Hugo Mercier
LightNews LightNews
hugoreasoning.bsky.social
Hugo Mercier
@hugoreasoning.bsky.social
2.6K followers 1.2K following 130 posts

Evolutionary and cognitive psychologist. Author, Not Born Yesterday (http://tinyurl.com/yyh929ns), The Enigma of Reason (http://tinyurl.com/6hbpn84).

Videos
Psychology 27%
Sociology 17%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

Reposted by Rebecca Solnit, Brian J. Enquist, Mark A. Lemley , and 9 more

usili.bsky.social
Mistress Usili (Sage) 🏳️‍⚧️ @usili.bsky.social · 5d
Bilbo looking at his phone top on bottom is ChatGPT After all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it? You're absolutely right — you found it, it's been with you a long while, and it's only natural to feel fond of something that's served you so well, especially when someone like Gandalf suddenly seems to want it for himself.

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

guygrossman.bsky.social
Guy Grossman @guygrossman.bsky.social · 7d
Open Position: Knight Postdoctoral Fellow at Wharton School: Expertise in the quantitative study of the information ecosystem, especially news, media, and advertising.

infodem.upenn.edu/wharton-post...
Wharton-Postdoc - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy
infodem.upenn.edu

Reposted by Will Jennings, Hugo Mercier, Robert C. Richards , and 4 more

bbkogan.bsky.social
Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 7d
Ben Terris @bterris X.com "[My father] had one problem," Trump said. " He started getting, what do they call it?" He pointed to his forehead and looked to his press secretary for the word that escaped him. "Alzheimer's," Leavitt said. "Like an Alzheimer's thing," Trump said. "Well, I don't have it."

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

edgardubourg.bsky.social
Edgar Dubourg @edgardubourg.bsky.social · 7d
What is it about some stories and situations that make them more effective at evoking fear? One way to answer this is to reverse engineer the emotion of fear 😱

➡️ A short blogpost on the HBES website about our recent article with Coltan Scrivner.

www.hbes.com/engineering-...
Engineering Fear: Protagonist Vulnerability and the Evolutionary Design of Horror - HBES
– by Edgar Dubourg and Coltan Scrivner What is it about some stories and situations that make them more effective at evoking fear? One way to answer this is to reverse engineer the emotion of fear. Ou...
www.hbes.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

danwphilosophy.bsky.social
Dan Williams @danwphilosophy.bsky.social · 9d
Henry Shevlin and I discuss "misinformation", propaganda, mass gullibility, advertising, social media, and deepfakes with the great Sacha Altay (@sachaltay.bsky.social). www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l5T...
AI Sessions #8: Misinformation, Social Media, and Deepfakes (with Sacha Altay)
YouTube video by Conspicuous Cognition
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Alberto Acerbi

tomstafford.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy
Tom Stafford @tomstafford.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy · 9d
Do YOU want updates on the latest research on #factchecking AI, social media, persuasion, reasoning and #psychology of decision making? Plus additional commentary to put it all in context?

Then YOU need my newsletter, which appears to weekly at the moment

Today: Grok, the "anti-woke" […]
Original post on mastodon.online
mastodon.online

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Heike Delitz, Jeroen Van Bouwel

picharbonnier.bsky.social
Pierre Charbonnier @picharbonnier.bsky.social · 11d
Dear friends,

We at the Center for European Studies @sciencespo-cee.bsky.social are opening a position of Assistant Professor in political science, with a focus on climate transition policies.

Please apply if you're super good (and not afraid to work with me ;).

www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etude...
Recruitment - Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Political Science 2026
Recruitment 2026 - Sciences Po is recruiting an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Political Science/ Ecological transitions in/of Europe and the European Union.
www.sciencespo.fr

Reposted by Serge Guimond, Hugo Mercier, Xavier Molénat , and 1 more

colinlebedev.cpesr.fr
Anna Colin Lebedev @colinlebedev.cpesr.fr · 11d
Comme promis, un texte où je persiste et signe : le film "Le mage du Kremlin" est dangereux, car il se met au service du pouvoir russe en diffusant une vision du pays exactement conforme à ce que le Kremlin veut nous faire penser.
colinlebedev.fr/2026/01/22/h...
(Hom)mage du Kremlin.
« ‘Le Mage du Kremlin’ (le film) est à peu près le meilleur cadeau que nous puissions faire au Kremlin (le vrai). » J’ai posté ce commentaire hier sur les réseaux sociaux, en sortant de l…
colinlebedev.fr

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Dorothy Bishop, Peter Thorne , and 25 more

slowbikeiain.bsky.social
Iain Roberts @slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 13d
Yesterday it was cows using tools, today its penguins using satellite imagery.
Headline: "Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images"

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

epthepod.bsky.social
Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) @epthepod.bsky.social · 13d
This week, we are talking to Michael Graziano about the easy problem of consciousness.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
www.podbean.com/eas/pb-qenxi...
youtu.be/O8LEZJvkodc
Consciousness with Michael Graziano
YouTube video by Evolutionary Psychology (The Podcast)
youtu.be

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, David Lazer, Hugo Mercier , and 5 more

dschraff.bsky.social
Dominik Schraff @dschraff.bsky.social · 18d
Our Department at Aalborg University is hiring an Associate Professor in Sociology with a focus on quantitative methods: www.stillinger.aau.dk/videnskabeli...
Associate Professor in sociology with focus on quantitative methods
At The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Society and Politics, a position as Associate Professor in Sociology with focus on quantitati...
www.stillinger.aau.dk

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Pauline Stafford

timbale.bsky.social
Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 18d
“Our findings tell us that young people’s choices around social media and gaming may be shaped by how they’re feeling but not necessarily the other way around,” said Prof Neil Humphrey, a co-author [of a Manchester University study that followed 25,000 11- to 14-year-olds over three school years].
Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems – study
Research finds no evidence heavier social media use or more gaming increases symptoms of anxiety or depression
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

cjferguson1111.bsky.social
Chris Ferguson @cjferguson1111.bsky.social · 18d
New longitudinal study finds no evidence that either #videogames nor #socialmedia use lead to later mental health issues in youth.

I look forward to the extensive news media coverage this receives: academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/a...
How do social media use, gaming frequency, and internalizing symptoms predict each other over time in early-to-middle adolescence?
AbstractBackground. The effects of adolescent digital technology use (e.g. social media, gaming) on their mental health are a major public health concern,
academic.oup.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Virginia Braun, Jason Stajich , and 11 more

walkerbragman.bsky.social
Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 19d
There’s a big story everyone is missing—but this article hits on it.

We aren’t just seeing public health dismantled bc we’ve been taken over by conspiracy theorists and lunatics.

What we’re really seeing is the giant, predatory, underegulated wellness industry come to Washington.
FDA deletes warning on bogus autism therapies touted by RFK Jr.‘s allies
The agency used to warn of chelation, used by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally David Geier.
arstechnica.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

koenfucius.bsky.social
koenfucius @koenfucius.bsky.social · 21d
How appealing an explanation is, is only in part down to how well it actually *explains*, research by klopfenstein.bsky.social & @hugoreasoning.bsky.social suggests.

Usefulness and surprisingness matter too, the latter especially explaining why poor explanations become popular:

buff.ly/NaSAlaJ

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Lesley A. Hall, Graeme Warren

rebeccasear.bsky.social
Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 24d
"Older women in both communities report higher autonomy than younger women. Both BaYaka and Bandongo women make decisions on food sharing. However, BaYaka women report greater control over financial and healthcare decisions than Bandongo women, who often share decision-making with their husbands"
Women’s self-reported autonomy in household decision-making varies between BaYaka foragers and Bandongo farmers in the Congo Basin | Hunter Gatherer Research
Women’s decision-making power within households is a critical aspect of gender equality, influencing the well-being of household members and family dynamics. This study examines women’s perceived autonomy in household decision-making among BaYaka hunter-...
www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

jeremiebeucler.bsky.social
Jérémie Beucler @jeremiebeucler.bsky.social · 26d
1/13

New paper with @wimdeneys.bsky.social accepted at @cognitionjournal.bsky.social 🥳

Is creativity intuitive? 👩‍🎨

A 🧵👇
the heading of the paper "Intuitive insight: Fast associative processes drive sound creative thinking" at Cognition

Reposted by Roman Senninger

hugoreasoning.bsky.social
Hugo Mercier @hugoreasoning.bsky.social · 26d
Interesting megastudy on the (in)effectiveness of climate messaging: tiny effects on attitudes, no effects on donation www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Persuasiveness varied little across party lines", another win for Persuasion in Parallel @aecoppock.bsky.social
A registered report megastudy on the persuasiveness of the most-cited climate messages - Nature Climate Change
How to effectively communicate climate change to the public has long been studied and debated. Through a registered report megastudy, researchers tested the ten most-cited climate change messaging str...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Seema Jayachandran, David R. Miller , and 1 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 27d
The Kinsley gaffe to end all Kinsley gaffes
maggieastor.bsky.social Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 28d
Copy Editing Matters, from HHS's release on the new childhood vaccine schedule: All the diseases will still be available to anyone who wants them
Ensures that all the diseases covered by the previous immunization schedule will still be available to anyone who wants them through Affordable Care Act insurance plans and federal insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program. Families will not have to purchase them out of pocket. Among peer nations, the U.S. will continue to offer the most childhood vaccines for free to those who want them.

Reposted by Hugo Mercier

epthepod.bsky.social
Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast) @epthepod.bsky.social · Dec 31
This week, we talk to Léo Fetuchi about the moralization of self-control and the lack thereof.
youtu.be/duLUU9e0i0k
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
www.podbean.com/eas/pb-99f5i...
Moralizing Self-Control with Léo Fetuchi
YouTube video by Evolutionary Psychology (The Podcast)
youtu.be

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Johanna Laakso

thomscottphillips.bsky.social
Thom Scott-Phillips @thomscottphillips.bsky.social · Dec 15
Why do humans have linguistic intuition? And why should you care?

A short thread about my new paper in @cadlin.bsky.social

This work has the most original insight I've ever had, a genuinely new idea about the nature of language

cadernos.abralin.org/index.php/ca...

1/20
Why Do Humans Have Linguistic Intuition? | Cadernos de Linguística
cadernos.abralin.org

Reposted by Nicholas A. Christakis, Brendan Nyhan, Hugo Mercier , and 2 more

johnholbein1.bsky.social
John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · Dec 15
Woah.

Argentina's 1990s preschool expansion program appears to have been a smashing success.

The program increased high school completion by a whole 11.9 percentage points.

The authors estimate that for every $1 spent, the preschool expansion generated about $11 in benefits.

Reposted by David Lazer, Stuart Soroka, Hugo Mercier , and 3 more

claesdevreese.bsky.social
Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · Dec 15
Excellent job opportunity: Full professorship in Digital Society and Democracy @ddc-sdu.bsky.social and @d-ias.bsky.social.

Top conditions, environment & colleagues.

Candidates welcome across places and disciplines.

🗓️ DL: March 15, 2026

fa-eosd-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
DIAS Professorship in Digital Society and Democracy
Application deadline: March 15, 2026, 11.59 PM/23.59 CET/CEST.
fa-eosd-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Andrew K Przybylski, Ian Hussey , and 2 more

dingdingpeng.the100.ci
Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · Dec 15
The "smartphones/social media" discourse suffers from some amazing historical amnesia. There was no 2008 financial crisis and no global pandemic starting in 2020, it's all SCREENS SCREENS SCREENS. Major world events? Just the backdrop against which SCREENS happened.

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Rebecca Sear, David W. Lawson

acerbialberto.com
Alberto Acerbi @acerbialberto.com · Dec 14
"misinformation is widespread in biological systems spanning levels of organization, and [...] is probably an inevitable property that inherits from fundamental constraints on biological communication systems, rather than a pathology"
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsif/article...
A brief natural history of misinformation
Abstract. The idea that organisms benefit by acquiring information through social connections is a cornerstone of our understanding of social evolution and
royalsocietypublishing.org

hugoreasoning.bsky.social
Hugo Mercier @hugoreasoning.bsky.social · Dec 12
In case someone isn't getting the reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_Tib...
CIA Tibetan program - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org

Reposted by David G. Rand, Nicholas A. Christakis, Hugo Mercier , and 1 more

profsanderlinden.bsky.social
Sander van der Linden @profsanderlinden.bsky.social · Dec 11
New paper out in @science.org! We unveil the online manipulation market with the Cambridge Online Trust & Safety Index (COTSI). We show in real time the cost of purchasing fake accounts across every social platform around the world - so they can be held accountable

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Mapping the online manipulation economy
A market perspective on digital manipulation may help improve online trust and safety
www.science.org

Reposted by Hugo Mercier, Brian Weatherson, Woodrow Hartzog , and 4 more

kevincollier.bsky.social
Kevin Collier @kevincollier.bsky.social · Dec 11
New! We worked with the Public Interest Research Group to test a bunch of LLM-driven toys ahead of the Christmas. That sexual talking teddy bear wasn't a one-off; it turns out disturbing behavior is deeply built into these toys across the board.
AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show
New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.
www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Hugo Mercier, Philipp Schmid , and 5 more

lfoswaldo.bsky.social
Lisa Oswald @lfoswaldo.bsky.social · Dec 11
It's out!!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Big thank you to my coauthors @small-schulz.bsky.social and @lorenzspreen.bsky.social, and to all participants who discussed 20 political issues over 4 weeks in 6 subreddit, 3 experimental conditions and let us observe.