Ralf Kurvers
@ralfkurvers.bsky.social
Collective decision making in human and non-human animals. Senior Researcher @arc-mpib.bsky.social | PI SCIoI | Guest researcher @leibnizigb.bsky.social |
Website: ralfkurvers.com/ | www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/person/93403/2549
Website: ralfkurvers.com/ | www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/person/93403/2549
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
❄️🎣 What ice-fishing competitions reveal about human decision-making. New paper in @science.org by researchers from @mpib-berlin.bsky.social, @scioi.bsky.social, and the University of Eastern Finland.
👉 Read more: www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/newsroom/new...
📄 Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
👉 Read more: www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/newsroom/new...
📄 Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
January 29, 2026 at 7:32 PM
❄️🎣 What ice-fishing competitions reveal about human decision-making. New paper in @science.org by researchers from @mpib-berlin.bsky.social, @scioi.bsky.social, and the University of Eastern Finland.
👉 Read more: www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/newsroom/new...
📄 Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
👉 Read more: www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/newsroom/new...
📄 Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
We have published a new short video of a series on hybrid collective intelligence from the HACID project. In this video, we introduce the field, discussing how human experts and AI systems can join forces to produce better solutions to complex problems.
youtu.be/3dwGpLo0EE0
youtu.be/3dwGpLo0EE0
Hybrid Collective Intelligence: What and Why
YouTube video by HACID Project
youtu.be
January 29, 2026 at 11:21 AM
We have published a new short video of a series on hybrid collective intelligence from the HACID project. In this video, we introduce the field, discussing how human experts and AI systems can join forces to produce better solutions to complex problems.
youtu.be/3dwGpLo0EE0
youtu.be/3dwGpLo0EE0
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Is academia just a job?
We assigned this paper in our professional development seminar last week and it was quite popular.
My view: I grew up in a working class family and no one I knew considered their job "a calling". I also had a bunch of jobs that felt, well, like jobs.
We assigned this paper in our professional development seminar last week and it was quite popular.
My view: I grew up in a working class family and no one I knew considered their job "a calling". I also had a bunch of jobs that felt, well, like jobs.
January 28, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Is academia just a job?
We assigned this paper in our professional development seminar last week and it was quite popular.
My view: I grew up in a working class family and no one I knew considered their job "a calling". I also had a bunch of jobs that felt, well, like jobs.
We assigned this paper in our professional development seminar last week and it was quite popular.
My view: I grew up in a working class family and no one I knew considered their job "a calling". I also had a bunch of jobs that felt, well, like jobs.
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Please spread the news:
14 PostDoctoral Fellowships in the Early Career Rescue Fellowship Programme in Freiburg, Konstanz and Tübingen.
Contact me, if you want to work with us in Tübingen.
stellen.uni-konstanz.de/en/jobpostin...
14 PostDoctoral Fellowships in the Early Career Rescue Fellowship Programme in Freiburg, Konstanz and Tübingen.
Contact me, if you want to work with us in Tübingen.
stellen.uni-konstanz.de/en/jobpostin...
14 Postdoctoral Fellowships - Early Career Rescue Fellowship Programme
stellen.uni-konstanz.de
December 8, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Please spread the news:
14 PostDoctoral Fellowships in the Early Career Rescue Fellowship Programme in Freiburg, Konstanz and Tübingen.
Contact me, if you want to work with us in Tübingen.
stellen.uni-konstanz.de/en/jobpostin...
14 PostDoctoral Fellowships in the Early Career Rescue Fellowship Programme in Freiburg, Konstanz and Tübingen.
Contact me, if you want to work with us in Tübingen.
stellen.uni-konstanz.de/en/jobpostin...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
🚨 New in Nature+Science!🚨
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
December 4, 2025 at 8:43 PM
🚨 New in Nature+Science!🚨
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Working my way slowly through the @manymindspod.bsky.social back catalogue. This one with @iyadrahwan.bsky.social is really good on a cultural evolution analysis of machine / digital culture
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
The rise of machine culture
Podcast Episode · Many Minds · 31/10/2024 · 1h 20m
podcasts.apple.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Working my way slowly through the @manymindspod.bsky.social back catalogue. This one with @iyadrahwan.bsky.social is really good on a cultural evolution analysis of machine / digital culture
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
This article provides more data showing how easy it is to manipulate humans on social media.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
Reranking partisan animosity in algorithmic social media feeds alters affective polarization
Today, social media platforms hold the sole power to study the effects of feed-ranking algorithms. We developed a platform-independent method that reranks participants’ feeds in real time and used thi...
www.science.org
November 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This article provides more data showing how easy it is to manipulate humans on social media.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
These researchers rerouted the algorithm on Twitter to push some users toward “antidemocratic attitudes and partisan animosity”.
It only took 1 week to elicit changes that used to take 3 years.
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Postdoc position in individual-level incentives, social
learning, and payoff-biased imitation shape group-level accuracy in complex prediction and decision-making tasks in Konstanz
files.newsletter2go.com/l3slzozn/s_i...
learning, and payoff-biased imitation shape group-level accuracy in complex prediction and decision-making tasks in Konstanz
files.newsletter2go.com/l3slzozn/s_i...
files.newsletter2go.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Postdoc position in individual-level incentives, social
learning, and payoff-biased imitation shape group-level accuracy in complex prediction and decision-making tasks in Konstanz
files.newsletter2go.com/l3slzozn/s_i...
learning, and payoff-biased imitation shape group-level accuracy in complex prediction and decision-making tasks in Konstanz
files.newsletter2go.com/l3slzozn/s_i...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Two postdoctoral opportunities in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University!
The Pontzer Lab is hiring for projects on human ecology, energetics, and aging & health.
More info: www.hbes.com/two-postdoct...
The Pontzer Lab is hiring for projects on human ecology, energetics, and aging & health.
More info: www.hbes.com/two-postdoct...
Two postdoctoral opportunities in evolutionary anthropology at Duke - HBES
https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30783 Position Description The Pontzer Lab in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University seeks two Postdoctoral Associates for research in h...
www.hbes.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Two postdoctoral opportunities in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University!
The Pontzer Lab is hiring for projects on human ecology, energetics, and aging & health.
More info: www.hbes.com/two-postdoct...
The Pontzer Lab is hiring for projects on human ecology, energetics, and aging & health.
More info: www.hbes.com/two-postdoct...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Leiden looking good today ;-)
📢 Abstract submission will be open Nov 1st – Dec 15th for EHBEA 2026
⚡Present your research, connect & collaborate 14-17 April
📝 300 words (extendable to 800 after acceptance)
For more information & our full call for abstracts, check www.ehbea2026.com
📢 Abstract submission will be open Nov 1st – Dec 15th for EHBEA 2026
⚡Present your research, connect & collaborate 14-17 April
📝 300 words (extendable to 800 after acceptance)
For more information & our full call for abstracts, check www.ehbea2026.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Leiden looking good today ;-)
📢 Abstract submission will be open Nov 1st – Dec 15th for EHBEA 2026
⚡Present your research, connect & collaborate 14-17 April
📝 300 words (extendable to 800 after acceptance)
For more information & our full call for abstracts, check www.ehbea2026.com
📢 Abstract submission will be open Nov 1st – Dec 15th for EHBEA 2026
⚡Present your research, connect & collaborate 14-17 April
📝 300 words (extendable to 800 after acceptance)
For more information & our full call for abstracts, check www.ehbea2026.com
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
www.exeter.ac.uk
November 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"
www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...
More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Four (!) three-year postdoc positions available at @au.dk: international.au.dk/about/profil...
Join an incredible team & help understand the psychological & political implications of the clash between high-speed society & slow-speed democracy.
Please share! @tboeggild.bsky.social can help with Qs
Join an incredible team & help understand the psychological & political implications of the clash between high-speed society & slow-speed democracy.
Please share! @tboeggild.bsky.social can help with Qs
Four three-year postdoctoral positions in the project Slow-Motion Democracy - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at Department of Political Science, Aarhus University
international.au.dk
November 6, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Four (!) three-year postdoc positions available at @au.dk: international.au.dk/about/profil...
Join an incredible team & help understand the psychological & political implications of the clash between high-speed society & slow-speed democracy.
Please share! @tboeggild.bsky.social can help with Qs
Join an incredible team & help understand the psychological & political implications of the clash between high-speed society & slow-speed democracy.
Please share! @tboeggild.bsky.social can help with Qs
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Really enjoyed this podcast with @sheinalew.bsky.social and @dorsaamir.bsky.social on evolution and childhood. Super-smart people talking about a super-interesting topic
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
Varieties of childhood
Podcast Episode · Many Minds · 10/07/2025 · 1h 29m
podcasts.apple.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Really enjoyed this podcast with @sheinalew.bsky.social and @dorsaamir.bsky.social on evolution and childhood. Super-smart people talking about a super-interesting topic
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
I have some brilliant news to share! I recently received a DFG-funded Emmy Noether 6-year grant to establish my own group in Germany. I will soon be looking for a PhD student and a research assistant to join the team and investigate how the balance of power is maintained in animal societies.
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I have some brilliant news to share! I recently received a DFG-funded Emmy Noether 6-year grant to establish my own group in Germany. I will soon be looking for a PhD student and a research assistant to join the team and investigate how the balance of power is maintained in animal societies.
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
I am hiring PhD candidates to study the psychology of attention & technology use at @tilburg-university.bsky.social.
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
October 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
I am hiring PhD candidates to study the psychology of attention & technology use at @tilburg-university.bsky.social.
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Just 1 week to apply! 4 year @erc.europa.eu funded PhD position working in an interdisciplinary team to study #culturalEvolution as a process of reuse, recombination, and creative re-engineering of past solutions. Details 👉 hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur... 🙏Please share!
November 5, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Just 1 week to apply! 4 year @erc.europa.eu funded PhD position working in an interdisciplinary team to study #culturalEvolution as a process of reuse, recombination, and creative re-engineering of past solutions. Details 👉 hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur... 🙏Please share!
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
🧵 webinar announcement
1/
How can we combine human and machine intelligence to make better medical diagnoses? 🧠🤖
Join HACID and @HumanDx on Nov 12, 17:30 CET for a special webinar on Hybrid Human-AI Collective Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics.
🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8e607b...
1/
How can we combine human and machine intelligence to make better medical diagnoses? 🧠🤖
Join HACID and @HumanDx on Nov 12, 17:30 CET for a special webinar on Hybrid Human-AI Collective Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics.
🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8e607b...
November 5, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🧵 webinar announcement
1/
How can we combine human and machine intelligence to make better medical diagnoses? 🧠🤖
Join HACID and @HumanDx on Nov 12, 17:30 CET for a special webinar on Hybrid Human-AI Collective Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics.
🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8e607b...
1/
How can we combine human and machine intelligence to make better medical diagnoses? 🧠🤖
Join HACID and @HumanDx on Nov 12, 17:30 CET for a special webinar on Hybrid Human-AI Collective Intelligence in Medical Diagnostics.
🔗 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8e607b...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Less than a week left to apply!
⭐PhD position available!⭐
Come join us @imprs-qbee.bsky.social to study communication and collective behavior in animal groups! We're looking for someone excited to use computational approaches to tackle biological questions, using our full-group tracking datasets
imprs-qbee.mpg.de/121465/analy...
Come join us @imprs-qbee.bsky.social to study communication and collective behavior in animal groups! We're looking for someone excited to use computational approaches to tackle biological questions, using our full-group tracking datasets
imprs-qbee.mpg.de/121465/analy...
Analysis of communication and collective behavior in animal groups
imprs-qbee.mpg.de
October 26, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Less than a week left to apply!
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
ERC funded PhD position on Cultural Evolution
posted on October 16, 2025
We are currently seeking a highly motivated individual for a ful...
hmc-lab.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Fully-funded 4-year #PhD in Cultural Evolution! Join my @erc.europa.eu project exploring how compression & compositionality drive cultural innovation: hmc-lab.com/ERCPhDCultur...
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
Apply by Nov 12!
Maybe of interest to folks from #COSMOS2025 or @eslr.bsky.social? Please feel free to share! 🙏
The IMPRS LIFE is looking to fill up to three PhD positions.
If you’re interested in working at @arc-mpib.bsky.social with me on topics related to social and collective decision making, and aging, please reach out. Deadline Nov 30: www.imprs-life.mpg.de/11840/how-to...
If you’re interested in working at @arc-mpib.bsky.social with me on topics related to social and collective decision making, and aging, please reach out. Deadline Nov 30: www.imprs-life.mpg.de/11840/how-to...
How to Apply
www.imprs-life.mpg.de
October 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM
The IMPRS LIFE is looking to fill up to three PhD positions.
If you’re interested in working at @arc-mpib.bsky.social with me on topics related to social and collective decision making, and aging, please reach out. Deadline Nov 30: www.imprs-life.mpg.de/11840/how-to...
If you’re interested in working at @arc-mpib.bsky.social with me on topics related to social and collective decision making, and aging, please reach out. Deadline Nov 30: www.imprs-life.mpg.de/11840/how-to...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Which processes underlie collective intelligence in naturalistic human groups?
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
First-Person Perspective of the Voluntary Payoff-Sharing (VP) Condition
YouTube video by Valerii Chirkov
www.youtube.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Which processes underlie collective intelligence in naturalistic human groups?
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
In new work led by Valerii Chirkov, we show that payoff selectivity is key in transforming a group of individuals into an intelligent collective 🤝🧠
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY7n...
Preprint: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
💙New paper!💙
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Transmission networks of long-term and short-term knowledge in a foraging society
Abstract. Cultural transmission across generations is key to cumulative cultural evolution. While several mechanisms—such as vertical, horizontal, and obli
academic.oup.com
September 14, 2025 at 7:52 AM
💙New paper!💙
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
How is knowledge transmitted across generations in a foraging society?
With @danielredhead.bsky.social
we found: In BaYaka foragers, long-term skills pass in smaller, sparser networks, while short-term food info circulates broadly & reciprocally
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Are you studying animal sociality? Confused about the "non-independence" of social network data: what on earth are they? are they threatening your results? should you attempt to get rid of them?
A thread summarising a part of our new paper (ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...).
A thread summarising a part of our new paper (ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...).
Five misunderstandings in animal social network analysis
ecoevorxiv.org
September 4, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Are you studying animal sociality? Confused about the "non-independence" of social network data: what on earth are they? are they threatening your results? should you attempt to get rid of them?
A thread summarising a part of our new paper (ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...).
A thread summarising a part of our new paper (ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...).
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
🌍 Join us for #HACID Webinar #4: Gender & Diversity in Hybrid Collective Intelligence 🧠🤖
🗓 Sept 29, 2025 | ⏰ 18:00 CEST
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/71775f...
🗓 Sept 29, 2025 | ⏰ 18:00 CEST
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/71775f...
September 9, 2025 at 9:51 AM
🌍 Join us for #HACID Webinar #4: Gender & Diversity in Hybrid Collective Intelligence 🧠🤖
🗓 Sept 29, 2025 | ⏰ 18:00 CEST
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/71775f...
🗓 Sept 29, 2025 | ⏰ 18:00 CEST
Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/71775f...
Reposted by Ralf Kurvers
Important preprint by @pietronickl.bsky.social @msultan.bsky.social Caedyn Stinson, @fstock.bsky.social Ralph Hertwig @anaskozyreva.bsky.social,
touching so many points to move the misinfo discussion forward, like feedback-loops, systemic factors and rhetoric, great work!
osf.io/preprints/so...
touching so many points to move the misinfo discussion forward, like feedback-loops, systemic factors and rhetoric, great work!
osf.io/preprints/so...
August 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Important preprint by @pietronickl.bsky.social @msultan.bsky.social Caedyn Stinson, @fstock.bsky.social Ralph Hertwig @anaskozyreva.bsky.social,
touching so many points to move the misinfo discussion forward, like feedback-loops, systemic factors and rhetoric, great work!
osf.io/preprints/so...
touching so many points to move the misinfo discussion forward, like feedback-loops, systemic factors and rhetoric, great work!
osf.io/preprints/so...