Fausto Carcassi
@faustocarcassi.bsky.social
Sardinian. Assistant prof at the illc in Amsterdam. Language & cognition w/ models & experiments. Roughly Bayesian. Past: Tübingen, Centre for Language Evolution in Edinburgh (He/Him)
I binged @tonytula.com's two books and want more so now I'm forced to read "Remote Research: Real Users, Real Time, Real Research" as a piece of narrative in the Tulathimutte-verse
August 28, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I binged @tonytula.com's two books and want more so now I'm forced to read "Remote Research: Real Users, Real Time, Real Research" as a piece of narrative in the Tulathimutte-verse
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
you know there is one thing everyone could have that billionaires now have: "a meaningful say over their work, their lives, and the places they live". don't think Altman will like the story of how we get that for everyone tho
“Where is the party of ‘everyone should be billionaires?’” is one of the stupidest complaints I’ve ever heard.
July 5, 2025 at 1:25 PM
you know there is one thing everyone could have that billionaires now have: "a meaningful say over their work, their lives, and the places they live". don't think Altman will like the story of how we get that for everyone tho
TIL Fats Domino's eight children were called: Antoine III, Anatole, Andre, Antonio, Antoinette, Andrea, Anola, and Adonica.
July 3, 2025 at 5:58 PM
TIL Fats Domino's eight children were called: Antoine III, Anatole, Andre, Antonio, Antoinette, Andrea, Anola, and Adonica.
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Our large-scale interdisciplinary research initiative @unituebingen.bsky.social on "Common Ground" now has a website: uni-tuebingen.de/en/research/...
We are also hiring! Check out recent postings here and the continually added job ads here:
uni-tuebingen.de/en/universit...
#linguistics + friends
We are also hiring! Check out recent postings here and the continually added job ads here:
uni-tuebingen.de/en/universit...
#linguistics + friends
CRC Common Ground
uni-tuebingen.de
July 2, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Our large-scale interdisciplinary research initiative @unituebingen.bsky.social on "Common Ground" now has a website: uni-tuebingen.de/en/research/...
We are also hiring! Check out recent postings here and the continually added job ads here:
uni-tuebingen.de/en/universit...
#linguistics + friends
We are also hiring! Check out recent postings here and the continually added job ads here:
uni-tuebingen.de/en/universit...
#linguistics + friends
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Excited to share a new CogSci paper co-led with @benpry.bsky.social!
Once a cornerstone for studying human reasoning, the think-aloud method declined in popularity as manual coding limited its scale. We introduce a method to automate analysis of verbal reports and scale think-aloud studies. (1/8)🧵
Once a cornerstone for studying human reasoning, the think-aloud method declined in popularity as manual coding limited its scale. We introduce a method to automate analysis of verbal reports and scale think-aloud studies. (1/8)🧵
June 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Excited to share a new CogSci paper co-led with @benpry.bsky.social!
Once a cornerstone for studying human reasoning, the think-aloud method declined in popularity as manual coding limited its scale. We introduce a method to automate analysis of verbal reports and scale think-aloud studies. (1/8)🧵
Once a cornerstone for studying human reasoning, the think-aloud method declined in popularity as manual coding limited its scale. We introduce a method to automate analysis of verbal reports and scale think-aloud studies. (1/8)🧵
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
First day notes now posted: juliangrove.github.io/nasslli-2025...
June 24, 2025 at 6:26 AM
First day notes now posted: juliangrove.github.io/nasslli-2025...
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
I'm packing for NASSLLI 2025. The lineup is terrific! I'm looking forward to enjoying Seattle for the first time and climbing again with @shanest.bsky.social, who organized the school (kudos!). nasslli25.shane.st/schedule/
North American Summer School on Logic, Language and Information (NASSLLI '25) @ UW
Official website for the North American Summer School for Logic, Language and Information, taking place June 23-27 at the Univeristy of Washington, Seattle.
nasslli25.shane.st
June 21, 2025 at 8:43 AM
I'm packing for NASSLLI 2025. The lineup is terrific! I'm looking forward to enjoying Seattle for the first time and climbing again with @shanest.bsky.social, who organized the school (kudos!). nasslli25.shane.st/schedule/
Is it blasphemy to say that pre-WWI biology (filtered through the humanistic eyes of Thomas Mann) has a FEP vibe to it?
a phenomenon conveyed by matter, like the rainbow on the waterfall, and like the flame. Yet why not material—it was sentient to the point of desire and disgust, the shamelessness of matter become sensible of itself, the incontinent form of being.
June 22, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Is it blasphemy to say that pre-WWI biology (filtered through the humanistic eyes of Thomas Mann) has a FEP vibe to it?
Since I became an assistant professor I have followed a two-step research process:
1. Apologize for having had no time to make progress on a project but I'm going to have more time soon
2. Soon find out I in fact do not have more time
1. Apologize for having had no time to make progress on a project but I'm going to have more time soon
2. Soon find out I in fact do not have more time
June 22, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Since I became an assistant professor I have followed a two-step research process:
1. Apologize for having had no time to make progress on a project but I'm going to have more time soon
2. Soon find out I in fact do not have more time
1. Apologize for having had no time to make progress on a project but I'm going to have more time soon
2. Soon find out I in fact do not have more time
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
I'm hiring at least one post-doc! We're interested in creating language models that process language more like humans than mainstream LLMs do, through architectural modifications and interpretability-style steering. Express interest here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
NYU LLM + cognitive science post-doc interest form
Tal Linzen's group at NYU is hiring a post-doc! We're interested in creating language models that process language more like humans than mainstream LLMs do, through architectural modifications and int...
docs.google.com
June 21, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I'm hiring at least one post-doc! We're interested in creating language models that process language more like humans than mainstream LLMs do, through architectural modifications and interpretability-style steering. Express interest here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
As I get older my slides get funkier
June 10, 2025 at 8:34 AM
As I get older my slides get funkier
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Here it is: Musk thinks he is owed a say in Trump’s policy because of how much he spent on the campaign.
June 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Here it is: Musk thinks he is owed a say in Trump’s policy because of how much he spent on the campaign.
I've heard people complaining about the breakup of big shared narratives & context, and it's true, but on the other end isn't it remarkable how much shared context we have that we can draw such a connection out of the bluesky?
![Wikipedia definition of "idiot plot": In literary criticism, an idiot plot is one which is "kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot",[1]: 26 and where the story would quickly end, or possibly not even happen, if this were not the case.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6waxgers6k753hgsmh2prmv7/bafkreicwreql25fxq3hliczfe3pgz6djdjbrvwbax2d2oyevjm73tb3voy@jpeg)
June 6, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I've heard people complaining about the breakup of big shared narratives & context, and it's true, but on the other end isn't it remarkable how much shared context we have that we can draw such a connection out of the bluesky?
I talked about this with @kathrynnave.bsky.social at @divintelligence.bsky.social last year, and it was one of the most fascinating topics I've heard about in 2024!
“A game-changer for cognitive science." — @evanthompson.bsky.social
In "A Drive to Survive," @kathrynnave.bsky.social offers an extended critical analysis of the strengths and limitations of the free energy principle. Available #openaccess: mitpress.mit.edu/978026255132...
In "A Drive to Survive," @kathrynnave.bsky.social offers an extended critical analysis of the strengths and limitations of the free energy principle. Available #openaccess: mitpress.mit.edu/978026255132...
June 6, 2025 at 10:50 AM
I talked about this with @kathrynnave.bsky.social at @divintelligence.bsky.social last year, and it was one of the most fascinating topics I've heard about in 2024!
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
We have a PhD position for an upcoming project in metacognition research in Potsdam / Berlin. A great opportunity for those interested in cognitive modeling of confidence and EEG.
More information at coconeuro.github.io/phd2025
Kindly share this opportunity with potential candidates - Thanks!
More information at coconeuro.github.io/phd2025
Kindly share this opportunity with potential candidates - Thanks!
Computation and Cognition @ HMU Potsdam
Computation and Cognition @ HMU Potsdam
coconeuro.github.io
June 4, 2025 at 11:07 AM
We have a PhD position for an upcoming project in metacognition research in Potsdam / Berlin. A great opportunity for those interested in cognitive modeling of confidence and EEG.
More information at coconeuro.github.io/phd2025
Kindly share this opportunity with potential candidates - Thanks!
More information at coconeuro.github.io/phd2025
Kindly share this opportunity with potential candidates - Thanks!
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
New postdoc positions at the (DISI-affiliated) Center for Possible Minds at Indiana University.
Looking for scholars interested in interdisciplinary research on the nature of biological, artificial, and collective intelligence.
Please share widely!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/29547
Looking for scholars interested in interdisciplinary research on the nature of biological, artificial, and collective intelligence.
Please share widely!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/29547
Center for Possible Minds Postdoctoral Fellow
The Center for Possible Minds at Indiana University, Bloomington, invites applications for Postdoctoral Fellows to join its Program for Advanced Research in Diverse Intelligences. The fellowship provi...
indiana.peopleadmin.com
May 27, 2025 at 6:39 PM
New postdoc positions at the (DISI-affiliated) Center for Possible Minds at Indiana University.
Looking for scholars interested in interdisciplinary research on the nature of biological, artificial, and collective intelligence.
Please share widely!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/29547
Looking for scholars interested in interdisciplinary research on the nature of biological, artificial, and collective intelligence.
Please share widely!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/29547
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Can't think of a single time the MGM lion advanced the plot of the movie in any way. Just needless jump scare
May 25, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Can't think of a single time the MGM lion advanced the plot of the movie in any way. Just needless jump scare
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
# WE DIDN'T START A-G-I
(with apologies to Billy Joel)
## Verse 1
Perceptron, Rosenblatt, defence funds pulled, winter’s back
Minsky paper, Bayes again, something something something brain
Back-prop, ’86, Geoffrey Hinton, METRICS
Yann when he did solid work, put it up on mech turk
1/5
(with apologies to Billy Joel)
## Verse 1
Perceptron, Rosenblatt, defence funds pulled, winter’s back
Minsky paper, Bayes again, something something something brain
Back-prop, ’86, Geoffrey Hinton, METRICS
Yann when he did solid work, put it up on mech turk
1/5
May 22, 2025 at 10:37 PM
# WE DIDN'T START A-G-I
(with apologies to Billy Joel)
## Verse 1
Perceptron, Rosenblatt, defence funds pulled, winter’s back
Minsky paper, Bayes again, something something something brain
Back-prop, ’86, Geoffrey Hinton, METRICS
Yann when he did solid work, put it up on mech turk
1/5
(with apologies to Billy Joel)
## Verse 1
Perceptron, Rosenblatt, defence funds pulled, winter’s back
Minsky paper, Bayes again, something something something brain
Back-prop, ’86, Geoffrey Hinton, METRICS
Yann when he did solid work, put it up on mech turk
1/5
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
3/
A related practice was to create coordination devices. You distributed copies of simple artifact with identical numbers of markers (knots, pegs, etc.) to people attending a future event. Everyone removes one marker each morning; the event is due to occur on the day the last marker is removed.
A related practice was to create coordination devices. You distributed copies of simple artifact with identical numbers of markers (knots, pegs, etc.) to people attending a future event. Everyone removes one marker each morning; the event is due to occur on the day the last marker is removed.
May 8, 2025 at 4:24 PM
3/
A related practice was to create coordination devices. You distributed copies of simple artifact with identical numbers of markers (knots, pegs, etc.) to people attending a future event. Everyone removes one marker each morning; the event is due to occur on the day the last marker is removed.
A related practice was to create coordination devices. You distributed copies of simple artifact with identical numbers of markers (knots, pegs, etc.) to people attending a future event. Everyone removes one marker each morning; the event is due to occur on the day the last marker is removed.
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Excited to share a new preprint w/ @michael-lepori.bsky.social & Michael Franke!
A dominant approach in AI/cogsci uses *outputs* from AI models (eg logprobs) to predict human behavior.
But how does model *processing* (across layers in a forward pass) relate to human real-time processing? 👇 (1/12)
A dominant approach in AI/cogsci uses *outputs* from AI models (eg logprobs) to predict human behavior.
But how does model *processing* (across layers in a forward pass) relate to human real-time processing? 👇 (1/12)
May 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Excited to share a new preprint w/ @michael-lepori.bsky.social & Michael Franke!
A dominant approach in AI/cogsci uses *outputs* from AI models (eg logprobs) to predict human behavior.
But how does model *processing* (across layers in a forward pass) relate to human real-time processing? 👇 (1/12)
A dominant approach in AI/cogsci uses *outputs* from AI models (eg logprobs) to predict human behavior.
But how does model *processing* (across layers in a forward pass) relate to human real-time processing? 👇 (1/12)
It's close between Ukraine and Estonia so far. But *so many hours* to go
May 17, 2025 at 8:03 PM
It's close between Ukraine and Estonia so far. But *so many hours* to go
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
How are humans able to make sense of time? Not with special biology but with “time tools”—ideas, practices, and artifacts that render time more concrete.
My new paper explores this vast, varied toolkit—one that makes use of knots, nuts, hands, flowers, mountains, shadows, and much more.
(link 👇)
My new paper explores this vast, varied toolkit—one that makes use of knots, nuts, hands, flowers, mountains, shadows, and much more.
(link 👇)
May 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
How are humans able to make sense of time? Not with special biology but with “time tools”—ideas, practices, and artifacts that render time more concrete.
My new paper explores this vast, varied toolkit—one that makes use of knots, nuts, hands, flowers, mountains, shadows, and much more.
(link 👇)
My new paper explores this vast, varied toolkit—one that makes use of knots, nuts, hands, flowers, mountains, shadows, and much more.
(link 👇)
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
Come do a PhD or postdoc with us! Generously ERC funded salaries, at the intersection of computational social science/humanities/DH, corpus linguistics, ML/AI, sustainability studies. Deadline 15th May (if interested but that's too short, or in the process of graduating, talk to me)
Topics&links👇
Topics&links👇
April 28, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Come do a PhD or postdoc with us! Generously ERC funded salaries, at the intersection of computational social science/humanities/DH, corpus linguistics, ML/AI, sustainability studies. Deadline 15th May (if interested but that's too short, or in the process of graduating, talk to me)
Topics&links👇
Topics&links👇
Reposted by Fausto Carcassi
One thing I keep being struck by when I contemplate this is how much time people were spending in these. They *self-selected* for people who could spend 12+ hours per day in group chats. Which means: people who didn't have any actual substantial responsibilities - the NON-doers....
So basically there's a cabal of billionaire broligarchs, far right propagandists, and reactionary centrist journalists all on group chats radicalizing together and exerting coordinated narratives and influence on media and politics
www.semafor.com/article/04/2...
www.semafor.com/article/04/2...
The group chats that changed America
A loose private network on Signal and WhatsApp helped usher in the new alliance between Silicon Valley and Donald Trump’s new right.
www.semafor.com
April 28, 2025 at 7:18 AM
One thing I keep being struck by when I contemplate this is how much time people were spending in these. They *self-selected* for people who could spend 12+ hours per day in group chats. Which means: people who didn't have any actual substantial responsibilities - the NON-doers....