Fernanda Ferreira
@fernandaedi.bsky.social
Psycholinguist @UCDavis. Made in Portugal, raised in Canada, living in California. Author of "Psycholinguistics: A Very Short Introduction" from Oxford University Press, coming out January 23, 2025.
Pinned
With lots of new people and followers, thought I’d give my bio:
I’m 2-times an immigrant (🇵🇹—>🇨🇦, 🇨🇦—>🇺🇸), grew up in Winnipeg, 1st-gen. I’m a prof at UCDavis where I study language processing and teach amazing students. Love progressive politics, science, commuter cycling, running, and Jane Austen.
I’m 2-times an immigrant (🇵🇹—>🇨🇦, 🇨🇦—>🇺🇸), grew up in Winnipeg, 1st-gen. I’m a prof at UCDavis where I study language processing and teach amazing students. Love progressive politics, science, commuter cycling, running, and Jane Austen.
Great thread on the risks of open data. No one‘s advocating a return to unavailable data sets, but it’s clear current subject protections are inadequate.
1. I’m not surprised this happened. This is the side of open data sources we don’t talk about: there’s an assumption that everyone will access the data in good faith. (More on this in a min)
2. This is a sneak peak into the kind of BS thay NIH, HHS, and other fed R&D is about fund.
1/?
2. This is a sneak peak into the kind of BS thay NIH, HHS, and other fed R&D is about fund.
1/?
🚨🚨🚨 "At least 63 times since 2007, data from some of the 28 human genomic repositories that the N.I.H. controls was improperly released to researchers, used for unapproved purposes or made vulnerable to theft..." (Gift Link) www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/u...
January 24, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Great thread on the risks of open data. No one‘s advocating a return to unavailable data sets, but it’s clear current subject protections are inadequate.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
It's been a remarkably miserable week politically, but in just the last 24 hours, two examples of amazing academic generosity: this from David Adger, and a Computational Cog Neuroscience textbook from @gershbrain.bsky.social. Both open for all to read and use.
My new book is available open access from MITPress. It's a pretty new take on syntax, with some cool consequences for long-distance syntactic dependencies, and I think it should also appeal to non-minimalist syntacticians (since there isn't really any movement!) direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Mereological Syntax: Phrase Structure, Cyclicity, and Islands
An argument for replacing Chomsky’s set-theoretic Merge view of syntax with a theory of syntax based on mereological objects.Mereology is the study of part
direct.mit.edu
January 9, 2026 at 4:54 PM
It's been a remarkably miserable week politically, but in just the last 24 hours, two examples of amazing academic generosity: this from David Adger, and a Computational Cog Neuroscience textbook from @gershbrain.bsky.social. Both open for all to read and use.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
My new book is available open access from MITPress. It's a pretty new take on syntax, with some cool consequences for long-distance syntactic dependencies, and I think it should also appeal to non-minimalist syntacticians (since there isn't really any movement!) direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Mereological Syntax: Phrase Structure, Cyclicity, and Islands
An argument for replacing Chomsky’s set-theoretic Merge view of syntax with a theory of syntax based on mereological objects.Mereology is the study of part
direct.mit.edu
January 9, 2026 at 1:32 PM
My new book is available open access from MITPress. It's a pretty new take on syntax, with some cool consequences for long-distance syntactic dependencies, and I think it should also appeal to non-minimalist syntacticians (since there isn't really any movement!) direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
With some trepidation, I'm putting this out into the world:
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
January 9, 2026 at 1:27 AM
With some trepidation, I'm putting this out into the world:
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
It’s easy to make bread at home (without a bread machine) and the result is tastier and cheaper than bread from the store
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 8:37 PM
It’s easy to make bread at home (without a bread machine) and the result is tastier and cheaper than bread from the store
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
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...
Pre-print:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
January 6, 2026 at 7:04 PM
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...
Pre-print:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
📚 Sociophonetics: Implications for Phonological and Phonetic Theory (co-edited by me and @lhlew.bsky.social) is now available online at Oxford Academic! (print copies coming end of January) academic.oup.com/book/61815
January 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
📚 Sociophonetics: Implications for Phonological and Phonetic Theory (co-edited by me and @lhlew.bsky.social) is now available online at Oxford Academic! (print copies coming end of January) academic.oup.com/book/61815
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
For nearly a decade, I have been arguing that Trump was a neo-imperialist who believed in using force for crudely self-interested reasons. Many told me I was wrong, that Trump was some kind of "non-interventionist" dove.
This weekend, I was proven fully right.
www.vox.com/politics/474...
This weekend, I was proven fully right.
www.vox.com/politics/474...
Donald Trump was never a dove
How critics of American interventionism fell for a myth.
www.vox.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:07 PM
For nearly a decade, I have been arguing that Trump was a neo-imperialist who believed in using force for crudely self-interested reasons. Many told me I was wrong, that Trump was some kind of "non-interventionist" dove.
This weekend, I was proven fully right.
www.vox.com/politics/474...
This weekend, I was proven fully right.
www.vox.com/politics/474...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 AM
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Does our "semantic space" get stuck in the past as we age?
New work by @ellscain.bsky.social uses historical embeddings + behavioral data to show we are truly lifelong learners.
Older adults don't rely on historical meanings—they update them to match current language! 🧠✨
doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
New work by @ellscain.bsky.social uses historical embeddings + behavioral data to show we are truly lifelong learners.
Older adults don't rely on historical meanings—they update them to match current language! 🧠✨
doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
January 2, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Does our "semantic space" get stuck in the past as we age?
New work by @ellscain.bsky.social uses historical embeddings + behavioral data to show we are truly lifelong learners.
Older adults don't rely on historical meanings—they update them to match current language! 🧠✨
doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
New work by @ellscain.bsky.social uses historical embeddings + behavioral data to show we are truly lifelong learners.
Older adults don't rely on historical meanings—they update them to match current language! 🧠✨
doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Conservative outlets love this pocket-watching hypocrisy trope, especially as some sort of gotcha for WOC, by willfully conflating left politics with forced universal aceticism.
To them, socialists are not supposed to be stylish or attractive. Rama's both, and on her own terms, not maga aesthetic.
To them, socialists are not supposed to be stylish or attractive. Rama's both, and on her own terms, not maga aesthetic.
January 1, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Conservative outlets love this pocket-watching hypocrisy trope, especially as some sort of gotcha for WOC, by willfully conflating left politics with forced universal aceticism.
To them, socialists are not supposed to be stylish or attractive. Rama's both, and on her own terms, not maga aesthetic.
To them, socialists are not supposed to be stylish or attractive. Rama's both, and on her own terms, not maga aesthetic.
Yes okay and where can I buy them?
January 1, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Yes okay and where can I buy them?
What a stupid take on the part of Jon Stewart and his buddies. An alternative assumption they could make about a person wearing a mask (and what goes through my head) is that they’re super courteous - they’re getting over a cold or flu and want to make sure they don’t give it to you.
Disappointed to see Jon Stewart & co joke about masking in public. I do it for my medically fragile daughter (Batten Disease). People not masking properly led to her getting pneumonia, which led to her being on life support, which led to me getting price quotes on her cremation just in case.
December 29, 2025 at 3:16 PM
What a stupid take on the part of Jon Stewart and his buddies. An alternative assumption they could make about a person wearing a mask (and what goes through my head) is that they’re super courteous - they’re getting over a cold or flu and want to make sure they don’t give it to you.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Paper alert! (1/2) We examined brain activation for each content word in a podcast relative to incrementally larger ngrams (1-word, 5-words, 10-words) that precede each word with a focus on semantic distance. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Measuring brain sensitivity to semantic distance in spoken narrative comprehension
Discourse comprehension requires simultaneous integration of local and global constituents. When hearing a narrative, for example, listeners must link…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Paper alert! (1/2) We examined brain activation for each content word in a podcast relative to incrementally larger ngrams (1-word, 5-words, 10-words) that precede each word with a focus on semantic distance. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
My mom used to make these - in my family we call them "filhoses", but I think they're also known as "malassadas". Sadly, she can't make them anymore, so I figured it was up to me to maintain the tradition of filhoses at Christmas. Here's my very first batch. Not too bad!
December 21, 2025 at 1:52 AM
My mom used to make these - in my family we call them "filhoses", but I think they're also known as "malassadas". Sadly, she can't make them anymore, so I figured it was up to me to maintain the tradition of filhoses at Christmas. Here's my very first batch. Not too bad!
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Very excited to share the first empirical paper from LEVANTE: we describe the LEVANTE core tasks, a set of nine open source tasks for measuring learning and development in kids ages 5-12 years.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
December 18, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Very excited to share the first empirical paper from LEVANTE: we describe the LEVANTE core tasks, a set of nine open source tasks for measuring learning and development in kids ages 5-12 years.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
osf.io/preprints/ps...
🧵
"And this is a right angle"
December 18, 2025 at 4:32 PM
"And this is a right angle"
And it is a truth universally acknowledged that sometimes you should use passive voice.
Jane Austen used 'however' at the beginning of a sentence, and so can you.
December 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
And it is a truth universally acknowledged that sometimes you should use passive voice.
Have to keep reminding myself that now that I’ve submitted all grades for my 300+ students this term, it’s safe to check email in the morning
December 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Have to keep reminding myself that now that I’ve submitted all grades for my 300+ students this term, it’s safe to check email in the morning
They say in any organization 5% of people create 95% of the problems. In teaching, that sort of tracks. But at this time of year, when some students take the time to send thoughtful notes about your course, I'm reminded that indeed most are just terrific: curious, motivated, and a pleasure to teach.
December 13, 2025 at 6:31 PM
They say in any organization 5% of people create 95% of the problems. In teaching, that sort of tracks. But at this time of year, when some students take the time to send thoughtful notes about your course, I'm reminded that indeed most are just terrific: curious, motivated, and a pleasure to teach.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
most people, left and right, treat traffic violence like the weather and not a specific policy choice
December 12, 2025 at 8:41 PM
most people, left and right, treat traffic violence like the weather and not a specific policy choice
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Just finished my last class of the semester🎉Reminded of how much I love teaching this academic writing class for grad students. We focus on improving our writing but also reducing anxiety and becoming a more consistent & productive writer
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
December 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Just finished my last class of the semester🎉Reminded of how much I love teaching this academic writing class for grad students. We focus on improving our writing but also reducing anxiety and becoming a more consistent & productive writer
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Some of the students favorite writing tips/learnings below:
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
We're hiring! We have 2 jobs advertised: Library Engagement Lead and Operations Manager, deadline Tues 6 January 2026. Links:
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
openjournalscollective.org
December 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
We're hiring! We have 2 jobs advertised: Library Engagement Lead and Operations Manager, deadline Tues 6 January 2026. Links:
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
The Open Journals Collective is growing! If you're interested in helping shape the future and sustainability of Diamond Open Access publishing, then check out these roles at OJC.
👇
👇
We're hiring! We have 2 jobs advertised: Library Engagement Lead and Operations Manager, deadline Tues 6 January 2026. Links:
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
openjournalscollective.org/static/engag...
openjournalscollective.org/static/opera...
Come work for a major new international organisation funding #openaccess publishing!
openjournalscollective.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The Open Journals Collective is growing! If you're interested in helping shape the future and sustainability of Diamond Open Access publishing, then check out these roles at OJC.
👇
👇