David Colaço
@davidcolaco.bsky.social
Philosopher of science/neuroscience/cog science. DFG Postdoc at LMU Munich, MCMP. I make pizza. He/Him
https://sites.google.com/site/colacodavidj/
https://sites.google.com/site/colacodavidj/
On November 26th and 27th, I will speak at a Workshop on Minimal Cognition at the University of Valencia.
I will give a talk on "The role of uncertainty in debates about cognition"
Follow the link for more details:
I will give a talk on "The role of uncertainty in debates about cognition"
Follow the link for more details:
Workshop on Minimal Cognition (2025-11-26)
The Minimal Cognition conference brings together philosophers, cognitive scientists, theoretical biologists, and other scholars working at the intersection of the life and cognitive sciences. Its obje...
vlclab.blogs.uv.es
November 4, 2025 at 9:51 AM
On November 26th and 27th, I will speak at a Workshop on Minimal Cognition at the University of Valencia.
I will give a talk on "The role of uncertainty in debates about cognition"
Follow the link for more details:
I will give a talk on "The role of uncertainty in debates about cognition"
Follow the link for more details:
I will be speaking at TU Berlin's "Relating explanatory paradigms in cognitive neuroscience" this February:
October 29, 2025 at 9:44 AM
I will be speaking at TU Berlin's "Relating explanatory paradigms in cognitive neuroscience" this February:
My article "When Engrams Become Exograms: Organic Data Memory and Biological Memory Extension" is now available open access from Review of Philosophy and Psychology.
This is part of a special issue on "Memory and Technology: 4E Perspectives"
This is part of a special issue on "Memory and Technology: 4E Perspectives"
When Engrams Become Exograms: Organic Data Memory and Biological Memory Extension - Review of Philosophy and Psychology
The advent of novel technologies has bolstered the idea of extended memory, where memory processes extend beyond the human body or brain. However, investigations of extended memory, and extended cogni...
link.springer.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:58 AM
My article "When Engrams Become Exograms: Organic Data Memory and Biological Memory Extension" is now available open access from Review of Philosophy and Psychology.
This is part of a special issue on "Memory and Technology: 4E Perspectives"
This is part of a special issue on "Memory and Technology: 4E Perspectives"
In Hannover for my talk on conceptual conflict
October 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
In Hannover for my talk on conceptual conflict
Assessing cases of cell cognition continues to be a part of my work, and I will likely incorporate this one into talk I will give at a workshop in a month (details to come shortly). In the meantime, check out this article:
My latest column for @chemistryworld.com looks at a wonderful recent paper showing how condensates in cells can act as integrators of contextual information.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
The molecular mechanisms behind cell cognition
Condensate formation is central to how budding yeast cells decide their response to environmental and internal conditions
www.chemistryworld.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Assessing cases of cell cognition continues to be a part of my work, and I will likely incorporate this one into talk I will give at a workshop in a month (details to come shortly). In the meantime, check out this article:
Reposted by David Colaço
What does it mean that memory is epistemically blurry? Today at the Memory Palace, Uljana Feest discusses this important question and gives us a preview of her book "Operationism in Psychology. An Epistemology of Exploration".
open.substack.com/pub/thememor...
open.substack.com/pub/thememor...
Memory as an Epistemically Blurry Object of Research
Uljana Feest (Leibniz Universität Hannover)
open.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:45 PM
What does it mean that memory is epistemically blurry? Today at the Memory Palace, Uljana Feest discusses this important question and gives us a preview of her book "Operationism in Psychology. An Epistemology of Exploration".
open.substack.com/pub/thememor...
open.substack.com/pub/thememor...
On November 11th, I will be a speaker in TUM's Frontier in Philosophy Colloquium, talking more on Conceptual Conflict. Check out this link for details on attendance:
Frontier in Philosophy Colloquium WiSe 25/26 – A Philosophy of Open Science for Diverse Research Environments
opensciencestudies.eu
October 8, 2025 at 12:18 PM
On November 11th, I will be a speaker in TUM's Frontier in Philosophy Colloquium, talking more on Conceptual Conflict. Check out this link for details on attendance:
I am collecting articles that needle conventions about heredity (it ties to my work on memory). "Paternal exercise confers endurance capacity to offspring through sperm microRNAs," is an example, about which I have things to say. Any thoughts?
www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
Paternal exercise confers endurance capacity to offspring through sperm microRNAs
Yin et al. show that paternal exercise improves offspring endurance capacity and metabolic
health via sperm microRNAs that reprogram gene expression in early embryos, revealing
how exercise benefits c...
www.cell.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I am collecting articles that needle conventions about heredity (it ties to my work on memory). "Paternal exercise confers endurance capacity to offspring through sperm microRNAs," is an example, about which I have things to say. Any thoughts?
www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
This October, I will be a speaker in the Colloquium Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion at Leibniz University Hannover. I will talk on "Generative conceptual conflict in science"
Follow the link for details:
Follow the link for details:
Colloquium Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion Winter Semester 2025/26
The Institute's philosophy of science-focused colloquium is back for the new semester!
www.philos.uni-hannover.de
September 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
This October, I will be a speaker in the Colloquium Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion at Leibniz University Hannover. I will talk on "Generative conceptual conflict in science"
Follow the link for details:
Follow the link for details:
This article serves as another reminder that debating how we define cognitive kind terms is pretty darn critical for gaining purchase on a lot of other debates in cog sci, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence:
Defining Cognition Matters for Understanding Consciousness
Cognition lacks a standard definition. A clearer understanding of it and its evolution in animals is key to unlocking the mystery of consciousness, with implications for AI.
www.psychologytoday.com
September 25, 2025 at 12:50 PM
This article serves as another reminder that debating how we define cognitive kind terms is pretty darn critical for gaining purchase on a lot of other debates in cog sci, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence:
Another piece by the Quanta author (below), who apparently was/is also a member of YACHT, on memory transfer and the worms.
This is the science that I detail and analyze in my book project.
This is the science that I detail and analyze in my book project.
Eating the Engram
A brief history of memory — in cells, worms, and beyond the brain.
clairelevans.substack.com
August 3, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Another piece by the Quanta author (below), who apparently was/is also a member of YACHT, on memory transfer and the worms.
This is the science that I detail and analyze in my book project.
This is the science that I detail and analyze in my book project.
Recent article on memory in unconventional systems:
What Can a Cell Remember? | Quanta Magazine
A small but enthusiastic group of neuroscientists is exhuming overlooked experiments and performing new ones to explore whether cells record past experiences — fundamentally challenging what memory is...
www.quantamagazine.org
July 31, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Recent article on memory in unconventional systems:
Couldn't make it to ISH this year; it should be good. If anyone wants info on interesting fashion brands coming out of Porto right now, let me know
July 21, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Couldn't make it to ISH this year; it should be good. If anyone wants info on interesting fashion brands coming out of Porto right now, let me know
Reposted by David Colaço
This year's BSPS at the University of Glasgow was grand. I had a wonderful time with Jordan Theriault; @davidcolaco.bsky.social; @phaueis.bsky.social; and Patrick McGivern at our symposium (serious Phil of sci pic). @martahalina.bsky.social was missed by all. Up next - the ISH in Porto.
July 19, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This year's BSPS at the University of Glasgow was grand. I had a wonderful time with Jordan Theriault; @davidcolaco.bsky.social; @phaueis.bsky.social; and Patrick McGivern at our symposium (serious Phil of sci pic). @martahalina.bsky.social was missed by all. Up next - the ISH in Porto.
Reposted by David Colaço
Had a great session on the relation between metabolism and cognition at BSPS Glasgow, organized by @davidcolaco.bsky.social . We presented joint work on using metabolism to constrain and generate cognitive models (1/2)
July 16, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Had a great session on the relation between metabolism and cognition at BSPS Glasgow, organized by @davidcolaco.bsky.social . We presented joint work on using metabolism to constrain and generate cognitive models (1/2)
Brenda Milner still with us
My favorite account of the early history is this one:
www.jneurosci.org/content/jneu...
ALSO: AWARD BRENDA MILNER THE NOBEL PRIZE (for work with H.M. and the discovery that the hippocampus the structure that stores memories) - SHE'S 106!)
www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=25635
www.jneurosci.org/content/jneu...
ALSO: AWARD BRENDA MILNER THE NOBEL PRIZE (for work with H.M. and the discovery that the hippocampus the structure that stores memories) - SHE'S 106!)
www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=25635
July 15, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Brenda Milner still with us
Reposted by David Colaço
Job Opening at the Chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology at TUM! Research Fellow for 3 years (renewable). Preferably philosopher w interest in plant, crop & agricultural research (& their history and social studies)
All details: www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei... #philsci #sts
All details: www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei... #philsci #sts
Jobs
www.sts.sot.tum.de
July 15, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Job Opening at the Chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology at TUM! Research Fellow for 3 years (renewable). Preferably philosopher w interest in plant, crop & agricultural research (& their history and social studies)
All details: www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei... #philsci #sts
All details: www.sts.sot.tum.de/en/sts/arbei... #philsci #sts
Tomorrow, we will have a symposium on "The Cognitive
Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition" at the BSPS. Join us and talk about metabolism.
Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition" at the BSPS. Join us and talk about metabolism.
July 15, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Tomorrow, we will have a symposium on "The Cognitive
Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition" at the BSPS. Join us and talk about metabolism.
Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition" at the BSPS. Join us and talk about metabolism.
It's a good book. You should read it.
Chirimuuta Wins 2025 Lakatos Award - Daily Nous
Mazviita Chirimuuta (Edinburgh) is the winner of the 2025 Lakatos Award. Chirimuuta received the award for her book, The Brain Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience ...
dailynous.com
July 9, 2025 at 9:19 AM
It's a good book. You should read it.
Reposted by David Colaço
Postdoc opportunity w/ @rachelankeny.bsky.social & philosophy group at Wageningen University on topics such as philosophy of science & technology, philosophy of biology, agricultural & food ethics, human-animal relations for 2026-27. For full consideration, application draft by 30 August
#philsci
#philsci
prof.dr. RA (Rachel) Ankeny
www.wur.nl
June 29, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Postdoc opportunity w/ @rachelankeny.bsky.social & philosophy group at Wageningen University on topics such as philosophy of science & technology, philosophy of biology, agricultural & food ethics, human-animal relations for 2026-27. For full consideration, application draft by 30 August
#philsci
#philsci
@phaueis.bsky.social teaching some of my work in his course:
Today I taught the paper on “memory transfer” by the great @davidcolaco.bsky.social in my class at @iphilluh.bsky.social . The was phil sci at its best: general conceptual work (what is a scientific phenomenon?) with a concrete historical case on interesting science, a normative angle 1/2
May 8, 2025 at 1:24 PM
@phaueis.bsky.social teaching some of my work in his course:
If you will be at GWP this Wednesday, come to my talk on the history and philosophy of neural networks. I will talk about a historical case of AI "hype" and correct pernicious inaccuracies about Frank Rosenblatt (perceptron) that are still repeated in popular press and academic works to this day.
March 24, 2025 at 6:31 PM
If you will be at GWP this Wednesday, come to my talk on the history and philosophy of neural networks. I will talk about a historical case of AI "hype" and correct pernicious inaccuracies about Frank Rosenblatt (perceptron) that are still repeated in popular press and academic works to this day.
Reposted by David Colaço
🔥JOB: Come and work with us! The @ERC_Research MODEL TRANSFER team is expanding again: we look for a 2y postdoc with interest and skills in Digital Humanities, Digital/Computational philosophy of science; deadline: Apr 10. Contact me with any questions and share www.uni-hannover.de/en/jobs/id/7...
Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Humanities or Digital/Computational Philosophy of Science – Leibniz University Hannover
www.uni-hannover.de
February 28, 2025 at 9:36 AM
🔥JOB: Come and work with us! The @ERC_Research MODEL TRANSFER team is expanding again: we look for a 2y postdoc with interest and skills in Digital Humanities, Digital/Computational philosophy of science; deadline: Apr 10. Contact me with any questions and share www.uni-hannover.de/en/jobs/id/7...
If you are planning on going to BSPS 2025, consider coming to the symposium that I am organizing on:"The Cognitive Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition”
I will post more details as we get closer to the conference.
I will post more details as we get closer to the conference.
March 3, 2025 at 9:23 AM
If you are planning on going to BSPS 2025, consider coming to the symposium that I am organizing on:"The Cognitive Importance of “Non-cognitive” Processes: Reconsidering the connection between metabolism and cognition”
I will post more details as we get closer to the conference.
I will post more details as we get closer to the conference.
My new article "On Consistently Assessing Alleged Mnemonic Systems (or, why isn’t Immune Memory “really” Memory?)" is now out (open access):
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
On Consistently Assessing Alleged Mnemonic Systems (or, why isn’t Immune Memory “really” Memory?) - Review of Philosophy and Psychology
How should we assess systems whose mnemonic status is contested? There are, for instance, debates over whether immune memory is “really” memory, or akin to memory as ordinarily attributed to human cog...
link.springer.com
February 19, 2025 at 12:31 PM
My new article "On Consistently Assessing Alleged Mnemonic Systems (or, why isn’t Immune Memory “really” Memory?)" is now out (open access):
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...