Nora Bradford
@norabradford.bsky.social
teaching faculty @ UPenn
Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from UC Irvine w/Megan Peters
science writer (words in Scientific American, Science News, Nat Geo and other outlets)
studied phil + neuro + psych @ UChicago - she/they
norabradford.com
Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from UC Irvine w/Megan Peters
science writer (words in Scientific American, Science News, Nat Geo and other outlets)
studied phil + neuro + psych @ UChicago - she/they
norabradford.com
Reposted by Nora Bradford
In honor of cephalopod week, I‘m digging up some of my coverage of these weird little guys from the last few years! First up: What can cephalopods see? 👀 Turns out that question is a lot more complicated than you might think www.scientificamerican.com/article/octo...
Octopuses Are Colorblind. Here's How They See the World
Cephalopods have developed unique visual systems to deal with their underwater world
www.scientificamerican.com
October 8, 2026 at 8:20 PM
In honor of cephalopod week, I‘m digging up some of my coverage of these weird little guys from the last few years! First up: What can cephalopods see? 👀 Turns out that question is a lot more complicated than you might think www.scientificamerican.com/article/octo...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Some favorite octopuses I've drawn to celebrate #WorldOctopusDay
October 9, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Some favorite octopuses I've drawn to celebrate #WorldOctopusDay
In honor of cephalopod week, I‘m digging up some of my coverage of these weird little guys from the last few years! First up: What can cephalopods see? 👀 Turns out that question is a lot more complicated than you might think www.scientificamerican.com/article/octo...
Octopuses Are Colorblind. Here's How They See the World
Cephalopods have developed unique visual systems to deal with their underwater world
www.scientificamerican.com
October 8, 2026 at 8:20 PM
In honor of cephalopod week, I‘m digging up some of my coverage of these weird little guys from the last few years! First up: What can cephalopods see? 👀 Turns out that question is a lot more complicated than you might think www.scientificamerican.com/article/octo...
After receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday, Georg Nagel said he thought it was too soon; that optogenetics had only really helped one patient. Well, a new study out today bumps that number up to 7!
www.sciencenews.org/article/gene...
www.sciencenews.org/article/gene...
Gene therapy and special goggles give some blind people limited sight
Optogenetics, recognized by the 2026 medicine Nobel, makes cells respond to light, including eye cells that normally relay signals to the brain.
www.sciencenews.org
October 7, 2026 at 10:12 PM
After receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday, Georg Nagel said he thought it was too soon; that optogenetics had only really helped one patient. Well, a new study out today bumps that number up to 7!
www.sciencenews.org/article/gene...
www.sciencenews.org/article/gene...
love to see metacognition getting public attention:) www.thetransmitter.org/decision-mak...
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
Neural circuits may sometimes calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself.
www.thetransmitter.org
October 5, 2026 at 4:46 PM
love to see metacognition getting public attention:) www.thetransmitter.org/decision-mak...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
PERSONAL NEWS:
Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
October 2, 2026 at 5:07 PM
PERSONAL NEWS:
Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
Wednesday was my last day at @sciam.bsky.social. I was laid off during another round of restructuring and my department shuttered. If you are looking for a skilled editor, project manager and people manager, I'm your hire. Thanks. #lookingforwork
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Our lab is growing! We're looking for a graduate student to start next fall (applications due on Dec 1) and a postdoctoral researcher to start soon (ad coming soon; starting date is flexible, probably some time next year).
subjectivitylab.org
subjectivitylab.org
The Subjectivity Lab · Duke University · Jorge Morales, PhD
Duke interdisciplinary research group led by Dr. Jorge Morales studying vision, mental imagery, consciousness, and introspection.
subjectivitylab.org
October 1, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Our lab is growing! We're looking for a graduate student to start next fall (applications due on Dec 1) and a postdoctoral researcher to start soon (ad coming soon; starting date is flexible, probably some time next year).
subjectivitylab.org
subjectivitylab.org
Reposted by Nora Bradford
I had forgotten how fun #SciWri conferences are! Yesterday, I had lunch with a running shoe researcher whom we berated with questions about toe boxes and cushioning and lacing techniques. Then, I embarrassed myself in a science comics session by drawing the ugliest dolphin humankind has ever seen.
September 27, 2026 at 1:55 PM
I had forgotten how fun #SciWri conferences are! Yesterday, I had lunch with a running shoe researcher whom we berated with questions about toe boxes and cushioning and lacing techniques. Then, I embarrassed myself in a science comics session by drawing the ugliest dolphin humankind has ever seen.
I had forgotten how fun #SciWri conferences are! Yesterday, I had lunch with a running shoe researcher whom we berated with questions about toe boxes and cushioning and lacing techniques. Then, I embarrassed myself in a science comics session by drawing the ugliest dolphin humankind has ever seen.
September 27, 2026 at 1:55 PM
I had forgotten how fun #SciWri conferences are! Yesterday, I had lunch with a running shoe researcher whom we berated with questions about toe boxes and cushioning and lacing techniques. Then, I embarrassed myself in a science comics session by drawing the ugliest dolphin humankind has ever seen.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Everyone and especially all the academics on AI task forces and initiatives should read this.
From @timnitgebru.blacksky.app and me on what we should take from the 2026 summer of AI hype:
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1...
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1...
Don’t be fooled by this summer of AI hype
Breathless claims about AGI and new capabilities fall apart pretty quickly under scrutiny.
www.technologyreview.com
September 22, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Everyone and especially all the academics on AI task forces and initiatives should read this.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
We have *six days* left until the Academy of Natural Sciences, North America's oldest Natural History museum, is scheduled to close it's doors.
Here are *six reasons* why we cannot - and will not- let that happen.
Here are *six reasons* why we cannot - and will not- let that happen.
September 21, 2026 at 11:51 PM
We have *six days* left until the Academy of Natural Sciences, North America's oldest Natural History museum, is scheduled to close it's doors.
Here are *six reasons* why we cannot - and will not- let that happen.
Here are *six reasons* why we cannot - and will not- let that happen.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Attention Philadelphia!
We need your help saving the Academy of Natural Sciences!
The Save the Academy Coalition needs volunteers to help hand out organizing flyers in front of the museum this weekend, Sept 25-27.
Please sign up here if you can take a shift! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
We need your help saving the Academy of Natural Sciences!
The Save the Academy Coalition needs volunteers to help hand out organizing flyers in front of the museum this weekend, Sept 25-27.
Please sign up here if you can take a shift! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Help Save the Academy: Volunteer to talk with visitors and hand out flyers at the Academy.
Sign up for a shift outside the Academy of Natural Sciences during its last open days: Fridays to Sundays, Sept 18 to 20 and 25 to 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers will be on the ground outside the Ac...
docs.google.com
September 20, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Attention Philadelphia!
We need your help saving the Academy of Natural Sciences!
The Save the Academy Coalition needs volunteers to help hand out organizing flyers in front of the museum this weekend, Sept 25-27.
Please sign up here if you can take a shift! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
We need your help saving the Academy of Natural Sciences!
The Save the Academy Coalition needs volunteers to help hand out organizing flyers in front of the museum this weekend, Sept 25-27.
Please sign up here if you can take a shift! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
I've switched to a no-tech policy in my classes, and the rumors are true: The kids are way more engaged, they're asking great questions, they're doing the readings, they're chitchatting! Does grading handwritten stuff sometimes make me feel like a middle school teacher? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.
September 18, 2026 at 8:40 PM
I've switched to a no-tech policy in my classes, and the rumors are true: The kids are way more engaged, they're asking great questions, they're doing the readings, they're chitchatting! Does grading handwritten stuff sometimes make me feel like a middle school teacher? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.
Just wanted to re-up this invite! It's turned into a nice, cozy group of people; professors hoping to write books, grad students with writing side projects, institutional science writers, and science journalists.
Anyone is welcome! DM me if you want to join the slack
@pennmindcore.bsky.social
Anyone is welcome! DM me if you want to join the slack
@pennmindcore.bsky.social
Our second meeting of our local Science Writers group is happening Tuesday 4-5pm on the UPenn campus. Let me know if you're interested in joining:)
September 14, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Just wanted to re-up this invite! It's turned into a nice, cozy group of people; professors hoping to write books, grad students with writing side projects, institutional science writers, and science journalists.
Anyone is welcome! DM me if you want to join the slack
@pennmindcore.bsky.social
Anyone is welcome! DM me if you want to join the slack
@pennmindcore.bsky.social
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Our second meeting of our local Science Writers group is happening Tuesday 4-5pm on the UPenn campus. Let me know if you're interested in joining:)
February 1, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Our second meeting of our local Science Writers group is happening Tuesday 4-5pm on the UPenn campus. Let me know if you're interested in joining:)
Reposted by Nora Bradford
I think the gist of warnings like this one is correct: we urgently need binding international regulations before use of AI does serious harm.
I'm also concerned that the debate is being distorted by the language & framings that those in the industry have imbibed.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
I'm also concerned that the debate is being distorted by the language & framings that those in the industry have imbibed.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
I worked at Google DeepMind. You should listen to the warnings about AI | Alex Turner
We must stop companies from allowing AI to self-improve into an uncontrollable level of intelligence
www.theguardian.com
September 14, 2026 at 1:18 PM
I think the gist of warnings like this one is correct: we urgently need binding international regulations before use of AI does serious harm.
I'm also concerned that the debate is being distorted by the language & framings that those in the industry have imbibed.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
I'm also concerned that the debate is being distorted by the language & framings that those in the industry have imbibed.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Between the PRs of (largely likely stolen) math breakthroughs, claims of "rogue AI" (actually cybercrimes by companies, but whatevs), and doomerist "whistleblowers", it feels like we've been subjected to a gish gallop of hype recently.
>>
>>
September 13, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Between the PRs of (largely likely stolen) math breakthroughs, claims of "rogue AI" (actually cybercrimes by companies, but whatevs), and doomerist "whistleblowers", it feels like we've been subjected to a gish gallop of hype recently.
>>
>>
Reposted by Nora Bradford
“Polyploidy is the most important process on the planet that hardly anybody knows anything about.”
www.quantamagazine.org/genome-dupli...
www.quantamagazine.org/genome-dupli...
Genome Duplication Is a Radical Evolutionary Gamble | Quanta Magazine
By doubling their entire genome, organisms can evolve extremely rapidly — or they can lose it all. New studies reveal how to survive the high-risk, high-reward evolutionary event.
www.quantamagazine.org
September 11, 2026 at 3:12 PM
“Polyploidy is the most important process on the planet that hardly anybody knows anything about.”
www.quantamagazine.org/genome-dupli...
www.quantamagazine.org/genome-dupli...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Ford came out with a new pickup truck. now i have to teach MLA format and Ford, library research and Ford, grammar and Ford, rhetoric and Ford, editing an
why does every class need to teach AI now? we’ve literally never expected every class to teach the same one thing before
September 11, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Ford came out with a new pickup truck. now i have to teach MLA format and Ford, library research and Ford, grammar and Ford, rhetoric and Ford, editing an
hey metacognition people, have you seen this paper? Thoughts? 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Causal evidence that language models use confidence to drive behaviour - Nature Machine Intelligence
Kumaran et al. show that large language models making decisions on when to answer a question or abstain from answering can be influenced by boosting or suppressing confidence signals in the model.
www.nature.com
September 11, 2026 at 3:19 AM
hey metacognition people, have you seen this paper? Thoughts? 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
seeking help 🆘 a senior colleague advised that i need to give more invited talks to strengthen my tenure case... how do i find such opportunities?
Wirt from Over The Garden Wall Looks Awkward
ALT: Wirt from Over The Garden Wall Looks Awkward
static.klipy.com
September 10, 2026 at 9:57 AM
seeking help 🆘 a senior colleague advised that i need to give more invited talks to strengthen my tenure case... how do i find such opportunities?
Reposted by Nora Bradford
🔊 dear BSKY people, I'm looking for a chatter, blabber, cocktail party background audio generator that has hopefully been used for research before. any tip or recommendation is appreciated. reposts are also appreciated as they may bring this post closer to someone that knows 🙌
September 10, 2026 at 9:42 AM
🔊 dear BSKY people, I'm looking for a chatter, blabber, cocktail party background audio generator that has hopefully been used for research before. any tip or recommendation is appreciated. reposts are also appreciated as they may bring this post closer to someone that knows 🙌
Reposted by Nora Bradford
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Writing Workshop
9/22, 5-6:30pm @ College Hall G08/09
Undergrad students applying for the NSF GRFP are invited to participate in this writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative & CURF.
Register: curf.upenn.edu/events/nsf-g...
9/22, 5-6:30pm @ College Hall G08/09
Undergrad students applying for the NSF GRFP are invited to participate in this writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative & CURF.
Register: curf.upenn.edu/events/nsf-g...
| Penn CURF
Undergraduate students applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) are invited to participate in this interactive writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative and CURF....
curf.upenn.edu
September 8, 2026 at 9:35 PM
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Writing Workshop
9/22, 5-6:30pm @ College Hall G08/09
Undergrad students applying for the NSF GRFP are invited to participate in this writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative & CURF.
Register: curf.upenn.edu/events/nsf-g...
9/22, 5-6:30pm @ College Hall G08/09
Undergrad students applying for the NSF GRFP are invited to participate in this writing workshop led by the Science Outreach Initiative & CURF.
Register: curf.upenn.edu/events/nsf-g...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
"So in summary: using AI for coding led to depression, apathy, existential dread, and worse software. Not good. Add on top of that the negative environmental, community, and economic impacts of AI, and it became extremely apparent to me that something's gotta change."
brettcodes.com/im-done-usin...
brettcodes.com/im-done-usin...
I'm done using AI
Why I'm stopping using AI for coding (and anything else) after using it earnestly for a year and coming to understand the harms it causes on personal, societal, and environmental levels.
brettcodes.com
September 6, 2026 at 1:35 AM
"So in summary: using AI for coding led to depression, apathy, existential dread, and worse software. Not good. Add on top of that the negative environmental, community, and economic impacts of AI, and it became extremely apparent to me that something's gotta change."
brettcodes.com/im-done-usin...
brettcodes.com/im-done-usin...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
I feel like I’m going to throw up
September 1, 2026 at 4:47 PM
I feel like I’m going to throw up