Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social
FWO fellow @ KU Leuven studying the origin and evolution of human language
winner of the 2025 LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers
pedagoog, bioloog en ervaringstaalkundige
winner of the 2025 LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers
pedagoog, bioloog en ervaringstaalkundige
Tomorrow is Pig Day
On absurdity and the academic machine.
kathetgedacht.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
"The mistake, however, is to presume – a priori – that animal communication is anything like ours. All too often we try to crowbar animal communication into a human-centric framework..." By Helen Pilcher @theguardian.com, with great examples. #animalcommunication #language #nature #anthropology
Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine | Helen Pilcher
If we really want to grasp what animals are ‘saying’, we need to understand their communication on their terms, not ours, says science writer Helen Pilcher
www.theguardian.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:08 PM
"The mistake, however, is to presume – a priori – that animal communication is anything like ours. All too often we try to crowbar animal communication into a human-centric framework..." By Helen Pilcher @theguardian.com, with great examples. #animalcommunication #language #nature #anthropology
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
"Het leven is vaak saai. Gelukkig maar!"
Interview met Kat Van der Poorten in het septembernummer van Sonar (KU Leuven).
Kat is de laureate van het eerste LAVA-scholarship en is tevens bestuurder in onze vzw.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social
@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social
Interview met Kat Van der Poorten in het septembernummer van Sonar (KU Leuven).
Kat is de laureate van het eerste LAVA-scholarship en is tevens bestuurder in onze vzw.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social
@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social
September 16, 2025 at 5:04 PM
"Het leven is vaak saai. Gelukkig maar!"
Interview met Kat Van der Poorten in het septembernummer van Sonar (KU Leuven).
Kat is de laureate van het eerste LAVA-scholarship en is tevens bestuurder in onze vzw.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social
@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social
Interview met Kat Van der Poorten in het septembernummer van Sonar (KU Leuven).
Kat is de laureate van het eerste LAVA-scholarship en is tevens bestuurder in onze vzw.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social
@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social
Found in the wild
August 22, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Found in the wild
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Next call for our scholarship for openly autistic academics at (post)doctoral level in autumn 2025! We offer a grant that enables participation in an activity of choice relevant to their research. We also enable them to present their research at our symposium.
August 21, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Next call for our scholarship for openly autistic academics at (post)doctoral level in autumn 2025! We offer a grant that enables participation in an activity of choice relevant to their research. We also enable them to present their research at our symposium.
For the people attending @eseb2025.bsky.social asking about the scholarship for autistic researchers: @lavavzw.bsky.social (Autistic Adults' Reading and Advisory Group) just joined Bluesky!
August 20, 2025 at 7:18 PM
For the people attending @eseb2025.bsky.social asking about the scholarship for autistic researchers: @lavavzw.bsky.social (Autistic Adults' Reading and Advisory Group) just joined Bluesky!
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
"sequencing millions year old DNA is hard, but getting a major grant is even harder". Great talk this morning at #eseb2025 from Love Dalén, with a funny- but also important message: whether you are sequencing ancient DNA or applying for major grants, don't give up.
At the end of his #ESEB2025 plenary on deep-time palaeogenomes, Love Dalén shared his history of trying to obtain a big grant for his work. It eventually worked out!
August 20, 2025 at 6:33 PM
"sequencing millions year old DNA is hard, but getting a major grant is even harder". Great talk this morning at #eseb2025 from Love Dalén, with a funny- but also important message: whether you are sequencing ancient DNA or applying for major grants, don't give up.
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
“When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish. When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.”
Here is a press release/ summary blog post about our new paper.
Key conclusion: For every single professional use that scientists used to use Twitter for, Twitter is much worse now than it used to be, and Bluesky is better that Twitter currently is.
www.southernfriedscience.com/twitter-suck...
Key conclusion: For every single professional use that scientists used to use Twitter for, Twitter is much worse now than it used to be, and Bluesky is better that Twitter currently is.
www.southernfriedscience.com/twitter-suck...
“Twitter sucks now and all the cool kids are moving to Bluesky:” Our new survey shows that scientists no longer find Twitter professionally useful or pleasant
My colleague Dr. Julia Wester and I have a new paper out in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology reporting on the results of a survey distributed to over 800 scientists, science educator…
www.southernfriedscience.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
“When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish. When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.”
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Global Strike for Gaza tomorrow - x.com/GermanPolygl...
x.com
August 20, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Global Strike for Gaza tomorrow - x.com/GermanPolygl...
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Online now: Disability in ecology and evolution
Disability in ecology and evolution
In this TrendsTalk series “Disability in ecology and evolution” in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, we will be hearing from people about their experiences being disabled in ecology & evolution. We are asking ecologists and evolutionary biologists with disabilities what the community could do to make our field more inclusive – these changes can be very practical things (e.g. large fonts), they could be institutional, or involve people’s attitudes and beliefs. If you identify as disabled or have a chronic condition and would like to share your thoughts, please get in touch – tree@cell.com, we would love to hear from you.
dlvr.it
August 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Online now: Disability in ecology and evolution
Sometimes life really is Ghibli
May 14, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Sometimes life really is Ghibli
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Bonobos may combine words in ways previously thought unique to humans
Bonobos may combine words in ways previously thought unique to humans
Phrases used to smooth over tense social situations have meanings beyond the sum of their parts, study suggests
Bonobos use a combination of calls to encourage peace with their partner during mating rituals, research suggests.
The discovery is part of a study that suggests our close evolutionary cousins can string together vocalisations to produce phrases with meanings that go beyond the sum of their parts – something often considered unique to human language. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
April 3, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Bonobos may combine words in ways previously thought unique to humans
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
I am tired of people who value decorum over democracy,
politeness over people,
& professionalism over integrity.
politeness over people,
& professionalism over integrity.
I'm tired of ego impeding progress
Tired of greed dictating the allocation of resources
I am tired of people who seek profit over justice,
value comfort over human rights,
& conformity over inclusion.
I'm tired of trying to teach the value compassion,
explain why we ought to care,
& see apathy.
Tired of greed dictating the allocation of resources
I am tired of people who seek profit over justice,
value comfort over human rights,
& conformity over inclusion.
I'm tired of trying to teach the value compassion,
explain why we ought to care,
& see apathy.
March 11, 2025 at 12:11 AM
I am tired of people who value decorum over democracy,
politeness over people,
& professionalism over integrity.
politeness over people,
& professionalism over integrity.
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
On International Women's Day, I highlight the need for leadership of women with disabilities in all national and EU policies, strategies and legislation. We need to #EndForcedSterilisation and ensure sexual and reproductive rights. We need rights, not violence as "protection". Nothing without us!
March 8, 2025 at 11:52 AM
On International Women's Day, I highlight the need for leadership of women with disabilities in all national and EU policies, strategies and legislation. We need to #EndForcedSterilisation and ensure sexual and reproductive rights. We need rights, not violence as "protection". Nothing without us!
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Dear universities, scientists, lawyers, farmers, workers, artists, doctors...
Being silent won't protect you.
Being silent won't protect you.
March 4, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Dear universities, scientists, lawyers, farmers, workers, artists, doctors...
Being silent won't protect you.
Being silent won't protect you.
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
one curious feature of our particular dismal political era: some people have gotten so addicted to the particular vice signaling around empathy / concern for other people that they seem to see evidence that something will benefit others as evidence that it will harm them
Anyway, this is about as gross and anti-social a statement from an antivaxxer as you'll find, but also probably pretty par for the course
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
![“We’re not going to harm our children or [risk] the potential to harm our children,” she said, “so that we can save yours.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:u45hqzk7counfbwyg5edhmvi/bafkreidn6b23ra25vaybk53lm2sxspxn2qs4g2zkedlkmi7t55biemt2ri@jpeg)
March 3, 2025 at 1:45 AM
one curious feature of our particular dismal political era: some people have gotten so addicted to the particular vice signaling around empathy / concern for other people that they seem to see evidence that something will benefit others as evidence that it will harm them
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Ik heb een nieuwe held, en ze heet Kat.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social won het allereerste LAVA scholarship voor een openlijk #autistische #onderzoeker. Kat is #pedagoog, #bioloog en #ervaringstaalkundige en wat ze , doet is van wereldniveau. Haar #acceptance #speech was dat ook.
shorturl.at/uT78w
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social won het allereerste LAVA scholarship voor een openlijk #autistische #onderzoeker. Kat is #pedagoog, #bioloog en #ervaringstaalkundige en wat ze , doet is van wereldniveau. Haar #acceptance #speech was dat ook.
shorturl.at/uT78w
LAVA Scholarship 2025
Wat een dag.
shorturl.at
February 26, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Ik heb een nieuwe held, en ze heet Kat.
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social won het allereerste LAVA scholarship voor een openlijk #autistische #onderzoeker. Kat is #pedagoog, #bioloog en #ervaringstaalkundige en wat ze , doet is van wereldniveau. Haar #acceptance #speech was dat ook.
shorturl.at/uT78w
@kathetgedacht.bsky.social won het allereerste LAVA scholarship voor een openlijk #autistische #onderzoeker. Kat is #pedagoog, #bioloog en #ervaringstaalkundige en wat ze , doet is van wereldniveau. Haar #acceptance #speech was dat ook.
shorturl.at/uT78w
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Kat Van der Poorten is the laureate of the first-ever Reading and Advisory Group of Autistic Adults scholarship (in Belgium).
Read her speech! 💪
"I want to finish with that discomfort. Because true change only begins when we allow ourselves to feel that discomfort." Kat Van der Poorten, 2025
Read her speech! 💪
"I want to finish with that discomfort. Because true change only begins when we allow ourselves to feel that discomfort." Kat Van der Poorten, 2025
Proud to be the laureate of the first ever LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers! Upon request: a link to the written version of my acceptance speech in Dutch, with English translation.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
LAVA Scholarship 2025
Wat een dag.
kathetgedacht.com
February 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Kat Van der Poorten is the laureate of the first-ever Reading and Advisory Group of Autistic Adults scholarship (in Belgium).
Read her speech! 💪
"I want to finish with that discomfort. Because true change only begins when we allow ourselves to feel that discomfort." Kat Van der Poorten, 2025
Read her speech! 💪
"I want to finish with that discomfort. Because true change only begins when we allow ourselves to feel that discomfort." Kat Van der Poorten, 2025
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
This speech is a rousing and beautiful defence of diversity and inclusion - do take a moment to give it a read!
Proud to be the laureate of the first ever LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers! Upon request: a link to the written version of my acceptance speech in Dutch, with English translation.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
LAVA Scholarship 2025
Wat een dag.
kathetgedacht.com
February 24, 2025 at 4:41 PM
This speech is a rousing and beautiful defence of diversity and inclusion - do take a moment to give it a read!
Thank you all for sharing my speech all over the world! Keep valuing diversity in all its forms 🌺
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
February 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Thank you all for sharing my speech all over the world! Keep valuing diversity in all its forms 🌺
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Reposted by Kat Van der Poorten (キャット)
Read Kat's acceptance speech, it was breathtaking.
Proud to be the laureate of the first ever LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers! Upon request: a link to the written version of my acceptance speech in Dutch, with English translation.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
LAVA Scholarship 2025
Wat een dag.
kathetgedacht.com
February 23, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Read Kat's acceptance speech, it was breathtaking.
Shit Makes the Flowers Grow
Folk Uke · Folk Uke · Song · 2005
open.spotify.com
February 23, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Proud to be the laureate of the first ever LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers! Upon request: a link to the written version of my acceptance speech in Dutch, with English translation.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
LAVA Scholarship 2025
Wat een dag.
kathetgedacht.com
February 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Proud to be the laureate of the first ever LAVA Scholarship for autistic researchers! Upon request: a link to the written version of my acceptance speech in Dutch, with English translation.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.
kathetgedacht.com/2025/02/22/l...
Thank you! I hope to honour this scholarship and the autistic community.