Ben de Bivort
@debivort.bsky.social
Drosophila neurobiologist. We study insect behavior and individuality using the tools of computational neuroethology.
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @debivort@drosophila.social
Harvard Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Center for Brain Science
https://debivortlab.org
fediverse: @debivort@drosophila.social
Pinned
New paper: Reflecting on the multiple biases and predispositions observed in young animals with no previous experience, we modelled a new idea on the strategic role of biases to guide adaptive choice and reduce errors: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... In collab with @debivort.bsky.social
Please check out our proposed hypothesis about how naive animals might integrate multiple noisy signals to produce adaptive responses pre-learning.
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
This was the result of a very enjoyable intellectual collaboration led by @elisabettaversace.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Drosophila folks! We just shared a new protocol for surgical preparation that enables long-term imaging in adult flies. It’s low-cost, simple, and highly repeatable. For demonstration, we show a 10-day voltage imaging and a 1-week population calcium imaging results.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
February 20, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Drosophila folks! We just shared a new protocol for surgical preparation that enables long-term imaging in adult flies. It’s low-cost, simple, and highly repeatable. For demonstration, we show a 10-day voltage imaging and a 1-week population calcium imaging results.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Heya science peeps, my first first-author paper is on Biorxiv! We show how transcriptome-wide expression variability in outbred animals responds massively to an environmental stressor and is underpinned by cryptic variability- (not just mean-) controlling alleles. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
February 20, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Heya science peeps, my first first-author paper is on Biorxiv! We show how transcriptome-wide expression variability in outbred animals responds massively to an environmental stressor and is underpinned by cryptic variability- (not just mean-) controlling alleles. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Yesterday Lo and I achieved what can only be described as the pinnacle of my graduate student career: The Cannonball Clam Run. 5 am flight Boston to Florida, drove to my field site, collected live clams, returned the car and boarded a 9 pm flight home. Clams in the lab by midnight
February 19, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Yesterday Lo and I achieved what can only be described as the pinnacle of my graduate student career: The Cannonball Clam Run. 5 am flight Boston to Florida, drove to my field site, collected live clams, returned the car and boarded a 9 pm flight home. Clams in the lab by midnight
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Okay the Automated Fish Startler was also pretty great
February 19, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Okay the Automated Fish Startler was also pretty great
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
I also need to share my favorite photo from last year's course, when Hugo Marques hooked a camera to a ring stand taped to a hard hat and made the world's best pupil tracker in Bonsai
February 19, 2026 at 5:44 PM
I also need to share my favorite photo from last year's course, when Hugo Marques hooked a camera to a ring stand taped to a hard hat and made the world's best pupil tracker in Bonsai
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
You have until March 3rd to apply for the Cajal summer school on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and VR at Champalimaud! Come surf and track animals with us 🏄🪰🐟🚶
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and Virtual Reality - CAJAL
[…]
cajal-training.org
February 19, 2026 at 5:37 PM
You have until March 3rd to apply for the Cajal summer school on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and VR at Champalimaud! Come surf and track animals with us 🏄🪰🐟🚶
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
aw yeah bug vision
I Simulated Insect Vision and It Got WEIRD
YouTube video by Deep Look
www.youtube.com
February 19, 2026 at 5:12 PM
aw yeah bug vision
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Trump is in the Epstein files thousands of times, he is shredding the first amendment, he is brazenly corrupt, he is opening concentration camps in their districts, and he is starting an unprovoked war with Iran. WHY WOULD YOU NOT DISRUPT THE STATE OF THE UNION.
The whole D leadership needs to go.
The whole D leadership needs to go.
House Democrats try to shut down disruptions at Trump's State of the Union
Jeffries told his members to either show "silent defiance" or boycott the speech.
www.axios.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Trump is in the Epstein files thousands of times, he is shredding the first amendment, he is brazenly corrupt, he is opening concentration camps in their districts, and he is starting an unprovoked war with Iran. WHY WOULD YOU NOT DISRUPT THE STATE OF THE UNION.
The whole D leadership needs to go.
The whole D leadership needs to go.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Thrilled to share that my graduate work is officially published in Neuron! 🎉
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Specialized parallel pathways for adaptive control of visual object pursuit
Collie et al. show how adaptive control in Drosophila visual pursuit arises from two
parallel pathways: one steers objects from the periphery toward the center, while
the other maintains central fixat...
www.cell.com
February 18, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Thrilled to share that my graduate work is officially published in Neuron! 🎉
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
In @eLife: Neural connectome of the ctenophore statocyst https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.108420
Version of record of our ctenophore nerve-net connectome paper.
Version of record of our ctenophore nerve-net connectome paper.
Neural connectome of the ctenophore statocyst
Volume EM and connectome reconstruction of the apical organ of a ctenophore combined with high-speed imaging reveals a neuronal coordination of balancer cilia in the gravisensory organ.
elifesciences.org
February 18, 2026 at 10:31 AM
In @eLife: Neural connectome of the ctenophore statocyst https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.108420
Version of record of our ctenophore nerve-net connectome paper.
Version of record of our ctenophore nerve-net connectome paper.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
These spiders hold the first pair of legs up and forward, creating the impression of a six-legged insect with elbowed ant antennae. Remarkably, the coxa of the front leg in this specimen is white, while the rest of the leg is black. This enhances the appearance of an antenna attached to the head.
February 18, 2026 at 6:27 PM
These spiders hold the first pair of legs up and forward, creating the impression of a six-legged insect with elbowed ant antennae. Remarkably, the coxa of the front leg in this specimen is white, while the rest of the leg is black. This enhances the appearance of an antenna attached to the head.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
I’m constantly astounded at the sheer level of artistic production coming out of Iceland. Novels, movies, music. Amazing.
February 18, 2026 at 2:23 PM
I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Can randomness drive the evolution of microbiomes? In this paper, a new eco-evolutionary framework shows that environmental fluctuations can trigger host-level selection. Stochastic assembly isn’t noise: it’s the key.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @andreatabi.bsky.social @vmaull.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @andreatabi.bsky.social @vmaull.bsky.social
February 18, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Can randomness drive the evolution of microbiomes? In this paper, a new eco-evolutionary framework shows that environmental fluctuations can trigger host-level selection. Stochastic assembly isn’t noise: it’s the key.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @andreatabi.bsky.social @vmaull.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @andreatabi.bsky.social @vmaull.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Scientists: if you have pursued/secured philanthropic funding in the wake of federal research funding cuts, I want to talk to you.
Reposts appreciated!
Reposts appreciated!
February 17, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Scientists: if you have pursued/secured philanthropic funding in the wake of federal research funding cuts, I want to talk to you.
Reposts appreciated!
Reposts appreciated!
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Anyone please aware of people here who might be experts on industrial trawling vessels? Looking for help with terminology and ship types, thanks!
February 17, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Anyone please aware of people here who might be experts on industrial trawling vessels? Looking for help with terminology and ship types, thanks!
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Stoked about the new Replication Studies section in Behavioral Ecology? Me too!
Jeremy Fox over at Dynamic Ecology interviewed me about our recent commentary on this topic and I'd love to hear the community's thoughts!
dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/t...
Jeremy Fox over at Dynamic Ecology interviewed me about our recent commentary on this topic and I'd love to hear the community's thoughts!
dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/t...
The value of close replications and how to get more of them: interview with Kate Laskowski
Welcome to our latest interview with the author of a recent interesting paper. Today’s interview was conducted by email with behavioral ecologist Kate Laskowski, first author ofLaskowski et a…
dynamicecology.wordpress.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Stoked about the new Replication Studies section in Behavioral Ecology? Me too!
Jeremy Fox over at Dynamic Ecology interviewed me about our recent commentary on this topic and I'd love to hear the community's thoughts!
dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/t...
Jeremy Fox over at Dynamic Ecology interviewed me about our recent commentary on this topic and I'd love to hear the community's thoughts!
dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/t...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Using our bee-tracking drone, we discovered that honey bees 🐝 have highly precise and individual routes. Now published at @currentbiology.bsky.social : doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
Have you ever wondered what you would find if you could keep your eyes on a bee for more than a few meters? Us, too!
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
preprint (with videos!) + thread 🧵
Precise, individualized foraging flights in honey #bees 🐝 revealed by multicopter drone-based tracking
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/9
February 16, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Using our bee-tracking drone, we discovered that honey bees 🐝 have highly precise and individual routes. Now published at @currentbiology.bsky.social : doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Cyphophthalmi meeting...
January 12, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Cyphophthalmi meeting...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Graphite powder attempt 1 a cyphophthalmid arachnid, which is actually a type of harvestman.
February 15, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Graphite powder attempt 1 a cyphophthalmid arachnid, which is actually a type of harvestman.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
There's also programs like 'Stop Passing the Harasser' where candidates can waive confidentiality and allow prospective employers to request info from prior/current employers on harassment/misconduct investigations. U Wisc and UC-Davis both do this, not sure how widespread it is yet
February 15, 2026 at 4:40 PM
There's also programs like 'Stop Passing the Harasser' where candidates can waive confidentiality and allow prospective employers to request info from prior/current employers on harassment/misconduct investigations. U Wisc and UC-Davis both do this, not sure how widespread it is yet
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
rubio’s invocation of “western civilization” — defined here as racial and religious chauvinism, if not outright supremacy — is a rejection of the more egalitarian and universalistic notions that came out of america’s two revolutions.
February 15, 2026 at 1:17 AM
rubio’s invocation of “western civilization” — defined here as racial and religious chauvinism, if not outright supremacy — is a rejection of the more egalitarian and universalistic notions that came out of america’s two revolutions.
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Governor Healey has expressly supported this contract.
She is also positioning herself as an ICE opponent—see below.
But meanwhile her administration is fighting the disclosure of information of data about its contract with ICE. bsky.app/profile/mass...
She is also positioning herself as an ICE opponent—see below.
But meanwhile her administration is fighting the disclosure of information of data about its contract with ICE. bsky.app/profile/mass...
Shooting people in the street. Ripping parents from children. Americans stopped, detained and killed.
Now, ICE wants to build a new 400-bed facility in New Hampshire?
Governor Ayotte should be doing everything in her power to block this. Enough is enough.
Now, ICE wants to build a new 400-bed facility in New Hampshire?
Governor Ayotte should be doing everything in her power to block this. Enough is enough.
Newly released documents detail ICE plans for warehouse facility in Merrimack, N.H. - The Boston Globe
The acting ICE director said federal officials previously told Governor Ayotte about the economic impacts of controversial facility. Ayotte said the director’s comments were “simply not true.”
www.bostonglobe.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Governor Healey has expressly supported this contract.
She is also positioning herself as an ICE opponent—see below.
But meanwhile her administration is fighting the disclosure of information of data about its contract with ICE. bsky.app/profile/mass...
She is also positioning herself as an ICE opponent—see below.
But meanwhile her administration is fighting the disclosure of information of data about its contract with ICE. bsky.app/profile/mass...
Reposted by Ben de Bivort
Massachusetts has spent months delaying & denying @boltsmag.org’s public records requests on how many people it has transferred ICE during Trump as part of its formal contract with ICE.
A supervisor of records ruled last week that the state’s denials are improper; we hope to get records soon.
A supervisor of records ruled last week that the state’s denials are improper; we hope to get records soon.
Inside ICE’s Only Contract with a Blue State - Bolts
As part of a 287(g) contract between state officials and ICE, Massachusetts continues to release prisoners into deportation—even as state lawmakers look to ban other forms of ICE collaboration.
boltsmag.org
February 14, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Massachusetts has spent months delaying & denying @boltsmag.org’s public records requests on how many people it has transferred ICE during Trump as part of its formal contract with ICE.
A supervisor of records ruled last week that the state’s denials are improper; we hope to get records soon.
A supervisor of records ruled last week that the state’s denials are improper; we hope to get records soon.