Uma Karmarkar
@umakarma.bsky.social
Decision (neuro)scientist. Joint faculty between business and policy at UCSD. Neuroeconomics, psych, marketing, policy, snark, etc.
Pinned
Uma Karmarkar
@umakarma.bsky.social
· Nov 23
Hello #neuroeconomists and decision (neuro)scientists - did I miss you in this starterpack? Just reply to this post or DM if you'd like to be added!
go.bsky.app/1K9Suh
go.bsky.app/1K9Suh
In case it's of interest, the American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.
www.asam.org/quality-care...
www.asam.org/quality-care...
What is the Definition of Addiction
What is addiction? Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, environments, and life experiences.
www.asam.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:26 AM
In case it's of interest, the American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.
www.asam.org/quality-care...
www.asam.org/quality-care...
It seems like its going to be increasingly important to have a well-supported definition of "clinical" addiction that is specific to behavioral addictions?
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/t...
Instagram Chief Says Social Media Is Not ‘Clinically Addictive’ in Landmark Trial
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:26 AM
It seems like its going to be increasingly important to have a well-supported definition of "clinical" addiction that is specific to behavioral addictions?
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/t...
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
I'm looking for a postdoc to work on our NIH-funded R01 which is a longitudinal cohort of adolescents (13-20) doing EMA and passive text sensing! Please apply, especially if you have experience in the analysis OR collection of these data.
PLEASE SHARE!!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32132
PLEASE SHARE!!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32132
Postdoctoral Researcher
Postdoctoral Researcher Study of Affective Disorders’ Classification and Treatment (SADCAT) Lab Dr. Lorenzo-Lorenzo LuacesDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University Blooming...
indiana.peopleadmin.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:10 PM
I'm looking for a postdoc to work on our NIH-funded R01 which is a longitudinal cohort of adolescents (13-20) doing EMA and passive text sensing! Please apply, especially if you have experience in the analysis OR collection of these data.
PLEASE SHARE!!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32132
PLEASE SHARE!!
indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32132
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
Getty Images used thermal imaging for these killer Winter Olympics photos, now i want a Thermal Cam option from NBC
February 11, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Getty Images used thermal imaging for these killer Winter Olympics photos, now i want a Thermal Cam option from NBC
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
Depressed? Anxious? Lonely?
What if mental health doesn’t just result from media use, but shapes how we choose media?
In a new preprint, Valerie Klein, @gongxuanjun.bsky.social @aeden.bsky.social and I and I test this using a computational decision-making model: doi.org/10.21203/rs....
🧵Thread
What if mental health doesn’t just result from media use, but shapes how we choose media?
In a new preprint, Valerie Klein, @gongxuanjun.bsky.social @aeden.bsky.social and I and I test this using a computational decision-making model: doi.org/10.21203/rs....
🧵Thread
Using the Drift Diffusion Model to Examine Relationships Between Mental Health and Media Selection Dynamics
A substantial body of research has investigated how people’s transient affective state influences their media selection, as well as how selected media influences subsequent affective states. However, ...
doi.org
February 11, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Depressed? Anxious? Lonely?
What if mental health doesn’t just result from media use, but shapes how we choose media?
In a new preprint, Valerie Klein, @gongxuanjun.bsky.social @aeden.bsky.social and I and I test this using a computational decision-making model: doi.org/10.21203/rs....
🧵Thread
What if mental health doesn’t just result from media use, but shapes how we choose media?
In a new preprint, Valerie Klein, @gongxuanjun.bsky.social @aeden.bsky.social and I and I test this using a computational decision-making model: doi.org/10.21203/rs....
🧵Thread
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
If you work at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning, consider applying for this postdoc position (January 2027 start date):
academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15868
An opportunity to work with a great group of people across Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15868
An opportunity to work with a great group of people across Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
February 10, 2026 at 7:36 PM
If you work at the intersection of computational neuroscience and machine learning, consider applying for this postdoc position (January 2027 start date):
academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15868
An opportunity to work with a great group of people across Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15868
An opportunity to work with a great group of people across Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
In a first-of-its-kind survey, the Globe asked hundreds of scientists about the impact of federal funding cuts.
The results were stark:
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
The results were stark:
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
Boston built a global biotech empire. Now the talent is quietly drifting away. - The Boston Globe
In a first-of-its-kind survey, the Globe asked hundreds of scientists about the impact of federal funding cuts.
www.bostonglobe.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:18 PM
In a first-of-its-kind survey, the Globe asked hundreds of scientists about the impact of federal funding cuts.
The results were stark:
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
The results were stark:
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
And we're off! Ad test in ChatGPT went up in the last two days, from what's been reported so far, brands involved include Target, Adobe, Williams-Sonoma, Ford and Mazda.
www.adweek.com/media/chatgp...
www.adweek.com/media/chatgp...
ChatGPT Gets Ads: Omnicom, WPP, and Dentsu Line Up Brands for OpenAI Pilot
OpenAI’s decision reflects both the competitive pressures AI companies face, as well as the financial reality of supporting massive use at scale.
www.adweek.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM
And we're off! Ad test in ChatGPT went up in the last two days, from what's been reported so far, brands involved include Target, Adobe, Williams-Sonoma, Ford and Mazda.
www.adweek.com/media/chatgp...
www.adweek.com/media/chatgp...
can't disagree, particularly in this situation.
February 10, 2026 at 9:45 PM
can't disagree, particularly in this situation.
One of the baffling things about the tech world to me is that everyone suddenly understands how reinforcement learning works for algorithms, but no one seems to understand that reinforcement learning works for humans.
How does this man think that rewiring brains works www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/t...
February 10, 2026 at 9:34 PM
One of the baffling things about the tech world to me is that everyone suddenly understands how reinforcement learning works for algorithms, but no one seems to understand that reinforcement learning works for humans.
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
*whispers* the finity stones
Yes, we talked to a geologist who curls about the very special geology of curling's stones, please enjoy
Why curling rocks come from just two spots on Earth
The rocks used in the Olympic sport of curling come from one island in Scotland and one quarry in Wales. What makes them so special?
www.scientificamerican.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:04 PM
*whispers* the finity stones
I am the biggest fan of Harvard's design school class "Paper or Plastic", taught by Teran and Teman Evans. This is a great summary of the class that includes a great summary of their philosophy for designing real products for real people.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Supermarket savvy — Harvard Gazette
Students hone eye-catching brand strategies in GSD course.
news.harvard.edu
February 10, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I am the biggest fan of Harvard's design school class "Paper or Plastic", taught by Teran and Teman Evans. This is a great summary of the class that includes a great summary of their philosophy for designing real products for real people.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
very on board with @jjaron.bsky.social's campaign for a biopic of Paul Erdős' life starring Jeff Goldblum www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Jeff Goldblum should make a film about this legendary mathematician
Paul Erdős was one of the most prolific mathematicians to ever live, known for showing up at the door of others in the field and declaring they should host and feed him while they do maths together. H...
www.newscientist.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:42 PM
very on board with @jjaron.bsky.social's campaign for a biopic of Paul Erdős' life starring Jeff Goldblum www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
Plant People, brought to you by the team who created Left Shark.
This is my new favorite thing!
This is my new favorite thing!
It’s been really fun to watch Bad Bunny’s “plant people” go viral. That was by design. The team behind Left Shark also came up with the idea to have the grasses be people. Production designer Bruce Rodgers had a feeling they’d get memed. He just knows these things.
www.wired.com/story/bad-bu...
www.wired.com/story/bad-bu...
Inside Bad Bunny’s Historic Super Bowl Halftime Show
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics, nearly 400 costumed extras, and a lot of ingenuity. And yes, that was a real couple featured in the wedding.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Plant People, brought to you by the team who created Left Shark.
This is my new favorite thing!
This is my new favorite thing!
RhetAI is an interdisciplinary group aiming to explore "the intersection of AI and Persuasion to foster safer technology" Their second summit is at UCI - if you're in southern California, please stop by! www.rhetai.com/register
February 9, 2026 at 4:20 PM
RhetAI is an interdisciplinary group aiming to explore "the intersection of AI and Persuasion to foster safer technology" Their second summit is at UCI - if you're in southern California, please stop by! www.rhetai.com/register
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
I need a Bad Bunny x Kendrick Lamar crossover real bad.
February 7, 2026 at 1:31 AM
I need a Bad Bunny x Kendrick Lamar crossover real bad.
I appreciate that more precise reporting would be better. Still, I suspect *any* human input comes as a surprise to many (did to me), and the implications of remote (let alone international) sources of human judgment without legal oversight are worth public discussion.
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 AM
I appreciate that more precise reporting would be better. Still, I suspect *any* human input comes as a surprise to many (did to me), and the implications of remote (let alone international) sources of human judgment without legal oversight are worth public discussion.
Wait, this is a professional direction a person can pursue? THIS IS AWESOME!
the NYU WILD Lab is hiring a new postdoc, to work on bird-window collision research and other wild animal welfare topics in the urban context. Feel free to contact me with questions. apply.interfolio.com/180942
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Wait, this is a professional direction a person can pursue? THIS IS AWESOME!
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
another year of us not running a super bowl ad
February 6, 2026 at 7:42 PM
another year of us not running a super bowl ad
Oh *no* that's so sad. A Pizza Hut supreme was once my platonic ideal of American/takeout pizza
February 6, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Oh *no* that's so sad. A Pizza Hut supreme was once my platonic ideal of American/takeout pizza
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
If you’ve been taught to think of decisions as a tug-of-war 🪢 (e.g., DDM), our new chapter will try to convince you otherwise!
We show that these models miss key aspects of traditional choices, & prevent us from understanding non-traditional ones (e.g., whether/when/how many to choose).
🔗 below:
We show that these models miss key aspects of traditional choices, & prevent us from understanding non-traditional ones (e.g., whether/when/how many to choose).
🔗 below:
Excited to share our chapter "Breaking the Tug-of-War: What Neuroeconomics Can Gain by Moving Past Competition-Only Models" with Yi-Hsin Su, Romy Frömer, and @ashenhav.bsky.social, now out in the new volume, "Neuroeconomics: Core Topics and Current Directions"!
doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02925-6_10
doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02925-6_10
Breaking the Tug-of-War: What Neuroeconomics Can Gain by Moving Past Competition-Only Models
Popular models of decision-making characterize choice dynamics as a tug-of-war process, where evidence for competing options accumulates until a threshold is reached. While these models capture severa...
doi.org
February 5, 2026 at 10:09 PM
If you’ve been taught to think of decisions as a tug-of-war 🪢 (e.g., DDM), our new chapter will try to convince you otherwise!
We show that these models miss key aspects of traditional choices, & prevent us from understanding non-traditional ones (e.g., whether/when/how many to choose).
🔗 below:
We show that these models miss key aspects of traditional choices, & prevent us from understanding non-traditional ones (e.g., whether/when/how many to choose).
🔗 below:
Okay, I honestly got caught by surprise on this particular mechanical turk reveal.
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
It Turns Out Waymos Are Being Controlled by Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Okay, I honestly got caught by surprise on this particular mechanical turk reveal.
Someone should recreate an old-school Pizza Hut and make bank off of GenX nostalgia like mine.
You'd need red pebbled plastic coke cups, pac man arcade machines, and personal pan pizzas delivered in lawsuit-risking still-sizzling skillets.
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
You'd need red pebbled plastic coke cups, pac man arcade machines, and personal pan pizzas delivered in lawsuit-risking still-sizzling skillets.
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
Pizza Hut closing 250 US stores as parent company considers selling the brand
Pizza Hut plans to close 250 U.S. restaurants in the first half of this year as its parent company considers a sale of the chain
abcnews.go.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Someone should recreate an old-school Pizza Hut and make bank off of GenX nostalgia like mine.
You'd need red pebbled plastic coke cups, pac man arcade machines, and personal pan pizzas delivered in lawsuit-risking still-sizzling skillets.
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
You'd need red pebbled plastic coke cups, pac man arcade machines, and personal pan pizzas delivered in lawsuit-risking still-sizzling skillets.
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
Reposted by Uma Karmarkar
We’re hiring! The Suthana Lab @ Duke is looking for a Research Assistant to join our team studying human memory & real-world 🧠 dynamics using wearable tech & intracranial recordings.
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
February 5, 2026 at 4:41 PM
We’re hiring! The Suthana Lab @ Duke is looking for a Research Assistant to join our team studying human memory & real-world 🧠 dynamics using wearable tech & intracranial recordings.
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!