Dr Rebecca Koomen
@rebeccakoomen.bsky.social
Studying origins of cooperation for sustainability.
Developmental, cross-cultural, comparative psychologist.
UM6P School of Collective Intelligence
she / her
Developmental, cross-cultural, comparative psychologist.
UM6P School of Collective Intelligence
she / her
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Imagination in bonobos!
I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org
We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative
youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko
I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org
We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative
youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko
Apes Share Human Ability to Imagine
YouTube video by Johns Hopkins University
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Imagination in bonobos!
I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org
We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative
youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko
I am thrilled to share a new paper w/ Amalia Bastos, out now in @science.org
We provide the first experimental evidence that a nonhuman animal can follow along a pretend scenario & track imaginary objects. Work w/ Kanzi, the bonobo, at Ape Initiative
youtu.be/NUSHcQQz2Ko
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Useful thread, though I hope somebody will create a spreadsheet (or Wikipedia entry, perhaps).
And then let's not forget the abusers and bullies who aren't famous enough to have received emails from Epstein.
And then let's not forget the abusers and bullies who aren't famous enough to have received emails from Epstein.
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
February 1, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Useful thread, though I hope somebody will create a spreadsheet (or Wikipedia entry, perhaps).
And then let's not forget the abusers and bullies who aren't famous enough to have received emails from Epstein.
And then let's not forget the abusers and bullies who aren't famous enough to have received emails from Epstein.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
We received a TON of submissions for @ces2026.bsky.social ! This is definitely a trend you'll want to conform to. If you didn't submit, still come for the amazing speaker lineup. Registration will open soon. @hbes2026.bsky.social abstract submission closes today!
Due to the the high volume of submissions received, abstract decision notifications for the upcoming Cultural Evolution Society 2026 Conference in Rabat are slightly delayed.
Expect to see it in your inbox in ~ 1 week, and fingers crossed you got your presentation of choice!
Expect to see it in your inbox in ~ 1 week, and fingers crossed you got your presentation of choice!
January 16, 2026 at 9:37 AM
We received a TON of submissions for @ces2026.bsky.social ! This is definitely a trend you'll want to conform to. If you didn't submit, still come for the amazing speaker lineup. Registration will open soon. @hbes2026.bsky.social abstract submission closes today!
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
We are hiring – postdoc position exploring how kinship shapes social ageing in killer whales. Collaboration with @samellisq.bsky.social @drwhale.bsky.social and Prof Rufus Johnstone (Cambridge) starts 1st April 2026 and ends 31st March 2029. Apps close 2nd Feb. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPZ788/p...
January 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM
We are hiring – postdoc position exploring how kinship shapes social ageing in killer whales. Collaboration with @samellisq.bsky.social @drwhale.bsky.social and Prof Rufus Johnstone (Cambridge) starts 1st April 2026 and ends 31st March 2029. Apps close 2nd Feb. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPZ788/p...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)
January 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
One week left to submit your abstracts to #HBES2026
16 Jan deadline!
@hbes2026.bsky.social
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
We’re scouting banquet locations. Hope to see you in Rabat!!
16 Jan deadline!
@hbes2026.bsky.social
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
We’re scouting banquet locations. Hope to see you in Rabat!!
January 8, 2026 at 7:45 AM
One week left to submit your abstracts to #HBES2026
16 Jan deadline!
@hbes2026.bsky.social
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
We’re scouting banquet locations. Hope to see you in Rabat!!
16 Jan deadline!
@hbes2026.bsky.social
@humbehevosoc.bsky.social
We’re scouting banquet locations. Hope to see you in Rabat!!
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
We are looking to hire a Seabird Field Assistant for 2026 for our Manx Shearwater research project.
Please share this to anyone who'd like to get out in the field this summer and learn about biotelemetry, bird handling and research into animal behaviour.
drive.google.com/file/d/1SGZt...
Please share this to anyone who'd like to get out in the field this summer and learn about biotelemetry, bird handling and research into animal behaviour.
drive.google.com/file/d/1SGZt...
January 5, 2026 at 10:09 AM
We are looking to hire a Seabird Field Assistant for 2026 for our Manx Shearwater research project.
Please share this to anyone who'd like to get out in the field this summer and learn about biotelemetry, bird handling and research into animal behaviour.
drive.google.com/file/d/1SGZt...
Please share this to anyone who'd like to get out in the field this summer and learn about biotelemetry, bird handling and research into animal behaviour.
drive.google.com/file/d/1SGZt...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Interested in the evolution of social behaviour? We have a fully-funded PhD opportunity on human social hierarchies, nonverbal behaviour and health! Supervised by myself, @bridgetwaller.bsky.social and @ellamcloughlin.bsky.social.
Informal enquires encouraged!
www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-co...
Informal enquires encouraged!
www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-co...
Physiological health outcomes of dominance hierarchies in team-based contexts
Find out more about this fully funded PhD studentship opportunity.
www.ntu.ac.uk
December 2, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Interested in the evolution of social behaviour? We have a fully-funded PhD opportunity on human social hierarchies, nonverbal behaviour and health! Supervised by myself, @bridgetwaller.bsky.social and @ellamcloughlin.bsky.social.
Informal enquires encouraged!
www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-co...
Informal enquires encouraged!
www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-co...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
I shouldn’t have to share this article as much as I do. Sending condolences to all friends and family and loved ones from the Brown Shooting today.
www.newsweek.com/2025/07/18/f...
www.newsweek.com/2025/07/18/f...
Why Flavor Flav says the US must ban firearms now | Opinion
The lack of U.S. gun laws has created a violence epidemic unlike anywhere else on Earth. This is domestic errorism
www.newsweek.com
December 14, 2025 at 4:24 AM
I shouldn’t have to share this article as much as I do. Sending condolences to all friends and family and loved ones from the Brown Shooting today.
www.newsweek.com/2025/07/18/f...
www.newsweek.com/2025/07/18/f...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
🚨 Vacancies at Maastricht in research programme "Europe: Society, Politics and Global Order" (do share!)
- Assistant Prof Political Philosophy in Euro Democracy
- Assistant Prof Euro Political History
- PostDoc Disinformation and Euro Democracy
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/search/?crea...
- Assistant Prof Political Philosophy in Euro Democracy
- Assistant Prof Euro Political History
- PostDoc Disinformation and Euro Democracy
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/search/?crea...
Maastricht University Jobs
Find at Maastricht University
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl
December 8, 2025 at 7:33 PM
🚨 Vacancies at Maastricht in research programme "Europe: Society, Politics and Global Order" (do share!)
- Assistant Prof Political Philosophy in Euro Democracy
- Assistant Prof Euro Political History
- PostDoc Disinformation and Euro Democracy
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/search/?crea...
- Assistant Prof Political Philosophy in Euro Democracy
- Assistant Prof Euro Political History
- PostDoc Disinformation and Euro Democracy
vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/search/?crea...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
November 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
📢Two fully-funded #PhD opportunities to work with us:
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Topic: Social monitoring & manipulation
UK-domiciled black-heritage scheme: tinyurl.com/aja54nr6
NERC DLTP: tinyurl.com/4jfy47pp
Cosupervisors: #PatrickKennedy @ljnbrent.bsky.social
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#bioacoustics #mammals #fieldwork
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
🚨Job Alert plz RT!
Johns Hopkins Psych & Brain Sciences is looking for a new colleague using behavioral or computational approaches to study cognition!
We are excited about many areas of (esp higher) cognition in human adults, children, or nonhuman animals
Open-rank
apply.interfolio.com/178146
Johns Hopkins Psych & Brain Sciences is looking for a new colleague using behavioral or computational approaches to study cognition!
We are excited about many areas of (esp higher) cognition in human adults, children, or nonhuman animals
Open-rank
apply.interfolio.com/178146
December 2, 2025 at 2:54 AM
🚨Job Alert plz RT!
Johns Hopkins Psych & Brain Sciences is looking for a new colleague using behavioral or computational approaches to study cognition!
We are excited about many areas of (esp higher) cognition in human adults, children, or nonhuman animals
Open-rank
apply.interfolio.com/178146
Johns Hopkins Psych & Brain Sciences is looking for a new colleague using behavioral or computational approaches to study cognition!
We are excited about many areas of (esp higher) cognition in human adults, children, or nonhuman animals
Open-rank
apply.interfolio.com/178146
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
I am pleased to announce that from Jan 1 2026 I take over as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Theory. My first act, with the support of the editorial team, is to bring the journal to BlueSky from X.
Please follow us @biologicaltheory.bsky.social. We will be posting about all our articles.
Please follow us @biologicaltheory.bsky.social. We will be posting about all our articles.
December 3, 2025 at 11:01 AM
I am pleased to announce that from Jan 1 2026 I take over as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Theory. My first act, with the support of the editorial team, is to bring the journal to BlueSky from X.
Please follow us @biologicaltheory.bsky.social. We will be posting about all our articles.
Please follow us @biologicaltheory.bsky.social. We will be posting about all our articles.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Thrilled to teach again this year, on the evolution of social cognition, at the Toulouse Summer School in Quantitative Social Sciences! Apply before December 15th 👇
Brochure: lnkd.in/e_R7cQTP
Application: lnkd.in/eey-fEJ
Brochure: lnkd.in/e_R7cQTP
Application: lnkd.in/eey-fEJ
📣 Are you a PhD student in the quantitative social sciences interested in interdisciplnary research? Join us at the Toulouse Summer School in Quantitative Social Sciences (25 May-19 Jun 2026) at @tse-fr.eu.
Apply by 15 Dec 2025 🎓🔍
👉 More info + application: www.tse-fr.eu/toulouse-sum...
Apply by 15 Dec 2025 🎓🔍
👉 More info + application: www.tse-fr.eu/toulouse-sum...
Toulouse Summer School in Quantitative Social Sciences
www.tse-fr.eu
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Thrilled to teach again this year, on the evolution of social cognition, at the Toulouse Summer School in Quantitative Social Sciences! Apply before December 15th 👇
Brochure: lnkd.in/e_R7cQTP
Application: lnkd.in/eey-fEJ
Brochure: lnkd.in/e_R7cQTP
Application: lnkd.in/eey-fEJ
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Over the past months (and at least 11 versions!), I was lucky to work with 11 amazing colleagues on a call to action to reform academic publishing.
Not another declaration, but an appeal to our powerful friends, research funders & institutions, to Stop the Drain of Scientific Publishing. 1/n
Not another declaration, but an appeal to our powerful friends, research funders & institutions, to Stop the Drain of Scientific Publishing. 1/n
November 13, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Over the past months (and at least 11 versions!), I was lucky to work with 11 amazing colleagues on a call to action to reform academic publishing.
Not another declaration, but an appeal to our powerful friends, research funders & institutions, to Stop the Drain of Scientific Publishing. 1/n
Not another declaration, but an appeal to our powerful friends, research funders & institutions, to Stop the Drain of Scientific Publishing. 1/n
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
💥New: Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science
✍️ @danbrockington.bsky.social @aileenfyfe.bsky.social @stefhaustein.scholcommlab.ca
#AcademicSky #ScholComm #AcademicPublishing
✍️ @danbrockington.bsky.social @aileenfyfe.bsky.social @stefhaustein.scholcommlab.ca
#AcademicSky #ScholComm #AcademicPublishing
Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science - Impact of Social Sciences
Have the interests of commercial publishers now become antithetical to the pursuit of knowledge?
blogs.lse.ac.uk
November 19, 2025 at 11:13 AM
💥New: Money, Time, Trust, Control – How commercial publishers drain science
✍️ @danbrockington.bsky.social @aileenfyfe.bsky.social @stefhaustein.scholcommlab.ca
#AcademicSky #ScholComm #AcademicPublishing
✍️ @danbrockington.bsky.social @aileenfyfe.bsky.social @stefhaustein.scholcommlab.ca
#AcademicSky #ScholComm #AcademicPublishing
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Really enjoyed chatting with @michaelhobbes.bsky.social for this episode! In addition to being a delight to talk to, Michael was _extremely_ committed to getting the facts right & engaged very earnestly with our feedback. A scientist's dream.
Episode 46: Sapiens
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
Sapiens
Podcast Episode · If Books Could Kill · 11/20/2025 · 1h 38m
podcasts.apple.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Really enjoyed chatting with @michaelhobbes.bsky.social for this episode! In addition to being a delight to talk to, Michael was _extremely_ committed to getting the facts right & engaged very earnestly with our feedback. A scientist's dream.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Interested in support for babies & their caregivers & art therapy?
We've a funded PhD opportunity to explore the role out of Art at the Start in Sheffield, embedded with the lovely Sheffield PaIRS team & supervised by Vicky and Josephine @dundee.ac.uk
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Please share!
We've a funded PhD opportunity to explore the role out of Art at the Start in Sheffield, embedded with the lovely Sheffield PaIRS team & supervised by Vicky and Josephine @dundee.ac.uk
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Please share!
PhD Studentship: Art at the Start – From Dundee to Sheffield at University of Dundee on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - PhD Studentship: Art at the Start – From Dundee to Sheffield at University of Dundee, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Interested in support for babies & their caregivers & art therapy?
We've a funded PhD opportunity to explore the role out of Art at the Start in Sheffield, embedded with the lovely Sheffield PaIRS team & supervised by Vicky and Josephine @dundee.ac.uk
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Please share!
We've a funded PhD opportunity to explore the role out of Art at the Start in Sheffield, embedded with the lovely Sheffield PaIRS team & supervised by Vicky and Josephine @dundee.ac.uk
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Please share!
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
The deadline has been extended - there is still time to get your abstracts in to join us in Morocco!
The submission deadline for #CESRabat has been extended to 30 November
@ces2026.bsky.social @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
@ces2026.bsky.social @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social
👉 A reminder that the deadline for submitting your abstract to the CES 2026 #CESRabat is the 16th of November.
🔗Submit here: airess.fgses-um6p.ma/ces2026
We look forward to seeing you in Rabat!
🔗Submit here: airess.fgses-um6p.ma/ces2026
We look forward to seeing you in Rabat!
November 16, 2025 at 3:40 AM
The deadline has been extended - there is still time to get your abstracts in to join us in Morocco!
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
📢 Come to Tübingen and get your PhD with us! Unique opportunity to explore great ape communication 🐵🦧🦍 from multiple disciplinary angles within a single, integrated project. 👇
📢 2 PhD positions (E13 TV-L, 75%) in our DFG-funded project on great ape communication & the evolution of common ground!
🧠 Backgrounds in biology, psychology or linguistics welcome.
🗓️ Deadline: Aug 13
🔗 bit.ly/4l8p7hy & bit.ly/46jcfAq
Please share!
@elmanubohn.bsky.social @meanwhileina.bsky.social
🧠 Backgrounds in biology, psychology or linguistics welcome.
🗓️ Deadline: Aug 13
🔗 bit.ly/4l8p7hy & bit.ly/46jcfAq
Please share!
@elmanubohn.bsky.social @meanwhileina.bsky.social
August 4, 2025 at 7:31 AM
📢 Come to Tübingen and get your PhD with us! Unique opportunity to explore great ape communication 🐵🦧🦍 from multiple disciplinary angles within a single, integrated project. 👇
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Apply now to become a speaker at our Institute! We invite excellent postdocs in neuroscience, ecology and other fields related to our research to apply for our Emerging Scientist Talk Series. Apply by October 24: www.bi.mpg.de/ess
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Apply now to become a speaker at our Institute! We invite excellent postdocs in neuroscience, ecology and other fields related to our research to apply for our Emerging Scientist Talk Series. Apply by October 24: www.bi.mpg.de/ess
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
This position is an ideal starter position for someone interested in gaining experience before applying for PhD funding. For further information: vacancies.ntu.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Research Assistant in Primate Behaviour:City Campus
Join us as a Research Assistant in Primate Behaviour! Gain excellent experience and skills working with a range of primatologists across NTU. A great stepping stone before embarking on a PhD!
vacancies.ntu.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
This position is an ideal starter position for someone interested in gaining experience before applying for PhD funding. For further information: vacancies.ntu.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
Kinda wild that VSPs in the US decided -- as one, like a school of fish -- that climate is not a big deal any more and not worth talking about, even as, out there in reality, climate is getting worse faster than anyone anticipated.
UN pushes for worldwide disaster alerts as extreme weather ‘spirals’
Climate-related hazards have killed more than 2 million people in 50 years, said the UN meteorological agency.
www.aljazeera.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Kinda wild that VSPs in the US decided -- as one, like a school of fish -- that climate is not a big deal any more and not worth talking about, even as, out there in reality, climate is getting worse faster than anyone anticipated.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Koomen
🚨 PhD alert! IMPRS brain & behavior in Bonn just opened their calls for applications. Great PhD funding opportunities. Check it out! PS- I just joined their faculty, meaning you could do a rotation in my lab or even a PhD with me on spider sleep 🙃 Apply! 🚨
📢Apply now! Join our IMPRS for Brain&Behavior to pursue a #PhD in #neuroethology. Learn how brain circuits are linked to interesting animal behaviors!
📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025
🔗 imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de
#neuroscience #Neuroskyence #neurojobs #sciencejobs #PhDsky #PhDOffers #FundedPhD
📅 Deadline: October 31, 2025
🔗 imprs-brain-behavior.mpg.de
#neuroscience #Neuroskyence #neurojobs #sciencejobs #PhDsky #PhDOffers #FundedPhD
September 6, 2025 at 8:48 AM
🚨 PhD alert! IMPRS brain & behavior in Bonn just opened their calls for applications. Great PhD funding opportunities. Check it out! PS- I just joined their faculty, meaning you could do a rotation in my lab or even a PhD with me on spider sleep 🙃 Apply! 🚨