Asifa Majid
@asifamajid.bsky.social
Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Oxford @oxexppsy.bsky.social
New paper: Evidence of crossmodal compensation in the conceptual representation of blind people: while they share visual associations with sighted people, blind people more strongly associate concepts with touch direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
November 20, 2025 at 8:52 AM
New paper: Evidence of crossmodal compensation in the conceptual representation of blind people: while they share visual associations with sighted people, blind people more strongly associate concepts with touch direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
Keep a look out for Cole and Sean @seangroberts.bsky.social discussing their odyssey to understand this phenomenon on @becauselanguage.com Coming soon!
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Keep a look out for Cole and Sean @seangroberts.bsky.social discussing their odyssey to understand this phenomenon on @becauselanguage.com Coming soon!
In fact, future tense use causes less not more temporal discounting journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Language and economic behaviour: Future tense use causes less not more temporal discounting
Previous studies have found cross-cultural correlations between linguistic obligations for talking about future events and economic decisions like saving money. The hypothesis is that a grammatical ob...
journals.plos.org
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
In fact, future tense use causes less not more temporal discounting journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
A new twist to the idea that future tense use affects decision making👇 Cole Robertson @seangroberts.bsky.social et al show it’s not future tense that drives psychological discounting but how people express the possibility of future events happening (modality). authors.elsevier.com/c/1m4gJ2Hx2-...
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
A new twist to the idea that future tense use affects decision making👇 Cole Robertson @seangroberts.bsky.social et al show it’s not future tense that drives psychological discounting but how people express the possibility of future events happening (modality). authors.elsevier.com/c/1m4gJ2Hx2-...
Reposted by Asifa Majid
@durhampsych.bsky.social current has 5 (FIVE!!) PhD studentships being advertised!
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
Fees and Funding - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
September 11, 2025 at 9:12 AM
@durhampsych.bsky.social current has 5 (FIVE!!) PhD studentships being advertised!
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution
2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions.
Please share and apply!
www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...
Reposted by Asifa Majid
New podcast! @dannybate.bsky.social and I chat about Scottish Gaelic, mediaeval sea kingdoms, the spread and retreat of Gaelic in Scotland, influence from Pictish, sounds borrowed from Old Norse, and much more 🐦🐦 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a... or wherever you get your podcasts :)
Scottish Gaelic and David Adger
Podcast Episode · A Language I Love Is... · 10/09/2025 · 1h 1m
podcasts.apple.com
September 11, 2025 at 6:46 AM
New podcast! @dannybate.bsky.social and I chat about Scottish Gaelic, mediaeval sea kingdoms, the spread and retreat of Gaelic in Scotland, influence from Pictish, sounds borrowed from Old Norse, and much more 🐦🐦 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a... or wherever you get your podcasts :)
appreciate the translation 😆
September 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
appreciate the translation 😆
Reposted by Asifa Majid
New scoping review and critical discourse analysis of guidance documents on open science (OS) urges researchers to be “more precise about the specific approach they take to OS and more humble about the effects it can have.”
Preprint by @jeroenderidder.bsky.social and colleagues: osf.io/zr35u_v1
Preprint by @jeroenderidder.bsky.social and colleagues: osf.io/zr35u_v1
August 30, 2025 at 10:08 AM
New scoping review and critical discourse analysis of guidance documents on open science (OS) urges researchers to be “more precise about the specific approach they take to OS and more humble about the effects it can have.”
Preprint by @jeroenderidder.bsky.social and colleagues: osf.io/zr35u_v1
Preprint by @jeroenderidder.bsky.social and colleagues: osf.io/zr35u_v1
Awesome! I'm assuming it's for English, or does it work in multiple languages?
September 2, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Awesome! I'm assuming it's for English, or does it work in multiple languages?
Reposted by Asifa Majid
"It is crucial to make psychology inclusive of all the world's people but vitally important to do this in ways that are respectful, ethical & empirically accurate. I weigh the promises & pitfalls of research in small-scale societies & discuss how we can improve our research practices moving forward"
Psychology Within and Without the State | Annual Reviews
Psychological research in small-scale societies is crucial for what it stands to tell us about human psychological diversity. However, people in these communities, typically Indigenous communities in ...
www.annualreviews.org
August 30, 2025 at 9:41 AM
"It is crucial to make psychology inclusive of all the world's people but vitally important to do this in ways that are respectful, ethical & empirically accurate. I weigh the promises & pitfalls of research in small-scale societies & discuss how we can improve our research practices moving forward"
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Super excited to share our new multimodal corpus analysis, "Iconic Words Are Associated With Iconic Gestures" 🥳
Project led by our PhD student Ell Wilding and in collab w/ @jeannettel.bsky.social & @mperlman.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
Project led by our PhD student Ell Wilding and in collab w/ @jeannettel.bsky.social & @mperlman.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
Iconic Words Are Associated With Iconic Gestures
Iconicity ratings studies have established that there are many English words which native speakers judge as “iconic,” that is, as sounding like what they mean. Here, we explore whether these iconic E...
doi.org
August 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Super excited to share our new multimodal corpus analysis, "Iconic Words Are Associated With Iconic Gestures" 🥳
Project led by our PhD student Ell Wilding and in collab w/ @jeannettel.bsky.social & @mperlman.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
Project led by our PhD student Ell Wilding and in collab w/ @jeannettel.bsky.social & @mperlman.bsky.social:
doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Berkeley linguistics is hiring an Assistant Professor in language revitalization!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05022
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05022
Assistant Professor - Language Revitalization - Linguistics
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
August 20, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Berkeley linguistics is hiring an Assistant Professor in language revitalization!
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05022
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05022
New paper: Validation of the Coffee Knowledge Test for Assessing Expertise in Coffee with Jonas Yde Junge, @icroij.bsky.social, Line Ahm Mielby, and Ulla Kidmose doi.org/10.1111/joss... #OpenAccess
August 24, 2025 at 9:44 AM
New paper: Validation of the Coffee Knowledge Test for Assessing Expertise in Coffee with Jonas Yde Junge, @icroij.bsky.social, Line Ahm Mielby, and Ulla Kidmose doi.org/10.1111/joss... #OpenAccess
Reposted by Asifa Majid
1/5
Odor intensity isn’t just about concentration! We have a new preprint to prove it: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In cahoots with @jmainland.bsky.social, @alexkoulakov.bsky.social, Rick Gerkin, Khristina Samoilova and others not on bluesky. 🧪
Which of these molecules smells stronger?
Odor intensity isn’t just about concentration! We have a new preprint to prove it: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In cahoots with @jmainland.bsky.social, @alexkoulakov.bsky.social, Rick Gerkin, Khristina Samoilova and others not on bluesky. 🧪
Which of these molecules smells stronger?
August 12, 2025 at 8:34 PM
1/5
Odor intensity isn’t just about concentration! We have a new preprint to prove it: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In cahoots with @jmainland.bsky.social, @alexkoulakov.bsky.social, Rick Gerkin, Khristina Samoilova and others not on bluesky. 🧪
Which of these molecules smells stronger?
Odor intensity isn’t just about concentration! We have a new preprint to prove it: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In cahoots with @jmainland.bsky.social, @alexkoulakov.bsky.social, Rick Gerkin, Khristina Samoilova and others not on bluesky. 🧪
Which of these molecules smells stronger?
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Remembering the Whorf quote about how languages cut reality up in different ways. A Danish supermarket has a “pålæg” fridge—essentially things that go on (open-faced) sandwiches (see pic of pic).It’s where you find ham & salmon & various patés. But not cheese, which has its own slice of reality.
August 17, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Remembering the Whorf quote about how languages cut reality up in different ways. A Danish supermarket has a “pålæg” fridge—essentially things that go on (open-faced) sandwiches (see pic of pic).It’s where you find ham & salmon & various patés. But not cheese, which has its own slice of reality.
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Long read on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who we had the honor of interviewing on the History of Africana Philosophy podcast a while back:
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...
Take away our language and we will forget who we are: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and the language of conquest
The long read: The late Kenyan novelist and activist believed erasing language was the most lasting weapon of oppression. Here, Aminatta Forna recalls the man and introduces his essay on decolonisatio...
www.theguardian.com
August 12, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Long read on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who we had the honor of interviewing on the History of Africana Philosophy podcast a while back:
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...
Reposted by Asifa Majid
I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Robin Lakoff, hugely influential. The first work of hers I encountered was Talking Power, which we read in an undergrad class for Myrdene Anderson
August 7, 2025 at 12:54 PM
I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Robin Lakoff, hugely influential. The first work of hers I encountered was Talking Power, which we read in an undergrad class for Myrdene Anderson
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Susan Carey mic-drop at #cogsci2025. "There are no innate concepts: Discuss"
August 2, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Susan Carey mic-drop at #cogsci2025. "There are no innate concepts: Discuss"
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Brilliant keynote by @laurennross.bsky.social at #cogsci2025 on cognitive science and its philosophy. Lauren pointed out the myriad ways in which cogsci and philosophy support and benefit one another, using explanation and causal reasoning as case studies. Thank you for a great talk!! 🙏
August 2, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Brilliant keynote by @laurennross.bsky.social at #cogsci2025 on cognitive science and its philosophy. Lauren pointed out the myriad ways in which cogsci and philosophy support and benefit one another, using explanation and causal reasoning as case studies. Thank you for a great talk!! 🙏
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Josh Tenenbaum's inspiring keynote at #cogsci2025 on growing vs scaling AI, the big questions of cognitive science, and the many open questions for the field.
August 1, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Josh Tenenbaum's inspiring keynote at #cogsci2025 on growing vs scaling AI, the big questions of cognitive science, and the many open questions for the field.
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Doug’s papers on concepts and categories (along with Smith, Murphy) had a heavy influence on me during PhD! So happy his work was recognized!!! And such a powerful speech too 🙏
Congrats to Doug Medin on becoming the next Rumelhart prize winner! 🏆 My “academic grandpa” through multiple pathways! #cogsci2025
August 1, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Doug’s papers on concepts and categories (along with Smith, Murphy) had a heavy influence on me during PhD! So happy his work was recognized!!! And such a powerful speech too 🙏
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Congrats to Doug Medin on becoming the next Rumelhart prize winner! 🏆 My “academic grandpa” through multiple pathways! #cogsci2025
August 1, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Congrats to Doug Medin on becoming the next Rumelhart prize winner! 🏆 My “academic grandpa” through multiple pathways! #cogsci2025
Reposted by Asifa Majid
Pleased to present our new preprint on sleep and circadian rhythms among the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia.
This is a fascinating system for exploring sleep biology. Lots of variation in light exposure, housing type, and subsistence.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below.
This is a fascinating system for exploring sleep biology. Lots of variation in light exposure, housing type, and subsistence.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below.
July 31, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Pleased to present our new preprint on sleep and circadian rhythms among the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia.
This is a fascinating system for exploring sleep biology. Lots of variation in light exposure, housing type, and subsistence.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below.
This is a fascinating system for exploring sleep biology. Lots of variation in light exposure, housing type, and subsistence.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 below.
Tune in today
Margaret Boden, giant of Cognitive Science and the Philosophy of AI, is one of the people whose lives will be remembered on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word programme tomorrow at 4pm UK time. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Dame Cleo Laine, Hulk Hogan, Margaret Boden, Tom Lehrer
Matthew Bannister on a singer, a wrestler, a cognitive scientist and a satirist.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Tune in today