J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
@jorgeandr3s.bsky.social
Social epidemiologist and public health researcher.
"Here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it."
Find me philosophizing at https://substack.com/@andresdelgadoron
"Here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it."
Find me philosophizing at https://substack.com/@andresdelgadoron
People often ask if #ChatGPT is conscious. In doing so, they overlook a bigger mystery that has eluded scientists during the last couple of decades:
Are humans in vegetative state conscious?
Maybe we can extrapolate a few lessons from one field to the other:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Are humans in vegetative state conscious?
Maybe we can extrapolate a few lessons from one field to the other:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Sleeping Beauty in the ICU
How neuroscientists know if unconscious people are still 'there'
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:54 PM
People often ask if #ChatGPT is conscious. In doing so, they overlook a bigger mystery that has eluded scientists during the last couple of decades:
Are humans in vegetative state conscious?
Maybe we can extrapolate a few lessons from one field to the other:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Are humans in vegetative state conscious?
Maybe we can extrapolate a few lessons from one field to the other:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
A few days back I sent Mark a paper that could be broadly interpreted as "humans are thought experiments," given statistics are thought experiments too, meta-science would be thought experiments doing thought experiments about thought experiments, which sounds too much like panpsychism for my liking
“Statistical analyses are merely thought experiments, informing us as to what would follow deductively under their assumptions” (Greenland, 2017b, p. 640).
Invited Commentary: The Need for Cognitive Science in Methodology
Abstract. There is no complete solution for the problem of abuse of statistics, but methodological training needs to cover cognitive biases and other psych
doi.org
February 4, 2026 at 4:41 PM
A few days back I sent Mark a paper that could be broadly interpreted as "humans are thought experiments," given statistics are thought experiments too, meta-science would be thought experiments doing thought experiments about thought experiments, which sounds too much like panpsychism for my liking
This reminds me a lot of the sociological aspect of the free software movement (particularly regarding purism) and how the technocratic strategy in the discourse (i.e., breaking away from the state) ended up empowering elites as well.
New on Cultures of Trial and Error:
Open Science isn’t just a set of reforms, but also a story about science in crisis, heroes, urgency, and repair. In this post, Sheena Bartscherer looks at the narrative side of (Open) Science, and why these stories matter
blog.trialanderror.org/cultures-of-...
Open Science isn’t just a set of reforms, but also a story about science in crisis, heroes, urgency, and repair. In this post, Sheena Bartscherer looks at the narrative side of (Open) Science, and why these stories matter
blog.trialanderror.org/cultures-of-...
February 4, 2026 at 3:41 PM
This reminds me a lot of the sociological aspect of the free software movement (particularly regarding purism) and how the technocratic strategy in the discourse (i.e., breaking away from the state) ended up empowering elites as well.
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
Non-Factive Knowledge
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
February 2, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Non-Factive Knowledge
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
"The proposal to abandon the truth condition as a necessary condition of knowledge is at least worth considering."
Open Access: doi.org/10.1007/s121...
Florida man loses consciousness, wakes up speaking Swedish
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Florida man loses consciousness, wakes up speaking Swedish
People who change languages, scientifically speaking
open.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Florida man loses consciousness, wakes up speaking Swedish
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Trying harder to be socially connected doesn’t always make men less lonely. We actually found the opposite.
Read the study: oss.jomh.org/files/articl...
#socialconnection #loneliness
Read the study: oss.jomh.org/files/articl...
#socialconnection #loneliness
January 31, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Trying harder to be socially connected doesn’t always make men less lonely. We actually found the opposite.
Read the study: oss.jomh.org/files/articl...
#socialconnection #loneliness
Read the study: oss.jomh.org/files/articl...
#socialconnection #loneliness
Very nice response to claims of UFO in pre-Sputnik plates
arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21946
I am not an astronomer, but valid concerns are measurement bias, selection bias, selective reporting, lack of confounder adjustment (regarding nuclear tests and UFOs)
arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21946
I am not an astronomer, but valid concerns are measurement bias, selection bias, selective reporting, lack of confounder adjustment (regarding nuclear tests and UFOs)
arxiv.org
January 31, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Very nice response to claims of UFO in pre-Sputnik plates
arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21946
I am not an astronomer, but valid concerns are measurement bias, selection bias, selective reporting, lack of confounder adjustment (regarding nuclear tests and UFOs)
arxiv.org/pdf/2601.21946
I am not an astronomer, but valid concerns are measurement bias, selection bias, selective reporting, lack of confounder adjustment (regarding nuclear tests and UFOs)
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
Many thanks to @avrilkennan.bsky.social for the invitation to speak at the next hrci.ie board meeting later this week. The talk is on Impact by design: The importance of ensuring rigorous research methods right from the start.
Related thoughts here (ICYMI):
statsepi.substack.com/p/everybodys...
Related thoughts here (ICYMI):
statsepi.substack.com/p/everybodys...
Everybody's backyard
John Tukey said that the best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard. It’s a great quote. While it more obviously reflects the tendency of applied statistician...
statsepi.substack.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Many thanks to @avrilkennan.bsky.social for the invitation to speak at the next hrci.ie board meeting later this week. The talk is on Impact by design: The importance of ensuring rigorous research methods right from the start.
Related thoughts here (ICYMI):
statsepi.substack.com/p/everybodys...
Related thoughts here (ICYMI):
statsepi.substack.com/p/everybodys...
Check the whole thread
P-hacking vs Exploratory Analyses
"Reanalyzing data through multiple methods in search of statistically significant results (i.e., p-hacking) is questionable only if concealed; when justified and transparently reported (e.g., exploratory studies), it reflects responsible practice."
"Reanalyzing data through multiple methods in search of statistically significant results (i.e., p-hacking) is questionable only if concealed; when justified and transparently reported (e.g., exploratory studies), it reflects responsible practice."
January 30, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Check the whole thread
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
Stop Formatting Before the Desk Reject
Proposal from @bnbakker.bsky.social and @jakobkas.bsky.social for a staged submission process when submitting manuscripts to academic journals.
#AcademicSky #PhDSky #AcWri
Proposal from @bnbakker.bsky.social and @jakobkas.bsky.social for a staged submission process when submitting manuscripts to academic journals.
#AcademicSky #PhDSky #AcWri
Stop Formatting Before the Desk Reject: A Proposal for Staged Submissions
Many flagship journals reject most manuscripts at the desk-review stage, with rates of 40–80% being common
blog.trialanderror.org
January 28, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Stop Formatting Before the Desk Reject
Proposal from @bnbakker.bsky.social and @jakobkas.bsky.social for a staged submission process when submitting manuscripts to academic journals.
#AcademicSky #PhDSky #AcWri
Proposal from @bnbakker.bsky.social and @jakobkas.bsky.social for a staged submission process when submitting manuscripts to academic journals.
#AcademicSky #PhDSky #AcWri
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
In the new episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we’ll learn how to interpret the statistics we see in our daily lives. And we’ll explore why we need stats to make informed judgments, be more precise about what we don’t know, and get closer to what we can know. youtu.be/Lw4oMXTEAkw
Statistical Thinking in Science: Crash Course Scientific Thinking #2
YouTube video by CrashCourse
youtu.be
January 27, 2026 at 5:28 PM
In the new episode of Crash Course Scientific Thinking, we’ll learn how to interpret the statistics we see in our daily lives. And we’ll explore why we need stats to make informed judgments, be more precise about what we don’t know, and get closer to what we can know. youtu.be/Lw4oMXTEAkw
"Purpose in life explained an estimated 88% of the association between loneliness and mortality risk."
Well, there goes my night:
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Well, there goes my night:
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Redirecting
doi.org
January 27, 2026 at 12:57 AM
"Purpose in life explained an estimated 88% of the association between loneliness and mortality risk."
Well, there goes my night:
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Well, there goes my night:
doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
I assume that Zerzan, the DOT’s general counsel, has no idea that there are two more words after “flood the zone” in that saying, or how appropriate they are in this instance. 😑
January 26, 2026 at 2:28 PM
I assume that Zerzan, the DOT’s general counsel, has no idea that there are two more words after “flood the zone” in that saying, or how appropriate they are in this instance. 😑
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️
January 26, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Went to my local library this morning to do a bit of research for my current book project and my goodness such a life-affirming space! There was an adult being taught to read on the next table, children enjoying story time, countless people taking out books. So grateful for our libraries ❤️
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
The Iowa Gambling Task is an extreme example of Jingle Fallacy and schmeasurement.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
How many versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) exist? And how much does this affect research using the IGT? More than you might think. 🧵
Methodological Flexibility in the Iowa Gambling Task Undermines Interpretability: A Meta-method Review: https://osf.io/4g3vr
January 25, 2026 at 12:01 PM
The Iowa Gambling Task is an extreme example of Jingle Fallacy and schmeasurement.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
When someone lives without sensation or thought, we say there are in a “vegetative state.”
A scientific race started to find whether they are somewhere inside. After reviewing the research, leading voices in the field had announced their big takeaway:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
A scientific race started to find whether they are somewhere inside. After reviewing the research, leading voices in the field had announced their big takeaway:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Sleeping Beauty in the ICU
How neuroscientists know if unconscious people are still 'there'
open.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:38 AM
When someone lives without sensation or thought, we say there are in a “vegetative state.”
A scientific race started to find whether they are somewhere inside. After reviewing the research, leading voices in the field had announced their big takeaway:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
A scientific race started to find whether they are somewhere inside. After reviewing the research, leading voices in the field had announced their big takeaway:
open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
Our commentary on the approval of escitalopram for the treatment of general anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is available as preprint.
In short: harms > benefit, approval should be reconsidered.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
In short: harms > benefit, approval should be reconsidered.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
January 25, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Our commentary on the approval of escitalopram for the treatment of general anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is available as preprint.
In short: harms > benefit, approval should be reconsidered.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
In short: harms > benefit, approval should be reconsidered.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
🔶️ Call for Papers 🔶️
"(Re-)Theorizing the Psyche: Exploring Foundational Shifts in Psychological Science"
Topic Editor: @drrobarcher.bsky.social
"(Re-)Theorizing the Psyche: Exploring Foundational Shifts in Psychological Science"
Topic Editor: @drrobarcher.bsky.social
Frontiers | (Re-)Theorizing the Psyche: Exploring Foundational Shifts in Psychological Science
The replication crisis has exposed deep-seated tensions within psychological science. Beyond technical or procedural flaws, it has raised fundamental questio...
www.frontiersin.org
January 20, 2026 at 8:32 PM
🔶️ Call for Papers 🔶️
"(Re-)Theorizing the Psyche: Exploring Foundational Shifts in Psychological Science"
Topic Editor: @drrobarcher.bsky.social
"(Re-)Theorizing the Psyche: Exploring Foundational Shifts in Psychological Science"
Topic Editor: @drrobarcher.bsky.social
Reposted by J Andrés Delgado-Ron MD, MSc
"There is an asymmetry in the study of trust in science: instead of examining the full spectrum from extreme distrust to extreme trust, it is heavily skewed towards the distrust end."
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
January 21, 2026 at 5:37 PM
"There is an asymmetry in the study of trust in science: instead of examining the full spectrum from extreme distrust to extreme trust, it is heavily skewed towards the distrust end."
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
By Petar Lukić and @iriszez.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1007/s111...
Am I the only one who founds it weird to ask scientists to avoid salami publications AND impose a word limit?
January 21, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Am I the only one who founds it weird to ask scientists to avoid salami publications AND impose a word limit?
As they said in the latest #Ottawa International Writers Festival, Cory Doctorow is a national treasure. I recommend everyone reads his take on LLMs, chatbots, AI.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | Cory Doctorow
AI is asbestos in the walls of our tech society, stuffed there by monopolists run amok. A serious fight against it must strike at its roots
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:41 PM
As they said in the latest #Ottawa International Writers Festival, Cory Doctorow is a national treasure. I recommend everyone reads his take on LLMs, chatbots, AI.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Many scientists have a hate-hate relationship with #pseudoscience, are they wrong? open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
The Lessons Scientists Cannot Teach Without Their Worst Adversaries
Why some philosophers think we should embrace pseudoscience, but not in the way you think
open.substack.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Many scientists have a hate-hate relationship with #pseudoscience, are they wrong? open.substack.com/pub/andresde...
The (Meta)Physicians started as a Substack about Physicians who, through scientific means, ended up concluding there is a hidden reality. It then expanded to discuss mind-brain dualism. andresdelgadoron.substack.com?utm_campaign...
The (Meta)Physicians | Andrés Delgado-Ron | Substack
The (Meta)Physicians started as a Substack about Physicians who, through scientific means, ended up concluding there is a hidden reality. It then expanded to discuss mind-brain dualism. Click to read ...
andresdelgadoron.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:57 PM
The (Meta)Physicians started as a Substack about Physicians who, through scientific means, ended up concluding there is a hidden reality. It then expanded to discuss mind-brain dualism. andresdelgadoron.substack.com?utm_campaign...