Nora Bradford
@norabradford.bsky.social
teaching faculty @ UPenn
cog sci PhD student @ UC Irvine w/Megan Peters
science writer (words in Scientific American, Science News, Nat Geo and other outlets)
studied phil + neuro + psych @ UChicago - she/they
norabradford.com
cog sci PhD student @ UC Irvine w/Megan Peters
science writer (words in Scientific American, Science News, Nat Geo and other outlets)
studied phil + neuro + psych @ UChicago - she/they
norabradford.com
well that was a lovely way to spend an evening! thanks for organizing these, @sarahmackattack.bsky.social !
Lots of great art and conversations tonight at Bad Art for Good (and the cheese donation? hell yeah Perrystead Dairy)!
I got started on a tree-focused zine but unfortunately the jet lag is still hitting me like a bag of bricks at 8pm every night so I didn’t finish it. I’ll continue later!
I got started on a tree-focused zine but unfortunately the jet lag is still hitting me like a bag of bricks at 8pm every night so I didn’t finish it. I’ll continue later!
November 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
well that was a lovely way to spend an evening! thanks for organizing these, @sarahmackattack.bsky.social !
Reposted by Nora Bradford
On a related note, this September I attended @comm4rigor.bsky.social's C4R25 conference, where I had the chance to talk about rigor in science with a bunch of fellow researchers. (1/2)
November 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM
On a related note, this September I attended @comm4rigor.bsky.social's C4R25 conference, where I had the chance to talk about rigor in science with a bunch of fellow researchers. (1/2)
Reposted by Nora Bradford
A recent study shows what happens in our brains during a moment of insight. Nora Bradford reports: www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
How Your Brain Creates ‘Aha’ Moments and Why They Stick | Quanta Magazine
A sudden flash of insight is a product of your brain. Neuroscientists track the neural activity underlying an “aha” and how it might boost memory.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 5, 2025 at 3:17 PM
A recent study shows what happens in our brains during a moment of insight. Nora Bradford reports: www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
My second piece for @quantamagazine.bsky.social is out today with an amazing custom gif by Irene Pérez!
www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
How Your Brain Creates ‘Aha’ Moments and Why They Stick | Quanta Magazine
A sudden flash of insight is a product of your brain. Neuroscientists track the neural activity underlying an “aha” and how it might boost memory.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 5, 2025 at 3:29 PM
My second piece for @quantamagazine.bsky.social is out today with an amazing custom gif by Irene Pérez!
www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
This one shouldn't get lost tonight.
🚨 Mainers have voted to pass a red flag law, which will allow family members to petition courts to remove firearms from a loved one in danger.
www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/04/p...
www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/04/p...
Maine passes ‘red flag’ law born out of the Lewiston shooting
The yes side of Question 2 had 60.1% of votes to 39.9% for the no side when the Bangor Daily News and its national partner, Decision Desk HQ, called the race at 9:48 p.m. Tuesday.
www.bangordailynews.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:50 AM
This one shouldn't get lost tonight.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Become a Visiting Fellow or Postdoc!
Applications for 2026-27 now open for Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows!
More info and application link is available on our website at https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/programs/overview/
#PhilosophyOfScience #ResearchFellowship #PostdocOpportunities
Applications for 2026-27 now open for Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows!
More info and application link is available on our website at https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/programs/overview/
#PhilosophyOfScience #ResearchFellowship #PostdocOpportunities
October 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Become a Visiting Fellow or Postdoc!
Applications for 2026-27 now open for Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows!
More info and application link is available on our website at https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/programs/overview/
#PhilosophyOfScience #ResearchFellowship #PostdocOpportunities
Applications for 2026-27 now open for Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Fellows!
More info and application link is available on our website at https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/programs/overview/
#PhilosophyOfScience #ResearchFellowship #PostdocOpportunities
i love my neighborhood!
billypenn.com/2025/11/01/w...
billypenn.com/2025/11/01/w...
DIY or bust: West Philly’s self-made Halloween celebrations (photos)
There’s no shame in buying a costume (really), but these 4 events reveled in creativity and community.
billypenn.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:21 PM
i love my neighborhood!
billypenn.com/2025/11/01/w...
billypenn.com/2025/11/01/w...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
The amount of AI generated art in slides at this conference, primarily used by older scientists, is killing me. Scientists please. Don’t use these ai platforms to make your figures or slides. They look bad and I have yet to see them meaningfully improve the message of talks.
October 31, 2025 at 3:09 AM
The amount of AI generated art in slides at this conference, primarily used by older scientists, is killing me. Scientists please. Don’t use these ai platforms to make your figures or slides. They look bad and I have yet to see them meaningfully improve the message of talks.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
MindCORE Summer Fellowship Program
May 31-Aug 7, 2026
This is a paid 10-wk research experience for undergrad students matched with select Penn faculty in mind sciences.
Open to both Penn students & non-Penn US students through our REU.
Apply by Jan 11: mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/research/sum...
May 31-Aug 7, 2026
This is a paid 10-wk research experience for undergrad students matched with select Penn faculty in mind sciences.
Open to both Penn students & non-Penn US students through our REU.
Apply by Jan 11: mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/research/sum...
October 30, 2025 at 7:36 PM
MindCORE Summer Fellowship Program
May 31-Aug 7, 2026
This is a paid 10-wk research experience for undergrad students matched with select Penn faculty in mind sciences.
Open to both Penn students & non-Penn US students through our REU.
Apply by Jan 11: mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/research/sum...
May 31-Aug 7, 2026
This is a paid 10-wk research experience for undergrad students matched with select Penn faculty in mind sciences.
Open to both Penn students & non-Penn US students through our REU.
Apply by Jan 11: mindcore.sas.upenn.edu/research/sum...
Calling all op-ed writers and editors!
My Penn students are about to begin a unit on op-eds, and I'm wondering if anyone might be willing to talk to them for like 15-30 minutes on zoom about what makes a good op-ed, why op-eds are important, or anything else op-ed related!
My Penn students are about to begin a unit on op-eds, and I'm wondering if anyone might be willing to talk to them for like 15-30 minutes on zoom about what makes a good op-ed, why op-eds are important, or anything else op-ed related!
October 23, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Calling all op-ed writers and editors!
My Penn students are about to begin a unit on op-eds, and I'm wondering if anyone might be willing to talk to them for like 15-30 minutes on zoom about what makes a good op-ed, why op-eds are important, or anything else op-ed related!
My Penn students are about to begin a unit on op-eds, and I'm wondering if anyone might be willing to talk to them for like 15-30 minutes on zoom about what makes a good op-ed, why op-eds are important, or anything else op-ed related!
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Children can solve a difficult sorting task by spontaneously discovering efficient sorting algorithms. Older children outperform younger children, showing developmental growth in strategy use and problem-solving. @hw-yang.bsky.social
@celestekidd.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@celestekidd.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Children spontaneously discover efficient solutions to a difficult sorting task - Nature Human Behaviour
Children successfully solved a challenging sorting task by spontaneously discovering efficient sorting strategies, such as selection sort and shaker sort. Older children outperformed younger ones, demonstrating developmental progress in strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
www.nature.com
October 5, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Children can solve a difficult sorting task by spontaneously discovering efficient sorting algorithms. Older children outperform younger children, showing developmental growth in strategy use and problem-solving. @hw-yang.bsky.social
@celestekidd.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@celestekidd.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Yes! @upenn.edu declines signing The Compact. I'm proud of this decision.
October 16, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Yes! @upenn.edu declines signing The Compact. I'm proud of this decision.
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Neuromatch Academy 2026 is coming!
✅ Hands-on projects
✅ Global community
✅ Affordable fees
Applications open Feb 2026.
Learn more: neuromatch.io/courses/
Sign up for updates: neuromatch.io/mailing-list/
#ComputationalNeuroscience #DeepLearning #ClimateScience #NeuroAI #Neuroscience #AI
✅ Hands-on projects
✅ Global community
✅ Affordable fees
Applications open Feb 2026.
Learn more: neuromatch.io/courses/
Sign up for updates: neuromatch.io/mailing-list/
#ComputationalNeuroscience #DeepLearning #ClimateScience #NeuroAI #Neuroscience #AI
October 16, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Neuromatch Academy 2026 is coming!
✅ Hands-on projects
✅ Global community
✅ Affordable fees
Applications open Feb 2026.
Learn more: neuromatch.io/courses/
Sign up for updates: neuromatch.io/mailing-list/
#ComputationalNeuroscience #DeepLearning #ClimateScience #NeuroAI #Neuroscience #AI
✅ Hands-on projects
✅ Global community
✅ Affordable fees
Applications open Feb 2026.
Learn more: neuromatch.io/courses/
Sign up for updates: neuromatch.io/mailing-list/
#ComputationalNeuroscience #DeepLearning #ClimateScience #NeuroAI #Neuroscience #AI
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Last chance to sign up for our event happening tomorrow from 4-530pm w/ Dr. Joe Romm tomorrow "Communication is a Climate Solution: How Taylor Swift Can Level Up Your Storytelling"!
#upenn #climatechange #penncssm #pcssm #climateweekatpenn
@michaelemann.bsky.social
web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
#upenn #climatechange #penncssm #pcssm #climateweekatpenn
@michaelemann.bsky.social
web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
Communication is a Climate Solution: How Taylor Swift Can Level Up Your Storytelling
The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media is excited to host a climate communications and storytelling mini workshop with PCSSM Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joseph Romm. Romm is an exper...
web.sas.upenn.edu
October 15, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Last chance to sign up for our event happening tomorrow from 4-530pm w/ Dr. Joe Romm tomorrow "Communication is a Climate Solution: How Taylor Swift Can Level Up Your Storytelling"!
#upenn #climatechange #penncssm #pcssm #climateweekatpenn
@michaelemann.bsky.social
web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
#upenn #climatechange #penncssm #pcssm #climateweekatpenn
@michaelemann.bsky.social
web.sas.upenn.edu/pcssm/calend...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
The West Philly Tool Library has become an institution in its neighborhood over 18 years. Now, they're looking for a new home for their 5,000 tools and roster of classes. billypenn.com/2025/10/14/w...
West Philly Tool Library is looking for a new home
The West Philly Tool Library lends more than 5,000 tools to its members. It recently learned its lease wouldn’t be renewed.
billypenn.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The West Philly Tool Library has become an institution in its neighborhood over 18 years. Now, they're looking for a new home for their 5,000 tools and roster of classes. billypenn.com/2025/10/14/w...
"What is the point of science journalists if we’re just recapitulating the content that is in a press release without interrogating it? If we are little more than the machines we are so terrified of, what is the point...the standard we walk past is the standard we accept" !!!
If science journalism is going to survive genAI (and Jen, from Corporate), we're going to have to do a lot more than rewrite press releases 🧪
What The **** Is The Point Of Us Then?
Are we better than the machines or not?
nobreakthroughs.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 10:50 PM
"What is the point of science journalists if we’re just recapitulating the content that is in a press release without interrogating it? If we are little more than the machines we are so terrified of, what is the point...the standard we walk past is the standard we accept" !!!
new teaching experience unlocked: a mouse showed up in my classroom today
October 13, 2025 at 7:47 PM
new teaching experience unlocked: a mouse showed up in my classroom today
wooo!!
📣 BIG NEWS EVERYONE. I am so excited to announce…
🎉 I’m moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! 🎉
The big move happens in spring/summer. So I’m already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
🎉 I’m moving to University College London @ucl.ac.uk to join the Experimental Psychology department in @uclpals.bsky.social! 🎉
The big move happens in spring/summer. So I’m already exploring recruiting staff & students at UCL for fall 2026!
October 13, 2025 at 4:29 PM
wooo!!
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Made by @aaup-penn.bsky.social member!
October 13, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Made by @aaup-penn.bsky.social member!
sometimes I look around and start tearing up a little bit at how happy I am to live here
I have a tendency to say this every day but I love Philadelphia so much and feel like it’s such an honor to get to live here with my neighbors.
October 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
sometimes I look around and start tearing up a little bit at how happy I am to live here
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Why are some people more prone to believe in conspiracy theories? Part of the answer may lie in metacognition, i.e., the ability to correctly estimate one's own knowledge about topics.
-> New paper with @kwinter.bsky.social, @kaisassenberg.bsky.social & Helen Fischer
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2044...
-> New paper with @kwinter.bsky.social, @kaisassenberg.bsky.social & Helen Fischer
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2044...
“Knowing what I don’t know” – belief in conspiracy theories relates to lower metacognitive sensitivity: a signal detection theoretic approach
Beliefs in conspiracy theories are seemingly hard to dispute through facts. Researchers have partly attributed this resistance to certain information processing styles that are associated with cons...
doi.org
October 9, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Why are some people more prone to believe in conspiracy theories? Part of the answer may lie in metacognition, i.e., the ability to correctly estimate one's own knowledge about topics.
-> New paper with @kwinter.bsky.social, @kaisassenberg.bsky.social & Helen Fischer
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2044...
-> New paper with @kwinter.bsky.social, @kaisassenberg.bsky.social & Helen Fischer
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2044...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
🚨🚨🚨 The Subjectivity Lab is looking for a lab manager! The position is available immediately. We want someone who can help coordinate our large sample fMRI study, plus other behavioral work. Because *gestures at everything* the job was approved only now (ends in June 2026). Great opportunity! 🧵 1/4
Laboratory Technician
About the Opportunity SUMMARY The Subjectivity Lab, directed by Jorge Morales, and housed in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University is excited to invite applications for a full-time L...
northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
September 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
🚨🚨🚨 The Subjectivity Lab is looking for a lab manager! The position is available immediately. We want someone who can help coordinate our large sample fMRI study, plus other behavioral work. Because *gestures at everything* the job was approved only now (ends in June 2026). Great opportunity! 🧵 1/4
Reposted by Nora Bradford
Hii! Last week Quanta published a project I've been working on all year — a special issue about climate science, or what research into climate change is revealing about how our planet works www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
How We Came To Know Earth | Quanta Magazine
Climate science is the most significant scientific collaboration in history. This series from Quanta Magazine guides you through basic climate science — from quantum effects to ancient hothouses, from...
www.quantamagazine.org
September 25, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Hii! Last week Quanta published a project I've been working on all year — a special issue about climate science, or what research into climate change is revealing about how our planet works www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
Reposted by Nora Bradford
13/ Paulina will definitely be in my book, but she deserves proper recognition in a major publication profile. I would do it, but I am writing a book. Someone should be beat me to it!
I came across her work in the first chapter of the late David Golumbia's "Cyberlibertarianism."
I came across her work in the first chapter of the late David Golumbia's "Cyberlibertarianism."
September 24, 2025 at 6:46 PM
13/ Paulina will definitely be in my book, but she deserves proper recognition in a major publication profile. I would do it, but I am writing a book. Someone should be beat me to it!
I came across her work in the first chapter of the late David Golumbia's "Cyberlibertarianism."
I came across her work in the first chapter of the late David Golumbia's "Cyberlibertarianism."