Kristen Syme
@kristensyme.bsky.social
Utah State University, Medical Anthropology, Biocultural/Evolutionary Anthropology, Psychology
Reposted by Kristen Syme
If you're thinking about a Masters or PhD in anthropology and you want to study health, infectious disease, and the immune system, please consider applying to work with me! Happy to answer any questions, etc.
September 3, 2026 at 1:45 PM
If you're thinking about a Masters or PhD in anthropology and you want to study health, infectious disease, and the immune system, please consider applying to work with me! Happy to answer any questions, etc.
Reposted by Kristen Syme
All six talks from the Bridging Mental Health Network at Cambridge are now out on YouTube!
ft. @timdalgleish.bsky.social @camillanord.bsky.social @kristensyme.bsky.social @mkbruun.bsky.social @realadamhunt.bsky.social @annaalexandrova.bsky.social and Sebastian Rodriguez
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
ft. @timdalgleish.bsky.social @camillanord.bsky.social @kristensyme.bsky.social @mkbruun.bsky.social @realadamhunt.bsky.social @annaalexandrova.bsky.social and Sebastian Rodriguez
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Network Talks (2025 - 2026) - YouTube
youtube.com
September 2, 2026 at 2:14 PM
All six talks from the Bridging Mental Health Network at Cambridge are now out on YouTube!
ft. @timdalgleish.bsky.social @camillanord.bsky.social @kristensyme.bsky.social @mkbruun.bsky.social @realadamhunt.bsky.social @annaalexandrova.bsky.social and Sebastian Rodriguez
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
ft. @timdalgleish.bsky.social @camillanord.bsky.social @kristensyme.bsky.social @mkbruun.bsky.social @realadamhunt.bsky.social @annaalexandrova.bsky.social and Sebastian Rodriguez
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Since this piece about contemporary manifestations of eugenics, including “fertility crisis“ narratives, mentions evolutionary psychology, it’s worth noting that evolutionary psychologists are now actively promoting those “fertility crisis” claims in their journals
June 15, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Since this piece about contemporary manifestations of eugenics, including “fertility crisis“ narratives, mentions evolutionary psychology, it’s worth noting that evolutionary psychologists are now actively promoting those “fertility crisis” claims in their journals
A reminder that more is not better.
Richard @rmcelreath.bsky.social and I wrote The Natural Selection of Bad Science over a decade ago, and it's been very frustrating to watch the process get worse rather than better in many cases. doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
The natural selection of bad science
Abstract. Poor research design and data analysis encourage false-positive findings. Such poor methods persist despite perennial calls for improvement, sugg
doi.org
June 12, 2026 at 9:46 AM
A reminder that more is not better.
New preprint 🚨: We investigated whether supervised ML can be used to explore if patterns of OCM codes predict a target OCM code, like Informal Ingroup Justice (627) or Sorcery (754), within HRAF paragraphs tagged 'Offenses Against Life' (OCM 682). 1/2
June 6, 2026 at 11:49 AM
New preprint 🚨: We investigated whether supervised ML can be used to explore if patterns of OCM codes predict a target OCM code, like Informal Ingroup Justice (627) or Sorcery (754), within HRAF paragraphs tagged 'Offenses Against Life' (OCM 682). 1/2
Reposted by Kristen Syme
This case and verdict need more attention, given the current context. It puts into stark relief the unsustainability of the argument from Farage and all the racists.
Non-white as perpetrator? National crisis.
Non-white as victim? Just part of life's rich pageant, you know...
Non-white as perpetrator? National crisis.
Non-white as victim? Just part of life's rich pageant, you know...
Why do I have to go to the local news section to find this story? Where are the protests demanding an end to the epidemic of white Brits murdering minorities? Will there be a national debate on the ills of cocaine abuse amongst white men?
Man who stabbed student to death in Cambridge is jailed for life
Chas Corrigan, 22, will serve a minimum of 22 years for the murder of Mohammed Algasim last August.
www.bbc.co.uk
June 5, 2026 at 9:47 AM
This case and verdict need more attention, given the current context. It puts into stark relief the unsustainability of the argument from Farage and all the racists.
Non-white as perpetrator? National crisis.
Non-white as victim? Just part of life's rich pageant, you know...
Non-white as perpetrator? National crisis.
Non-white as victim? Just part of life's rich pageant, you know...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
For the theme of "Cross-Cultural & Ethnographic Perspectives", the Bridging Mental Health Network at Cambridge hosted two brilliant talks.
Check them out for historical easter-eggs in psychiatry + rich story-telling
Talk 1: @kristensyme.bsky.social
youtu.be/-QEarzXEecw?...
🧵
Check them out for historical easter-eggs in psychiatry + rich story-telling
Talk 1: @kristensyme.bsky.social
youtu.be/-QEarzXEecw?...
🧵
Suicide as Social Protest: Ethnographic Evidence from 53 Cultures | Kristen Syme
YouTube video by The Bridging Mental Health Network
youtu.be
May 18, 2026 at 2:27 PM
For the theme of "Cross-Cultural & Ethnographic Perspectives", the Bridging Mental Health Network at Cambridge hosted two brilliant talks.
Check them out for historical easter-eggs in psychiatry + rich story-telling
Talk 1: @kristensyme.bsky.social
youtu.be/-QEarzXEecw?...
🧵
Check them out for historical easter-eggs in psychiatry + rich story-telling
Talk 1: @kristensyme.bsky.social
youtu.be/-QEarzXEecw?...
🧵
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Post 1/14 We are incredibly honored to receive the Dorothy Bishop Prize. But looking at the "polished" statements of the past, we can’t be silent. It is easy to celebrate "inclusivity," but we cannot ignore the cost of current research culture. This award is a bittersweet reminder of a struggle. 🧵
We're pleased to publicly announce the winners of the 2026 Dorothy Bishop Prize, which celebrates the contributions of early career researchers working to promote open research and improve research culture.
Congratulations to:
- Mahmoud, Leila & Merissa
www.ukrn.org/dorothy-bish...
Congratulations to:
- Mahmoud, Leila & Merissa
www.ukrn.org/dorothy-bish...
Dorothy Bishop prize
www.ukrn.org
March 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Post 1/14 We are incredibly honored to receive the Dorothy Bishop Prize. But looking at the "polished" statements of the past, we can’t be silent. It is easy to celebrate "inclusivity," but we cannot ignore the cost of current research culture. This award is a bittersweet reminder of a struggle. 🧵
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Institutions are the social technologies that power our world, allowing us to rely on complete strangers every day of our lives. But how do we ensure that this trust isn’t misplaced? In this Essay, the game theorist Julien Lie-Panis explores what makes institutions function @jliep.bsky.social
Institutions are how we scale up cooperation among millions | Aeon Essays
Good institutions are social technologies that scale trust from personal relations to entire nations. How do they work?
buff.ly
February 13, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Institutions are the social technologies that power our world, allowing us to rely on complete strangers every day of our lives. But how do we ensure that this trust isn’t misplaced? In this Essay, the game theorist Julien Lie-Panis explores what makes institutions function @jliep.bsky.social
Paper 🚨 We found that LLMs can match or exceed human coders on theoretical variables assessing the form and function of ritual fasting. Guided by theory and ethical human oversight, LLMs can generate units of cultural analysis for cross‑cultural theoretical tests. #BioAnth doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
Generating units of cultural analysis with large language models: methods and validation for scalable cross-cultural research
Abstract. We present a transparent, human-in-the-loop framework that uses large language models (LLMs) to transform ethnographic texts into binary, structu
doi.org
February 11, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Paper 🚨 We found that LLMs can match or exceed human coders on theoretical variables assessing the form and function of ritual fasting. Guided by theory and ethical human oversight, LLMs can generate units of cultural analysis for cross‑cultural theoretical tests. #BioAnth doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
My first paper, out in PsychReview!!
Along with @orbenamy.bsky.social, Nik & @jaeggiadrian.bsky.social, @realadamhunt.bsky.social & I revisit an old theoretical question using concepts from evo psychiatry and anthro:
Why do mixed associations exist b/w social media & mental health?
A 🧵
Along with @orbenamy.bsky.social, Nik & @jaeggiadrian.bsky.social, @realadamhunt.bsky.social & I revisit an old theoretical question using concepts from evo psychiatry and anthro:
Why do mixed associations exist b/w social media & mental health?
A 🧵
November 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM
My first paper, out in PsychReview!!
Along with @orbenamy.bsky.social, Nik & @jaeggiadrian.bsky.social, @realadamhunt.bsky.social & I revisit an old theoretical question using concepts from evo psychiatry and anthro:
Why do mixed associations exist b/w social media & mental health?
A 🧵
Along with @orbenamy.bsky.social, Nik & @jaeggiadrian.bsky.social, @realadamhunt.bsky.social & I revisit an old theoretical question using concepts from evo psychiatry and anthro:
Why do mixed associations exist b/w social media & mental health?
A 🧵
Unfortunately, this is not surprising coming from Leiden University. Xenophobic and overtly racist practices by security staff are not isolated incidents—they’re institutionalized.
Academic spaces should foster inclusion, not paranoia.
www.mareonline.nl/en/news/how-...
Academic spaces should foster inclusion, not paranoia.
www.mareonline.nl/en/news/how-...
How one Arabic-speaking man sent university security into a panic: ‘Something is brewing’
Why was the Wijnhaven building closed two years ago and why has university security been tightened since? Newly released documents under the Open Government Act (WOO) reveal that the police and the un...
www.mareonline.nl
November 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Unfortunately, this is not surprising coming from Leiden University. Xenophobic and overtly racist practices by security staff are not isolated incidents—they’re institutionalized.
Academic spaces should foster inclusion, not paranoia.
www.mareonline.nl/en/news/how-...
Academic spaces should foster inclusion, not paranoia.
www.mareonline.nl/en/news/how-...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
it's wild that R, the ubiquitous statistical computing language, was co-created by a Māori prof (Ross Ihaka) — and yet the vast majority of scientists who use R don't know
this is like inventing the toaster. possibly the largest impact of a single member of an indigenous community on modern science
this is like inventing the toaster. possibly the largest impact of a single member of an indigenous community on modern science
December 14, 2023 at 10:35 AM
it's wild that R, the ubiquitous statistical computing language, was co-created by a Māori prof (Ross Ihaka) — and yet the vast majority of scientists who use R don't know
this is like inventing the toaster. possibly the largest impact of a single member of an indigenous community on modern science
this is like inventing the toaster. possibly the largest impact of a single member of an indigenous community on modern science
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Why we strike: Bargaining as an expression of human cooperation.
Dr @kristensyme.bsky.social considers labour action, and draws parallels with family conflict…
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
Dr @kristensyme.bsky.social considers labour action, and draws parallels with family conflict…
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
Why we strike: Bargaining as an expression of human cooperation | BPS
Dr Kristen Syme considers labour action, and draws parallels with family conflict…
www.bps.org.uk
October 10, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Why we strike: Bargaining as an expression of human cooperation.
Dr @kristensyme.bsky.social considers labour action, and draws parallels with family conflict…
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
Dr @kristensyme.bsky.social considers labour action, and draws parallels with family conflict…
www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
"After nearly 40 years, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, or ARCUS, will close September 30."
"The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives."
"The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives."
After Trump cut the National Science Foundation by 56 percent, a venerable Arctic research center closes its doors
The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives.
grist.org
September 28, 2025 at 2:10 PM
"After nearly 40 years, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, or ARCUS, will close September 30."
"The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives."
"The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives."
Reposted by Kristen Syme
📝 Writing Wednesday! Ph.D. Candidate Michael Gaffney first-authored an article on on how children communicate their needs through crying. This research was recently published in Human Nature, and his photo taken in Utila, Honduras made the cover image! Article: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
September 10, 2025 at 7:01 AM
📝 Writing Wednesday! Ph.D. Candidate Michael Gaffney first-authored an article on on how children communicate their needs through crying. This research was recently published in Human Nature, and his photo taken in Utila, Honduras made the cover image! Article: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Colleagues based at UK universities: please sign and share this letter to support Gazan students coming to study in the UK, in order to request Governmental deferral of the biometric data requirement and safe evacuation.
Open letter from UK university staff: Request for biometric deferral and safe evacuation of incoming Palestinian students and scholars from Gaza to UK Universities
More than 40 students currently trapped in Gaza with full scholarships to UK Universities are asking for a safe route to come and study. We, the academic community hoping to welcome these scholars, ca...
docs.google.com
July 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Colleagues based at UK universities: please sign and share this letter to support Gazan students coming to study in the UK, in order to request Governmental deferral of the biometric data requirement and safe evacuation.
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Challenging alpha male’ norms: new study across #primates reveals that power relationships between males and females are less clear-cut than expected. An intl. team including D. Lukas @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social shows that context matters for which sex has power www.mpg.de/24986976/063...
Beyond the alpha male
Primate studies challenge male-dominance norms
www.mpg.de
July 8, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Challenging alpha male’ norms: new study across #primates reveals that power relationships between males and females are less clear-cut than expected. An intl. team including D. Lukas @mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social shows that context matters for which sex has power www.mpg.de/24986976/063...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Our new commentary on #Dyspraxia is out! We dive into misdiagnosis, lived experiences, identity, and the systemic barriers faced in an ableist world. Read more! 🧵
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
June 6, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Our new commentary on #Dyspraxia is out! We dive into misdiagnosis, lived experiences, identity, and the systemic barriers faced in an ableist world. Read more! 🧵
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Kristen Syme
Our paper in @natcomms.nature.com, we show how cognitive maps in the hippocampal system could solve the general problem of representing and relating multiple alternative action plans.
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
With @doellerlab.bsky.social, Patrick Haggard, @vigano.bsky.social, Daniel Reznik
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
With @doellerlab.bsky.social, Patrick Haggard, @vigano.bsky.social, Daniel Reznik
May 8, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Our paper in @natcomms.nature.com, we show how cognitive maps in the hippocampal system could solve the general problem of representing and relating multiple alternative action plans.
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
With @doellerlab.bsky.social, Patrick Haggard, @vigano.bsky.social, Daniel Reznik
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
With @doellerlab.bsky.social, Patrick Haggard, @vigano.bsky.social, Daniel Reznik
Here's the run down of my talk at #EHBEA2025 entitled 'Analysing the Form and Function of Rituals Using Large Language Models: Fasting'. I illustrate how we can use LLMs to measure the constituent properties of rituals across ethnographic texts to test theoretical models on a large-scale.
April 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Here's the run down of my talk at #EHBEA2025 entitled 'Analysing the Form and Function of Rituals Using Large Language Models: Fasting'. I illustrate how we can use LLMs to measure the constituent properties of rituals across ethnographic texts to test theoretical models on a large-scale.
For anyone who needs a crash course on power and resistance: www.newyorker.com/magazine/196...
James Baldwin: Letter from a Region in My Mind
From 1962: “Whatever white people do not know about Negroes reveals, precisely and inexorably, what they do not know about themselves.”
www.newyorker.com
February 16, 2025 at 7:47 PM
For anyone who needs a crash course on power and resistance: www.newyorker.com/magazine/196...
"Without theory, one can never understand the general underlying mechanisms that operate in many guises in different situations." Elinor Ostrom in Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action
February 14, 2025 at 10:14 AM
"Without theory, one can never understand the general underlying mechanisms that operate in many guises in different situations." Elinor Ostrom in Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action
Now published! Psychological adaptations for fitness interdependence underlie cooperation across human ecologies. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
APA PsycNet
psycnet.apa.org
December 17, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Now published! Psychological adaptations for fitness interdependence underlie cooperation across human ecologies. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
Important research! War, forced migration, and mental health in youth
Intro for new followers. I'm a bio anthropologist who looks at how war gets "under the skin." Our most recent article (w/ Delaney Glass & Meredith Reiches) was about menarche.
"Coming of Age in War: Early Life Adversity, Age at Menarche, and Mental Health"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
"Coming of Age in War: Early Life Adversity, Age at Menarche, and Mental Health"
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 13, 2024 at 1:15 PM
Important research! War, forced migration, and mental health in youth