axel cleeremans
@axc.bsky.social
Brain, minds, & consciousness. Also interested in design, visual arts, biology, space, typography, and anticipation. Also known as « Axel from Belgium »
Reposted by axel cleeremans
Sometimes if you cut it down correctly, you can still see the last meal a tree had in its stomach when it died
February 4, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Sometimes if you cut it down correctly, you can still see the last meal a tree had in its stomach when it died
Reposted by axel cleeremans
I laughed out loud when I saw
“AI use statement
The author used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 for research purposes and for editorial feedback after the drafting process.”
#neuroskyence
“AI use statement
The author used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 for research purposes and for editorial feedback after the drafting process.”
#neuroskyence
We have little direct evidence about what happens when working scientists—not students, not white-collar professionals doing routine tasks—offload the cognitive labor of scientific writing to AI, writes Tim Requarth.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/artificial-i...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/artificial-i...
Betting blind on AI and the scientific mind
If the struggle to articulate an idea is part of how you come to understand it, then tools that bypass that struggle might degrade your capacity for the kind of thinking that matters most for actual…
www.thetransmitter.org
February 2, 2026 at 8:52 PM
I laughed out loud when I saw
“AI use statement
The author used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 for research purposes and for editorial feedback after the drafting process.”
#neuroskyence
“AI use statement
The author used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 for research purposes and for editorial feedback after the drafting process.”
#neuroskyence
Consider this: You ask chatGPT to compose the eulogy for a deceased friend. After you speak at the funeral, someone tells you how moved she was. Do you reveal chatGPT wrote the speech? If you don’t, you are cheating. But if you do, the words lose their meaning and you are a fraud. What would you do?
January 31, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Consider this: You ask chatGPT to compose the eulogy for a deceased friend. After you speak at the funeral, someone tells you how moved she was. Do you reveal chatGPT wrote the speech? If you don’t, you are cheating. But if you do, the words lose their meaning and you are a fraud. What would you do?
outsourcing thinking itself is unquestionably a catastrophic way forward for humanity
“We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.”
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
January 31, 2026 at 7:25 AM
outsourcing thinking itself is unquestionably a catastrophic way forward for humanity
Reposted by axel cleeremans
US higher education was a crown jewel, generating knowledge, wealth, prestige, and power unrivaled by anyone.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
Chinese Universities Surge in Global Rankings as U.S. Schools Slip
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:01 PM
US higher education was a crown jewel, generating knowledge, wealth, prestige, and power unrivaled by anyone.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
And the US is throwing it away, because Americans elected a govt ideologically opposed to truth, science, merit, and racial/gender equality, preferring to weaken the country to reduce that.
Reposted by axel cleeremans
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
January 15, 2026 at 1:47 PM
wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage
Reposted by axel cleeremans
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell (1984)
January 8, 2026 at 3:32 PM
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell (1984)
spotted in Brussels; not sure yet of the intent
January 5, 2026 at 7:28 PM
spotted in Brussels; not sure yet of the intent
real-life Necker cubes - can you see them?
January 5, 2026 at 1:23 PM
real-life Necker cubes - can you see them?
1976/81; hard to find but looking forward to reading it. And that gorgeous cover! Anyone knows the font?
December 31, 2025 at 2:53 PM
1976/81; hard to find but looking forward to reading it. And that gorgeous cover! Anyone knows the font?
Reposted by axel cleeremans
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 years in the making, great to see this important new study (actually many studies) now preprinted. 👏🏼👏🏼 @peterlush.bsky.social
"How participants create illusory experiences to help experimenters." A new preprint of a multi-study manuscript w/
@zoltandienes.bsky.social, @anilseth.bsky.social & Ryan Scott, extending previous work on demand characteristics & phenomenological control in psychological effects. osf.io/n2ukj
@zoltandienes.bsky.social, @anilseth.bsky.social & Ryan Scott, extending previous work on demand characteristics & phenomenological control in psychological effects. osf.io/n2ukj
December 16, 2025 at 8:57 PM
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 years in the making, great to see this important new study (actually many studies) now preprinted. 👏🏼👏🏼 @peterlush.bsky.social
Thank you for all the energy and passion you have invested in launching the Association - I am almost jealous that this will now benefit the council, but convinced that your presence there will help us all!
We are proud to announce that AERG Border Member and former vice-president Professor Karin Roelofs @epanlab.bsky.social has been appointed to the Scientific Council of the European Research Council @erc.europa.eu
Find more 👇
aerg.eu/news/New-erc...
Find more 👇
aerg.eu/news/New-erc...
Board Member Karin Roelofs Appointed to the ERC Scientific Council • Association of ERC Grantees
No description yet
aerg.eu
December 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Thank you for all the energy and passion you have invested in launching the Association - I am almost jealous that this will now benefit the council, but convinced that your presence there will help us all!
Reposted by axel cleeremans
It is a great honor to join the Scientific Council of the @erc.europa.eu. The ERC is precisely the kind of organisation I am proud to champion. Science is what binds Europe together and sustains its resilience
Six new members of the ERC Scientific Council and three new Vice Presidents
Today, six new members of the governing body of the European Research Council (ERC), the Scientific Council, have been appointed by the European Commission. The term of one current member has also bee...
erc.europa.eu
December 10, 2025 at 1:31 PM
It is a great honor to join the Scientific Council of the @erc.europa.eu. The ERC is precisely the kind of organisation I am proud to champion. Science is what binds Europe together and sustains its resilience
Reposted by axel cleeremans
if christmas could be captured in one single photo...
#CIFAR -- winter school on the neuroscience of consciousness, by the Brain Mind Consciousness program (with generous support from @templetonworld.bsky.social -- thank you!!)
apply to come next year!
#CIFAR -- winter school on the neuroscience of consciousness, by the Brain Mind Consciousness program (with generous support from @templetonworld.bsky.social -- thank you!!)
apply to come next year!
December 12, 2025 at 4:17 AM
if christmas could be captured in one single photo...
#CIFAR -- winter school on the neuroscience of consciousness, by the Brain Mind Consciousness program (with generous support from @templetonworld.bsky.social -- thank you!!)
apply to come next year!
#CIFAR -- winter school on the neuroscience of consciousness, by the Brain Mind Consciousness program (with generous support from @templetonworld.bsky.social -- thank you!!)
apply to come next year!
Reposted by axel cleeremans
$600 million dollar bet by Astera Foundation to solve consciousness via reading and writing of neural activity led by Doris Tsao.
astera.org/neuroscienti...
astera.org/neuroscienti...
Neuroscientist Doris Tsao joins Astera to lead its new neuroscience program - Astera
The Astera Institute is excited to launch a major new neuroscience research effort led by Dr. Doris Tsao, who will be joining as Chief Scientist for Astera Neuro. We seek to understand one of the deep...
astera.org
December 10, 2025 at 6:24 PM
$600 million dollar bet by Astera Foundation to solve consciousness via reading and writing of neural activity led by Doris Tsao.
astera.org/neuroscienti...
astera.org/neuroscienti...
Edward O. Wilson in 2009: “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” (thank you @kottke.org)
December 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Edward O. Wilson in 2009: “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” (thank you @kottke.org)
Indeed, terrific beginning
Wonderful and inspiring opening session at the CIFAR/TWCF Winter School for the Neuroscience of Consciousness, here in beautiful wintery Montebello, in Quebec. All of the participants gave 60 second intros to themselves and their interests. What a great group of people.
December 10, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Indeed, terrific beginning
Reposted by axel cleeremans
It's a real honour to be chairing next year's @mesec-community.bsky.social winter school on consciousness science, March 22-28👇🏽
🥁Thrilled to announce that Prof. Anil Seth will chair the MESEC Winter School 2026 in Turkey🥁 @anilseth.bsky.social
One unforgettable week exploring consciousness with one of the most pioneering thinkers in the field 🌟🧠 🎓
Applications open soon — stay tuned! 👀
🔗 mesec.co/event/winter...
One unforgettable week exploring consciousness with one of the most pioneering thinkers in the field 🌟🧠 🎓
Applications open soon — stay tuned! 👀
🔗 mesec.co/event/winter...
December 6, 2025 at 10:13 AM
It's a real honour to be chairing next year's @mesec-community.bsky.social winter school on consciousness science, March 22-28👇🏽
Reposted by axel cleeremans
Both of you can be very proud of this accomplishment Axel & Pietro (and especially Pietro of course). Sorry for asking whether your decision making model was conscious, you should have just thrown your laptop at me. Thanks for letting me be a part of this & I hope you enjoy the rest of the eve :-)
December 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Both of you can be very proud of this accomplishment Axel & Pietro (and especially Pietro of course). Sorry for asking whether your decision making model was conscious, you should have just thrown your laptop at me. Thanks for letting me be a part of this & I hope you enjoy the rest of the eve :-)
Super proud of @pietroamerio.bsky.social who successfully defended his thesis on « vision at very short durations » today. Congrats!
December 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Super proud of @pietroamerio.bsky.social who successfully defended his thesis on « vision at very short durations » today. Congrats!
Reposted by axel cleeremans
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
November 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
If I’m understanding this correctly, X is owned by a white nationalist who pays poor people of color in developing countries to pretend to be working class white Americans to scare other white Americans into being afraid poor people of color from developing countries are going to ruin America?
Reposted by axel cleeremans
Interested in whether EEG frequency-tagging can be used to measure conscious perception (visibility and confidence)? Check out our new preprint with @axc.bsky.social and Adélaïde de Heering!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Interested in whether EEG frequency-tagging can be used to measure conscious perception (visibility and confidence)? Check out our new preprint with @axc.bsky.social and Adélaïde de Heering!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by axel cleeremans
Consciousness science: where are we, where are we going, and what if we get there? Join me, @axc.bsky.social, @liadmudrik.bsky.social, @lucinauddin.bsky.social & @metzinger.bsky.social for a Frontiers Deep Dive at 3pm GMT. Registration link is below
events.frontiersin.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Consciousness science: where are we, where are we going, and what if we get there? Join me, @axc.bsky.social, @liadmudrik.bsky.social, @lucinauddin.bsky.social & @metzinger.bsky.social for a Frontiers Deep Dive at 3pm GMT. Registration link is below