Matthew Sims
@philosobio.bsky.social
HPS affiliate at the University of Cambridge and TMB affiliate (University of Sydney and Macquarie University): Philosophy of biology/cognitive science, plasticity, learning, memory, niche construction, evolvability, agency, slime mould, varanids
Pinned
Matthew Sims
@philosobio.bsky.social
· Feb 12
Slime Mould and Philosophy
Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - Slime Mould and Philosophy
www.cambridge.org
Although I was not given funding to publish this OA, if anyone (or any one that you know) would like a pdf of the book, shoot me a message. I'd be more than happy to send it your way. www.cambridge.org/core/element...
Microbe with bizarrely tiny genome may be evolving into a virus | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Microbe with bizarrely tiny genome may be evolving into a virus
With DNA focused almost entirely on replication, newly discovered organism blurs the line between cells and viruses
www.science.org
October 12, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Microbe with bizarrely tiny genome may be evolving into a virus | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Matthew Sims
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
<i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - <i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
www.cambridge.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
Reposted by Matthew Sims
“Traits” are central units of biological analysis—but how should they be individuated, and relative to which ontogenetic frame of reference? In my new paper, I argue that answering this isn’t easy—and matters more than it seems. 📃👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #HPBio #evosky #evodevo
July 18, 2025 at 6:33 PM
“Traits” are central units of biological analysis—but how should they be individuated, and relative to which ontogenetic frame of reference? In my new paper, I argue that answering this isn’t easy—and matters more than it seems. 📃👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #HPBio #evosky #evodevo
Reposted by Matthew Sims
New semester, new lecture series 🎉Starting next month, we welcome amazing scholars to give online talks in the history and philosophy of life sciences. Find all dates and registration links here: rotorub.wordpress.com/roto-lecture...
We look forward to seeing you there 🤗
#PhilSci #HistSci #HPBio
We look forward to seeing you there 🤗
#PhilSci #HistSci #HPBio
September 10, 2025 at 3:21 PM
New semester, new lecture series 🎉Starting next month, we welcome amazing scholars to give online talks in the history and philosophy of life sciences. Find all dates and registration links here: rotorub.wordpress.com/roto-lecture...
We look forward to seeing you there 🤗
#PhilSci #HistSci #HPBio
We look forward to seeing you there 🤗
#PhilSci #HistSci #HPBio
A few photo moments from the Shanghai and Beijing SAPoLSN 'Cognition Across the Tree of Life' graduate summer school and workshop. Highlights: engaging with extremely sharp students; getting to know some of the other instructors; seeing old friends; Chinese culture; and Shanghainese food!
September 1, 2025 at 10:07 PM
A few photo moments from the Shanghai and Beijing SAPoLSN 'Cognition Across the Tree of Life' graduate summer school and workshop. Highlights: engaging with extremely sharp students; getting to know some of the other instructors; seeing old friends; Chinese culture; and Shanghainese food!
Reposted by Matthew Sims
September 1, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Reposted by Matthew Sims
"Elisabeth S. Vrba, the “Three Musketeers,” and the Expansion of Macroevolutionary Theory"
Elisabeth S. Vrba, the “Three Musketeers,” and the Expansion of Macroevolutionary Theory - Journal of the History of Biology
Elisabeth S. Vrba (1942–2025) was an important figure in paleobiology and evolutionary theory, leaving an indelible mark on macroevolutionary research. Vrba’s collaboration with Stephen Jay Gould led ...
link.springer.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
"Elisabeth S. Vrba, the “Three Musketeers,” and the Expansion of Macroevolutionary Theory"
Reposted by Matthew Sims
A wonderful article on work (both old and new) pushing the frontier of memory research.
If you’ve ever tried to cram for an exam, you know that it’s easier to memorize something if you learn the information in shorter, spaced-out sessions. These dynamics are as relevant to each individual cell’s existence as they are to ours. Claire Evans reports: www.quantamagazine.org/what-can-a-c...
What Can a Cell Remember? | Quanta Magazine
A small but enthusiastic group of neuroscientists is exhuming overlooked experiments and performing new ones to explore whether cells record past experiences — fundamentally challenging what memory is...
www.quantamagazine.org
July 30, 2025 at 3:05 PM
A wonderful article on work (both old and new) pushing the frontier of memory research.
Here's your chance to download not only my book 'Slime Mould and Philosophy' , but download ALL the books in Cambridge Elements Philosophy of Biology series from the 20th to the 25th of July for FREE! I highly recommend Jan Baedke's (2025) book 'The Organism'.
cup.org/4kEgivL
#ISHPSSB #philosophy
cup.org/4kEgivL
#ISHPSSB #philosophy
Philosophy of Biology
Welcome to Cambridge Core
cup.org
July 21, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Here's your chance to download not only my book 'Slime Mould and Philosophy' , but download ALL the books in Cambridge Elements Philosophy of Biology series from the 20th to the 25th of July for FREE! I highly recommend Jan Baedke's (2025) book 'The Organism'.
cup.org/4kEgivL
#ISHPSSB #philosophy
cup.org/4kEgivL
#ISHPSSB #philosophy
This year's BSPS at the University of Glasgow was grand. I had a wonderful time with Jordan Theriault; @davidcolaco.bsky.social; @phaueis.bsky.social; and Patrick McGivern at our symposium (serious Phil of sci pic). @martahalina.bsky.social was missed by all. Up next - the ISH in Porto.
July 19, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This year's BSPS at the University of Glasgow was grand. I had a wonderful time with Jordan Theriault; @davidcolaco.bsky.social; @phaueis.bsky.social; and Patrick McGivern at our symposium (serious Phil of sci pic). @martahalina.bsky.social was missed by all. Up next - the ISH in Porto.
More on C.H. Waddington at the KLI.
June 21, 2025 at 12:08 PM
More on C.H. Waddington at the KLI.
More documentation of the wonderful talks at the 43rd Annual Altenberg Workshop at Konrad Lorenz Institute this last week.
June 21, 2025 at 12:06 PM
More documentation of the wonderful talks at the 43rd Annual Altenberg Workshop at Konrad Lorenz Institute this last week.
More theoretical biology and C.H. Waddington at the KLI. More to come.
June 19, 2025 at 12:41 PM
More theoretical biology and C.H. Waddington at the KLI. More to come.
Theoretical biology at the KLI.
June 19, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Theoretical biology at the KLI.
Reposted by Matthew Sims
🌱 Call for Contributions – FoGeL 2025: Plant-based 🌿
📍 Dresden | 🗓️ Sept 23, 2025
One day before the annual meeting of the @gwmt.bsky.social, we're looking at #plants in the history of the life sciences
Submit your idea by June 15 to vera.straetmanns[at]rub.de - in German or English.
#HistSci #HPBio
📍 Dresden | 🗓️ Sept 23, 2025
One day before the annual meeting of the @gwmt.bsky.social, we're looking at #plants in the history of the life sciences
Submit your idea by June 15 to vera.straetmanns[at]rub.de - in German or English.
#HistSci #HPBio
June 13, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Highly recommend!
June 12, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Highly recommend!
Reposted by Matthew Sims
Upcoming Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science: Decentering the Human in Human Sciences on Friday, May 2nd and Saturday, May 3rd. Free and open to the public. Speakers include @martahalina.bsky.social & @grantramsey.bsky.social #philsci
www.bu.edu/cphs/colloqu...
www.bu.edu/cphs/colloqu...
April 28, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Upcoming Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science: Decentering the Human in Human Sciences on Friday, May 2nd and Saturday, May 3rd. Free and open to the public. Speakers include @martahalina.bsky.social & @grantramsey.bsky.social #philsci
www.bu.edu/cphs/colloqu...
www.bu.edu/cphs/colloqu...
Reposted by Matthew Sims
Join us Monday at 4pm (CET) for our next Reading Group session! 📖🧠
We’ll be discussing "Biological Mistakes: What They Are and What They Mean for the Experimental Biologist" by David Oderberg et al., published in @thebjps.bsky.social.
Just email jan.baedke[at]rub.de for the meeting details!
#HPBio
We’ll be discussing "Biological Mistakes: What They Are and What They Mean for the Experimental Biologist" by David Oderberg et al., published in @thebjps.bsky.social.
Just email jan.baedke[at]rub.de for the meeting details!
#HPBio
April 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Join us Monday at 4pm (CET) for our next Reading Group session! 📖🧠
We’ll be discussing "Biological Mistakes: What They Are and What They Mean for the Experimental Biologist" by David Oderberg et al., published in @thebjps.bsky.social.
Just email jan.baedke[at]rub.de for the meeting details!
#HPBio
We’ll be discussing "Biological Mistakes: What They Are and What They Mean for the Experimental Biologist" by David Oderberg et al., published in @thebjps.bsky.social.
Just email jan.baedke[at]rub.de for the meeting details!
#HPBio
Reposted by Matthew Sims
My new paper examining how plasticity may have shaped the evolution of cellular differentiation is out! We propose that the plastic development of somatic-like cells may have been an intermediate step in the evolution of soma in the volvocine algae. #evosky #mevosky doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Plasticity and the evolution of group-level regulation of cellular differentiation in the volvocine algae | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
During the evolution of multicellularity, the unit of selection transitions from single
cells to integrated multicellular cell groups, necessitating the evolution of group-level
traits such as somatic...
doi.org
March 21, 2025 at 6:53 PM
My new paper examining how plasticity may have shaped the evolution of cellular differentiation is out! We propose that the plastic development of somatic-like cells may have been an intermediate step in the evolution of soma in the volvocine algae. #evosky #mevosky doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
A very well argued and thought provoking blogpost by
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social
www.wiringthebrain.com/2025/01/euge...
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social
www.wiringthebrain.com/2025/01/euge...
Eugenics, statistical hubris, and unknowable unknowns in human genetics
A new paper just out in Nature , by Peter Visscher and colleagues (including bio-ethicist Julian Salvulescu) explores the idea of polygenic...
www.wiringthebrain.com
March 9, 2025 at 6:54 PM
A very well argued and thought provoking blogpost by
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social
www.wiringthebrain.com/2025/01/euge...
@wiringthebrain.bsky.social
www.wiringthebrain.com/2025/01/euge...
Reposted by Matthew Sims
Last Friday, I had a lot of fun presenting my joint work with @philosobio.bsky.social on basal cognition research at UPV/EHU. Thanks a lot to @ias-research.bsky.social for the invitation! The recording is available here: youtu.be/GTzaRhwilIM?... 📃👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #cogsky
Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda - On the Prospects of Basal Cognition Research Becoming Fully Evolutionary
YouTube video by IAS Research
youtu.be
March 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Last Friday, I had a lot of fun presenting my joint work with @philosobio.bsky.social on basal cognition research at UPV/EHU. Thanks a lot to @ias-research.bsky.social for the invitation! The recording is available here: youtu.be/GTzaRhwilIM?... 📃👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #cogsky
Reposted by Matthew Sims
Pretty excited by this new addition to the bookshelf...
Which you can add to your own bookshelf here:
www.amazon.com/Drive-Surviv...
Or download for *free* here: direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Which you can add to your own bookshelf here:
www.amazon.com/Drive-Surviv...
Or download for *free* here: direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
February 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Pretty excited by this new addition to the bookshelf...
Which you can add to your own bookshelf here:
www.amazon.com/Drive-Surviv...
Or download for *free* here: direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Which you can add to your own bookshelf here:
www.amazon.com/Drive-Surviv...
Or download for *free* here: direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...