Ted Schwaba
@tedmond.bsky.social
psych professor, MSU. personality and environments and genes and the tangle all between! Also music opinions! tedmond.net
Bee personality!
"Although bees could choose from multiple routes, we discovered that individual bees follow idiosyncratic paths with striking and repeatable precision."
"Although bees could choose from multiple routes, we discovered that individual bees follow idiosyncratic paths with striking and repeatable precision."
Have you ever wondered what you would find if you could keep your eyes on a bee for more than a few meters? Us, too!
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
February 18, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Bee personality!
"Although bees could choose from multiple routes, we discovered that individual bees follow idiosyncratic paths with striking and repeatable precision."
"Although bees could choose from multiple routes, we discovered that individual bees follow idiosyncratic paths with striking and repeatable precision."
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Almost done with my next lecture, so going back now to work on some new memes
February 18, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Almost done with my next lecture, so going back now to work on some new memes
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
New to FirstView, don't miss @jbilik.bsky.social's "Citizenship Under the Plan: Managing Migrant Worker Inclusion in Late-Soviet #Moscow." #Migration #SovietUnion
doi.org/10.1017/S001...
doi.org/10.1017/S001...
February 17, 2026 at 4:53 PM
New to FirstView, don't miss @jbilik.bsky.social's "Citizenship Under the Plan: Managing Migrant Worker Inclusion in Late-Soviet #Moscow." #Migration #SovietUnion
doi.org/10.1017/S001...
doi.org/10.1017/S001...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
pretty stunning chart
February 15, 2026 at 7:58 PM
pretty stunning chart
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
New blog post about the age-period-cohort identification problem!
In which, for the first time ever, I ask "What's the mechanism?" and also suggest that sometimes you may actually *not* be interested in causal inference.
www.the100.ci/2026/02/13/o...
In which, for the first time ever, I ask "What's the mechanism?" and also suggest that sometimes you may actually *not* be interested in causal inference.
www.the100.ci/2026/02/13/o...
One approach to the age-period-cohort problem: Just don’t.
Just to cause yourself more problems, you seek for something. But there is no need for you to seek anything. You have plenty, and you have just enough problems.
Shunryū Suzuki in a 1971 talk
A ...
www.the100.ci
February 13, 2026 at 2:33 PM
New blog post about the age-period-cohort identification problem!
In which, for the first time ever, I ask "What's the mechanism?" and also suggest that sometimes you may actually *not* be interested in causal inference.
www.the100.ci/2026/02/13/o...
In which, for the first time ever, I ask "What's the mechanism?" and also suggest that sometimes you may actually *not* be interested in causal inference.
www.the100.ci/2026/02/13/o...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
9/ The EXT PGI was also associated with diverse medical outcomes across the lifespan, underscoring the clinical relevance of this genetic signal.
February 11, 2026 at 10:33 AM
9/ The EXT PGI was also associated with diverse medical outcomes across the lifespan, underscoring the clinical relevance of this genetic signal.
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Our multi-ancestry GWAS of EXTernalizing conditions (ADHD, substance use...) in ~4M people reveals neurodevelopmental risk, drug-repurposing targets, and yields one of the strongest psychiatric polygenic indices yet! 🧬🎉 doi.org/10.64898/202...
Genomic insights into substance use and disinhibitory disorders
Externalizing spectrum disorders- spanning attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, substance use disorders, and other disorders characterized by disinhibition - frequently co-occur...
doi.org
February 11, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Our multi-ancestry GWAS of EXTernalizing conditions (ADHD, substance use...) in ~4M people reveals neurodevelopmental risk, drug-repurposing targets, and yields one of the strongest psychiatric polygenic indices yet! 🧬🎉 doi.org/10.64898/202...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Look at the data! It's all over the map.
If you drink half a cup per day, your risk is a little higher than none at all.
If it's 2.5 cups, risk is 20% lower.
But if it's 4.5 cups, risk is only 13% lower.
There's no universe where this makes causal sense.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
If you drink half a cup per day, your risk is a little higher than none at all.
If it's 2.5 cups, risk is 20% lower.
But if it's 4.5 cups, risk is only 13% lower.
There's no universe where this makes causal sense.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
February 10, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Look at the data! It's all over the map.
If you drink half a cup per day, your risk is a little higher than none at all.
If it's 2.5 cups, risk is 20% lower.
But if it's 4.5 cups, risk is only 13% lower.
There's no universe where this makes causal sense.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
If you drink half a cup per day, your risk is a little higher than none at all.
If it's 2.5 cups, risk is 20% lower.
But if it's 4.5 cups, risk is only 13% lower.
There's no universe where this makes causal sense.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
You know that coffee & dementia study that's going around?
It's hogwash.
For starters, it's not pre-registered (that I could find), which means it may have been the product of a fishing expedition looking for dementia associations.
But even if it's not ...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
It's hogwash.
For starters, it's not pre-registered (that I could find), which means it may have been the product of a fishing expedition looking for dementia associations.
But even if it's not ...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It’s Decaf.
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:24 PM
You know that coffee & dementia study that's going around?
It's hogwash.
For starters, it's not pre-registered (that I could find), which means it may have been the product of a fishing expedition looking for dementia associations.
But even if it's not ...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
It's hogwash.
For starters, it's not pre-registered (that I could find), which means it may have been the product of a fishing expedition looking for dementia associations.
But even if it's not ...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/h...
Tired: nature vs nurture false dichotomy
Wired: intrinsic mortality vs extrinsic mortality false dichotomy
(I do think some of the modeling approaches here are pretty cool tho!)
Wired: intrinsic mortality vs extrinsic mortality false dichotomy
(I do think some of the modeling approaches here are pretty cool tho!)
Heritability of intrinsic human life span is about 50% when confounding factors are addressed www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 10, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Tired: nature vs nurture false dichotomy
Wired: intrinsic mortality vs extrinsic mortality false dichotomy
(I do think some of the modeling approaches here are pretty cool tho!)
Wired: intrinsic mortality vs extrinsic mortality false dichotomy
(I do think some of the modeling approaches here are pretty cool tho!)
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Do you have to be a social scientist to know how funny this is?
February 3, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Do you have to be a social scientist to know how funny this is?
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
The ARP DEI Committee warmly invites you to join us for a casual happy hour during SPSP in Chicago later this month. This is a chance to connect with like-minded personality peers amongst the sea of social scientists @spspnews.bsky.social!
February 4, 2026 at 5:52 PM
The ARP DEI Committee warmly invites you to join us for a casual happy hour during SPSP in Chicago later this month. This is a chance to connect with like-minded personality peers amongst the sea of social scientists @spspnews.bsky.social!
Tally one for personality on the "person situation debate scoreboard" that the psychologists in the Epstein files are pretty uniformly high on dominance, narcissism, need for admiration. Haven't come across a single "Oh, HIM? Never would have guessed!"
February 3, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Tally one for personality on the "person situation debate scoreboard" that the psychologists in the Epstein files are pretty uniformly high on dominance, narcissism, need for admiration. Haven't come across a single "Oh, HIM? Never would have guessed!"
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
SPSP is just around the corner and in our backyard of Chicago! @lydiaemery.bsky.social and I love the Chicago food scene, and we've put together a list of places we like. We hope this will help you enjoy and explore Chicago!! See y'all soon!!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Chicago Restaurant Recs
Chicago Restaurant Recommendations from Jin Goh and Lydia Emery Chicago has an amazing food scene. You can get a great meal in pretty much any neighborhood, all of which have unique culture, food, an...
docs.google.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:39 PM
SPSP is just around the corner and in our backyard of Chicago! @lydiaemery.bsky.social and I love the Chicago food scene, and we've put together a list of places we like. We hope this will help you enjoy and explore Chicago!! See y'all soon!!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Anyone know a simple, free static QR code generator? I'm struggling to wade through a slush of freemium generators with way more options than necessary. I just want to hardcode a URL into the pattern.
January 29, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Anyone know a simple, free static QR code generator? I'm struggling to wade through a slush of freemium generators with way more options than necessary. I just want to hardcode a URL into the pattern.
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Me and @aysuo.bsky.social did a thing. Give it a listen!
Exciting news! Today marks the start of the podcast Born and Raised - produced by the ESSGN. In this very first episode, our hosts have visited @dr-appie.bsky.social in his office at the AUMC. Shocking revelations ensue! Find it on essgn.podbean.com or on the podcast platform of your choice.
1. Abdel Abdellaoui on social science genetics | Born and Raised
In this very first episode of Born and Raised, hosts Rafael and Aysu visit behavior geneticist Abdel Abdellaoui in his office at the Amsterdam University Medical Center. They talk about the nature of ...
essgn.podbean.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Me and @aysuo.bsky.social did a thing. Give it a listen!
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
With most psychedelic drugs, you never know what you're going to get. But this mysterious mushroom from China - without fail - causes users to hallucinate tiny people: crawling up walls, popping out from under furniture and marching under doors. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans
Only recently described by science, the mysterious mushrooms are found in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact visions.
www.bbc.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:31 PM
With most psychedelic drugs, you never know what you're going to get. But this mysterious mushroom from China - without fail - causes users to hallucinate tiny people: crawling up walls, popping out from under furniture and marching under doors. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
The Personality Interest Group Including Espresso journal club (PIG-IE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign now has a public reading schedule: pig-ie-reading-vote.lovable.app/schedule. 1/
PIG-IE Reading List
The Personality Interest Group—Including Espresso Reading List
pig-ie-reading-vote.lovable.app
January 22, 2026 at 6:42 PM
The Personality Interest Group Including Espresso journal club (PIG-IE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign now has a public reading schedule: pig-ie-reading-vote.lovable.app/schedule. 1/
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
A very comprehensive review of the genetics of personlity led by @tedmond.bsky.social This is a great onramp for those who haven't checked into psychiatric genetics or bahviour genetics in a while. www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Personality Genomics
Recent research advances have precipitated the era of personality genomics: the study of how variation in human DNA sequence predicts individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, fee...
www.annualreviews.org
January 22, 2026 at 10:15 AM
A very comprehensive review of the genetics of personlity led by @tedmond.bsky.social This is a great onramp for those who haven't checked into psychiatric genetics or bahviour genetics in a while. www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Gabriel Zucman on the shocking concentration of extreme wealth in the United States….
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
January 19, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Gabriel Zucman on the shocking concentration of extreme wealth in the United States….
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Bringing Cory Doctorow to the Amazon ces exhibit is like summoning Bahamut in FF7 against a single enemy with 1 hp
January 9, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Bringing Cory Doctorow to the Amazon ces exhibit is like summoning Bahamut in FF7 against a single enemy with 1 hp
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Observational shows associations with bad stuff. RCTs, a little weight loss, no bad stuff.
Since researchers can't find obvious problems, more recent studies have focused on the microbiome, where all bad ideas go to not die. That's a topic for another day.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Since researchers can't find obvious problems, more recent studies have focused on the microbiome, where all bad ideas go to not die. That's a topic for another day.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Non-nutritive Sweeteners in Weight Management and Chronic Disease: a review
To critically review findings from recent studies evaluating effects of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on metabolism, weight, and obesity-related chronic diseases. Biologic mechanisms that may explain NNS effects will also be addressed. We conducted ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
January 8, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Observational shows associations with bad stuff. RCTs, a little weight loss, no bad stuff.
Since researchers can't find obvious problems, more recent studies have focused on the microbiome, where all bad ideas go to not die. That's a topic for another day.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Since researchers can't find obvious problems, more recent studies have focused on the microbiome, where all bad ideas go to not die. That's a topic for another day.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Here we go again with using observational data when it suits them.
This is particularly important here, because there’s a huge difference between observational data & trials on artificial sweeteners.
This is particularly important here, because there’s a huge difference between observational data & trials on artificial sweeteners.
January 8, 2026 at 12:56 PM
Here we go again with using observational data when it suits them.
This is particularly important here, because there’s a huge difference between observational data & trials on artificial sweeteners.
This is particularly important here, because there’s a huge difference between observational data & trials on artificial sweeteners.
Reposted by Ted Schwaba
Here's a figure from the lead author of the new study that lays out the rules of the game.
January 6, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Here's a figure from the lead author of the new study that lays out the rules of the game.