Yohan J John
@dryohanjohn.bsky.social
🧠 computational neuroscience | neurophenomenology 2.0? 🤖
Science Writer, Kempner Institute for the study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University
(views here are my own)
Science Writer, Kempner Institute for the study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University
(views here are my own)
Pinned
Yohan J John
@dryohanjohn.bsky.social
· Aug 19
To model biological neurons, step outside the "walled gardens" of machine learning
Part 3 of a series on neuroscience and the hyperreal, featuring rebound excitation and poor Yorick's skull
open.substack.com
Here's the latest installment in my series on neuroscience and the hyperreal. I look at the potential dangers of "walled garden thinking", and why extensible modeling is important.
open.substack.com/pub/yohanjoh... #neuroscience
open.substack.com/pub/yohanjoh... #neuroscience
Reposted by Yohan J John
the root of " #survive "
is "living-over"
and when I think about it
I have survived a good many things;
they have affected me,
yes,
they have torn me apart
the way ice tears potholes
from asphalt,
but I have lived over them
and laid fresh layers of life
over every crack,
no matter how wide.
#vss365
is "living-over"
and when I think about it
I have survived a good many things;
they have affected me,
yes,
they have torn me apart
the way ice tears potholes
from asphalt,
but I have lived over them
and laid fresh layers of life
over every crack,
no matter how wide.
#vss365
December 25, 2025 at 5:28 PM
"However, as we lack a ground-truth understanding of how these complex models work, it can be hard to tell if our tools provide meaningful insights."
There's a disconcerting divergence between prediction accuracy and "explanation", broadly construed.
There's a disconcerting divergence between prediction accuracy and "explanation", broadly construed.
Amid the rise of billion-parameter models, I argue that toy models, with just a few neurons, remain essential—and may be all neuroscience needs, writes @marcusghosh.bsky.social.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/theoretical-...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/theoretical-...
Not playing around: Why neuroscience needs toy models
Amid the rise of billion-parameter models, I argue that toy models, with just a few neurons, remain essential—and may be all neuroscience needs.
www.thetransmitter.org
December 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
"However, as we lack a ground-truth understanding of how these complex models work, it can be hard to tell if our tools provide meaningful insights."
There's a disconcerting divergence between prediction accuracy and "explanation", broadly construed.
There's a disconcerting divergence between prediction accuracy and "explanation", broadly construed.
I am a great proponent of analogies in science, but I have gradually learned that the ability to jump from one analogy to another is perhaps more important than the ability to devise one in the first place: apprehending the latent invariant is the key phase transition, cognitively.
December 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I am a great proponent of analogies in science, but I have gradually learned that the ability to jump from one analogy to another is perhaps more important than the ability to devise one in the first place: apprehending the latent invariant is the key phase transition, cognitively.
Reposted by Yohan J John
On the other hand, any conclusions we draw will have a very short shelf life, because the machines are in constant flux. Meanwhile, the ease with which one can do this research will sap the attention of researchers away from the harder work of understanding humans.
December 18, 2025 at 6:18 PM
On the other hand, any conclusions we draw will have a very short shelf life, because the machines are in constant flux. Meanwhile, the ease with which one can do this research will sap the attention of researchers away from the harder work of understanding humans.
Reposted by Yohan J John
The belief that an LLM can help you write science reveals such magical thinking about language (and LLMs). If your writing is unclear, an LLM won't find its meaning hidden in the words. Only you can explain what you mean; the LLM does not read your mind. It completes with what *others* have written.
December 17, 2025 at 8:27 AM
The belief that an LLM can help you write science reveals such magical thinking about language (and LLMs). If your writing is unclear, an LLM won't find its meaning hidden in the words. Only you can explain what you mean; the LLM does not read your mind. It completes with what *others* have written.
"A formalist is a man who can't understand a theory unless it is meaningless."
Some real gems in Saul Gorn's "Compendium of Rarely Used Cliches":
noemata.net/last+fawned/...
Some real gems in Saul Gorn's "Compendium of Rarely Used Cliches":
noemata.net/last+fawned/...
Self-Annihilating Sentences --- S. Gorn
noemata.net
December 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"A formalist is a man who can't understand a theory unless it is meaningless."
Some real gems in Saul Gorn's "Compendium of Rarely Used Cliches":
noemata.net/last+fawned/...
Some real gems in Saul Gorn's "Compendium of Rarely Used Cliches":
noemata.net/last+fawned/...
My mind has still not fully processed the fact that Werner Herzog has an Instagram account.
December 14, 2025 at 3:10 AM
My mind has still not fully processed the fact that Werner Herzog has an Instagram account.
As it turns out, it will also remove hyphens indiscriminately.
What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches...
What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches...
December 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
As it turns out, it will also remove hyphens indiscriminately.
What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches...
What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches...
Reposted by Yohan J John
I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.
December 2, 2025 at 10:59 AM
I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.
Reposted by Yohan J John
This from @davidbatherwoods.bsky.social's biography of Schopenhauer is sending me
November 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
This from @davidbatherwoods.bsky.social's biography of Schopenhauer is sending me
Really like the concept of haptic visuality.
My favorite kinds of art criticism have much in common with phenomenology, broadly construed.
youtu.be/tvwPKBXEOKE?...
My favorite kinds of art criticism have much in common with phenomenology, broadly construed.
youtu.be/tvwPKBXEOKE?...
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
youtu.be
November 16, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Really like the concept of haptic visuality.
My favorite kinds of art criticism have much in common with phenomenology, broadly construed.
youtu.be/tvwPKBXEOKE?...
My favorite kinds of art criticism have much in common with phenomenology, broadly construed.
youtu.be/tvwPKBXEOKE?...
Reposted by Yohan J John
To what extent is ChatGPT like Indecisive Dave from the Fast Show?
I sometimes ask for book recommendations & when I question it, it says, “Yeah, you’re right - rubbish book.”
I sometimes ask for book recommendations & when I question it, it says, “Yeah, you’re right - rubbish book.”
November 15, 2025 at 12:11 PM
To what extent is ChatGPT like Indecisive Dave from the Fast Show?
I sometimes ask for book recommendations & when I question it, it says, “Yeah, you’re right - rubbish book.”
I sometimes ask for book recommendations & when I question it, it says, “Yeah, you’re right - rubbish book.”
Have there been any major new theoretical papers in cog sci and/or philosophy of mind about human conceptual structure inspired* by large language models?
__
* the inspiration could well be 'adversarial'. 😛
#AI #philosophy #cogsci
__
* the inspiration could well be 'adversarial'. 😛
#AI #philosophy #cogsci
November 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Have there been any major new theoretical papers in cog sci and/or philosophy of mind about human conceptual structure inspired* by large language models?
__
* the inspiration could well be 'adversarial'. 😛
#AI #philosophy #cogsci
__
* the inspiration could well be 'adversarial'. 😛
#AI #philosophy #cogsci
"... the list of special sciences has become so long that
nobody is able any more to derive full advantage from all this
wealth, to survey and enjoy all these treasures of cognition."
- Edmund Husserl, 'Formal and Transcendental Logic' (1929)
nobody is able any more to derive full advantage from all this
wealth, to survey and enjoy all these treasures of cognition."
- Edmund Husserl, 'Formal and Transcendental Logic' (1929)
November 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
"... the list of special sciences has become so long that
nobody is able any more to derive full advantage from all this
wealth, to survey and enjoy all these treasures of cognition."
- Edmund Husserl, 'Formal and Transcendental Logic' (1929)
nobody is able any more to derive full advantage from all this
wealth, to survey and enjoy all these treasures of cognition."
- Edmund Husserl, 'Formal and Transcendental Logic' (1929)
I had no idea that reading was taught this way now in the US. Appalling.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I had no idea that reading was taught this way now in the US. Appalling.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Reposted by Yohan J John
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
Just finished a show called 'The Lowdown'. A comedy-noir tale set in present-day Tulsa. Has a slight touch of The Big Lebowski, but also a darker side, especially in the last few episodes. Pulp done right!
November 10, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Just finished a show called 'The Lowdown'. A comedy-noir tale set in present-day Tulsa. Has a slight touch of The Big Lebowski, but also a darker side, especially in the last few episodes. Pulp done right!
Reposted by Yohan J John
virtue signalling is good actually
Performative decency is actually *so* important for this reason.
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
November 7, 2025 at 7:59 PM
virtue signalling is good actually
"One organism might peer out from another organism, but not live there."
I'm in awe of VanDerMeer's ability to conjure the uncanny.
I'm in awe of VanDerMeer's ability to conjure the uncanny.
November 7, 2025 at 11:58 PM
"One organism might peer out from another organism, but not live there."
I'm in awe of VanDerMeer's ability to conjure the uncanny.
I'm in awe of VanDerMeer's ability to conjure the uncanny.
This video is hilarious, and should be very relatable to anyone who's tried to make sense of a math concept purely through Wikipedia.
youtu.be/33y9FMIvcWY?...
youtu.be/33y9FMIvcWY?...
Why Wikipedia Can't Explain Math
YouTube video by Tastemaker Design
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM
This video is hilarious, and should be very relatable to anyone who's tried to make sense of a math concept purely through Wikipedia.
youtu.be/33y9FMIvcWY?...
youtu.be/33y9FMIvcWY?...
Very nice.
Point #8 reminds me of how Hegel and Marx talk about "moments".
Point #8 reminds me of how Hegel and Marx talk about "moments".
Super excited to share this: 'On For the Love of,' my new lyric essay for London's alt-quarterly The Toe Rag
November 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Very nice.
Point #8 reminds me of how Hegel and Marx talk about "moments".
Point #8 reminds me of how Hegel and Marx talk about "moments".
Reposted by Yohan J John
His victory is brilliant for so many reasons. One of them being this video:
www.youtube.com/shorts/4gRey...
www.youtube.com/shorts/4gRey...
this my mayor #mamdani #zohranmamdani #newyorkmayor #gwenstefani #hollabackgirl #edit #foryou
YouTube video by Astor Walk
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:54 AM
His victory is brilliant for so many reasons. One of them being this video:
www.youtube.com/shorts/4gRey...
www.youtube.com/shorts/4gRey...
I used to generate spiral patterns using center-surround networks just for fun... Never really thought of a use for them.
November 4, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I used to generate spiral patterns using center-surround networks just for fun... Never really thought of a use for them.