Ben de Bivort
@debivort.bsky.social
Drosophila neurobiologist. We study insect behavior and individuality using the tools of computational neuroethology.
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @[email protected]
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @[email protected]
Pinned
New paper: Reflecting on the multiple biases and predispositions observed in young animals with no previous experience, we modelled a new idea on the strategic role of biases to guide adaptive choice and reduce errors: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... In collab with @debivort.bsky.social
Please check out our proposed hypothesis about how naive animals might integrate multiple noisy signals to produce adaptive responses pre-learning.
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
⚠️ DEADLINE EXTENDED! ⚠️
Applications are still open for the CAJAL Course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and Virtual Reality (7 June – 26 June 2026)! 🧠
📅 Deadline to apply: March 3rd 2026 (NEW DATE)
📍 Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
🔗 Apply now: buff.ly/YG7FXZj
#cajal
Applications are still open for the CAJAL Course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and Virtual Reality (7 June – 26 June 2026)! 🧠
📅 Deadline to apply: March 3rd 2026 (NEW DATE)
📍 Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
🔗 Apply now: buff.ly/YG7FXZj
#cajal
February 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM
⚠️ DEADLINE EXTENDED! ⚠️
Applications are still open for the CAJAL Course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and Virtual Reality (7 June – 26 June 2026)! 🧠
📅 Deadline to apply: March 3rd 2026 (NEW DATE)
📍 Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
🔗 Apply now: buff.ly/YG7FXZj
#cajal
Applications are still open for the CAJAL Course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and Virtual Reality (7 June – 26 June 2026)! 🧠
📅 Deadline to apply: March 3rd 2026 (NEW DATE)
📍 Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
🔗 Apply now: buff.ly/YG7FXZj
#cajal
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Anthropic head of AI safety quits, warning of "world in peril" & announces plan to study creative writing, as my college charges ahead in deal with Anthropic, which trained its tech on at least 25 books taken without permission from our Creative Writing faculty. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Anthropic AI safety researcher quits with 'world in peril' warning
It comes in the same week an OpenAI researcher resigned amid concerns about its decision to start testing ChatGPT ads.
www.bbc.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Anthropic head of AI safety quits, warning of "world in peril" & announces plan to study creative writing, as my college charges ahead in deal with Anthropic, which trained its tech on at least 25 books taken without permission from our Creative Writing faculty. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
#Teleomorph on the other hand is described as the sexual reproductive stage. Both stages can have their own deceptively complex life cycles. Often involving secret hidden lives under ground, while their surface lovers hijack mobile animals to spread their babies across the land :)
February 12, 2026 at 10:56 PM
#Teleomorph on the other hand is described as the sexual reproductive stage. Both stages can have their own deceptively complex life cycles. Often involving secret hidden lives under ground, while their surface lovers hijack mobile animals to spread their babies across the land :)
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
We know a lot more about #Fungi now that the science of genetics has advanced so much. Often it was discovered that 2 or more different fungi, were infact one species. With the 1 fungi 1 name push, we needed ways to divide. So #Anamorph is generally described as the asexual reproductive stage
February 12, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Behavioral biases drift in individuals.
• Drift happens on many timescales
• Drift rate depends on genetics and neuromodulators
• It might be adaptive for rapidly changing environments
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
• Drift happens on many timescales
• Drift rate depends on genetics and neuromodulators
• It might be adaptive for rapidly changing environments
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
Drift in Individual Behavioral Phenotype as a Strategy for Unpredictable Worlds
elifesciences.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Behavioral biases drift in individuals.
• Drift happens on many timescales
• Drift rate depends on genetics and neuromodulators
• It might be adaptive for rapidly changing environments
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
• Drift happens on many timescales
• Drift rate depends on genetics and neuromodulators
• It might be adaptive for rapidly changing environments
elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
The University of Essex Language & Linguistics dept was critical to my journey - part of the reason that I am in the field I am in and have the career I have now.
If you can’t help be on the picket line, you can help by donating to the hardship fund (see links in Nina’s post below)
If you can’t help be on the picket line, you can help by donating to the hardship fund (see links in Nina’s post below)
good morning, #linguistics 🐦🐦 pals
the University of Essex wants to cut 50% of our Language & Linguistics department, close our foundation programme & our Southend campus, + cut 400 jobs academic departments and professional services jobs across all depts
join us in the fight against these cuts!
the University of Essex wants to cut 50% of our Language & Linguistics department, close our foundation programme & our Southend campus, + cut 400 jobs academic departments and professional services jobs across all depts
join us in the fight against these cuts!
February 12, 2026 at 12:30 PM
The University of Essex Language & Linguistics dept was critical to my journey - part of the reason that I am in the field I am in and have the career I have now.
If you can’t help be on the picket line, you can help by donating to the hardship fund (see links in Nina’s post below)
If you can’t help be on the picket line, you can help by donating to the hardship fund (see links in Nina’s post below)
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
“…universities are becoming more reliant on wealthy benefactors. But the networks that fund research and programs can also entangle top universities with morally compromised figures… complicity and compromised institutional integrity.”
www.chronicle.com/article/a-mo...
www.chronicle.com/article/a-mo...
‘A Moment of Reckoning’: After Epstein, Higher Ed Faces Hard Questions About Its Proximity to Power
Weeks after the release of a new cache of files about Jeffrey Epstein, the fallout on campuses nationwide is coming into focus.
www.chronicle.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:43 PM
“…universities are becoming more reliant on wealthy benefactors. But the networks that fund research and programs can also entangle top universities with morally compromised figures… complicity and compromised institutional integrity.”
www.chronicle.com/article/a-mo...
www.chronicle.com/article/a-mo...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
I’m unconvinced (and @ccallahan45.bsky.social’s has analysis that supports this) this can’t be explained by the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. But anyways, striking article in the same issue in which the editorial board supports EPA’s repeal of the funding that GHGs endanger health and welfare
Scientists say the world has been warming at a steady rate. Then recently it spiked: “We’re not continuing on the same path we had before...Something has changed.” wapo.st/4abXa5w @JohnMuyskens @shannonosaka @washingtonpost
Scientists thought they understood global warming. Then the past three years happened.
The fastest warming period since 1880 occurred in the past 30 years, according to a Washington Post analysis of NASA data.
wapo.st
February 11, 2026 at 9:27 PM
I’m unconvinced (and @ccallahan45.bsky.social’s has analysis that supports this) this can’t be explained by the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. But anyways, striking article in the same issue in which the editorial board supports EPA’s repeal of the funding that GHGs endanger health and welfare
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
February 11, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
The experience of work emails coming in faster than I can read them, let alone process/respond, is new and terrifying.
February 11, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The experience of work emails coming in faster than I can read them, let alone process/respond, is new and terrifying.
Please check out our proposed hypothesis about how naive animals might integrate multiple noisy signals to produce adaptive responses pre-learning.
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
New paper: Reflecting on the multiple biases and predispositions observed in young animals with no previous experience, we modelled a new idea on the strategic role of biases to guide adaptive choice and reduce errors: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... In collab with @debivort.bsky.social
February 11, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Please check out our proposed hypothesis about how naive animals might integrate multiple noisy signals to produce adaptive responses pre-learning.
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
New paper: Reflecting on the multiple biases and predispositions observed in young animals with no previous experience, we modelled a new idea on the strategic role of biases to guide adaptive choice and reduce errors: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... In collab with @debivort.bsky.social
February 11, 2026 at 2:24 PM
New paper: Reflecting on the multiple biases and predispositions observed in young animals with no previous experience, we modelled a new idea on the strategic role of biases to guide adaptive choice and reduce errors: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... In collab with @debivort.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Big @bostonglobe.com / MassINC Polling survey out this morning. "They came to Massachusetts to cure disease. Now they’re packing up their labs." We surveyed NIH funded scientists in Massachusetts about federal funding cuts & policies. Here's what they told us. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
They came to Massachusetts to cure disease. Now they’re packing up their labs. - The Boston Globe
In a first-of-its-kind survey, the Globe asked hundreds of scientists about the impact of federal funding cuts.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Big @bostonglobe.com / MassINC Polling survey out this morning. "They came to Massachusetts to cure disease. Now they’re packing up their labs." We surveyed NIH funded scientists in Massachusetts about federal funding cuts & policies. Here's what they told us. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Our paper is out in @natneuro.nature.com!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
February 10, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Our paper is out in @natneuro.nature.com!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Their goal is explicitly to destroy science in the United States
The high proportion of US scientists among those recruited by France shows that “enthusiasm and morale for doing science is low” in the US, says Sharon Milgram, who led early-career researcher programs at NIH for nearly 20 years, until she retired in December.
By @lizziegibney.bsky.social and me
By @lizziegibney.bsky.social and me
February 10, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Their goal is explicitly to destroy science in the United States
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
NEW: Of all the states that voted for Harris over Trump in 2024, there's only one where a Dem governor is overseeing an ICE's 287(g) program:
Massachusetts.
Other blue states have quit, or even outright banned it. My colleague on what's happening: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Massachusetts.
Other blue states have quit, or even outright banned it. My colleague on what's happening: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State - Bolts
As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
boltsmag.org
February 9, 2026 at 7:35 PM
NEW: Of all the states that voted for Harris over Trump in 2024, there's only one where a Dem governor is overseeing an ICE's 287(g) program:
Massachusetts.
Other blue states have quit, or even outright banned it. My colleague on what's happening: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Massachusetts.
Other blue states have quit, or even outright banned it. My colleague on what's happening: boltsmag.org/massachusett...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Same task, different strategy ↔️
Why do identical neural network models develop separate internal approaches to solve the same problem?
@annhuang42.bsky.social explores the factors driving variability in task-trained networks in our latest @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social Deeper Learning blog.
Why do identical neural network models develop separate internal approaches to solve the same problem?
@annhuang42.bsky.social explores the factors driving variability in task-trained networks in our latest @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social Deeper Learning blog.
🤖📊 NEW in the Deeper Learning blog: @annhuang42.bsky.social & @kanakarajanphd.bsky.social break down their recent work examining how #RNNs solve the same task in different ways, and why that matters. Joint work with @satpreetsingh.bsky.social & @flavioh.bsky.social bit.ly/4kj4fVd #NeuroAI
Measuring and Controlling Solution Degeneracy Across Task-Trained Recurrent Neural Networks - Kempner Institute
Despite reaching equal performance success when trained on the same task, artificial neural networks can develop dramatically different internal solutions, much like different students solving the sam...
bit.ly
February 9, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Same task, different strategy ↔️
Why do identical neural network models develop separate internal approaches to solve the same problem?
@annhuang42.bsky.social explores the factors driving variability in task-trained networks in our latest @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social Deeper Learning blog.
Why do identical neural network models develop separate internal approaches to solve the same problem?
@annhuang42.bsky.social explores the factors driving variability in task-trained networks in our latest @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social Deeper Learning blog.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
this is a subject that's near and dear to my heart
1. no you didn't, you retconning fucks
2. your decades of anti-governance "free market" "government never functions" propaganda paved the way for the complete authoritarian decimation of labor, consumer, environmental protections
1. no you didn't, you retconning fucks
2. your decades of anti-governance "free market" "government never functions" propaganda paved the way for the complete authoritarian decimation of labor, consumer, environmental protections
February 9, 2026 at 6:06 PM
this is a subject that's near and dear to my heart
1. no you didn't, you retconning fucks
2. your decades of anti-governance "free market" "government never functions" propaganda paved the way for the complete authoritarian decimation of labor, consumer, environmental protections
1. no you didn't, you retconning fucks
2. your decades of anti-governance "free market" "government never functions" propaganda paved the way for the complete authoritarian decimation of labor, consumer, environmental protections
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
U.K. might lose a prime minister because a guy who worked for him knew another guy who hung out with Epstein. Meanwhile the U.S. opposition party is telling our President, who was Epstein's best friend, that his secret police should get better training so their public street murders look less messy.
February 9, 2026 at 4:07 PM
U.K. might lose a prime minister because a guy who worked for him knew another guy who hung out with Epstein. Meanwhile the U.S. opposition party is telling our President, who was Epstein's best friend, that his secret police should get better training so their public street murders look less messy.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
One thing I don't get are the academics who would praise Epstein's intellect, even now. I honestly didn't see it. Even on just two minutes acquaintance, he seemed like a standard fast-talking charlatan, someone who trotted out lots of big words with no real understanding. A very common type.
February 9, 2026 at 3:40 PM
One thing I don't get are the academics who would praise Epstein's intellect, even now. I honestly didn't see it. Even on just two minutes acquaintance, he seemed like a standard fast-talking charlatan, someone who trotted out lots of big words with no real understanding. A very common type.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
The Church Evolution Lab (CEL@NYU) is hiring a postdoc! We have several new projects to study the genomic basis of biodiversity in model clades – especially Hawaiian Drosophila. apply.interfolio.com/179354
Come join our new group, you can study bugs and live in NYC! Feel free to share widely!
Come join our new group, you can study bugs and live in NYC! Feel free to share widely!
December 22, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The Church Evolution Lab (CEL@NYU) is hiring a postdoc! We have several new projects to study the genomic basis of biodiversity in model clades – especially Hawaiian Drosophila. apply.interfolio.com/179354
Come join our new group, you can study bugs and live in NYC! Feel free to share widely!
Come join our new group, you can study bugs and live in NYC! Feel free to share widely!
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
A pretty stunning attempt at rewriting the last year. While there are exceptions, legal challenges were largely led by faculty, AAUP, and state AGs, while university leadership and scientific societies almost uniformly attempted appeasement and acquiesced in advance.
The world has changed, and the old ways are not the only thing needed for this moment.
Both/and: inside advocacy is important but public attention achieved a lot of pushback this year. It’s wrong to talk about “seething advocacy” behind pics evoking “bipartisan compromise”
Both/and: inside advocacy is important but public attention achieved a lot of pushback this year. It’s wrong to talk about “seething advocacy” behind pics evoking “bipartisan compromise”
February 7, 2026 at 3:28 PM
A pretty stunning attempt at rewriting the last year. While there are exceptions, legal challenges were largely led by faculty, AAUP, and state AGs, while university leadership and scientific societies almost uniformly attempted appeasement and acquiesced in advance.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Summing up: the donor class is creepy and debased. These people should not be allowed anywhere near our research, academic programs, or campuses, because universities and academics can't be trusted to exercise any judgement when confronted with wealth.
February 7, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Summing up: the donor class is creepy and debased. These people should not be allowed anywhere near our research, academic programs, or campuses, because universities and academics can't be trusted to exercise any judgement when confronted with wealth.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
MERE HOURS after the President of the United States posted an AI video of the Obama’s as monkeys, the Science Tech Action Committee (led by @aaas.org and @researchamerica.bsky.social) posted a THANK YOU to TRUMP for SIGNING THE BUDGET.
Shot. Chaser.
sciencetechaction.org/aboutus/
Shot. Chaser.
sciencetechaction.org/aboutus/
February 7, 2026 at 1:18 AM
MERE HOURS after the President of the United States posted an AI video of the Obama’s as monkeys, the Science Tech Action Committee (led by @aaas.org and @researchamerica.bsky.social) posted a THANK YOU to TRUMP for SIGNING THE BUDGET.
Shot. Chaser.
sciencetechaction.org/aboutus/
Shot. Chaser.
sciencetechaction.org/aboutus/