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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Chaz Firestone @chazfirestone.bsky.social · 19h

This is a big one! A 4-year writing project over many timezones, arguing for a reimagining of the influential "core knowledge" thesis.

Led by @daweibai.bsky.social, we argue that much of our innate knowledge of the world is not "conceptual" in nature, but rather wired into perceptual processing. 👇

Screenshot of a paper abstract:

“Core knowledge” refers to a set of cognitive systems that underwrite early representations of the physical and social world, appear universally across cultures, and likely result from our genetic endowment. Although this framework is canonically considered as a hypothesis about early emerging conception — how we think and reason about the world — here we present an alternative view: that many such representations are inherently perceptual in nature. This “core perception” view explains an intriguing (and otherwise mysterious) aspect of core-knowledge processes and representations: that they also operate in adults, where they display key empirical signatures of perceptual processing. We first illustrate this overlap using recent work on “core physics”, the domain of core knowledge concerned with physical objects, representing properties such as persistence through time, cohesion, solidity, and causal interactions. We review evidence that adult vision incorporates exactly these representations of core physics, while also displaying empirical signatures of genuinely perceptual mechanisms, such as rapid and automatic operation on the basis of specific sensory inputs, informational encapsulation, and interaction with other perceptual processes. We further argue that the same pattern holds for other areas of core knowledge, including geometrical, numerical, and social domains. In light of this evidence, we conclude that many infant results appealing to precocious reasoning abilities are better explained by sophisticated perceptual mechanisms shared by infants and adults. Our core-perception view elevates the status of perception in accounting for the origins of conceptual knowledge, and generates a range of ready-to-test hypotheses in developmental psychology, vision science, and more.

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

JoCNForum @jocnforum.bsky.social · 3d

New post in @jocnforum.bsky.social by Early Miller @earlkmiller.bsky.social: "Principles for proper peer review"

doi.org/10.21428/8e6...

Principles for proper peer review

doi.org

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Cognitive Science Group @cogscigroup.bsky.social · 22h

Our spotlight article on Goueytes et al. (2025) study is now online at Trends in Neurosciences: "Pre- and post-decision signals of certainty in changing minds", by P. Barttfeld, @ncomay.bsky.social, I. Embon & @guillermosolovey.bsky.social www.cell.com/trends/neuro...

Pre- and post-decision signals of certainty in changing minds

In a recent study, Goueytes and colleagues combined computational modeling with intracranial recordings to dissect the neural basis of confidence and changes of mind. They reveal a temporally organize...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Chaz Firestone @chazfirestone.bsky.social · 1d

What a lovely 'spotlight' of @talboger.bsky.social's work on style perception! Written by @aennebrielmann.bsky.social in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social.

See Aenne's paper below, as well as Tal's original work here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Julian Matthews @quining.bsky.social · 2d

It was a pleasure publishing with CommsPsychol in the RR format. Highly recommended! 🌟

Communications Psychology @commspsychol.nature.com · 2d

Decisions and confidence ratings are crucial to metacognition research. This Registered Report finds that the order in which first and second order ratings are collected has little effect on metacognitive efficiency.
@quining.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44...

The order of task decisions and confidence ratings has little effect on metacognition - Communications Psychology

Decisions and confidence ratings are crucial to metacognition research. A concern is whether the order in which first and second order ratings are collected may affect results. This Registered Report finds order has little effect on metacognitive efficiency.

www.nature.com

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 3d

haha makes sense

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 3d

Croatian embassy??

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

PessoaBrain @pessoabrain.bsky.social · 4d

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺
Is consciousness tied to biological brains?
Neuro&Philo Salon present+discussion with @anilseth.bsky.social of his BBS target paper!
October 23, noon USA eastern
#neuroskyence
Register: umd.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
doi.org/10.1017/S014...

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Ian Phillips @ianbphillips.bsky.social · 4d

@neddo.bsky.social's very nice commentary on @matthiasmichel.bsky.social and @smfleming.bsky.social's BBS target article also arguing that conscious perception may form fast even if postdiction suggests it only "vulcanizes" slowly.

Ned Block @neddo.bsky.social · 5d

Hmmm…my reply is somewhat similar drive.google.com/file/d/1cIUk...

2025.Michel.Fleming.response.pdf

drive.google.com

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 7d

This is super cool, lovely work!

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

johnwkrakauer @johnwkrakauer.bsky.social · 17d

First shot across the bow from ongoing project with Jake.

Jake Quilty-Dunn @quiltydunn.bsky.social · 17d

New publication forthcoming in BBS, co-authored with John Krakauer: a commentary on @smfleming.bsky.social & @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's groundbreaking target article.

We critique widespread assumptions in cognitive neuroscience about the role of internal models in implicit cognition. (1/7)

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Jake Quilty-Dunn @quiltydunn.bsky.social · 17d

New publication forthcoming in BBS, co-authored with John Krakauer: a commentary on @smfleming.bsky.social & @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's groundbreaking target article.

We critique widespread assumptions in cognitive neuroscience about the role of internal models in implicit cognition. (1/7)

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

megan peters 🧠 @meganakpeters.bsky.social · 14d

Just accepted at BBS - a commentary on @smfleming.bsky.social and @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's Sensory Horizons article:
Reality monitoring decision policies and the slowness of consciousness
osf.io/preprints/ps...

OSF

osf.io

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

David Soto @dsotob.bsky.social · 11d

Great work by the unstoppable @patxelos.bsky.social

@meganakpeters.bsky.social
@hakwan.bsky.social
@smfleming.bsky.social
@liadmudrik.bsky.social
@theassc.bsky.social

Patxi Elosegi @patxelos.bsky.social · 11d

1/Preprint Alert🔔: Across two experiments plus a computational model, we show the visual system compresses complex scenes into summary statistics that can guide behavior without conscious access to the task-defining features. We term this the Ensemble Blindsight effect.

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Will Turner @renrutmailliw.bsky.social · 10d

New BBS article w/ @lauragwilliams.bsky.social and Hinze Hogendoorn, just accepted! We respond to a thought-provoking article by @smfleming.bsky.social & @matthiasmichel.bsky.social, and argue that it's premature to conclude that conscious perception is delayed by 350-450ms: bit.ly/4nYNTlb

OSF

bit.ly

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 7d

Very exciting opportunity here, come join us at the ICN!

Prof Rick Adams @drrickadams.bsky.social · 9d

Post doc job alert 📢! Announcing a v exciting job on a Wellcome-funded project in my group at UCL, looking at auditory hallucinations... Advert here 👀: rb.gy/230w8l - deadline is end of Oct. Please apply! 1/5

UCL – University College London

UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

rb.gy

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Ian Phillips @ianbphillips.bsky.social · 9d

What does postdiction show about the speed of consciousness? In this forth. piece in BBS, I respond to @smfleming.bsky.social + @matthiasmichel.bsky.social's claim that postdiction shows consciousness is slow -- too slow for its purpose to be online action guidance. 1/3 philpapers.org/rec/PHIPAT-14

philpapers.org

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 7d

Very much looking forward to this!

Dutch Society for Brain and Cognition @brain-cognition-nl.bsky.social · 8d

Other than previous editions, the conference will be organized from Wednesday-Friday (December 17-19, 2025). Confirmed keynote speakers are Steve Fleming (University College London @smfleming.bsky.social) and Maryam Alimardani (VU University) ✨

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Steve Fleming @smfleming.bsky.social · 7d

@matthiasmichel.bsky.social and I are beavering away reading and responding to all the excellent commentaries on our BBS paper outlining an evolutionary account of visual consciousness.

In the meantime, if you missed our target article, it's available here:

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Sensory Horizons and the Functions of Conscious Vision | Behavioral and Brain Sciences | Cambridge Core

Sensory Horizons and the Functions of Conscious Vision

www.cambridge.org

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Keith Frankish @keithfrankish.com · 7d

We need heroes. People to respect and emulate. People who inspire us to do our best and be our best. Jane Goodall was a hero, and she will remain one.

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Jason da Silva Castanheira @jasondasilvac.bsky.social · 15d

Quantifying rhythmic and arrhythmic brain activity is a hot 🥵 topic. But how independent are the two components from one another? 🤔 In my latest work with @smfleming.bsky.social & @matlandry.bsky.social, I explore the relationship between the two.

(1/4)

Quantifying Rhythmic and Arrhythmic Components of Brain Activity

Brain activity comprises both rhythmic (periodic) and arrhythmic (aperiodic) components. These signal elements vary across healthy aging, and disease, and may make distinct contributions to conscious ...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Kris Jensen @kristorpjensen.bsky.social · 15d

I’m super excited to finally put my recent work with @behrenstimb.bsky.social on bioRxiv, where we develop a new mechanistic theory of how PFC structures adaptive behaviour using attractor dynamics in space and time!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

onemorebrown @onemorebrown.bsky.social · 18d

some interesting discussion from Ruth Millikan and others at the @philosophyofbrains.com blog:
philosophyofbrains.com/2025/09/16/r...

Ruth Millikan: Reply to Nick Shea — The Brains Blog

If offered ten more years to think about these matters with someone, give me Nick Shea. (And let me very strongly urge Nick’s recent book Concepts at the Interface!! (Oxford University Press. Open…

philosophyofbrains.com

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Earl K. Miller @earlkmiller.bsky.social · 21d

Interested in consciousness? Join the club. And join us tomorrow (noon on Zoom) for the first seminar of the MIT Consciousness Club.
sites.google.com/view/mit-con...

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Reposted by Steve Fleming

Thomas Luo @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social · 22d

How does the brain decide? 🧠

Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.

After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.

rdcu.be/eGUrv

Transitions in dynamical regime and neural mode during perceptual decisions - Nature

Simultaneous recordings were made of hundreds of neurons in the rat frontal cortex and striatum, showing that decision commitment involves a rapid, coordinated transition in dynamical regime and neura...

www.nature.com

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