Marek
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marekmcgann.bsky.social
Marek
@marekmcgann.bsky.social
210 followers 580 following 120 posts
Cognitive scientist. Teacher. Nerd.

Cognitive science of the enactive, ecological, and (redundantly) embodied sort. Also, some stuff on scientific practice in psychology.


I co-convene these: https://www.ensoseminars.com

(he/him)
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Marek
abeba.bsky.social
I appeared as an expert witness before the Joint Committee on AI at the Houses of Oireachtas (parliament of Ireland) to discuss "AI: truth and democracy" this morning. You can read my opening statement here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/publicati...
Reads: Most importantly, there is no AI without massive financial and ideological backing. It is therefore pointless to discuss its techniques or capabilities without asking who controls it, who benefits from it, who builds and deploys it, and what it is doing in the world. As Stafford Beer (2002) argued, the purpose of a system is what it does. Reads: Though less explicit than Thiel’s call to replace politics with technology, major tech firms have effectively privatised core digital public goods. Platforms like Facebook, Google Search, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT operate at infrastructural scale in Ireland, shaping information, communication, and access to knowledge. Yet their algorithms remain opaque, their governance remains private, with minimal democratic accountability to the public who depend on them; effectively ceding aspects of democratic process to commercial interests. The monopolization of digital spaces has turned democracy into something the highest bidder can buy and is degrading the digital public goods themselves. As the AI industry, social media and search platforms grow more extractive and less trustworthy, they erode the foundations of democratic life: trust, dialogue, and accountability, blurring the line between truth and falsehood. An example is the deepfake video falsely showing President Catherine Connolly withdrawing from the presidential race last October, which amassed over 160,0001 Facebook views before being removed. GenAI’s non-deterministic, stochastic architecture produces plausible output without regard for accuracy or truth. This makes generative AI a societal disaster and a major threat to truth, democratic processes, information ecosystems, knowledge production, and the social fabric Reads: For truth, democracy, and the rule of law to endure in the AI era, we need to cultivate an ecosystem of transparency and accountability. Yet governance by algorithms inherently places our digital public squares and democratic processes in the hands of those building these systems in line with their political and profit-seeking agendas. Without real mechanisms in place, talk of transparency and accountability are empty gestures. An internal Meta memo outlining plans to launch facial recognition in smart glasses “during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns”5 illustrates how those advocating for accountability are under-resourced, retaliated against, and targeted. Large tech and AI companies, despite selling promises of innovation and societal benefit, monetize and undermine the very society they claim to serve. What is needed is not just regulation, but active enforcement. Given the track record of tech giants, stricter regulation and enforcement is not “anti–freedom of speech” or anti-competitiveness. It is one of the clearest ways governments can show they serve the public interest. After all, innovation that disregards truth and democratic processes risks undermining democracy itself.
February 17, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Marek
ciaraioch.bsky.social
Cúchullain didn't die defending Ireland from Margaret Thatcher at the Battle Of Clontarf for you to put something other than plain, Catholic sugar on your pancakes
February 17, 2026 at 10:10 AM
Reposted by Marek
tommullaney.bsky.social
"Stochastic Parrot" is such a good explainer for how LLMs work that Sam Altman's only rebuttal was claiming that humans are as well (which is patently false).

An informative metaphor is not "derogatory."
emilymbender.bsky.social Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 1d
The people who decided it was derogatory or a "slur" were the ones who were so identified with the imaginary friends they see in that extruded text.

>>
February 16, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Marek
sumedhrao.bsky.social
Pleased to share my new (and first sole‑authored) article on how people in Northern Ireland experience identity in fluid, complex ways. Interviews in Derry–Londonderry show why “two‑community” narratives fall short.
Kudos summary: link.growkudos.com/1e8u77s464g
DOI: psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/...
How people in Northern Ireland understand and live their identities after conflict
This study explores how people in Northern Ireland think about and experience their identities in everyday life. Instead of assuming that people fit neatly into fixed groups like “Protestant” or “Cath...
link.growkudos.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Marek
marcscully.bsky.social
We absolutely need more researchers throwing themselves around in mosh pits for science.

(I do genuinely think that some level of field research, even just at the early stages, ought to be a prerequisite for a social sciences PhD. Let's touch grass and put the open-air back in open science.)
harrymlewis.bsky.social Harry Lewis @harrymlewis.bsky.social · 1d
Interested in the psychology of disruptive behaviour at music events? Well have a read of this. Highlights include me, @lewisdoyle.bsky.social & @sanjeedah.bsky.social throwing ourselves around in mosh pits for science (plus in-depth interviews & a big old survey). dx.doi.org/10.1111/asap...
February 16, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Marek
eikofried.bsky.social
LLMs good performance on medical exams does not translate to accurate performance in real-world settings (preregistered n~1,300 study). This can't be explained by current standard benchmarks for medical knowledge & simulated patient interactions.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reliability of LLMs as medical assistants for the general public: a randomized preregistered study - Nature Medicine
In a randomized controlled study involving 1,298 participants from a general sample, performance of humans when assisted by a large language model (LLM) was sensibly inferior to that of the LLM alone ...
www.nature.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Marek
abeba.bsky.social
We are demanding that EU co-legislators reject attempts in the AI Omnibus to remove a key transparency safeguard from the AI Act.

We cannot open a loophole that would let providers exempt themselves from the AI Act’s high risk requirements with no transparency www.accessnow.org/press-releas...
Access Now - A call to EU legislators: protect rights and reject the call to delete transparency safeguard in AI Act
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, urge you in the strongest possible terms to reject the deletion of the Article 49(2) transparency safeguard for high-risk AI systems that is proposed...
www.accessnow.org
February 11, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by Marek
irisvanrooij.bsky.social
☀️ Summer School 📚

“Critical AI Literacies for Resisting and Reclaiming"

Organisers and teachers:
👉 @marentierra.bsky.social
👉 @olivia.science
👉 myself

Deadline for application:
🐦 31 March 2026 (early bird fee)

1/🧵

www.ru.nl/en/education...
Critical AI Literacies for Resisting and Reclaiming | Radboud University
This course is designed to foster critical AI literacies in participants to empower them to develop ways of resisting or reclaiming AI in their own practices and social context.
www.ru.nl
January 16, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Reposted by Marek
wolvendamien.bsky.social
Step 1) Hype your "AI" as an all-in-one question answering truth machine
Step 2) Any time things go wrong from people using your "AI" as an all-in-1 question answering truth machine, tell them they shouldn't've done that; didn't they read the fine print???
Step 3) Truly Disgustingly Egregious Profit
hypervisible.blacksky.app Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · Dec 15
More info in the linked Wired story. Total abdication of responsibility by Microsoft. www.wired.com/story/micros...
December 15, 2023 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Marek
olivia.science
weekly reminder; happy Monday

Have you considered
NOT using
AI?
Have you considered NOT using AI?
February 9, 2026 at 9:44 AM
Reposted by Marek
margaretcahillbsky.bsky.social
I discovered a new vantage point for the murmuration in Limerick and the starlings put on a great show this evening.
A murmuration of starlings creating amazing shapes in the sky.
February 7, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Reposted by Marek
davidrvetter.bsky.social
A perfect summary of our moment from armond(dot)needs(dot)rest on IG and Tiktok www.instagram.com/reel/DUU20Vg...
February 8, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Marek
victorerikray.bsky.social
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.

Great work everyone.
The Board of Governors decided, unilaterally, that no published textbook in the field of sociology could be used in compliance with the law for an Intro to Sociology class. None. Victor: There's not a single existing textbook on the market that could be used that would qualify under state law? Zachary: Correct. Victor: I'm sorry, that's kind of funny. Like, the absurdity of not a single sociology textbook getting past the censors. I mean, it makes me kind of proud of our colleagues, but...
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Marek
devezer.bsky.social
it is the responsibility of every man who interacts with him (and his ilk) to tell and show him that this isn't at all how men behave but it sure is how creeps, abusers, rapists behave. he unmistakably needs to be made to feel like a creep no one wants to have anything to do with.
bakerdphd.bsky.social Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 12d
This is the Yale professor's explanation for why he described the physical attractiveness of a student in an email to Epstein. He explicitly says he regrets nothing about their association.

Again, I'm so happy Yale hired David Brooks to restore trust.

yaledailynews.com/articles/gel...
Screenshot of the article that includes a quote from the professor's explanation to the dean: “I was recommending her for a job I thought she'd like. When you do that--when you actually care about a rec letter--you keep the potential boss's habits in mind,” Gelernter wrote in the email to his colleagues, seemingly referring to Epstein. “This one was obsessed with girls (like every other unmarried billionaire in Manhattan; in fact, like every other heterosex male), and if I hadn't said what I did in that letter ten-odd years ago, he would certainly have called me & asked for a lot more aesthetic detail. (This is how men behave.)”
February 5, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Marek
dermotlynott.bsky.social
Assistant Professor post in Maynooth (joint between Psychology and Education) is now advertised - closing date of March 4th, full details via: my.corehr.com/pls/nuimrecr...
#jobsfairy #irishResearch
@mupsychology.bsky.social
'
my.corehr.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Reposted by Marek
oisinmcgann.bsky.social
This is a genAI company *doing its own research* to find that using its product reduces coding skills.
hetanshah.bsky.social Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 13d
Striking paper from researchers at Anthropic using a randomised control trial to look at the effects of AI use on skills acquisition.

TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
February 4, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Marek
abeba.bsky.social
another week before the application portal closes (and no extension, unfortunately) so please apply and/or help circulate this ad
abeba.bsky.social Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · 27d
I’m looking for my right-hand person to come help me run the @aial.ie

- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00

Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...

Main Responsibilities👇🏾
Main Responsibilities Operational and Financial Administration: • Coordinate the day-to-day operational and administrative activities of the AI Accountability Lab. • Oversee lab budgets and financial planning for research grants and cost centres; monitor expenditure and prepare financial reports for the PI and Faculty Finance Office. • Ensure adherence to Trinity and funder financial policies and procurement procedures. • Maintain internal administrative systems, documentation, and records to support efficient project delivery. • Liaise with central Finance, the Research Development Office, and external funding bodies on budgetary and governance matters. • Coordinate HR administrative processes for the lab, including recruitment, onboarding, contract administration, and research staff extensions in liaison with central HR and the Research Office. • Create and maintain shared resources, calendars, and internal documentation. • Coordinate relationships and collaboration with other research centres, government bodies, policy makers, civil society partners, and media as required by the research team. • Plan and schedule internal lab meetings, reading groups, invited speakers, collaborative work sessions, and other events as required. Research Coordination and Governance: • Track project timelines, deliverables, reporting schedules, and ethical compliance across multiple funded projects. • Ensure research activities meet Trinity and funder governance requirements (e.g., ethics, data management, GDPR, and reporting). • Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative events with research centres and external partners as required. • Maintain shared documentation and project records to support effective collaboration. • Ensure that research outputs comply with ethical and scientific standards and satisfy the terms and conditions of relevant funding bodies. Communications and External Engagement • Coordinate internal and external communications for the lab, including its website, newsletters, and social media presence. • Liaise with policy makers, media, and stakeholder organisations on behalf of the lab, in consultation with the PI. • Support the dissemination of research outputs, such as academic publications, policy briefs, and public events in collaboration with ADAPT’s and TCD’s communications staff. • Work with Trinity Communications to prepare press releases and highlight lab achievements. • Representing the lab externally with media if required. Planning and Cross-Centre Coordination • Support the PI in delivering AIAL’s annual operational plan and reporting on progress against objectives. • Coordinate activities across multiple projects and partnerships to ensure consistency and alignment with institutional priorities. • Contribute to process improvements that strengthen the lab’s administrative and operational framework. • Act as a key contact for internal governance reviews, audits, and funder compliance checks. Any other duties or responsibilities as assigned by the PI or their delegate in support of the effective operation of the AI Accountability Lab and its objectives.
February 4, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Marek
debruine.bsky.social
If you have about 20 minutes, I would be grateful if you could help my undergraduate student explore whether common empathy questionnaires are actually interchangable in the ways they are used in the social science literature.
sara-eftekhari.bsky.social Sara Eftekhari @sara-eftekhari.bsky.social · 14d
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲:
Level 1 Psychology students at University of Glasgow (to earn 2 Credits on SONA):
glasgow.sona-systems.com/default.aspx...

Everyone else:
uofg.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺: Sara Eftekhari (dissertation student), and @debruine.bsky.social (supervisor).
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
uofg.qualtrics.com
February 3, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Marek
tomstafford.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy
Read my latest post for reflections on reproducibility, research quality and a summary of a great new study which shows how NOT to do it

https://open.substack.com/pub/tomstafford/p/gambling-with-research-quality
Gambling with research quality
How you get 244 different ways to measure performance on the same test of decision making. And what it means for the reliability of behavioural science
tomstafford.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:58 PM
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abeba.bsky.social
I am assembling resources for @aial.ie to mitigate/reduce risks (due to our research) from potential:

1)retaliation, defamation lawsuit etc for work on politically charged topics

2)emotional harm from dealing with sensitive issues (CSAM, hate, etc)

know of any helpful resources? pls share/repost
January 20, 2026 at 8:22 PM
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kristenwixx.bsky.social
A peacock opening its tail in slow motion.
January 31, 2026 at 11:22 PM
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fesshole.bsky.social
I've managed to convince my 5 year old he shouldn't touch the hoover. Now all he wants to do is the hoovering. He's just asked if he can do the whole house on Sunday? I replied "if you have to" Not sure if this is a cleaning hack or gas lighting and child abuse.
February 1, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Marek
oisinmcgann.bsky.social
Our government will go to such extraordinary lengths to avoid taking action. It is so frustrating. It’s like the Titanic has hit the iceberg and the captain is furious with his crew because his feet are getting wet.
pantibliss.bsky.social Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera @pantibliss.bsky.social · 19d
They're trying to blame Met Éireann for doing their job rather than blame their own failures or acknowledge that we will have to make sacrifices and real changes to mitigate the effects of climate change
thejournal.ie The Journal @thejournal.ie · 20d
Minister James Browne said Met Éireann needs to make a 'judgement call' rather than solely relying on mathematical formulas when it comes to issuing weather warnings jrnl.ie/6940649
January 31, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Marek
carlowweather.bsky.social
Few bright spells appearing over the solar farm under construction in Rathoe County Carlow.
January 31, 2026 at 2:41 PM