Benjamin Gagl
@benjamingagl.bsky.social
Assistant Professor for Self Learning Systems @UniCologne
#Reading #NeuroCognition #ComputationalModels
https://selflearningsystems.uni-koeln.de/
#Reading #NeuroCognition #ComputationalModels
https://selflearningsystems.uni-koeln.de/
Pinned
Benjamin Gagl
@benjamingagl.bsky.social
· Nov 13
🚨Now out in *Open Mind* 🚨
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
We're excited to announce March's #GeWoNN Journal Club Meeting! Our guest speaker, Prof. Katharina von Kriegstein, will talk about "The role of sensory thalami and cortico-thalamic connections in developmental dyslexia"
6-3-2026, 11-12 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link👇
tinyurl.com/vk4r2eba
6-3-2026, 11-12 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link👇
tinyurl.com/vk4r2eba
February 9, 2026 at 1:18 PM
We're excited to announce March's #GeWoNN Journal Club Meeting! Our guest speaker, Prof. Katharina von Kriegstein, will talk about "The role of sensory thalami and cortico-thalamic connections in developmental dyslexia"
6-3-2026, 11-12 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link👇
tinyurl.com/vk4r2eba
6-3-2026, 11-12 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link👇
tinyurl.com/vk4r2eba
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
If you're looking for a PhD and you're interested in the cerebellum, predictions, language, and MEG, please apply by 1st March! We have two open positions.
More details here:
benediktzoefel.wixsite.com/home/phd
More details here:
benediktzoefel.wixsite.com/home/phd
January 28, 2026 at 7:49 AM
If you're looking for a PhD and you're interested in the cerebellum, predictions, language, and MEG, please apply by 1st March! We have two open positions.
More details here:
benediktzoefel.wixsite.com/home/phd
More details here:
benediktzoefel.wixsite.com/home/phd
In case you are interested in letter recognition .... we start in a view minutes at 9!
Happy New Year! 🥳 We're excited to announce January's #GeWoNN Journal Club Meeting! Our guest speaker, Dr Kurt Winsler, will talk about "Experience-Dependent Changes in Visual Processing of Letters".
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
January 21, 2026 at 7:58 AM
In case you are interested in letter recognition .... we start in a view minutes at 9!
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Happy New Year! 🥳 We're excited to announce January's #GeWoNN Journal Club Meeting! Our guest speaker, Dr Kurt Winsler, will talk about "Experience-Dependent Changes in Visual Processing of Letters".
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
January 5, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Happy New Year! 🥳 We're excited to announce January's #GeWoNN Journal Club Meeting! Our guest speaker, Dr Kurt Winsler, will talk about "Experience-Dependent Changes in Visual Processing of Letters".
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
Date: 21-1-2026, 9-10 am (CET)
Register here for the Zoom link 👇
forms.gle/e25X4FoQ2VUh...
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Or as I often say: Friends don't let friends use abbreviations!
An abbreviation (ABB) in a journal article (JA) or Grant Application (GA) is rarely worth the words it saves. Every ABB requires cognitive resources (CR) and at my age by the time I'm halfway through a JA or GA I no longer have the CR to remember what your ABB stood for.
December 12, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Or as I often say: Friends don't let friends use abbreviations!
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Diese Geschichte ist unfassbar.
Weil der Trump-Regierung die Arbeit des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs nicht passt, wird ein französischer Richter digital de facto ausgelöscht und bekommt keine Kreditkarte und kein Bankkonto mehr:
Weil der Trump-Regierung die Arbeit des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs nicht passt, wird ein französischer Richter digital de facto ausgelöscht und bekommt keine Kreditkarte und kein Bankkonto mehr:
"Digitale Auslöschung": Wie US-Sanktionen einen europäischen Richter lahmlegen
Nicolas Guillou ist von beinahe allen digitalen Diensten dieser Welt gesperrt – von Amazon bis Paypal. Europa wirkt dagegen völlig machtlos
www.derstandard.at
November 26, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Diese Geschichte ist unfassbar.
Weil der Trump-Regierung die Arbeit des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs nicht passt, wird ein französischer Richter digital de facto ausgelöscht und bekommt keine Kreditkarte und kein Bankkonto mehr:
Weil der Trump-Regierung die Arbeit des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs nicht passt, wird ein französischer Richter digital de facto ausgelöscht und bekommt keine Kreditkarte und kein Bankkonto mehr:
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
TODAY! In case you are interested ;)
Coming up next in our November's Journal Club meeting: We have happy to have Dr. Cosimo Iaia talk about the concreteness effect in representational alignment between human and language models. All are welcome to join us! Please share 😊
Registration link: forms.gle/8W6Xu9VK31df...
Registration link: forms.gle/8W6Xu9VK31df...
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 AM
TODAY! In case you are interested ;)
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
🚨Now out in *Open Mind* 🚨
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 2:02 PM
🚨Now out in *Open Mind* 🚨
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Professor Dr Pamela Perniss, Chair of Sign Language Interpreting: German Sign Language - German, talks about her love for her research and educational work and the special contribution sign language makes to people's inclusion in society, education and life👇
andhowaboutyou.podigee.io/28-pamela-pe...
andhowaboutyou.podigee.io/28-pamela-pe...
Meaningful Work with Sign Language and Other Factors for Job Satisfaction - Pamela Perniss
Professor Dr Pamela Perniss, Chair of Sign Language Interpreting: German Sign Language - German, talks about her love for her research and educational work, her colleagues and students and the special...
andhowaboutyou.podigee.io
May 2, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Professor Dr Pamela Perniss, Chair of Sign Language Interpreting: German Sign Language - German, talks about her love for her research and educational work and the special contribution sign language makes to people's inclusion in society, education and life👇
andhowaboutyou.podigee.io/28-pamela-pe...
andhowaboutyou.podigee.io/28-pamela-pe...
🚨Now out in *Open Mind* 🚨
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 2:02 PM
🚨Now out in *Open Mind* 🚨
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
"Can we utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate useful linguistic corpora? A case study of the word frequency effect in young German readers"
direct.mit.edu/opmi/article...
with
@jobschepens.bsky.social @hannawoloszyn.bsky.social @nicolekmarx.bsky.social
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
In the contribution by Elif Ecem Çalışkan, we compare human ratings for semantic variables to those produced by LLMs in the Turkish language, which has not been studied a lot to date.
"Language Models as Tools for Psycholinguistics” Speakers: Fritz Günther (HU Berlin), Cosimo Iaia (Goethe University Frankfurt), Elif Ecem Çalışkan (LMU München), @jobschepens.bsky.social (University of Cologne), and @mariakna.bsky.social (Royal Holloway London)
November 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
In the contribution by Elif Ecem Çalışkan, we compare human ratings for semantic variables to those produced by LLMs in the Turkish language, which has not been studied a lot to date.
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Looking forward to being part of this symposium at TeaP2026. I will present our TRUST guidelines for reading research and the German Lexicon Project (GLP)
"Neuro-cognitive advances in visual word recognition research.” Speakers: @ahaugg.bsky.social (University of Zurich), Sabrina Turker (University of Vienna), @janahasenacker.bsky.social (University of Erfurt), @benjamingagl.bsky.social (University of Cologne), Harald Baayen (University of Tuebingen)
November 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Looking forward to being part of this symposium at TeaP2026. I will present our TRUST guidelines for reading research and the German Lexicon Project (GLP)
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Welcome to join our upcoming Journal Club meetings in Oct & Nov! Happy to have @cyhsieh.bsky.social & Dr. Cosimo Iaia as our guest speakers!
Register to get the Zoom link or sign up as our next guest speaker:
forms.gle/TY6Cuxut87Ej...
More exciting talks coming up. Please share & see you there!
Register to get the Zoom link or sign up as our next guest speaker:
forms.gle/TY6Cuxut87Ej...
More exciting talks coming up. Please share & see you there!
October 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Welcome to join our upcoming Journal Club meetings in Oct & Nov! Happy to have @cyhsieh.bsky.social & Dr. Cosimo Iaia as our guest speakers!
Register to get the Zoom link or sign up as our next guest speaker:
forms.gle/TY6Cuxut87Ej...
More exciting talks coming up. Please share & see you there!
Register to get the Zoom link or sign up as our next guest speaker:
forms.gle/TY6Cuxut87Ej...
More exciting talks coming up. Please share & see you there!
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
This 2021 paper by @benjamingagl.bsky.social and colleagues is full of important findings and ideas about the temporal structure of reading and speech. I keep coming back to these data.
Eye movements during text reading align with the rate of speech production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Eye movements during text reading align with the rate of speech production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Eye movements during text reading align with the rate of speech production - Nature Human Behaviour
Speech is produced and perceived at a rate of 4–5 Hz. Gagl et al. show that the temporal structure of our eye movements during reading is similar (3.9–5.2 Hz), suggesting a temporal link between readi...
www.nature.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:01 PM
This 2021 paper by @benjamingagl.bsky.social and colleagues is full of important findings and ideas about the temporal structure of reading and speech. I keep coming back to these data.
Eye movements during text reading align with the rate of speech production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Eye movements during text reading align with the rate of speech production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Binz et al. (in press, Nature) developed an LLM called Centaur that better predicts human responses in 159 of 160 behavioural experiments compared to existing cognitive models. See: arxiv.org/abs/2410.20268
June 26, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Binz et al. (in press, Nature) developed an LLM called Centaur that better predicts human responses in 159 of 160 behavioural experiments compared to existing cognitive models. See: arxiv.org/abs/2410.20268
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Wir brauchen ein sofortiges #Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen – damit sich eine schreckliche Tat wie #Graz nicht wiederholen kann. Jetzt Appell an Innenminister Karner und die Bundesregierung unterzeichnen: actions.aufstehn.at/waffenverbot...
Privates Waffenverbot jetzt!
Der Amoklauf an einer Grazer Schule zeigt, dass das Waffengesetz in Österreich viel zu locker ist. Das muss sich ändern! Fordere jetzt mit uns ein Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen.
actions.aufstehn.at
June 11, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Wir brauchen ein sofortiges #Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen – damit sich eine schreckliche Tat wie #Graz nicht wiederholen kann. Jetzt Appell an Innenminister Karner und die Bundesregierung unterzeichnen: actions.aufstehn.at/waffenverbot...
Wir brauchen ein sofortiges #Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen – damit sich eine schreckliche Tat wie #Graz nicht wiederholen kann. Jetzt Appell an Innenminister Karner und die Bundesregierung unterzeichnen: actions.aufstehn.at/waffenverbot...
Privates Waffenverbot jetzt!
Der Amoklauf an einer Grazer Schule zeigt, dass das Waffengesetz in Österreich viel zu locker ist. Das muss sich ändern! Fordere jetzt mit uns ein Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen.
actions.aufstehn.at
June 11, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Wir brauchen ein sofortiges #Waffenverbot für Privatpersonen – damit sich eine schreckliche Tat wie #Graz nicht wiederholen kann. Jetzt Appell an Innenminister Karner und die Bundesregierung unterzeichnen: actions.aufstehn.at/waffenverbot...
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
We're happy to share a new preprint by our members, @jnpauli.bsky.social & @benjamingagl.bsky.social: "Understanding the Neuro-Cognitive Mechanisms of Orthographic Learning in Humans and Baboons: A Comparative Study Using Domain-Specific Mechanistic and Domain-General Connectionist Models"!
Understanding the Neuro-Cognitive Mechanisms of Orthographic Learning in Humans and Baboons: A Comparative Study Using Domain-Specific Mechanistic and Domain-General Connectionist Models
Script is a key technology for humans, as mastering reading is essential for successful social participation. Hence, understanding the neuro-cognitive mechanisms underpinning the processes of learning...
www.biorxiv.org
May 27, 2025 at 8:09 AM
We're happy to share a new preprint by our members, @jnpauli.bsky.social & @benjamingagl.bsky.social: "Understanding the Neuro-Cognitive Mechanisms of Orthographic Learning in Humans and Baboons: A Comparative Study Using Domain-Specific Mechanistic and Domain-General Connectionist Models"!
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
🧠✍️ How do humans and baboons learn orthography?
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
Understanding the Neuro-Cognitive Mechanisms of Orthographic Learning in Humans and Baboons: A Comparative Study Using Domain-Specific Mechanistic and Domain-General Connectionist Models https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.16.654419v1
May 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
🧠✍️ How do humans and baboons learn orthography?
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
🧠✍️ How do humans and baboons learn orthography?
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
Understanding the Neuro-Cognitive Mechanisms of Orthographic Learning in Humans and Baboons: A Comparative Study Using Domain-Specific Mechanistic and Domain-General Connectionist Models https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.16.654419v1
May 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
🧠✍️ How do humans and baboons learn orthography?
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
We simulated their orthographic learning using CNNs (CORnet-Z, ResNet-18) vs. neuro-cognitive model (Speechless reader model, SLR).
🔍 SLR not only outperformed CNNs—it revealed how both species learned to differentiate between learned and novel words
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
To protect an individual's #privacy, facial features are removed before data-sharing of human #neuroimaging data. @oesteban.bsky.social &co show that this procedure affects the quality ratings given by human raters but not automated image quality metrics @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Gtr3lo
May 1, 2025 at 8:00 AM
To protect an individual's #privacy, facial features are removed before data-sharing of human #neuroimaging data. @oesteban.bsky.social &co show that this procedure affects the quality ratings given by human raters but not automated image quality metrics @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Gtr3lo
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Some time ago, I asked ChatGPT for a title for my paper. It suggested a title containing 'Unveiling'—a word I didn’t know but liked. Title found! A few weeks later, I came across another paper with 'Unveiling' in the title. A doubt crossed my mind… I checked and found this:
March 17, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Some time ago, I asked ChatGPT for a title for my paper. It suggested a title containing 'Unveiling'—a word I didn’t know but liked. Title found! A few weeks later, I came across another paper with 'Unveiling' in the title. A doubt crossed my mind… I checked and found this:
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Join us on site and if to far away from Cologne online!
🚨 TRUST Open Lecture – Join Us! 🚨
Is #standardisation in research boosting #replicability or slowing scientific progress? 🤔
📅 March 31 (Mon), 2025
⏰ 16:00–18:00 CET
📍 Hörsaal H112, IBW-Gebäude, University of Cologne
💻 Live-stream available! Registration info here:
sites.google.com/view/gewonn/...
Is #standardisation in research boosting #replicability or slowing scientific progress? 🤔
📅 March 31 (Mon), 2025
⏰ 16:00–18:00 CET
📍 Hörsaal H112, IBW-Gebäude, University of Cologne
💻 Live-stream available! Registration info here:
sites.google.com/view/gewonn/...
March 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Join us on site and if to far away from Cologne online!
Reposted by Benjamin Gagl
Science is under threat in the US. @elife.bsky.social have commissioned a series of articles discussing the implications and what we can do. The first three articles are now live. More to follow:
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
Science Under Threat in the United States: How scientists and institutions should respond
Individual researchers and university leaders need to make the case for science to their elected representatives and to the public at large.
elifesciences.org
March 25, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Science is under threat in the US. @elife.bsky.social have commissioned a series of articles discussing the implications and what we can do. The first three articles are now live. More to follow:
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
elifesciences.org/articles/106...