Stephen Emrich
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emrich.bsky.social
Stephen Emrich
@emrich.bsky.social
Professor of Psychology, Brock University. Cycling. Sailing. Food. Beer. Man about town.
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
New preprint with @SamJung @timbrady.bsky.social and @violastoermer.bsky.social: osf.io/preprints/ps.... Here we uncover what might be driving the “meaningfulness benefit” in visual working memory. Studies show that real objects are remembered better in VWM tasks than abstract stimuli. But why? 1/
OSF
osf.io
February 9, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
Here comes the big AI slop wave of 'scientific' manuscripts!
Can you justify using (and paying for) a service that generates a ready to submit paper with just one prompt?
🧵
February 8, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
the magic of the Muppets is that there are two fourth walls. they constantly break the one that reminds the audience they are performers. they NEVER break the one that reminds the audience they are puppets. this dynamic is the key to their entire comedy style
MY KIDS: so why are there muppets in the AUDIENCE

ME: THE CONCEIT!! IS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING ON A VARIETY SHOW!!! IN A WORLD WHERE MUPPET AND HUMAN COEXIST!!! YOU ARE WATCHING A DOCUMENTARY!! FILMED!! IN REAL TIME!!!
February 8, 2026 at 6:22 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
free video for intro lectures on auditory perception
February 8, 2026 at 3:14 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
After more than three hours and six minutes of game time, the Leafs go to the powerplay!!!
February 4, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Saving....for reasons
Just out—a piece I wrote a piece for the APS Observer (@psychscience.bsky.social) in which I share recommendations and resources for running a research lab at a small, liberal arts college. I hope it helps others in the same boat! www.psychologicalscience.org/publications...
How to Set Up and Run an Undergraduate Research Lab
APS Fellow Julia Strand offers resources and recommendations to run a productive research lab.
www.psychologicalscience.org
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
I was present for the birth of the web, the explosion of personal sites, and the blogging revolution, and you know what we never had to do? Beg people to use our shit.
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
Big tech boss tells delegates at Davos that broader global use is essential if technology is to deliver lasting growth
www.irishtimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
You can picture how it must have felt in there. Four fucking Nazis with their shit-eating grins squeezing their fat asses into a booth at a family-owned Mexican place poisoning the entire room with their smug impunity. Desecrating a place of community www.welcometohellworld.com/we-must-love...
January 20, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
Opportunity to move to Canada. 🍁 The Lifespan Institute @brocku.ca is looking to hire a Canada Excellence Research Chair In Healthy Development Across the Lifespan. More info in the job ad (salary negotiable).

brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree....
Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Healthy Development Across the Lifespan at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, Tenured
This position is part of the BUFA (Employee Group) Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here to...
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
Canada is on a MASSIVE poaching spree. The Impact+ is $500k/$1M a year support for 8 years!

I've already said "I'm willing to be poached, want a dronery?"
January 19, 2026 at 3:23 PM
For anyone looking to get out of the US because of *gestures wildly*: we are looking for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Healthy Development Across the Lifespan. The timeline for applying is tight but it's a great opportunity. Details here: brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_caree...
Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Healthy Development Across the Lifespan at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, Tenured
This position is part of the BUFA (Employee Group) Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here to...
brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
We recently published a theoretical review about how compositional and generative mechanisms in working memory provide a flexible engine for creative perception and imagery.

Pre-print:
osf.io/preprints/ps...

Paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 6, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Gay Canadian hockey romance exploding is whatever I'm just really happy a bunch of people are discovering Wolf Parade.
January 1, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Heated Rivalry has Wolf Parade songs on the soundtrack.
a man in a toronto raptors jersey is standing on a basketball court with a crowd in the background .
ALT: a man in a toronto raptors jersey is standing on a basketball court with a crowd in the background .
media.tenor.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
If you have only one thing to read today...

"Universities are being retrofitted as fulfillment centers of cognitive convenience."

www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
"“Every time I talk to a colleague about this, the same thing comes up: retirement. When can I retire? When can I get out of this? That’s what we’re all thinking now.”"
Can confirm. I've talked with so many academics who had planned to work until their early 70s saying they're now eyeing the exits.
December 5, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
bluesky is like if a flash mob of 38 year olds came to post on 2009 twitter
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
VP Cheney will be honoured with a 21 gun salute accidentally aimed directly at 21 of his friends
November 4, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
At the end of the day I'm not sure how much difference it makes. But it is striking to put out a budget that axes a luxury tax on yachts and adds a co-pay for refugee claimants accessing drugs and dental care.
November 4, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74
September 16, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
September 12, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Stephen Emrich
it really is astonishing how quickly it goes from “civil war” and “blood in the streets” to “wow guys it’s just a sad tragedy” when it becomes inconvenient
September 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM