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Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

10K followers 940 following 29K posts

Metascientist @ uidaho. I work at the intersection of behavioral sciences, statistics, and philosophy. Love thinking and talking about science. Post lots of cat and food pics. Allergic to unsolicited advice.

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Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

Sometimes timeline delivers

Screenshot of bluesky. Up top Josh Grubbs says "Maybe it will happen tomorrow" quoting a post with exactly the same message from 1 Day ago.

Below an unrelated post from an academic society announcing "Happening tomorrow!"

February 4, 2026 at 3:37 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

be curious. embrace awe.

A long-haired black and white cat is relaxing on a cushioned sofa, gazing upwards with interest. He is mostly black with a white chest, face markings, and white paws. His bright green eyes are focused upwards and to the right, and its mouth is slightly open, revealing a tiny pink lower lip. The cat's whiskers are long and white, fanning out from its face. He is lying on a surface with a textured, light-colored cushion behind with brown stripes, and a tan-colored, bumpy pillow to its left. His front legs are stretched out in front of it. A gray tablet with a light gray cover rests near the cat's paws.

January 26, 2026 at 6:44 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

but also: LORGE

A very floofy tuxedo cat sleeping belly up in the couch taking the shape of the corner of the couch

Same cat sleeping belly up again on the floor in front of a wood stove. He's very lorge.

On the carpet, belly up, sleeping with not a single worry on his mind

January 26, 2026 at 12:28 AM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

lllllloooooonnnnnnngggggg

A very long tuxedo cat stretching legs backwards and paws forward, as seen from the side on the floor

View from his other side. Cat's looking at the camera now. His front paws are sitting on top of each other.

View from above. He really is very long.

January 26, 2026 at 12:20 AM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

Chang rejects the traditional view of scientific progress towards perfect truth (as we all should yet this stillborn view keeps getting resuscitated. When truth is mentioned in scientific discourse, there's usually some hidden agenda.). Progress can take many forms, including but not limited to:

(1) Given an existing question, we can answer it, or improve the quality of an existing answer. Improvements may involve correcting known isolated errors, or finding better methods of observation, measurement or computation. This will be a routine occurrence in the fact-gathering type of inquiry. (2) Within the realm of fact-gathering inquiry, we can also make progress by asking and answering new questions (Shan 2019). Asking new questions without discarding old ones allows an accumulation of propositional knowledge. (3) Not only can we make progress by asking new questions, but we can also improve the questions that we have been asking. Better questions seek information that is more relevant and useful to the achievement of the broader aims that we have.(4) Active knowledge can be improved by increasing the coherence of our activities. It happens routinely that we learn to execute a task more effectively, as anyone who has learned any skill can testify.⁸ (5) Propositional knowledge can also be improved through the increase of coherence. Starting with a proposition that we accept, we can enhance its truth-by-

operational-coherence by improving the coherence of the activities relying on it, or by devising more activities relying on it. (6) Active knowledge can be increased if we can find new (and preferably better) methods for achieving the same aim; multiple methods for achieving the same end may be maintained, and they may enhance each other. (7) When we create new material objects and phenomena, we can of course gain new knowledge about them, as well as the knowledge of how to make them. (8) We can create new concepts, and devise epistemic activities involving them. If these activities turn out to be coherent, then we have new realities, about which we can ask further questions.(9) We can set ourselves new aims, which we then learn how to achieve by devising new activities. If we are successful, we will certainly have acquired new active knowledge, and most likely some new propositional knowledge as well. (10) We can modify the aims of existing activities, so that they are more compatible with the aims of other activities we are engaged in, and they serve their external functions better. Such modifications increase the operational coherence of the systems of practice in which the activities in question occur.

January 21, 2026 at 6:25 AM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

🥰 It's not and so true. Seriously how do you top this?

A majestic orange cat on a table in the woods as sun shines upon him. He's looking regal with the right front paw raised.

January 19, 2026 at 5:34 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

It's been a whole year without this face waking me up. A year with a Random sized hole in our lives that's not going away. I miss him so much!

the very close up of an orange cat's face taken while laying in bed. the cat's obviously sitting on my chest getting in my face up close.

January 19, 2026 at 4:50 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

i already dislike the QRP label to lump together a bunch of research practices of varying levels of appropriateness or ethicality but some of these are flat out weird and impossible to consistently interpret without further context?? relying on such data to reinforce crisis narratives is fraught.

Questionable research practices listed in the survey.

I failed to cite publications that contradict my beliefs
I did not conduct a thorough literature review
I chose not to report my own findings if they contradicted my theories
I used a researcher’s idea without giving credit
I failed to disclose conflicts of interest
I included authors who had not contributed sufficiently
I inadequately supervised a junior co-worker
I carried out research without ethical approval
I cited papers without consulting the primary source
I developed hypotheses after seeing the results
I cited scientifically irrelevant publications out of dependence or friendship
I cited publications only because they were already visible in the scientific community

January 18, 2026 at 8:10 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

behold the lone toof!

close up of the cat's face. he's in deep sleep. his right canine is peeking under a cover of upward swept white neck hair.

January 17, 2026 at 9:17 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

We observe #Caturday around these parts

A tuxedo cat sleeping in complete abandon, diagonally spread, belly up in a large cat bed

January 17, 2026 at 9:15 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

every big data paper with a bold story that is impossible to comprehend, evaluate, and independently verify reminds me of DOPRA. i've come to increasingly appreciate small, unassuming papers with humble conclusions that you can track word for word, data point by data point, assumption by assumption.

A tweet from Lior Pachter from July 26, 2024: "I think this paper is a Denial of Peer Review Attack (DOPRA). It's kind of like a DoS (denial of service) attack. There is so much data, so many methods, so much code, so many figures, so many panels, so much supplement, so much text, that it is overwhelming. 18/"

January 15, 2026 at 5:33 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

this guy keeps lurking outside all day (some of our neighbors keep outdoor cats to the chagrin of the bird population on the mountain). i bet pseudo mistook his own reflection for him yesterday and that's why he got agitated.

a short-handed tuxedo cat out on the patio, looking at the photographer.

January 10, 2026 at 6:46 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

couple of months shy of 13, pseudo discovers his reflection and acknowledges its grandeur for the first time

January 9, 2026 at 6:09 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

Sloths got nothing on him!! 🥰

Pseudo, a fluffy black and white cat sleeping upside down on a striped couch, with his paws up in the air. He appears relaxed and comfortable. His body is turning the inside corner of the couch in a smooth bend around his torso.

January 6, 2026 at 10:59 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

making pinto gallo to keep pura vida alive

a rice and black bean dish with onions, red bell peppers, and cilantro in a pan

January 6, 2026 at 9:19 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

And new banner pic too 'cause...

two people surfing on grey/blue waters and white foamy waves. me on the left, looking relaxed, and hubby on the right aiming forward.

January 4, 2026 at 6:15 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

new profile pic because this is the joy i want to bring to the new year

Photo of a smiling me standing on a beach after surfing. I'm wearing a colorful, patterned, psychedelic-looking bodysuit. The beach stretches out behind me, and the sky is visible above, with light clouds scattered across it. My hands are positioned close to my face, palms facing each other, as if thanking for the whole experience. My smile reflects so much internal joy.

January 4, 2026 at 5:22 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

had our 'last supper' at the surf school tonight. the instructors gave everyone awards (hot sauce). i got the elegant surfer award for being totally chill in today's messy, confused waves 🥹 (hubby got the master of turns award for his double turns.) one last surf tomorrow morning before we fly back.

January 4, 2026 at 3:08 AM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

can't contribute anything meaningful to the current discourse so posting what makes me happy instead. such as a walk on the beach under the (almost) full moon last night.

Under a bright moon, a bright lit oasis behind palm trees as viewed from the beach. There's a halo around the moon lighting up the sky.

Hubby sitting on the sand hugging his knees at night. There's an eerie light in the photo due to moonlight not seen in the frame. In the horizon, white clouds are reflecting the moonlight.

Under moonlight, I'm standing on rocks on the beach with hands hanging from the pockets of my jeans. White waves behind me are shining bright with moonlight.

Selfie against the sky with the full moon on the top right of the frame. Underneath it Erkan is standing behind me, seen as a silhouette. In the front, me sitting down, smiling.

January 3, 2026 at 8:44 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

hermit crabs vs. red snapper (RIP)

January 3, 2026 at 4:40 AM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

who wants to see baby howlers? also look at that mom's face! she looks exhausted and exasperated because the babies don't stop moving for a second! unless they're asleep in ridiculous poses.

a tiny black howler monkey baby hanging on a thin branch, looking crouched and curious. mom's larger tail can be seen extended along the thicker branch underneath the baby, as if to catch it in case of a fall.

another baby sleeping peacefully on a branch, one arm hanging down, hugging the branch with both legs. face turned up.

baby monkey hanging behind a thick branch, looking mischievously into the camera. its mom is lying face down on a branch, face hanging over one. she's looking tired.

January 2, 2026 at 11:00 PM

Berna Devezer

@devezer.bsky.social

my body is battered. my bruises have their bruises. my mind is a blank slate. my spirits are high. i feel whole. now gotta figure out how to extend this feeling beyond my current circumstances to the rest of the new year.