Olly Singleton
@oliversingleton.bsky.social
PhD Student in Cog Neuro🧠 at Katlab - UCL
Studying the human sense of object reality and unreality using VR and VR haptics
Views my own if you agree with them
Studying the human sense of object reality and unreality using VR and VR haptics
Views my own if you agree with them
Pinned
OSF
osf.io
🚨New preprint alert🚨
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
Reposted by Olly Singleton
This is what my AI colleagues should have been doing for long but instead they preferred to ride the hype wave
irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2023/01/14/s...
irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2023/01/14/s...
October 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
This is what my AI colleagues should have been doing for long but instead they preferred to ride the hype wave
irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2023/01/14/s...
irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2023/01/14/s...
Not going to name names, but myself and a group of colleagues are part of what is meant to be an 'international' society. They haven't held a conference or symposium outside of the east coast of the US for the past three years, and none of us have felt comfortable enough to attend.
August 5, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Not going to name names, but myself and a group of colleagues are part of what is meant to be an 'international' society. They haven't held a conference or symposium outside of the east coast of the US for the past three years, and none of us have felt comfortable enough to attend.
Reposted by Olly Singleton
I am once again pitching my romantic comedy:
- two academics start dating
- discover they are each other's terrible reviewer
- hijinks ensue
Working title: Love is Double-Blind
- two academics start dating
- discover they are each other's terrible reviewer
- hijinks ensue
Working title: Love is Double-Blind
June 18, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I am once again pitching my romantic comedy:
- two academics start dating
- discover they are each other's terrible reviewer
- hijinks ensue
Working title: Love is Double-Blind
- two academics start dating
- discover they are each other's terrible reviewer
- hijinks ensue
Working title: Love is Double-Blind
Reposted by Olly Singleton
Out now @mitpress.bsky.social: The Invisible Hand by @mattlongo.bsky.social - our hands shaped evolution, but their real power lies in the brain. 🧠✋ Longo blends anatomy, neuroscience, archaeology & more into a unified story of how we sense, move, and even think of our hands.
The Invisible Hand
The hand has a central role in both human evolution and cultural development—in our descent and in our ascent. It is, Immanuel Kant said, “the visible pa...
mitpress.mit.edu
April 25, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Out now @mitpress.bsky.social: The Invisible Hand by @mattlongo.bsky.social - our hands shaped evolution, but their real power lies in the brain. 🧠✋ Longo blends anatomy, neuroscience, archaeology & more into a unified story of how we sense, move, and even think of our hands.
My neuroscience background would probably compel me to write something based on free-will and the various experimentation people have done to determine whether 'Tu dois' really is a fundamental, deterministic law of the universe.
April 24, 2025 at 1:14 PM
My neuroscience background would probably compel me to write something based on free-will and the various experimentation people have done to determine whether 'Tu dois' really is a fundamental, deterministic law of the universe.
Reposted by Olly Singleton
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness: https://osf.io/7qvwu
April 8, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness: https://osf.io/7qvwu
Taken further, this argument suggests that the perception of virtual worlds is not so different than the perception of the 'real' world, meaning that virtual environments are not mere simulation - they are reality at the moment of perception as far as the brain is concerned
April 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Taken further, this argument suggests that the perception of virtual worlds is not so different than the perception of the 'real' world, meaning that virtual environments are not mere simulation - they are reality at the moment of perception as far as the brain is concerned
If this is the case, then VR research provides a radical avenue by which researchers can investigate facets of perceptual consciousness, including psychiatric disorders involving reality perception such as DPDR
4/🧵
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April 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
If this is the case, then VR research provides a radical avenue by which researchers can investigate facets of perceptual consciousness, including psychiatric disorders involving reality perception such as DPDR
4/🧵
4/🧵
In this piece, we argue that mechanistically and conceptually, presence and reality are actually identical - relying on the same integrative theoretical models, psychophysical mechanisms and neural architecture.
3/🧵
3/🧵
April 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
In this piece, we argue that mechanistically and conceptually, presence and reality are actually identical - relying on the same integrative theoretical models, psychophysical mechanisms and neural architecture.
3/🧵
3/🧵
'Presence' is a term used by researchers utilising VR methodologies to describe how present one feels within a virtual environment, whereas 'reality' used by researchers in cognitive science is a term used to describe our ability to discern real from false phenomena
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April 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
'Presence' is a term used by researchers utilising VR methodologies to describe how present one feels within a virtual environment, whereas 'reality' used by researchers in cognitive science is a term used to describe our ability to discern real from false phenomena
2/🧵
2/🧵
🚨New preprint alert🚨
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
OSF
osf.io
April 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
🚨New preprint alert🚨
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
Presence is Reality: Rethinking Virtual and Real-World Consciousness
In which we argue that 'presence' as defined and discussed in the field of computer science, is mechanistically and conceptually identical to 'reality'
osf.io/preprints/ps...
1/🧵
Reposted by Olly Singleton
1/3 New preprint alert! 🚨 doi.org/10.31219/osf...
Are you studying interoception in a developmental or parental context?
We introduce the Parental Interoception Questionnaire (PIQ), a new tool to assess how parents perceive and respond to their child’s bodily signals.
Are you studying interoception in a developmental or parental context?
We introduce the Parental Interoception Questionnaire (PIQ), a new tool to assess how parents perceive and respond to their child’s bodily signals.
OSF
doi.org
April 3, 2025 at 1:22 PM
1/3 New preprint alert! 🚨 doi.org/10.31219/osf...
Are you studying interoception in a developmental or parental context?
We introduce the Parental Interoception Questionnaire (PIQ), a new tool to assess how parents perceive and respond to their child’s bodily signals.
Are you studying interoception in a developmental or parental context?
We introduce the Parental Interoception Questionnaire (PIQ), a new tool to assess how parents perceive and respond to their child’s bodily signals.
Reposted by Olly Singleton
Just got a cold call from an energy company which was a chatbot- but a remarkably nuanced one. First time I’ve interrupted a phone conversation to say (with genuine curiosity) “excuse me are you an AI?”
Reminds me of this from Dennett: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Reminds me of this from Dennett: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
The Problem With Counterfeit People
Companies using AI to generate fake people are committing an immoral act of vandalism, and should be held liable.
www.theatlantic.com
March 27, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Just got a cold call from an energy company which was a chatbot- but a remarkably nuanced one. First time I’ve interrupted a phone conversation to say (with genuine curiosity) “excuse me are you an AI?”
Reminds me of this from Dennett: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Reminds me of this from Dennett: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Reposted by Olly Singleton
We're recruiting for new postdoc and RA positions on our @erc.europa.eu project "ConsciousComputation"
To apply and for more details, please see:
RA: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Postdoc: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Very happy to chat to anyone interested! 🧠🧪
To apply and for more details, please see:
RA: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Postdoc: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Very happy to chat to anyone interested! 🧠🧪
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
March 5, 2025 at 1:29 PM
We're recruiting for new postdoc and RA positions on our @erc.europa.eu project "ConsciousComputation"
To apply and for more details, please see:
RA: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Postdoc: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Very happy to chat to anyone interested! 🧠🧪
To apply and for more details, please see:
RA: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Postdoc: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Very happy to chat to anyone interested! 🧠🧪
This makes sense. I hate comparing LLMs to the human mind, but I imagine this would be like attempting to create a human being who didn't have the capacity to hallucinate
Predictive processing is foundational to how we operate, but also leaves room for unavoidable error (hallucinations)
Predictive processing is foundational to how we operate, but also leaves room for unavoidable error (hallucinations)
Because AI hallucinations are fundamental to how LLMs work, researchers say that eliminating them completely is impossible
https://go.nature.com/4hhFRRm
https://go.nature.com/4hhFRRm
AI hallucinations can’t be stopped — but these techniques can limit their damage
Nature - Developers have tricks to stop artificial intelligence from making things up, but large language models are still struggling to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
go.nature.com
February 2, 2025 at 11:45 AM
This makes sense. I hate comparing LLMs to the human mind, but I imagine this would be like attempting to create a human being who didn't have the capacity to hallucinate
Predictive processing is foundational to how we operate, but also leaves room for unavoidable error (hallucinations)
Predictive processing is foundational to how we operate, but also leaves room for unavoidable error (hallucinations)
Reposted by Olly Singleton
🚓Police sexual misconduct allegations soared 67% between 2023-24 in England & Wales @politicshome.bsky.social analysis reveals
The number of allegations relating to sexual conduct –including assault & harassment – against police officers rose to 819 in 2024
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
The number of allegations relating to sexual conduct –including assault & harassment – against police officers rose to 819 in 2024
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Police Sexual Misconduct Allegations Soar 67 Per Cent In One Year
Allegations relating to sexual conduct involving police officers have soared by more than two thirds last year, according to analysis of new govern...
www.politicshome.com
January 31, 2025 at 3:22 PM
🚓Police sexual misconduct allegations soared 67% between 2023-24 in England & Wales @politicshome.bsky.social analysis reveals
The number of allegations relating to sexual conduct –including assault & harassment – against police officers rose to 819 in 2024
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
The number of allegations relating to sexual conduct –including assault & harassment – against police officers rose to 819 in 2024
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Reposted by Olly Singleton
I have passed my PhD Upgrade and now head into the second year of my PhD!
We have covered passive touch and behavioural measures of reality, going on to investigate active touch, utilising EEG to determine whether neural signatures signal a person's surety that objects independently exist
We have covered passive touch and behavioural measures of reality, going on to investigate active touch, utilising EEG to determine whether neural signatures signal a person's surety that objects independently exist
December 13, 2024 at 1:58 PM
I have passed my PhD Upgrade and now head into the second year of my PhD!
We have covered passive touch and behavioural measures of reality, going on to investigate active touch, utilising EEG to determine whether neural signatures signal a person's surety that objects independently exist
We have covered passive touch and behavioural measures of reality, going on to investigate active touch, utilising EEG to determine whether neural signatures signal a person's surety that objects independently exist
Reposted by Olly Singleton
What are the prospects for AI that is, or irresistibly appears to be, conscious? Here’s a substantially revised version of my paper “Conscious artificial intelligence and biological naturalism” - many thanks to many folks for super-helpful comments osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
December 10, 2024 at 7:10 PM
What are the prospects for AI that is, or irresistibly appears to be, conscious? Here’s a substantially revised version of my paper “Conscious artificial intelligence and biological naturalism” - many thanks to many folks for super-helpful comments osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Olly Singleton
Wow it's becoming more and more human-like by the day!
November 24, 2023 at 1:57 PM
Wow it's becoming more and more human-like by the day!
pokemon pocket friend code reveal when? 👉👈
November 21, 2024 at 3:03 PM
pokemon pocket friend code reveal when? 👉👈
Reposted by Olly Singleton
(1/5) Very excited to announce the publication of Bayesian Models of Cognition: Reverse Engineering the Mind. More than a decade in the making, it's a big (600+ pages) beautiful book covering both the basics and recent work: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204941...
November 19, 2024 at 9:33 PM
(1/5) Very excited to announce the publication of Bayesian Models of Cognition: Reverse Engineering the Mind. More than a decade in the making, it's a big (600+ pages) beautiful book covering both the basics and recent work: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204941...
Reposted by Olly Singleton
➡️Parent-child half-term activity alert!
This is an opportunity for children to be engaged in a science experiment AND learn about their body signals. Parents will complete a novel computer task about their own child's body signals! 🫀
Sign up here:
qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...
This is an opportunity for children to be engaged in a science experiment AND learn about their body signals. Parents will complete a novel computer task about their own child's body signals! 🫀
Sign up here:
qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...
February 2, 2024 at 8:56 AM
➡️Parent-child half-term activity alert!
This is an opportunity for children to be engaged in a science experiment AND learn about their body signals. Parents will complete a novel computer task about their own child's body signals! 🫀
Sign up here:
qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...
This is an opportunity for children to be engaged in a science experiment AND learn about their body signals. Parents will complete a novel computer task about their own child's body signals! 🫀
Sign up here:
qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...