Wayne Wu
@attninaction.bsky.social
History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh and
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
Movements of the Mind: https://academic.oup.com/book/46088?searchresult=1
Attention 2: https://www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu/p/book/9781032121772?sr
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
Movements of the Mind: https://academic.oup.com/book/46088?searchresult=1
Attention 2: https://www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu/p/book/9781032121772?sr
Pinned
Wayne Wu
@attninaction.bsky.social
· Nov 25
Attention
Wayne Wu’s Attention was the first book to provide a systematic overview and assessment of different empirical and philosophical works on attention. In this revised and expanded second edition Wu disc...
www.routledge.com
I rewrote Attention (2nd edition) in to engage scientists AND philosophers on attention. I am an optimist not skeptic: we deeply understand attention. I show why (and how) and discuss philosophical consequences. The book is currently discounted & due in late Dec.
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
Does anyone know who first used the terms "top-down" versus "bottom-up" for attention? Or if endogenous versus exogenous came first, who used that first? Or for any other term. A reference would be awesome.
May 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Does anyone know who first used the terms "top-down" versus "bottom-up" for attention? Or if endogenous versus exogenous came first, who used that first? Or for any other term. A reference would be awesome.
I'm so sorry not to be at this event in person, but this is a great workshop, where philosophers of perception and vision scientists meet in dialog. This afternoon at 1:15pm EST. Check out the line-up and RSVP for on-line attendance.
www.phivis.org
www.phivis.org
Home | phiVis
www.phivis.org
May 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I'm so sorry not to be at this event in person, but this is a great workshop, where philosophers of perception and vision scientists meet in dialog. This afternoon at 1:15pm EST. Check out the line-up and RSVP for on-line attendance.
www.phivis.org
www.phivis.org
An upcoming philosophy of neuroscience conference CFP. The organizers strongly encourage submissions from neuroscientists doing population recording, & in particular short talks that draw on ongoing research to address the theoretical questions highlighted in the CFP:
philevents.org/event/show/1...
philevents.org/event/show/1...
A Population Doctrine in Neuroscience Workshop
A Population Doctrine in Neuroscience Workshop (Call for Papers)
We are pleased to announce an interdisciplinary 2-day workshop held at the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsb...
philevents.org
April 16, 2025 at 4:46 PM
An upcoming philosophy of neuroscience conference CFP. The organizers strongly encourage submissions from neuroscientists doing population recording, & in particular short talks that draw on ongoing research to address the theoretical questions highlighted in the CFP:
philevents.org/event/show/1...
philevents.org/event/show/1...
Thanks to Taylor Cyr and Matt Flummer for chatting about intention & memory. We talk about intention as memory & intending as remembering, forgetting what we're doing when we cross a threshold, and why research on working memory is research on intention.
open.spotify.com/episode/7gK0...
open.spotify.com/episode/7gK0...
Episode 97: Intention and Memory with Wayne Wu
The Free Will Show · Episode
open.spotify.com
April 15, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Thanks to Taylor Cyr and Matt Flummer for chatting about intention & memory. We talk about intention as memory & intending as remembering, forgetting what we're doing when we cross a threshold, and why research on working memory is research on intention.
open.spotify.com/episode/7gK0...
open.spotify.com/episode/7gK0...
Here's my commentary on Ruth Rosenholtz's BBS article on attention in crisis. I bring out a different (familiar) view of what the crisis is and suggest one way to ban attention from cog neuro: stop fallaciously identifying attention w/ a mechanism. Attention is the explanandum.
bit.ly/WuCRISIS-BBS
bit.ly/WuCRISIS-BBS
Wu. Commentary on Rosenholtz BBS .pdf
bit.ly
March 17, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Here's my commentary on Ruth Rosenholtz's BBS article on attention in crisis. I bring out a different (familiar) view of what the crisis is and suggest one way to ban attention from cog neuro: stop fallaciously identifying attention w/ a mechanism. Attention is the explanandum.
bit.ly/WuCRISIS-BBS
bit.ly/WuCRISIS-BBS
I'm writing lecture notes reading a certain influential paper whose general point I agree with...so I might put up random comments on it or related questions.
Who came up with top-down vs bottom-up? What architecture did they have in mind to ground a direction? What about lateral modulation?
Who came up with top-down vs bottom-up? What architecture did they have in mind to ground a direction? What about lateral modulation?
December 20, 2024 at 2:46 PM
I'm writing lecture notes reading a certain influential paper whose general point I agree with...so I might put up random comments on it or related questions.
Who came up with top-down vs bottom-up? What architecture did they have in mind to ground a direction? What about lateral modulation?
Who came up with top-down vs bottom-up? What architecture did they have in mind to ground a direction? What about lateral modulation?
A not helpful concept in the theory of attention: *attentional control* as in e.g., top-down attentional control.
1. Is it a type of control *of* attention?
2. Is it attention a controller *of*...?
Two different psychological phenomena, collapsed in an unhelpful, all-too-common, conceptualization.
1. Is it a type of control *of* attention?
2. Is it attention a controller *of*...?
Two different psychological phenomena, collapsed in an unhelpful, all-too-common, conceptualization.
December 20, 2024 at 2:23 PM
A not helpful concept in the theory of attention: *attentional control* as in e.g., top-down attentional control.
1. Is it a type of control *of* attention?
2. Is it attention a controller *of*...?
Two different psychological phenomena, collapsed in an unhelpful, all-too-common, conceptualization.
1. Is it a type of control *of* attention?
2. Is it attention a controller *of*...?
Two different psychological phenomena, collapsed in an unhelpful, all-too-common, conceptualization.
Reposted by Wayne Wu
Attention by Wayne Wu: https://doi.org/10.21428/e2759450.3ce3f8af
October 9, 2024 at 12:00 PM
Attention by Wayne Wu: https://doi.org/10.21428/e2759450.3ce3f8af
Reposted by Wayne Wu
I made a starter pack to follow your favorite WomWoMs (Women of Working Memory)
go.bsky.app/78fcoth
You can ping me to be added!
go.bsky.app/78fcoth
You can ping me to be added!
November 25, 2024 at 4:25 PM
I made a starter pack to follow your favorite WomWoMs (Women of Working Memory)
go.bsky.app/78fcoth
You can ping me to be added!
go.bsky.app/78fcoth
You can ping me to be added!
I rewrote Attention (2nd edition) in to engage scientists AND philosophers on attention. I am an optimist not skeptic: we deeply understand attention. I show why (and how) and discuss philosophical consequences. The book is currently discounted & due in late Dec.
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
Attention
Wayne Wu’s Attention was the first book to provide a systematic overview and assessment of different empirical and philosophical works on attention. In this revised and expanded second edition Wu disc...
www.routledge.com
November 25, 2024 at 9:54 PM
I rewrote Attention (2nd edition) in to engage scientists AND philosophers on attention. I am an optimist not skeptic: we deeply understand attention. I show why (and how) and discuss philosophical consequences. The book is currently discounted & due in late Dec.
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
Hello bksy. Been a while. Those interested in attention and want a philosophical and optimistic take on the science and the philosophy, this might be of interest:
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
Attention
Wayne Wu’s Attention was the first book to provide a systematic overview and assessment of different empirical and philosophical work on attention. In this revised and expanded second edition Wu discu...
www.routledge.com
October 31, 2024 at 1:24 AM
Hello bksy. Been a while. Those interested in attention and want a philosophical and optimistic take on the science and the philosophy, this might be of interest:
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
www.routledge.com/Attention/Wu...
1st 2 chapters of my book still free from Oxford UP. The book is expensive so if you know someone who would be interested in an emiprical-philosophical account of agency, attention and their relation, point them to the free download (soon gone). Please repost:
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
April 3, 2024 at 2:03 PM
1st 2 chapters of my book still free from Oxford UP. The book is expensive so if you know someone who would be interested in an emiprical-philosophical account of agency, attention and their relation, point them to the free download (soon gone). Please repost:
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Does attention gates consciousness? Come to discussion in 20 minutes links below. Some great work. I will critically discuss.
Neural Mechanisms Online
(website)
Friday 22 March 2024
Webinar
h16-18 CET / h15-17 GMT
(check your local time here)
Join at:
unito.webex.com/unito-en/j.p...
Neural Mechanisms Online
(website)
Friday 22 March 2024
Webinar
h16-18 CET / h15-17 GMT
(check your local time here)
Join at:
unito.webex.com/unito-en/j.p...
March 22, 2024 at 2:43 PM
Does attention gates consciousness? Come to discussion in 20 minutes links below. Some great work. I will critically discuss.
Neural Mechanisms Online
(website)
Friday 22 March 2024
Webinar
h16-18 CET / h15-17 GMT
(check your local time here)
Join at:
unito.webex.com/unito-en/j.p...
Neural Mechanisms Online
(website)
Friday 22 March 2024
Webinar
h16-18 CET / h15-17 GMT
(check your local time here)
Join at:
unito.webex.com/unito-en/j.p...
Um, the ENTIRE book seems to be available for free right now. This is my book, Movements of the Mind, a theory of agency, attention and intention.
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Come to philosophyofbrains.com/2024/03/11/w...
to discuss
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Come to philosophyofbrains.com/2024/03/11/w...
to discuss
Movements of the Mind: A Theory of Attention, Intention and Action
Abstract. Movements of the Mind explains what it is to be an agent. Focusing on mental agency, the book’s eponymous topic, it investigates an agent’s doing thin
academic.oup.com
March 12, 2024 at 9:20 PM
Um, the ENTIRE book seems to be available for free right now. This is my book, Movements of the Mind, a theory of agency, attention and intention.
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Come to philosophyofbrains.com/2024/03/11/w...
to discuss
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Come to philosophyofbrains.com/2024/03/11/w...
to discuss
Hard to feel that this matters much given what's happening in the world...but if you need a break and want to hear about the nature of agency and mental action I'll be blogging about my book at brainsblog next Monday (chp 1 will be available).
philosophyofbrains.com
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
philosophyofbrains.com
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
March 5, 2024 at 2:24 PM
Hard to feel that this matters much given what's happening in the world...but if you need a break and want to hear about the nature of agency and mental action I'll be blogging about my book at brainsblog next Monday (chp 1 will be available).
philosophyofbrains.com
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
philosophyofbrains.com
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
I've helped organize the following event with Jackie Gottlieb from Columbia and Raphael Rosenberg, an art historian from Uni Wien at the Italian Academy at Columbia. Please come if you can! Do register (we need a head count)!
italianacademy.columbia.edu/events/atten...
italianacademy.columbia.edu/events/atten...
February 15, 2024 at 7:34 PM
I've helped organize the following event with Jackie Gottlieb from Columbia and Raphael Rosenberg, an art historian from Uni Wien at the Italian Academy at Columbia. Please come if you can! Do register (we need a head count)!
italianacademy.columbia.edu/events/atten...
italianacademy.columbia.edu/events/atten...
Any suggestions for a gentle introduction to the biology of habits and of addiction? Accessible, with some guideance, to undergraduates with little biology.
January 16, 2024 at 3:41 PM
Any suggestions for a gentle introduction to the biology of habits and of addiction? Accessible, with some guideance, to undergraduates with little biology.
Lots of great books available at OUPPhilosophy at a substantial discount.
Want to understand what agency is, the role of attention, intention and memory and how the mind moves, tied to the neurobiology? Apply 40% discount EXAPAE24 to this book:
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Want to understand what agency is, the role of attention, intention and memory and how the mind moves, tied to the neurobiology? Apply 40% discount EXAPAE24 to this book:
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
January 15, 2024 at 6:06 PM
Lots of great books available at OUPPhilosophy at a substantial discount.
Want to understand what agency is, the role of attention, intention and memory and how the mind moves, tied to the neurobiology? Apply 40% discount EXAPAE24 to this book:
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Want to understand what agency is, the role of attention, intention and memory and how the mind moves, tied to the neurobiology? Apply 40% discount EXAPAE24 to this book:
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
Those who find the TiCS article, “We know what attention is!” compelling might look at how the central idea helps explain what it is to be an agent, to have an intention, and working memory as attention among other topics. Sorry no free access :(
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
December 20, 2023 at 3:14 PM
Those who find the TiCS article, “We know what attention is!” compelling might look at how the central idea helps explain what it is to be an agent, to have an intention, and working memory as attention among other topics. Sorry no free access :(
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
academic.oup.com/book/46088?s...
Let's get rid of confusion by a common anchor (or shall I say...conception?). Our experimental methodology does this for us as common paradigms converge on the same functional conception of attention. If we start there, we all start in the same place. And, we're already there.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
First everyone knew what attention is, then in the past 15 years we thought we didn't know. But now it seems that we do! William James will be happy but some of us likely as confused as ever...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
#neuroscience
First everyone knew what attention is, then in the past 15 years we thought we didn't know. But now it seems that we do! William James will be happy but some of us likely as confused as ever...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
#neuroscience
December 19, 2023 at 7:16 PM
Let's get rid of confusion by a common anchor (or shall I say...conception?). Our experimental methodology does this for us as common paradigms converge on the same functional conception of attention. If we start there, we all start in the same place. And, we're already there.
My article, "We know what attention is!" is out in @TrendsCognSci . it argues that our experimental methodology commits us to a simple functional conception of attention. In that sense, we agree on and know what attention is. I will thread about it later. authors.elsevier.com/a/1iGCs4sIRv...
December 16, 2023 at 8:38 PM
My article, "We know what attention is!" is out in @TrendsCognSci . it argues that our experimental methodology commits us to a simple functional conception of attention. In that sense, we agree on and know what attention is. I will thread about it later. authors.elsevier.com/a/1iGCs4sIRv...
All the heat wrt consciousness directed at theories of ignition. The central question is what makes a state conscious *versus not*. Ok, that’s 1 question.
I think the most informative work on consciousness concerns: Why do we experience X versus Y?
We know a lot about that, thank you cog sci.
I think the most informative work on consciousness concerns: Why do we experience X versus Y?
We know a lot about that, thank you cog sci.
September 28, 2023 at 1:03 PM
All the heat wrt consciousness directed at theories of ignition. The central question is what makes a state conscious *versus not*. Ok, that’s 1 question.
I think the most informative work on consciousness concerns: Why do we experience X versus Y?
We know a lot about that, thank you cog sci.
I think the most informative work on consciousness concerns: Why do we experience X versus Y?
We know a lot about that, thank you cog sci.