Sebastian Watzl
@sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
770 followers 420 following 120 posts
Philosophy Prof at University of Oslo. Writes all things attention - from psychology to politics and back. Author of "Structuring Mind" (OUP). PI of GoodAttention. He/His https://www.sebastianwatzl.com/
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sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Glad SOMEONE is looking after the Platonic form of the Schnitzel (my bad bad family talked about Käseschnitzel already in the 80s ...🤫)
martinreich.bsky.social
Schnitzel bleibt Schnitzel! ✊️🥩🍖🥓😠

Kleiner Rant von mir zum Veggie-Schnitzel-Käse auf EU-Ebene 😇🌱
In der @diepressecom.bsky.social

www.diepresse.com/20174307/sch...
www.diepresse.com
Reposted by Sebastian Watzl
karlbode.com
twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross
photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Re how the changed media and attentional landscape ('the internet') contributes ...
rbreich.bsky.social
“No one man can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” -Edward R. Murrow
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Well, probably many causal factors. But I think I agree with Fukuyama: it's an important factor. What do people think about this?
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
We should gives this to our PhD students to read. There is too much worry about not 'making it' in academia. The thing is: you can make it, and still be unhappy. There are bullshit jobs (cf Graeber) in academia and outside of it, and there are also meaningful jobs in both.
Reposted by Sebastian Watzl
katestarbird.bsky.social
Great to see researchers building next generation tools for curating/augmenting social media feeds. There remain sticky challenges for incentivizing and sustaining use of tools like these, but design (eg around attention dynamics) has played a role in where we are right now, and can help get us out.
manoelhortaribeiro.bsky.social
Social media feeds today are optimized for engagement, often leading to misalignment between users' intentions and technology use.

In a new paper, we introduce Bonsai, a tool to create feeds based on stated preferences, rather than predicted engagement.

arxiv.org/abs/2509.10776
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Substantial Q: why should it be categorically harder for a big messy group of people to have an intention than for a big messy group of brain cells or body parts to have an intention?
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
I also don't feel this is the consensus. My feeling was that in the literature it's up in the air (with some people also pretty sure that there are group intentions).
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
They are taking 'constitutional' like they have taken 'fake news'!
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Anyway the argument against leftist analytic philosophy is for sure stupid. Neurath anyone?
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
I love my Marx but wasn’t it invented by the old socialist scholastics or something?
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
And this is not just instrumental, it’s could carry the seed for a better participatory democracy
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
I very much admire this work! We need to figure out fast how to create and navigate those attentional landscapes.
katestarbird.bsky.social
The right wing media machine incentives the constant production of “evidence” to fit their frames. News influencers “work” by selectively amplifying content that aligns w/ their frames/goals. The left seems to be catching on, but they need to do more than just solicit content, they need to reward it
atrupar.com
Pritzker: "People of Illinois, we need your help. Get our your cell phones, record and narrate what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know that this is happening and that we won't stand for it."
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
As always, wise observations !
lastpositivist.bsky.social
I think Ezra Klein's take is that America is on the verge of a major step up in terms of sectarian violence, and he is afraid of that, and thinks very major compromises are worth it to avoid that outcome. Admittedly sometimes he says/suggest otherwise, but it's my overall impression.
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Oh I had so much wanted to be there (but family obligations those days)
Reposted by Sebastian Watzl
cmlittlejohn.bsky.social
This is a great thing to pay attention to instead of orders of extra-judicial killings. Distraction as #disinformation
atrupar.com
Khanna: "We have to understand how abnormal this is. You don't mock someone and put a video out about how they look. You don't ever mock people's ethnicity. How do you negotiate with that? And how have we made this normal?"
Reposted by Sebastian Watzl
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
I fully understand how difficult it is to remain focused on any one particular atrocity but this really ought to be a serious scandal and people need to pay heavy prices for this
mpaarlberg.bsky.social
I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Glad to see this out. I like the new title!
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
basically, yes. Or ignorant.
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Given the existence of this evidence (and it's been know for a while), my question: WHY? Are many of the mainstream parties just stupid, or unaware of the evidence? (honest question: I find this very puzzling)
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Yes. Same for academic work. No (other than marketing) use for saying one is working on (the x of) AI. (Lots of use for the x of „AI“
keithwilson.eu
‘AI’ is a marketing term, pure and simple. It’s like saying “Contains silicon!” on anything that has a microprocessor, “Now with optical brighteners!” on laundry detergent. Intended to dazzle and impress as opposed to saying anything meaningful about the product. #AIHype #JustSayNo
irisvanrooij.bsky.social
There is absolutely no good faith reason to use the term “AI” for any technology one is selling.

It serves only for dazzling people into thinking the technology has capabilities that it doesn’t.

If one wants a technology to be trustworthy, just use a transparent, informative term without hype.
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
but that's people operating with financial constraints!
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
Guess for Food choices it's the menu on Michelin three star restaurants?
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
I think you might be right. Might be a difference between US and Europe for the reason you mentioned.
sebastianwatzl.bsky.social
That’s how it should be. But isn’t it wishful thinking? My sense from hiring committees and having seen people on the market is that the paper in Synthese counts for most people on such committees for a lot more than the ethics bowl (which is basically most likely hardly recognized at all)