Uku Vainik
@ukuvainik.bsky.social
Professor of behavioral genetics with my own twins. I mix behaviour and genetics at Tartu & McGill to understand obesity. I also mix global music as a DJ.
Pinned
Uku Vainik
@ukuvainik.bsky.social
· Dec 30
Your personality among different jobs
Personality profile fit test: see how your Big Five personality traits match over 250 jobs. Based on a scientific study of nearly 70,000 people.
www.isiksus.ee
Disc, MTBI ja teised on kinni 100 aastat vanas lähenemises. Näitavad väga vähe. Kuid tagasiside on horoskoobi moodi meeldivalt koostatud
www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/disc-an...
www.spencergreenberg.com/2024/09/how-...
www.clearerthinking.org/post/how-acc...
/1
www.corporate-rebels.com/blog/disc-an...
www.spencergreenberg.com/2024/09/how-...
www.clearerthinking.org/post/how-acc...
/1
Reposted by Uku Vainik
The skinny on intermittent fasting
"the better the study , the less it finds"
gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
"the better the study , the less it finds"
gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
February 3, 2026 at 3:54 PM
The skinny on intermittent fasting
"the better the study , the less it finds"
gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
"the better the study , the less it finds"
gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/w...
Reposted by Uku Vainik
I reviewed an earlier version of this paper. I think it's interesting, because you can tell by reading it that evolutionary psychology still lacks a loyal opposition and a healthy error culture.
It's a defensive paper, targeted at people who believe evolution stops at the neck, YouTubers, _others_
It's a defensive paper, targeted at people who believe evolution stops at the neck, YouTubers, _others_
Out now and open access for four weeks as the editor's choice Topic in Focus in American Psychologist.
Contrary to popular belief, evolutionary psychology hypotheses are testable and falsifiable.
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
Contrary to popular belief, evolutionary psychology hypotheses are testable and falsifiable.
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
February 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
I reviewed an earlier version of this paper. I think it's interesting, because you can tell by reading it that evolutionary psychology still lacks a loyal opposition and a healthy error culture.
It's a defensive paper, targeted at people who believe evolution stops at the neck, YouTubers, _others_
It's a defensive paper, targeted at people who believe evolution stops at the neck, YouTubers, _others_
Reposted by Uku Vainik
📝 The PsychGen Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health is hosting a two-day, in-person workshop for early-career researchers on family-based genomic analyses. The workshop takes place in Oslo, Norway, on 9-10 April 2026 and registration is now open:
shorturl.at/etXCN
shorturl.at/etXCN
Workshop for Early-Career Researchers on Family-Based Genomic Analyses
Join us for a two-day workshop for Early-Career Researchers on Family-Based Genomic Analyses. The workshop is hosted by the PsychGen Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Oslo – 09.04.202...
shorturl.at
February 3, 2026 at 10:03 AM
📝 The PsychGen Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health is hosting a two-day, in-person workshop for early-career researchers on family-based genomic analyses. The workshop takes place in Oslo, Norway, on 9-10 April 2026 and registration is now open:
shorturl.at/etXCN
shorturl.at/etXCN
Reposted by Uku Vainik
Very happy to see our ice-fishing paper on the cover of @science.org this week! 🎣🎉
We tracked large groups of Finnish competitive ice-fishers to study how social foragers use social information when searching for resources. 🐟
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (contact me for open access)
We tracked large groups of Finnish competitive ice-fishers to study how social foragers use social information when searching for resources. 🐟
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (contact me for open access)
www.science.org
January 30, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Very happy to see our ice-fishing paper on the cover of @science.org this week! 🎣🎉
We tracked large groups of Finnish competitive ice-fishers to study how social foragers use social information when searching for resources. 🐟
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (contact me for open access)
We tracked large groups of Finnish competitive ice-fishers to study how social foragers use social information when searching for resources. 🐟
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (contact me for open access)
How come heritable factors like "ever-drinking, ever-smoking and current-smoking, and four clusters for diet and physical activity derived from questionnaire data" are interpreted as environmental factors? I'd say this is a massive GxG scan /1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A cross-population compendium of gene–environment interactions - Nature
A large cross-population atlas of gene–environment interactions reveals how age, sex and lifestyle shape genetic effects, heritability, prediction accuracy and disease biology, with implications for p...
www.nature.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:09 AM
How come heritable factors like "ever-drinking, ever-smoking and current-smoking, and four clusters for diet and physical activity derived from questionnaire data" are interpreted as environmental factors? I'd say this is a massive GxG scan /1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
I tried 1) preprint link in abstract. Professionally edited journals removed it. Scientist-edited journals kept it but some removed them later. Safe bet is green open access.
2) I hide journal titles in my talks, using author-year-title format.
3) that would reduce my review load quite a bit🥲
2) I hide journal titles in my talks, using author-year-title format.
3) that would reduce my review load quite a bit🥲
Some untested and possibly poor ideas for reducing academia's reliance on for-profit publication industry.
One, end every abstract with "Read more at <preprint DOI>." Then even paywalled readers can easily access your paper (abstracts usually shown even if paywalled).
One, end every abstract with "Read more at <preprint DOI>." Then even paywalled readers can easily access your paper (abstracts usually shown even if paywalled).
January 29, 2026 at 7:41 AM
I tried 1) preprint link in abstract. Professionally edited journals removed it. Scientist-edited journals kept it but some removed them later. Safe bet is green open access.
2) I hide journal titles in my talks, using author-year-title format.
3) that would reduce my review load quite a bit🥲
2) I hide journal titles in my talks, using author-year-title format.
3) that would reduce my review load quite a bit🥲
Reposted by Uku Vainik
First post of the year, new paper out today: we present possibly the biggest case of systematic Measurement Schmeasurement in tech use. It seems that most studies on gaming (videogame) addiction/disorder haven't measured gaming after all. This research took years, so long 🧵 doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
Confusion in gaming disorder measurement
Abstract. Measurement is important for the scientific programmes of addictive behaviours. In the present study, we investigated the measurement of gaming d
doi.org
January 28, 2026 at 9:56 AM
First post of the year, new paper out today: we present possibly the biggest case of systematic Measurement Schmeasurement in tech use. It seems that most studies on gaming (videogame) addiction/disorder haven't measured gaming after all. This research took years, so long 🧵 doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
Reposted by Uku Vainik
The Iowa Gambling Task is an extreme example of Jingle Fallacy and schmeasurement.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
How many versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) exist? And how much does this affect research using the IGT? More than you might think. 🧵
Methodological Flexibility in the Iowa Gambling Task Undermines Interpretability: A Meta-method Review: https://osf.io/4g3vr
January 25, 2026 at 12:01 PM
The Iowa Gambling Task is an extreme example of Jingle Fallacy and schmeasurement.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
In 100 articles we found 244 different ways of scoring it, 177 were never reused. Correlations between them range -.99 to .99.
At the same time, we show meta-analyses combine these results as if they’re equivalent.
Reposted by Uku Vainik
Come work with us! Tallinn Uni is hiring a second lecturer in DH&AI. Estonian proficiency not required, foreign applicants welcome, required phd can be in progress (expected to be completed), competitive salary+benefits, nice working environment close to the sea
candidate.recrur.com/public/jobad...
candidate.recrur.com/public/jobad...
January 26, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Come work with us! Tallinn Uni is hiring a second lecturer in DH&AI. Estonian proficiency not required, foreign applicants welcome, required phd can be in progress (expected to be completed), competitive salary+benefits, nice working environment close to the sea
candidate.recrur.com/public/jobad...
candidate.recrur.com/public/jobad...
Reposted by Uku Vainik
New preprint out: "Machine-Assisted Grading of Nationwide School-Leaving Essay Exams with LLMs and Statistical NLP" arxiv.org/abs/2601.16314
We test LLMs on graduation essays written in a low-resource language (EST), using official rubrics &benchmarking data directly from the national exam gov body.
We test LLMs on graduation essays written in a low-resource language (EST), using official rubrics &benchmarking data directly from the national exam gov body.
January 27, 2026 at 3:39 PM
New preprint out: "Machine-Assisted Grading of Nationwide School-Leaving Essay Exams with LLMs and Statistical NLP" arxiv.org/abs/2601.16314
We test LLMs on graduation essays written in a low-resource language (EST), using official rubrics &benchmarking data directly from the national exam gov body.
We test LLMs on graduation essays written in a low-resource language (EST), using official rubrics &benchmarking data directly from the national exam gov body.
Reposted by Uku Vainik
ten percent of the Swiss population: Medical meta data update: www.linkedin.com/posts/swiss-...
#sphn #healthdata #datasharing #fair #personalizedmedicine #collaboration #swisshds #snomedct #loinc #semantics #ehds | Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN)
🔓📊 Clinical data from 800,000 patients unlocked: Empowering health research with a large-scale, FAIR dataset from Switzerland 🇨🇭
Swiss Personalized Health Network is proud to have released the metad...
www.linkedin.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:16 PM
ten percent of the Swiss population: Medical meta data update: www.linkedin.com/posts/swiss-...
Reposted by Uku Vainik
1. Each Soc Sci discipline thinks they're more scientific than others...
2. ... exception being Anth
3. Soc. think that only Psych is more scientific than them.
4. Poli Sci thinks both Psych and Econ are more scientific
5. Psych has v. high opinion of itself
6. Econ has v. low opinion of others
2. ... exception being Anth
3. Soc. think that only Psych is more scientific than them.
4. Poli Sci thinks both Psych and Econ are more scientific
5. Psych has v. high opinion of itself
6. Econ has v. low opinion of others
January 27, 2026 at 6:58 PM
1. Each Soc Sci discipline thinks they're more scientific than others...
2. ... exception being Anth
3. Soc. think that only Psych is more scientific than them.
4. Poli Sci thinks both Psych and Econ are more scientific
5. Psych has v. high opinion of itself
6. Econ has v. low opinion of others
2. ... exception being Anth
3. Soc. think that only Psych is more scientific than them.
4. Poli Sci thinks both Psych and Econ are more scientific
5. Psych has v. high opinion of itself
6. Econ has v. low opinion of others
Reposted by Uku Vainik
@clydefrancks.bsky.social found what is potentially (likey?!) the first fully hallucinated GWAS paper, of “left handedness”… the Manhattan plot has the wrong number of chromosomes, and genes labels with one wrong chromosome placed in a second wrong chromosome… wild…
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) of LeftHandedness Across Global Populations
Left-handedness, a prominent phenotype affecting approximately 10% of the global population, has long been hypothesized to possess a polygenic basis influenced by complex gene-environment interactions...
ieeexplore.ieee.org
January 27, 2026 at 6:03 PM
@clydefrancks.bsky.social found what is potentially (likey?!) the first fully hallucinated GWAS paper, of “left handedness”… the Manhattan plot has the wrong number of chromosomes, and genes labels with one wrong chromosome placed in a second wrong chromosome… wild…
Reposted by Uku Vainik
A very comprehensive review of the genetics of personlity led by @tedmond.bsky.social This is a great onramp for those who haven't checked into psychiatric genetics or bahviour genetics in a while. www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Personality Genomics
Recent research advances have precipitated the era of personality genomics: the study of how variation in human DNA sequence predicts individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, fee...
www.annualreviews.org
January 22, 2026 at 10:15 AM
A very comprehensive review of the genetics of personlity led by @tedmond.bsky.social This is a great onramp for those who haven't checked into psychiatric genetics or bahviour genetics in a while. www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
So cool to see life-coure gwases and new MR insights coming out!
Perhaps counterintuitively higher prepubertal BMI is strongly protective against breast cancer in later life
Grace Power, @mendelrandom.bsky.social and others (not me!) takes a plausible causal FX of BMI on breast cancer, and narrow down *when* that effect plays out. They find the effects of later BMI on breast cancer are steeply attenuated when conditioned on early BMI. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
January 22, 2026 at 9:10 PM
So cool to see life-coure gwases and new MR insights coming out!
Reposted by Uku Vainik
This is a really fun story - thanks to @thetransmitter.bsky.social for telling it so well!
When a brain researcher solved a logistical problem by going rogue, the idea proved remarkably infectious.
By @lyrebard.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-imagin...
By @lyrebard.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-imagin...
A brief history of precision self-scanning
When a researcher solved a logistical problem by going rogue, the idea proved remarkably infectious.
www.thetransmitter.org
January 21, 2026 at 8:46 PM
This is a really fun story - thanks to @thetransmitter.bsky.social for telling it so well!
Reposted by Uku Vainik
mad king moment
from the PBS Newshour correspondent
from the PBS Newshour correspondent
![NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials:
Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, be forwarded to your [named head of government/state]
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hbpefio3f5csc44msmbgioxz/bafkreie7itpptx3xbxhpsnlaqmwk752h7pcrion5ija2apksljtax2adx4@jpeg)
January 19, 2026 at 5:09 AM
mad king moment
from the PBS Newshour correspondent
from the PBS Newshour correspondent
Sõna üles! Ise ajan Tartus igapäevaselt asju rattaga. Mõnikord ka autoga. Talvel rendirattaga. Mh on tänu minule autodel rohkem ruumi sõita ja parkida.
January 16, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Sõna üles! Ise ajan Tartus igapäevaselt asju rattaga. Mõnikord ka autoga. Talvel rendirattaga. Mh on tänu minule autodel rohkem ruumi sõita ja parkida.
Reposted by Uku Vainik
I started reading up on the whole "loneliness pandemic" narrative because this seems like a literature where the age-period-cohort problem may be relevant (or maybe it isn't?).
Here's data from Australia (HILDA), average agreement with the statement "I often feel very lonely" (SD of ca. 1.8).>
Here's data from Australia (HILDA), average agreement with the statement "I often feel very lonely" (SD of ca. 1.8).>
January 15, 2026 at 1:24 PM
I started reading up on the whole "loneliness pandemic" narrative because this seems like a literature where the age-period-cohort problem may be relevant (or maybe it isn't?).
Here's data from Australia (HILDA), average agreement with the statement "I often feel very lonely" (SD of ca. 1.8).>
Here's data from Australia (HILDA), average agreement with the statement "I often feel very lonely" (SD of ca. 1.8).>
Reposted by Uku Vainik
Peer Review is broken because a generation of Editors were trained that peer review is sacrosanct. Thus we have Editors who are clerks, sending and re-sending manuscripts to reviewers until they are happy. That's not the job. Be an Editor, not a clerk. Use your skill and judgement. Make decisions.
January 14, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Peer Review is broken because a generation of Editors were trained that peer review is sacrosanct. Thus we have Editors who are clerks, sending and re-sending manuscripts to reviewers until they are happy. That's not the job. Be an Editor, not a clerk. Use your skill and judgement. Make decisions.
Reposted by Uku Vainik
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
My first ever interaction in R was in 2013 when I spent 2h trying to read in Excel file directly to R. Eventually saved as .csv and read it in in 5 min.
January 9, 2026 at 8:44 AM
My first ever interaction in R was in 2013 when I spent 2h trying to read in Excel file directly to R. Eventually saved as .csv and read it in in 5 min.
Reposted by Uku Vainik
Seeing one of my favorite projects replicated in another big biobank from another country is an excellent start of the year!
Thank you @iakuznetsov.bsky.social and colleagues (@ukuvainik.bsky.social!) at @estbiobank.bsky.social!
The original @nathumbehav.nature.com paper: rdcu.be/eX5ID
Thread 👇🏾
Thank you @iakuznetsov.bsky.social and colleagues (@ukuvainik.bsky.social!) at @estbiobank.bsky.social!
The original @nathumbehav.nature.com paper: rdcu.be/eX5ID
Thread 👇🏾
Remember the famous UKB migration paper? We found that internal migration also shapes population structure in Estonia. Key patterns replicate within families.
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
January 8, 2026 at 6:29 AM
Seeing one of my favorite projects replicated in another big biobank from another country is an excellent start of the year!
Thank you @iakuznetsov.bsky.social and colleagues (@ukuvainik.bsky.social!) at @estbiobank.bsky.social!
The original @nathumbehav.nature.com paper: rdcu.be/eX5ID
Thread 👇🏾
Thank you @iakuznetsov.bsky.social and colleagues (@ukuvainik.bsky.social!) at @estbiobank.bsky.social!
The original @nathumbehav.nature.com paper: rdcu.be/eX5ID
Thread 👇🏾
@dr-appie.bsky.social showed how migration affects genetic population structure in UK. @iakuznetsov.bsky.social has replicated the same effect in Estonia! Even within siblings! 👬
See thread for more 👇
See thread for more 👇
Remember the famous UKB migration paper? We found that internal migration also shapes population structure in Estonia. Key patterns replicate within families.
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
January 7, 2026 at 5:58 PM
@dr-appie.bsky.social showed how migration affects genetic population structure in UK. @iakuznetsov.bsky.social has replicated the same effect in Estonia! Even within siblings! 👬
See thread for more 👇
See thread for more 👇