Marek
@marekmcgann.bsky.social
Cognitive scientist. Teacher. Nerd.
Cognitive science of the enactive, ecological, and (redundantly) embodied sort. Also, some stuff on scientific practice in psychology.
I co-convene these: https://www.ensoseminars.com
(he/him)
Cognitive science of the enactive, ecological, and (redundantly) embodied sort. Also, some stuff on scientific practice in psychology.
I co-convene these: https://www.ensoseminars.com
(he/him)
Reposted by Marek
"All our humble bodily cells participate in the making of our experiences and cognitive processes, and not just the ‘noble’ neurons in the brain."
What if thinking doesn’t begin in the brain, but in the ceaseless labour of our cells? Today’s essay rethinks the question of how we become minds, arguing that cognition begins not in the mind but in the collective processes that keep a body alive @annaciaunica.bsky.social
Why you need your whole body – from head to toes – to think | Aeon Essays
Contemplating the world requires a body, and a body requires an immune system: the rungs of life create the stuff of thought
buff.ly
November 28, 2025 at 11:35 AM
"All our humble bodily cells participate in the making of our experiences and cognitive processes, and not just the ‘noble’ neurons in the brain."
Reposted by Marek
The December 2025 ENSO is next week!
Particularly delighted to have @xabibaran.bsky.social joining us to discuss "Generactive Midtended Cognition and AI: thinging with thinging things"
Thursday 4th Dec @ 1000 UTC (see link for details and time in your own timezone)
ensoseminars.com/presentation...
Particularly delighted to have @xabibaran.bsky.social joining us to discuss "Generactive Midtended Cognition and AI: thinging with thinging things"
Thursday 4th Dec @ 1000 UTC (see link for details and time in your own timezone)
ensoseminars.com/presentation...
ENSO Seminar Series
ensoseminars.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The December 2025 ENSO is next week!
Particularly delighted to have @xabibaran.bsky.social joining us to discuss "Generactive Midtended Cognition and AI: thinging with thinging things"
Thursday 4th Dec @ 1000 UTC (see link for details and time in your own timezone)
ensoseminars.com/presentation...
Particularly delighted to have @xabibaran.bsky.social joining us to discuss "Generactive Midtended Cognition and AI: thinging with thinging things"
Thursday 4th Dec @ 1000 UTC (see link for details and time in your own timezone)
ensoseminars.com/presentation...
Reposted by Marek
This kind of image plays differently if you’re familiar with the history of Ireland’s school system.
November 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
This kind of image plays differently if you’re familiar with the history of Ireland’s school system.
Reposted by Marek
Mesmerizing indeed!!! 👀
November 26, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Mesmerizing indeed!!! 👀
Reposted by Marek
CogSci in Aarhus is hiring, open rank (assi, asso or full prof).
We want somebody working on and teaching computational modelling of cognitive processes and/or social processes. Students are amazing, work/life balance very satisfactory, and colleagues are nice!
international.au.dk/about/profil...
We want somebody working on and teaching computational modelling of cognitive processes and/or social processes. Students are amazing, work/life balance very satisfactory, and colleagues are nice!
international.au.dk/about/profil...
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Full Professor of Cognitive Science - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at School of Communication and Culture - Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Dept. of, Aarhus University
international.au.dk
November 26, 2025 at 11:38 AM
CogSci in Aarhus is hiring, open rank (assi, asso or full prof).
We want somebody working on and teaching computational modelling of cognitive processes and/or social processes. Students are amazing, work/life balance very satisfactory, and colleagues are nice!
international.au.dk/about/profil...
We want somebody working on and teaching computational modelling of cognitive processes and/or social processes. Students are amazing, work/life balance very satisfactory, and colleagues are nice!
international.au.dk/about/profil...
Reposted by Marek
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Sometimes I think it’s going to be the librarians who will save us all.
Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies in full.
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies in full.
Reposted by Marek
can’t fucking catch a breath
make it stop
make it stop
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
can’t fucking catch a breath
make it stop
make it stop
Reposted by Marek
we (@marekmcgann.bsky.social and I) have also written about this
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Large models of what? Mistaking engineering achievements for human linguistic agency
In this paper we argue that key, often sensational and misleading, claims regarding linguistic capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) are based …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
we (@marekmcgann.bsky.social and I) have also written about this
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Marek
Large language mistake
Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia... great read from @benjaminjriley.bsky.social
Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia... great read from @benjaminjriley.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Large language mistake
Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia... great read from @benjaminjriley.bsky.social
Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia... great read from @benjaminjriley.bsky.social
Reposted by Marek
Call for abstracts for the first conference of our new Center for Humanities and Technology. Please share!
uchumanitiestech.org/2026-confere...
uchumanitiestech.org/2026-confere...
2026 Conference
Call for Papers: Science and Technology in the Anthropocene April 2 – 3, 2026 A conference about human experience in a world with non-biological intelligent systems and the environmental prob…
uchumanitiestech.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Call for abstracts for the first conference of our new Center for Humanities and Technology. Please share!
uchumanitiestech.org/2026-confere...
uchumanitiestech.org/2026-confere...
Reposted by Marek
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Marek
If you look quickly at the start of the video of the scroll you can see a similar drawing as the popup card… bsky.app/profile/nsou...
Because I now can use video here: my 15 ft long continuous sequence (also divisible in 22 pgs) that opens #Nostos! Took about a year to make, longer to find a printer. I’d love to see it printed accordion-style - but we’ll see as the rest of the book gets closer to publication! #Unflattening 2
November 25, 2025 at 6:57 AM
If you look quickly at the start of the video of the scroll you can see a similar drawing as the popup card… bsky.app/profile/nsou...
Reposted by Marek
3) this may be particularly relevant when we're thinking about digital self control and the attention economy and the intention economy
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Musk is unambiguously describing an escalation of the problems we identify in these last two papers.
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Musk is unambiguously describing an escalation of the problems we identify in these last two papers.
Autonomous Regulation of Social Media Use: Implications for Self-control, Well-Being, and UX | Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
dl.acm.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
3) this may be particularly relevant when we're thinking about digital self control and the attention economy and the intention economy
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Musk is unambiguously describing an escalation of the problems we identify in these last two papers.
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Musk is unambiguously describing an escalation of the problems we identify in these last two papers.
Reposted by Marek
2) we have operational theories that address scales of user motivation but we (and sometimes the psychologists) neglect the implications of those different scales
dl.acm.org/doi/full/10....
dl.acm.org/doi/full/10....
November 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
2) we have operational theories that address scales of user motivation but we (and sometimes the psychologists) neglect the implications of those different scales
dl.acm.org/doi/full/10....
dl.acm.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Marek
1. even well-meaning tech folk fail to differentiate aspects of agency and autonomy. Particularly we ignore different scales: what aligns with my immediate interests, what aligns with longer term interests, what enables me to engage and adapt flexibly over time
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
How does HCI Understand Human Agency and Autonomy? | Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
dl.acm.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
1. even well-meaning tech folk fail to differentiate aspects of agency and autonomy. Particularly we ignore different scales: what aligns with my immediate interests, what aligns with longer term interests, what enables me to engage and adapt flexibly over time
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Reposted by Marek
" I don't think there will be ... apps ... the phone will just display what it anticipates you would most like to receive"
An amazing illustration of the pervasive, problematic error in understanding human motivation that I've been going after in recent papers.
An amazing illustration of the pervasive, problematic error in understanding human motivation that I've been going after in recent papers.
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
" I don't think there will be ... apps ... the phone will just display what it anticipates you would most like to receive"
An amazing illustration of the pervasive, problematic error in understanding human motivation that I've been going after in recent papers.
An amazing illustration of the pervasive, problematic error in understanding human motivation that I've been going after in recent papers.
Reposted by Marek
🏆 Individual: @simine.com, psychologist at @unimelb.bsky.social & editor-in-chief of Psychological Science, is recognized for pioneering methodological rigor, reproducibility & collaborative research, driving initiatives such as @improvingpsych.org & the journal Collabra @ucpress.bsky.social. (2/5)
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🏆 Individual: @simine.com, psychologist at @unimelb.bsky.social & editor-in-chief of Psychological Science, is recognized for pioneering methodological rigor, reproducibility & collaborative research, driving initiatives such as @improvingpsych.org & the journal Collabra @ucpress.bsky.social. (2/5)
Reposted by Marek
> models give unsafe responses because that is not what they are designed to avoid. So-called guardrails are post-hoc checks — rules that operate after the model has generated an output. If a response isn't caught by these rules, it will slip through
www.forbes.com/sites/weskil...
2/n
www.forbes.com/sites/weskil...
2/n
November 17, 2025 at 5:56 AM
> models give unsafe responses because that is not what they are designed to avoid. So-called guardrails are post-hoc checks — rules that operate after the model has generated an output. If a response isn't caught by these rules, it will slip through
www.forbes.com/sites/weskil...
2/n
www.forbes.com/sites/weskil...
2/n
Reposted by Marek
You think LLM-based chatbots can help students learn? Think again.
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
You think LLM-based chatbots can help students learn? Think again.
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Reposted by Marek
Regret to report that there has been another good linkedin post
November 22, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Regret to report that there has been another good linkedin post
Reposted by Marek
as if it's the speed of innovation that's been holding us back and not regressive politicians, self-absorbed greedy billionaires, or collapse of information ecosystems
November 22, 2025 at 7:10 PM
as if it's the speed of innovation that's been holding us back and not regressive politicians, self-absorbed greedy billionaires, or collapse of information ecosystems
Reposted by Marek
A new special issue of Philosophical Transactions B takes on one of science’s biggest questions: how life begins.
Rather than retracing Earth’s history, the authors look for the universal conditions that could make life possible anywhere, approaching the question from many fields and angles.
Rather than retracing Earth’s history, the authors look for the universal conditions that could make life possible anywhere, approaching the question from many fields and angles.
How life begins and where it might happen again
A recent special issue of Philosophical Transactions B takes on one of the biggest mysteries in science: how life first began. Instead of trying to replay Earth’s exact history, the issue’s authors lo...
www.santafe.edu
November 21, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A new special issue of Philosophical Transactions B takes on one of science’s biggest questions: how life begins.
Rather than retracing Earth’s history, the authors look for the universal conditions that could make life possible anywhere, approaching the question from many fields and angles.
Rather than retracing Earth’s history, the authors look for the universal conditions that could make life possible anywhere, approaching the question from many fields and angles.
Reposted by Marek
Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis.
Opinion: Beware of the judicial review red herring
Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis.
www.irishlegal.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis.
Reposted by Marek
The Irish Times published and lauded John Collison's op-ed, but did they fact-check it?
Andrew Jackson did. Thoroughly.
If you spent time reading the original, you'd want to give time to this counterpoint as well.
Andrew Jackson did. Thoroughly.
If you spent time reading the original, you'd want to give time to this counterpoint as well.
I’ve written something on John Collison’s Op-Ed and environmental democracy
Next time you’re out in Dublin, check if you’re being “socially de-risked” by a friendly face from his think-tank
elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
Next time you’re out in Dublin, check if you’re being “socially de-risked” by a friendly face from his think-tank
elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...
On Environmental Democracy and the Collisons’ “Abundance-Verse”
Andrew Jackson 21 November 2025 I. Introduction A clamour of praise greeted John Collison’s “how to get Ireland moving” Op-Ed following its publication in the Irish Times on 25th October: the Irish…
elajucd.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:28 AM
The Irish Times published and lauded John Collison's op-ed, but did they fact-check it?
Andrew Jackson did. Thoroughly.
If you spent time reading the original, you'd want to give time to this counterpoint as well.
Andrew Jackson did. Thoroughly.
If you spent time reading the original, you'd want to give time to this counterpoint as well.