bergelsonlab
@bergelsonlab.bsky.social
Official account for the Bergelson Lab at Harvard, sporadically maintained by the PI:).
Just a lab, trying to figure out how babies learn language, somehow caught in the crosshairs of gov't admin battles.
Just a lab, trying to figure out how babies learn language, somehow caught in the crosshairs of gov't admin battles.
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Students need to remember that Inigo Montoya method for emails and greetings:
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Polite Greeting
Name
Relevant Personal Link
Manage Expectations
Keep it BRIEF.
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Polite Greeting
Name
Relevant Personal Link
Manage Expectations
Keep it BRIEF.
am i the only 1 who wishes ppl would remind me that we've interacted before if it's plausible i've forgotten? I've had like 3-4 emails that seems like 'cold emails' ab research opportunities but then it turns out we've exchanged emails in the past & it's awkward to not have realized this? just me?
February 10, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Students need to remember that Inigo Montoya method for emails and greetings:
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Polite Greeting
Name
Relevant Personal Link
Manage Expectations
Keep it BRIEF.
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Polite Greeting
Name
Relevant Personal Link
Manage Expectations
Keep it BRIEF.
am i the only 1 who wishes ppl would remind me that we've interacted before if it's plausible i've forgotten? I've had like 3-4 emails that seems like 'cold emails' ab research opportunities but then it turns out we've exchanged emails in the past & it's awkward to not have realized this? just me?
February 10, 2026 at 4:35 PM
am i the only 1 who wishes ppl would remind me that we've interacted before if it's plausible i've forgotten? I've had like 3-4 emails that seems like 'cold emails' ab research opportunities but then it turns out we've exchanged emails in the past & it's awkward to not have realized this? just me?
Reposted by bergelsonlab
“Isn’t it very dangerous [to remove] the recommendations for certain infant vaccines… What, I wondered, are the consequences of under-vaccinating millions of babies in a country where working parents have no other choice but to put their literal newborns in a room full of other babies all day?”
The new childhood vaccine guidelines have a paid leave problem
Norway, Denmark, and other countries with fewer childhood vaccines have another thing in common: paid parental leave.
www.statnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
“Isn’t it very dangerous [to remove] the recommendations for certain infant vaccines… What, I wondered, are the consequences of under-vaccinating millions of babies in a country where working parents have no other choice but to put their literal newborns in a room full of other babies all day?”
plus you'd get a colleague with positive anymore!
February 6, 2026 at 1:51 PM
plus you'd get a colleague with positive anymore!
Reposted by bergelsonlab
We are hiring next year in semantics- one year positions of course less exciting and good for the field than straight up tenure track postings, but on the other hand hiring in something that isn’t computational feels like a win anymore in linguistics. Come bring some innovative takes on meaning!
Lecturer in Linguistics (Semantics)
The Department of Linguistics seeks applications for a lecturer in linguistics, with a focus on teaching and advising in formal semantics. The ability to teach and advise students in another area in a...
academicpositions.harvard.edu
February 6, 2026 at 1:48 PM
We are hiring next year in semantics- one year positions of course less exciting and good for the field than straight up tenure track postings, but on the other hand hiring in something that isn’t computational feels like a win anymore in linguistics. Come bring some innovative takes on meaning!
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Just out—a piece I wrote a piece for the APS Observer (@psychscience.bsky.social) in which I share recommendations and resources for running a research lab at a small, liberal arts college. I hope it helps others in the same boat! www.psychologicalscience.org/publications...
How to Set Up and Run an Undergraduate Research Lab
APS Fellow Julia Strand offers resources and recommendations to run a productive research lab.
www.psychologicalscience.org
February 3, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Just out—a piece I wrote a piece for the APS Observer (@psychscience.bsky.social) in which I share recommendations and resources for running a research lab at a small, liberal arts college. I hope it helps others in the same boat! www.psychologicalscience.org/publications...
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Are female economists treated differently than males in academic seminars?
These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.
So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.
So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
February 3, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Are female economists treated differently than males in academic seminars?
These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.
So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
These authors wanted to know whether gender shapes how scholars are treated when presenting research.
So they built a massive dataset of 2,000+ economics seminars, job talks, and conference presentations from 2019–2023...
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Key Takeaways from NIH Director Bhattacharya's hearing from Miriam and Bethesda Declaration whistleblower Jenna Norton (speaking in personal capacity). Our analysis? "Oof."
(1/3 🧵)
(1/3 🧵)
February 4, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Key Takeaways from NIH Director Bhattacharya's hearing from Miriam and Bethesda Declaration whistleblower Jenna Norton (speaking in personal capacity). Our analysis? "Oof."
(1/3 🧵)
(1/3 🧵)
Reposted by bergelsonlab
I'm on Capitol Hill watching NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya testify to the Senate HELP committee.
Thankfully I haven't been escorted out of this event (yet). Here's what I'm following. You can also watch live here:
www.help.senate.gov/hearings/mod...
Thankfully I haven't been escorted out of this event (yet). Here's what I'm following. You can also watch live here:
www.help.senate.gov/hearings/mod...
Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures | The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Full Committee Hearing on February 3, 2026 at 5:00 AM
www.help.senate.gov
February 3, 2026 at 3:48 PM
I'm on Capitol Hill watching NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya testify to the Senate HELP committee.
Thankfully I haven't been escorted out of this event (yet). Here's what I'm following. You can also watch live here:
www.help.senate.gov/hearings/mod...
Thankfully I haven't been escorted out of this event (yet). Here's what I'm following. You can also watch live here:
www.help.senate.gov/hearings/mod...
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Given the news drop of elite institution in the Epstein files, I hesitate to say this about *any* institution but…if Harvard continues to hold out, it will matter. Something that he cannot buy. Nominally anyway.
The Trump administration is no longer trying to get cash from Harvard as it seeks a settlement. At this point, the White House seems happy to get a signature on anything they can call a compact.
Trump Drops Demand for Cash From Harvard After Stiff Resistance
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Given the news drop of elite institution in the Epstein files, I hesitate to say this about *any* institution but…if Harvard continues to hold out, it will matter. Something that he cannot buy. Nominally anyway.
Reposted by bergelsonlab
NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
February 2, 2026 at 5:58 PM
NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up
Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter
Reposted by bergelsonlab
2026 big update to the psycholinguistic database page! If you know of corpora, lexical databases, or other resources that I've missed, please LMK. Trying to keep this thing relatively current and could use the help www.reilly-coglab.com/data
Psycholinguistic Databases, Stimuli, Utilities — Concepts & Cognition Laboratory
www.reilly-coglab.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:01 PM
2026 big update to the psycholinguistic database page! If you know of corpora, lexical databases, or other resources that I've missed, please LMK. Trying to keep this thing relatively current and could use the help www.reilly-coglab.com/data
i hear you, also a little suspicious but will take this at face value for now... [hope this post ages well...😬]
February 2, 2026 at 3:01 AM
i hear you, also a little suspicious but will take this at face value for now... [hope this post ages well...😬]
living in Boston in the winter means that when a guy yells “are you frickin kidding me with that bike?!” at you out his window you just smile and think to yourself “aw, he was so impressed!”
January 30, 2026 at 2:12 PM
living in Boston in the winter means that when a guy yells “are you frickin kidding me with that bike?!” at you out his window you just smile and think to yourself “aw, he was so impressed!”
some of you never had to apply for a BESH Clinical Trial and it shows (by how much time you saved not having to explain if your intervention was more like a prosthetic or drug or meditation therapy) #NIH. hooray for the downfall of besh ct!
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-26-032: Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Basic Experimental Studies in Humans (BESH) Will No Longer Be Considered Clinical Trials by the NIH NOT-OD-26-032. NIH
grants.nih.gov
January 29, 2026 at 7:28 PM
some of you never had to apply for a BESH Clinical Trial and it shows (by how much time you saved not having to explain if your intervention was more like a prosthetic or drug or meditation therapy) #NIH. hooray for the downfall of besh ct!
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
In most classes I have a credit/no credit ? at start of class where they get credit as long as we can tell they did the reading. Last time they could do it by hand on index cards or canvas. this sem, just index cards. We can already see how much more and more thoughtfully they’re answering the ?s! 🥹
January 28, 2026 at 4:56 PM
In most classes I have a credit/no credit ? at start of class where they get credit as long as we can tell they did the reading. Last time they could do it by hand on index cards or canvas. this sem, just index cards. We can already see how much more and more thoughtfully they’re answering the ?s! 🥹
Boston/cambridge get an A+ on neighborliness for this storm. We got about a foot and a half, but by 9am nearly all sidewalks en route to my t stop were totally clear, and the t was on time and *free*. ❄️😌
January 26, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Boston/cambridge get an A+ on neighborliness for this storm. We got about a foot and a half, but by 9am nearly all sidewalks en route to my t stop were totally clear, and the t was on time and *free*. ❄️😌
Reposted by bergelsonlab
I like seeing summaries like this one that integrate findings from practice, theory, empirical work, and neuroscience. Each domain provides a type of evidence and when they cohere, we can have greater confidence in making practice recommendations. #PsychSciSky #AcademicSky #EduSky
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning
Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory
www.scientificamerican.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I like seeing summaries like this one that integrate findings from practice, theory, empirical work, and neuroscience. Each domain provides a type of evidence and when they cohere, we can have greater confidence in making practice recommendations. #PsychSciSky #AcademicSky #EduSky
Reposted by bergelsonlab
Should you go to academia or industry for research in AI or cognitive science? It's the most common question I get asked by PhD students, and I've written up some of my thoughts on the answer, as an epilogue to my research-focused series on these fields: infinitefaculty.substack.com/p/on-researc...
On research careers in academia and industry
The epilogue to a series on Cognitive Science and AI
infinitefaculty.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Should you go to academia or industry for research in AI or cognitive science? It's the most common question I get asked by PhD students, and I've written up some of my thoughts on the answer, as an epilogue to my research-focused series on these fields: infinitefaculty.substack.com/p/on-researc...
Reposted by bergelsonlab
NIH needs statutory protections against partisan politicized decision-making - especially around grant terminations. This bill is a solid start to achieving those aims.
degette.house.gov/media-center...
degette.house.gov/media-center...
DeGette Introduces Bill to Protect NIH From Political Interference
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, introduced the Follow the Science Act to shield the National Institutes...
degette.house.gov
January 21, 2026 at 6:29 PM
NIH needs statutory protections against partisan politicized decision-making - especially around grant terminations. This bill is a solid start to achieving those aims.
degette.house.gov/media-center...
degette.house.gov/media-center...
ppl often ask if I rec Baby Sign to support early language. my 1-liner is "probably doesn't do much, but it doesn't hurt"
@sblldtrch.bsky.social & co new paper supports my 1-liner doi.org/10.1177/0142...
[n.b. NOT the same as sign lang access for DHH kids i.e. full lg access from birth, which is A+]
@sblldtrch.bsky.social & co new paper supports my 1-liner doi.org/10.1177/0142...
[n.b. NOT the same as sign lang access for DHH kids i.e. full lg access from birth, which is A+]
January 23, 2026 at 7:24 PM
ppl often ask if I rec Baby Sign to support early language. my 1-liner is "probably doesn't do much, but it doesn't hurt"
@sblldtrch.bsky.social & co new paper supports my 1-liner doi.org/10.1177/0142...
[n.b. NOT the same as sign lang access for DHH kids i.e. full lg access from birth, which is A+]
@sblldtrch.bsky.social & co new paper supports my 1-liner doi.org/10.1177/0142...
[n.b. NOT the same as sign lang access for DHH kids i.e. full lg access from birth, which is A+]
Reposted by bergelsonlab
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵