Kevin Mitchell
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social
Neurogeneticist interested in the relations between genes, brains, and minds. Author of INNATE (2018) and FREE AGENTS (2023)
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Nice paper here on "communication subspace" doing something along these lines www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Cortical Areas Interact through a Communication Subspace
Most brain functions require the selective and flexible routing of neuronal activity
between cortical areas. Using paired population recordings from multiple visual cortical
areas, Semedo et al. find ...
www.cell.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Nice paper here on "communication subspace" doing something along these lines www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Being Interdisciplinary feels like practicing non-attachment. Different disciplines come in & out of focus in waves, each a whole world. Engaging with philosophy gives access to different ontologies than engaging in neuroscience or AI. This helps us evaluate each field from within & outside itself.
November 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Being Interdisciplinary feels like practicing non-attachment. Different disciplines come in & out of focus in waves, each a whole world. Engaging with philosophy gives access to different ontologies than engaging in neuroscience or AI. This helps us evaluate each field from within & outside itself.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Low-dimensional activity for simple tasks is a clear prediction from basic coding arguments
A theory of multineuronal dimensionality, dynamics and measurement
In many experiments, neuroscientists tightly control behavior, record many trials, and obtain trial-averaged firing rates from hundreds of neurons in circuits containing billions of behaviorally relev...
www.biorxiv.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Low-dimensional activity for simple tasks is a clear prediction from basic coding arguments
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Not directly related to @neurograce.bsky.social’s comment here but to the thread: I am baffled by the number of people who seem to think the claim is that all brain computation is low-d vs. the *emprical* finding that task-related neural activity is (linear) low-d in many (not all) cases.
This kind of stuff is why I say that I worry that the tools of neuroscience are not properly vetted
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
November 24, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Not directly related to @neurograce.bsky.social’s comment here but to the thread: I am baffled by the number of people who seem to think the claim is that all brain computation is low-d vs. the *emprical* finding that task-related neural activity is (linear) low-d in many (not all) cases.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
It feels like the converastion about manifold dimensionality is back, so I thought I'd share a paper that explains nicely why measuring the "embedding dimensionality" of a manifold (e.g., counting PCs) can be very different from its actual "intrinsic dimensionality (DoFs)
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
Redirecting
doi.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:29 AM
It feels like the converastion about manifold dimensionality is back, so I thought I'd share a paper that explains nicely why measuring the "embedding dimensionality" of a manifold (e.g., counting PCs) can be very different from its actual "intrinsic dimensionality (DoFs)
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Centaurus A
NGC 5128
Distance 13 million light years
Discovered 1826 by James Dunlop
Centaurus A is the result of a large elliptical galaxy colliding with a spiral galaxy.
NGC 5128
Distance 13 million light years
Discovered 1826 by James Dunlop
Centaurus A is the result of a large elliptical galaxy colliding with a spiral galaxy.
November 24, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Centaurus A
NGC 5128
Distance 13 million light years
Discovered 1826 by James Dunlop
Centaurus A is the result of a large elliptical galaxy colliding with a spiral galaxy.
NGC 5128
Distance 13 million light years
Discovered 1826 by James Dunlop
Centaurus A is the result of a large elliptical galaxy colliding with a spiral galaxy.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
what a surprise, majority of fash "Ireland is full" posts on shitter are from outside Ireland
November 23, 2025 at 5:27 PM
what a surprise, majority of fash "Ireland is full" posts on shitter are from outside Ireland
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Everybody involved will need to go to prison and if democrats in congress don’t have the stomach for punishing these people they should just resign now.
DOGE was created for data theft and infrastructure dismantling and it wildly succeeded on both counts within the first few weeks of its existence. It will take a generation to rebuild what it destroyed and the breach of data is unprecedented.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Everybody involved will need to go to prison and if democrats in congress don’t have the stomach for punishing these people they should just resign now.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
A depraved and decadent Trump WH dinner for MBS was a stunning low for an American ruling class that's stopped pretending to carry a moral compass
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
The night America’s doomed ruling class gorged on lamb, blood, and oil
For America’s deeply corrupt billionaires, time heals all wounds — even from a murderous Saudi prince’s bone saw.
www.inquirer.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM
A depraved and decadent Trump WH dinner for MBS was a stunning low for an American ruling class that's stopped pretending to carry a moral compass
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Finland uses “Russia-gauge” rails. They are going to move to European compatible rail gauge for their own resilience.
This is what we should be thinking about for moving to open social away from American platforms: it should come with significant spending commitments & is absolutely necessary.
This is what we should be thinking about for moving to open social away from American platforms: it should come with significant spending commitments & is absolutely necessary.
Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge
The Finnish government announces the migration of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to international gauge (1,435 mm) from 2032. The change aims to improve military mobility and regional ...
www.trenvista.net
November 23, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Finland uses “Russia-gauge” rails. They are going to move to European compatible rail gauge for their own resilience.
This is what we should be thinking about for moving to open social away from American platforms: it should come with significant spending commitments & is absolutely necessary.
This is what we should be thinking about for moving to open social away from American platforms: it should come with significant spending commitments & is absolutely necessary.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
I hope someone is scraping "location" data for all the grifters, genociders, and right-wing propagandists while this feature lasts
November 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I hope someone is scraping "location" data for all the grifters, genociders, and right-wing propagandists while this feature lasts
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
I have many friends & colleagues who will NOT come to the United States for this reason
Great article by @drjudystone.bsky.social about the impact cuts to government agencies are having on global health.
It was also noted that some international scientists refused to attend this conference because of ICE and racial profiling.
I am so deeply ashamed of our government.
It was also noted that some international scientists refused to attend this conference because of ICE and racial profiling.
I am so deeply ashamed of our government.
Reminders Of What Our Losses From CDC And USAID Mean
With the loss of USAID and much of CDC, our ability to respond to pandemics is at risk. Global health issues are a growing threat.
www.forbes.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I have many friends & colleagues who will NOT come to the United States for this reason
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Is it time to move on and acknowledge that Dawkins' theory is not the whole story? | https://iai.tv/video/the-gene-machine
World-famous Richard Dawkins goes head-to-head with Denis Noble as they debate the role of genes.
#philsci 🧪
World-famous Richard Dawkins goes head-to-head with Denis Noble as they debate the role of genes.
#philsci 🧪
Dawkins re-examined
Dawkins' Selfish Gene has been hugely influential, both within evolutionary biology and in the wider public sphere. It's a beautifully simple story: genes and not organisms drive evolutionary change. ...
iai.tv
November 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Is it time to move on and acknowledge that Dawkins' theory is not the whole story? | https://iai.tv/video/the-gene-machine
World-famous Richard Dawkins goes head-to-head with Denis Noble as they debate the role of genes.
#philsci 🧪
World-famous Richard Dawkins goes head-to-head with Denis Noble as they debate the role of genes.
#philsci 🧪
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
All this to say that Elon is a white supremacist mass murderer and DOGE was not a failure. It functioned as designed. I wish people would cover this accurately. It's not difficult.
November 23, 2025 at 4:55 PM
All this to say that Elon is a white supremacist mass murderer and DOGE was not a failure. It functioned as designed. I wish people would cover this accurately. It's not difficult.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
These guys are watching earth from a galaxy far far away and going bro what the fuck are they doooooinggggg?
November 23, 2025 at 5:03 PM
These guys are watching earth from a galaxy far far away and going bro what the fuck are they doooooinggggg?
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
This kind of stuff is why I say that I worry that the tools of neuroscience are not properly vetted
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
This kind of stuff is why I say that I worry that the tools of neuroscience are not properly vetted
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Most average working Americans abide by laws and norms. Most are kind and decent. But there is growing rot at the top of our system. And its stench can no longer be ignored. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-732
Sunday thought
The rot at the top
robertreich.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Most average working Americans abide by laws and norms. Most are kind and decent. But there is growing rot at the top of our system. And its stench can no longer be ignored. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-732
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Another nail in the coffin for PCA?
- doesn’t linearize, distorting similarity metrics
- is biased by temporal jitter across epochs
- may miss important dimensions for transient amplification
If you think there is a state space, use a state space model!
- doesn’t linearize, distorting similarity metrics
- is biased by temporal jitter across epochs
- may miss important dimensions for transient amplification
If you think there is a state space, use a state space model!
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Another nail in the coffin for PCA?
- doesn’t linearize, distorting similarity metrics
- is biased by temporal jitter across epochs
- may miss important dimensions for transient amplification
If you think there is a state space, use a state space model!
- doesn’t linearize, distorting similarity metrics
- is biased by temporal jitter across epochs
- may miss important dimensions for transient amplification
If you think there is a state space, use a state space model!
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Neural dynamics outside task-coding dimensions drive decision trajectories through transient amplification
Most behaviors involve neural dynamics in high-dimensional activity spaces. A common approach is to extract dimensions that capture task-related variability, such as those separating stimuli or choice...
www.biorxiv.org
November 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“Our findings challenge the conventional focus on low-dimensional coding subspaces as a sufficient framework for understanding neural computations, demonstrating that dimensions previously considered task-irrelevant and accounting for little variance can have a critical role in driving behavior.”
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
CASSIDY: I know it's titillating, but I think we need to move beyond the titillation
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
November 23, 2025 at 2:42 PM
CASSIDY: I know it's titillating, but I think we need to move beyond the titillation
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
TAPPER: This isn't about titillation. This is about the fact that you are the chairman of the health committee and you voted to confirm somebody that by all accounts is actually making America less healthy
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Worked in a Drosophila genetics lab for the sole purpose of getting a letter of recommendation from the lab head for medical school. I loved being in the lab so much that I gave up on medical school and went to graduate school instead.
November 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Worked in a Drosophila genetics lab for the sole purpose of getting a letter of recommendation from the lab head for medical school. I loved being in the lab so much that I gave up on medical school and went to graduate school instead.
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
I've grown more conservative as I've grown older but the things I want to conserve are democracy and decency
November 23, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I've grown more conservative as I've grown older but the things I want to conserve are democracy and decency
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
"We thank the reviewers for their helpful suggestions"
November 23, 2025 at 11:19 AM
"We thank the reviewers for their helpful suggestions"
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Jumping spiders can recognise one another. This ability to learn, remember and represent images is quite surprising for such a tiny-brained animal!
buff.ly/dCkwPr0
buff.ly/dCkwPr0
November 23, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Jumping spiders can recognise one another. This ability to learn, remember and represent images is quite surprising for such a tiny-brained animal!
buff.ly/dCkwPr0
buff.ly/dCkwPr0
Reposted by Kevin Mitchell
Our study of time processing in bumblebees 🐝 covered by @cnn.com here edition.cnn.com/2025/11/12/s... . Our summary is here youtu.be/hsGxU65OMQk and the original paper royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... @royalsocietypublishing.org
Scientists now know that bees can process time, a first in insects | CNN
Bumblebees can process the duration of flashes of light and use the information to decide where to look for food, a new study has found.
edition.cnn.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Our study of time processing in bumblebees 🐝 covered by @cnn.com here edition.cnn.com/2025/11/12/s... . Our summary is here youtu.be/hsGxU65OMQk and the original paper royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.... @royalsocietypublishing.org