hahahahaha
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Learn how to write cleaner, reusable, and well-documented code with Dr Sanjay Manohar (University of Oxford).
Practical tips in Python, MATLAB & R to boost your workflow and avoid common pitfalls.
📅 27 Nov 2025 | 🕑 2–5 pm
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#coding #MATLAB
📅 27 Nov 2025 | 🕑 2–5 pm
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#coding #MATLAB
November 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Learn how to write cleaner, reusable, and well-documented code with Dr Sanjay Manohar (University of Oxford).
Practical tips in Python, MATLAB & R to boost your workflow and avoid common pitfalls.
📅 27 Nov 2025 | 🕑 2–5 pm
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#coding #MATLAB
📅 27 Nov 2025 | 🕑 2–5 pm
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#coding #MATLAB
Is there anything worse than seeing this note on an empty plate in the kitchen at work?
November 11, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Is there anything worse than seeing this note on an empty plate in the kitchen at work?
I am not sure what kind of experiment is going on at the Pears Maudsley Centre, but it looks like fun! @kingsmaudsley.bsky.social @maudsleycharity.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I am not sure what kind of experiment is going on at the Pears Maudsley Centre, but it looks like fun! @kingsmaudsley.bsky.social @maudsleycharity.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Join us on 26 Nov (12 - 1pm GMT) for a webinar sharing early findings from @UCL’s REPAIR Project, exploring structural inequities in funding, recognition & career progression.
Free to attend
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#ResearchCulture# STEMEquity #Neuroscience #AcademicCareers
Free to attend
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#ResearchCulture# STEMEquity #Neuroscience #AcademicCareers
November 10, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Join us on 26 Nov (12 - 1pm GMT) for a webinar sharing early findings from @UCL’s REPAIR Project, exploring structural inequities in funding, recognition & career progression.
Free to attend
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#ResearchCulture# STEMEquity #Neuroscience #AcademicCareers
Free to attend
Register here: www.bna.org.uk/events/ems-e...
#ResearchCulture# STEMEquity #Neuroscience #AcademicCareers
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
The challenge in learning using AI is very similar to the same learning issue discovered about internet search
When we are given answers we think we learn, but we don’t. Learning is work. However, things like the “learning modes” from the AI providers help, as does using AI for tutoring not answers
When we are given answers we think we learn, but we don’t. Learning is work. However, things like the “learning modes” from the AI providers help, as does using AI for tutoring not answers
October 31, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The challenge in learning using AI is very similar to the same learning issue discovered about internet search
When we are given answers we think we learn, but we don’t. Learning is work. However, things like the “learning modes” from the AI providers help, as does using AI for tutoring not answers
When we are given answers we think we learn, but we don’t. Learning is work. However, things like the “learning modes” from the AI providers help, as does using AI for tutoring not answers
It's spooky season, so what better way to spend it than getting horrified by common statistical mistakes? A delightful dark read. It is great to follow the paper's development with reviewers' comments & authors' responses. By Tamar Makin from @plasticity-lab.bsky.social & Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
Science Forum: Ten common statistical mistakes to watch out for when writing or reviewing a manuscript
What can authors and reviewers do to keep common statistical mistakes out of the literature?
elifesciences.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM
It's spooky season, so what better way to spend it than getting horrified by common statistical mistakes? A delightful dark read. It is great to follow the paper's development with reviewers' comments & authors' responses. By Tamar Makin from @plasticity-lab.bsky.social & Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
I went to see New Dawn Fades last night at @bloomsburytheatre.bsky.social. It was a bittersweet experience. Great play, great music of course, good fun, especially Brian Gorman playing Tony Wilson, but so much struggle and darkness... I raise my virtual hat to Josh Lonsdale's Ian Curtis!
October 29, 2025 at 12:56 PM
I went to see New Dawn Fades last night at @bloomsburytheatre.bsky.social. It was a bittersweet experience. Great play, great music of course, good fun, especially Brian Gorman playing Tony Wilson, but so much struggle and darkness... I raise my virtual hat to Josh Lonsdale's Ian Curtis!
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
Can looking at art in a gallery impact your #health?
New research from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social and @artfund.bsky.social has compared the body’s responses to viewing original art in a gallery with reproductions in a lab.
Click the link to find out more👇
#IoPPNNews
bit.ly/47a2Lrr
New research from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social and @artfund.bsky.social has compared the body’s responses to viewing original art in a gallery with reproductions in a lab.
Click the link to find out more👇
#IoPPNNews
bit.ly/47a2Lrr
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Can looking at art in a gallery impact your #health?
New research from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social and @artfund.bsky.social has compared the body’s responses to viewing original art in a gallery with reproductions in a lab.
Click the link to find out more👇
#IoPPNNews
bit.ly/47a2Lrr
New research from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social and @artfund.bsky.social has compared the body’s responses to viewing original art in a gallery with reproductions in a lab.
Click the link to find out more👇
#IoPPNNews
bit.ly/47a2Lrr
Nailed it: "When scientists cut loose, it means sitting through academic talks, but maybe while wearing sandals." A graduate student’s guide to department retreats | Science | AAAS
A graduate student’s guide to department retreats
Our Experimental Error columnist demystifies an annual tradition
www.science.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Nailed it: "When scientists cut loose, it means sitting through academic talks, but maybe while wearing sandals." A graduate student’s guide to department retreats | Science | AAAS
Reposted by Vincent Giampietro
LLMs can be useful for some things, but simulating human research participant responses isn’t one of them
![However, recent work demonstrates that demographically prompted LLMs cannot accurately simulate diverse identities. Prompted LLMs are more likely to represent majority groups' stereotypes about minority groups than minority groups' own standpoints [12,13]. For instance, one study [13] prompted LLMs with the identity of Black woman. GPT-4 started generations with phrases such as 'Hey girl' and
'Oh, honey'; Llama-2 started nearly every response with 'Oh, girl', and used phrases including I'm like, YAASSSSS' and 'That's cray, hunty!' In addition, demographic prompting flattens diverse identities into narrow categories, limiting researchers' ability to observe and understand diversity within those categories [13,55]. Demographic prompting misrepresents people who are chronically under-represented in cognitive science research, a form of representational harm [56].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ho22o3jwfn4k7diklsrfnazt/bafkreifiqpzt5r2qjkewoxwxyutln7i4rg3x65pzbxbbgo7zp2by4wdqs4@jpeg)
October 22, 2025 at 6:30 AM
LLMs can be useful for some things, but simulating human research participant responses isn’t one of them
Do yourself a favour and spend 5 minutes watching this.
You Need to Be Bored. Here's Why.
YouTube video by Harvard Business Review
www.youtube.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Do yourself a favour and spend 5 minutes watching this.
There are albums that you have listened to such much, that all the songs blend in; you know exactly what comes next. I had my own oddball paradigm yesterday & a beautiful P300 while listening to the The Beatle's Blue Album. I didn't know that the 2023 version had extra songs, e.g. Blackbird
a man in a white shirt laying on a bed with a blue pillow
ALT: a man in a white shirt laying on a bed with a blue pillow
media.tenor.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:06 AM
There are albums that you have listened to such much, that all the songs blend in; you know exactly what comes next. I had my own oddball paradigm yesterday & a beautiful P300 while listening to the The Beatle's Blue Album. I didn't know that the 2023 version had extra songs, e.g. Blackbird
Grazie Sofia! The #Erasmus programme truly changed my life, by enabling me to first go and study in Iceland and then to come to London for the rest of my Erasmus time, where I still am nearly 25+ years later. Now, through #ErasmusPlus, I carry on the tradition and have international collaborations.
Sofia Corradi, founder of the Erasmus program, passes away at 91
Sofia Corradi, founder of the Erasmus program, passes away at 91
Known as 'Mamma Erasmus,' she viewed the program, which has sent approximately 16 million students to study abroad through Europe, as her 'personal pacifist mission.'
www.lemonde.fr
October 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Grazie Sofia! The #Erasmus programme truly changed my life, by enabling me to first go and study in Iceland and then to come to London for the rest of my Erasmus time, where I still am nearly 25+ years later. Now, through #ErasmusPlus, I carry on the tradition and have international collaborations.
That's tomorrow morning's commute soundtrack sorted then!
Brilliant episode of ‘In our Time’ on hypnosis including @kingsioppn.bsky.social’s Quinton Deeley & Devin Terhune - such eloquent and clear discussions of super complicated topic & its history 👏👏
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
In Our Time - Hypnosis - BBC Sounds
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore hypnosis.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 16, 2025 at 5:24 PM
That's tomorrow morning's commute soundtrack sorted then!
This is a bit niche, but really interesting! I should have said that I was writing NASA-compatible code when struggling with recursion, pointers of pointers and dodgy memory allocation...
how NASA writes space-proof code
YouTube video by Low Level
www.youtube.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
This is a bit niche, but really interesting! I should have said that I was writing NASA-compatible code when struggling with recursion, pointers of pointers and dodgy memory allocation...