Ali Boyle
@aliboyle.bsky.social
Philosopher of science. Thinking about nonhuman minds, memory, living things. Cat person.
Reposted by Ali Boyle
oh Americans may not understand this, but a 'magistrate' in the UK is a local volunteer with typically no legal background. But it's ok, they receive about 10 days of training. And now they can send you to jail for two years without a jury!
what the fuck
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 PM
oh Americans may not understand this, but a 'magistrate' in the UK is a local volunteer with typically no legal background. But it's ok, they receive about 10 days of training. And now they can send you to jail for two years without a jury!
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Whomst among us hasn't felt a little vacuum about snackie all done
November 18, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Whomst among us hasn't felt a little vacuum about snackie all done
Reposted by Ali Boyle
My student Arlene Lo has a paper on the philosophical underpinnings of Canada's attempts to integrate Indigenous groups into its environmental impact assessments. It's now out in (appropriately enough!) the Canadian journal of philosophy. It's good, check it out!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
November 26, 2025 at 8:06 AM
My student Arlene Lo has a paper on the philosophical underpinnings of Canada's attempts to integrate Indigenous groups into its environmental impact assessments. It's now out in (appropriately enough!) the Canadian journal of philosophy. It's good, check it out!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Ali Boyle
New episode!! 🎉🎙️
A conversation with @aliboyle.bsky.social & @jomahr.bsky.social about the functions of memory.
We may not immediately think of memory as an evolutionary puzzle. But in certain respects—and from certain angles—it is quite puzzling indeed.
Listen: disi.org/what-is-memo...
A conversation with @aliboyle.bsky.social & @jomahr.bsky.social about the functions of memory.
We may not immediately think of memory as an evolutionary puzzle. But in certain respects—and from certain angles—it is quite puzzling indeed.
Listen: disi.org/what-is-memo...
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
New episode!! 🎉🎙️
A conversation with @aliboyle.bsky.social & @jomahr.bsky.social about the functions of memory.
We may not immediately think of memory as an evolutionary puzzle. But in certain respects—and from certain angles—it is quite puzzling indeed.
Listen: disi.org/what-is-memo...
A conversation with @aliboyle.bsky.social & @jomahr.bsky.social about the functions of memory.
We may not immediately think of memory as an evolutionary puzzle. But in certain respects—and from certain angles—it is quite puzzling indeed.
Listen: disi.org/what-is-memo...
Reposted by Ali Boyle
This thread is utterly extraordinary. I both have a new respect for Home Alone and am laughing my ass off
But the wet bandits are also gods. They take fatal injury after fatal injury and they just dust themselves off and continue their relentless pursuit of Kevin. It should be horrifying, but
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
November 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
This thread is utterly extraordinary. I both have a new respect for Home Alone and am laughing my ass off
Reposted by Ali Boyle
The wet bandits are Sisyphus and Kevin is their boulder
November 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The wet bandits are Sisyphus and Kevin is their boulder
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Gonna spend the entire month thinking about this philosophical discussion of Die Hard vs Home Alone.
But the wet bandits are also gods. They take fatal injury after fatal injury and they just dust themselves off and continue their relentless pursuit of Kevin. It should be horrifying, but
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
November 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Gonna spend the entire month thinking about this philosophical discussion of Die Hard vs Home Alone.
Reposted by Ali Boyle
I thought it's very clear: the pigeons are a symbol of peace, succeeding where concussion and thermal injury did not.
The whole thing is about nuclear disarmament
The whole thing is about nuclear disarmament
November 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
I thought it's very clear: the pigeons are a symbol of peace, succeeding where concussion and thermal injury did not.
The whole thing is about nuclear disarmament
The whole thing is about nuclear disarmament
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Debate at The Federation Society for Medieval Earth History, Stardate 912365.68. Topic "What was the Cult of Kevin actually about?" Vulcan opener:
But the wet bandits are also gods. They take fatal injury after fatal injury and they just dust themselves off and continue their relentless pursuit of Kevin. It should be horrifying, but
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
November 23, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Debate at The Federation Society for Medieval Earth History, Stardate 912365.68. Topic "What was the Cult of Kevin actually about?" Vulcan opener:
Reposted by Ali Boyle
So, rather than "man against the odds" its "war of the gods". A manichean struggle in which good (in the shape of a child) inevitably wins.
November 23, 2025 at 11:34 AM
So, rather than "man against the odds" its "war of the gods". A manichean struggle in which good (in the shape of a child) inevitably wins.
Reposted by Ali Boyle
The final sentence here is just pure poetry
November 23, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The final sentence here is just pure poetry
Reposted by Ali Boyle
The moment you clicked Send on this post a dozen Hollywood execs all woke up as if possessed, grabbed their phones, and texted "Home Alone X-Men origin story"
November 23, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The moment you clicked Send on this post a dozen Hollywood execs all woke up as if possessed, grabbed their phones, and texted "Home Alone X-Men origin story"
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Love this conversation, and on the pigeons: seems like they serve the same function as the eagles in Tolkien's stories. The winged messengers of God, who shift things at key moments only
November 23, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Love this conversation, and on the pigeons: seems like they serve the same function as the eagles in Tolkien's stories. The winged messengers of God, who shift things at key moments only
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Trying to generate stat & ability blocks for Kevin McCallister and Marv & Harry units would be nuts.
But all the more up-for-grabs: Alignment?
Are the Wet Bandits lawful evil?
Is Kevin Chaotic Good?
But all the more up-for-grabs: Alignment?
Are the Wet Bandits lawful evil?
Is Kevin Chaotic Good?
But the wet bandits are also gods. They take fatal injury after fatal injury and they just dust themselves off and continue their relentless pursuit of Kevin. It should be horrifying, but
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
November 23, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Trying to generate stat & ability blocks for Kevin McCallister and Marv & Harry units would be nuts.
But all the more up-for-grabs: Alignment?
Are the Wet Bandits lawful evil?
Is Kevin Chaotic Good?
But all the more up-for-grabs: Alignment?
Are the Wet Bandits lawful evil?
Is Kevin Chaotic Good?
Reposted by Ali Boyle
For anyone considering applying to the LSE please be aware that your faculty will be engaged in High Level Debate, and our advanced thinking may be a bit difficult for you to handle at first. We trust though that with time and our training you will be able to Ascend to our level.
But the wet bandits are also gods. They take fatal injury after fatal injury and they just dust themselves off and continue their relentless pursuit of Kevin. It should be horrifying, but
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
Kevin’s innocence obscures this.
November 23, 2025 at 10:37 AM
For anyone considering applying to the LSE please be aware that your faculty will be engaged in High Level Debate, and our advanced thinking may be a bit difficult for you to handle at first. We trust though that with time and our training you will be able to Ascend to our level.
Reposted by Ali Boyle
"the fae are open source" is an incredible premise for a fantasy novel that would appeal specifically to me.
Turning into my father one "the problem is no one reads enough books these days" grumble at a time
November 20, 2025 at 2:55 AM
"the fae are open source" is an incredible premise for a fantasy novel that would appeal specifically to me.
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Anyone know why AMA Journal of Ethics is suddenly closing? “Breaking Bad News” journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/brea...
Breaking Bad News
Announcement that the AMA Journal of Ethics will cease publishing new content after December 2025.
journalofethics.ama-assn.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Anyone know why AMA Journal of Ethics is suddenly closing? “Breaking Bad News” journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/brea...
Reposted by Ali Boyle
I know BlueSky has problems with humour so just to be clear: I, like everyone else, am aware that postdocs aren't real. I'm not spreading misinformation when I refer to them as if they exist, they're jokes and everyone knows that. Chill, ok?
November 8, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I know BlueSky has problems with humour so just to be clear: I, like everyone else, am aware that postdocs aren't real. I'm not spreading misinformation when I refer to them as if they exist, they're jokes and everyone knows that. Chill, ok?
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Good news everyone: #Duke Summer Seminars in Neuroscience and Philosophy (SSNAP) are back!! We are now accepting applications for SSNAP 2026, which will take place from May 26 to June 6, 2026. #neuroscience #philosophy #brain Please spread the word! ssnap.submittable.com/submit
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November 7, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Good news everyone: #Duke Summer Seminars in Neuroscience and Philosophy (SSNAP) are back!! We are now accepting applications for SSNAP 2026, which will take place from May 26 to June 6, 2026. #neuroscience #philosophy #brain Please spread the word! ssnap.submittable.com/submit
Reposted by Ali Boyle
PhD project on the evolution of animal memory now available in my research group, through the TREES DLA: www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo.... Come and join us if you're interested in the evolution of animal minds and you want to do some cool experimental evolution!
Evolutionary ecology of animal memory | TREES DLA
This project seeks to explore how memory evolves in response to the ecological tasks that animals face in their natural environment. Associative memory exists in some form in almost all animal species...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:23 PM
PhD project on the evolution of animal memory now available in my research group, through the TREES DLA: www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo.... Come and join us if you're interested in the evolution of animal minds and you want to do some cool experimental evolution!
Reposted by Ali Boyle
The rumours are true: Leeds is hosting BSPS 2026! Make sure you put the date in your calendars (21-23 July) and, while you're at it, consider submitting a symposium proposal (CFS closes on 14th January 2026)! www.thebsps.org/news/bsps-an...
Annual Conference | 2025
The BSPS Annual Conference takes place on 15-17 July 2025 at the University of Glasgow
www.thebsps.org
November 6, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The rumours are true: Leeds is hosting BSPS 2026! Make sure you put the date in your calendars (21-23 July) and, while you're at it, consider submitting a symposium proposal (CFS closes on 14th January 2026)! www.thebsps.org/news/bsps-an...
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Received a very fancy email from a predatory publisher this morning. This one’s a doozy. 🧵
November 4, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Received a very fancy email from a predatory publisher this morning. This one’s a doozy. 🧵
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Happy World Jellyfish Day! 🪼
November 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Happy World Jellyfish Day! 🪼
Reposted by Ali Boyle
Come for the title, stay for the learning
More than five years in the making, my paper about the metaphysics of pregnancy is out today, open-access in PPR 🧵1/7
doi.org/10.1111/phpr...
doi.org/10.1111/phpr...
Lady Parts and Baby Parts: What Is a Fetus?
A common-sense view of mammalian pregnancy treats the fetus as (a) an organism and (b) co-extensive with the approximately baby-shaped entity developing in the uterus. In this paper, I draw on metabo...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Come for the title, stay for the learning
Reposted by Ali Boyle
My new paper has just been published online in @journalphp.bsky.social!
Popperian animals and instrumental reasoning: Philosophical Psychology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
Popperian animals and instrumental reasoning: Philosophical Psychology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
Popperian animals and instrumental reasoning: Philosophical Psychology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access
Browse all journals
www.tandfonline.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:46 PM
My new paper has just been published online in @journalphp.bsky.social!
Popperian animals and instrumental reasoning: Philosophical Psychology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...
Popperian animals and instrumental reasoning: Philosophical Psychology: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...