Beck Todd
@beckety.bsky.social
Cognitive neuroscience, affect and cognition, participatory sensemaking through food and dance
In Stories for Healing Earth the odyssey, “An Open Pickup on the High Seas,” continues. In which my father, John Todd, escapes with his life by sail only to encounter a sea serpent. And over the years hunts down the scientific explanation behind the mythical beast. open.substack.com/pub/oceanark...
An Ocean Pickup on the High Seas
Part 2: The Sea Serpent
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:54 AM
In Stories for Healing Earth the odyssey, “An Open Pickup on the High Seas,” continues. In which my father, John Todd, escapes with his life by sail only to encounter a sea serpent. And over the years hunts down the scientific explanation behind the mythical beast. open.substack.com/pub/oceanark...
New preprint of a theoretical paper with @evanthompson.bsky.social. We discuss using information theoretic approaches to test the role of emergent interaction dynamics hypothesized by #ParticipatorySensemaking on attention and agency — using dance improv as a laboratory: osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
October 21, 2025 at 3:49 PM
New preprint of a theoretical paper with @evanthompson.bsky.social. We discuss using information theoretic approaches to test the role of emergent interaction dynamics hypothesized by #ParticipatorySensemaking on attention and agency — using dance improv as a laboratory: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Beck Todd
The Third Entity: Participatory Sense-Making, Agency, and Attentional Dynamics osf.io/preprints/ps... New paper by @beckety.bsky.social and yours truly.
OSF
osf.io
October 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The Third Entity: Participatory Sense-Making, Agency, and Attentional Dynamics osf.io/preprints/ps... New paper by @beckety.bsky.social and yours truly.
Reposted by Beck Todd
I’m an Autistic classically trained chef and I wrote a food aversion acceptance cookbook and guide titled COLOR TASTE TEXTURE, that’s all about finding out what works for specific sensory needs and how to customize food for them. It’s useful for all ages, no cooking experience necessary.
Color Taste Texture by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt: 9780593538593 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
An accessible family cookbook that offers solutions rather than tricks to empower the food-averse, autistic, and picky eater, with 46 recipes. This much-needed cookbook combines tips and techniques.....
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
August 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I’m an Autistic classically trained chef and I wrote a food aversion acceptance cookbook and guide titled COLOR TASTE TEXTURE, that’s all about finding out what works for specific sensory needs and how to customize food for them. It’s useful for all ages, no cooking experience necessary.
Reposted by Beck Todd
Depression may impair avoidance of aversive events, and aversive events may increase depression. Here is one of the possible depressive loops.
"Depression levels are associated with reduced capacity to learn to actively avoid aversive events in young adults."
www.eneuro.org/content/earl...
"Depression levels are associated with reduced capacity to learn to actively avoid aversive events in young adults."
www.eneuro.org/content/earl...
Depression levels are associated with reduced capacity to learn to actively avoid aversive events in young adults
Depression and anxiety are often characterized by altered reward-seeking and avoidance, respectively. Yet less is known about the relationship between depressive symptoms and specific avoidance behavi...
www.eneuro.org
September 1, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Depression may impair avoidance of aversive events, and aversive events may increase depression. Here is one of the possible depressive loops.
"Depression levels are associated with reduced capacity to learn to actively avoid aversive events in young adults."
www.eneuro.org/content/earl...
"Depression levels are associated with reduced capacity to learn to actively avoid aversive events in young adults."
www.eneuro.org/content/earl...
Reposted by Beck Todd
New in #eNeuro from Tomm et al: The more depressive symptoms a person has, the more they struggle with learning to actively avoid unpleasant stimuli. <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5sugiaoiuupqtq5a73ixn23j" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@ubcpsych.bsky.social
https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0034-25.2025
https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0034-25.2025
September 1, 2025 at 8:29 PM
New in #eNeuro from Tomm et al: The more depressive symptoms a person has, the more they struggle with learning to actively avoid unpleasant stimuli. <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5sugiaoiuupqtq5a73ixn23j" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@ubcpsych.bsky.social
https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0034-25.2025
https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0034-25.2025
I should also be sure to say that wrt building on @dr-stan.bsky.social's lab’s rodent research I should acknowledge that the direct inspiration came from some of the PhD research carried out by @ppiantad.bsky.social!
1. Media coverage of a new paper by @ryantomm.bsky.social w @brandonforys.com, @dr-stan.bsky.social et al. Building on Stan’s rodent work, Ryan found that > depression levels were associated w reduced capacity to learn to actively button-press to avoid a nasty sound www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Depression Curbs Ability to Actively Avoid Unpleasant Events
Depression in young patients is linked to difficulty in taking action to avoid something unpleasant, while the ability to withdraw and not act remains intact.
www.medscape.com
September 12, 2025 at 10:33 PM
I should also be sure to say that wrt building on @dr-stan.bsky.social's lab’s rodent research I should acknowledge that the direct inspiration came from some of the PhD research carried out by @ppiantad.bsky.social!
1. Media coverage of a new paper by @ryantomm.bsky.social w @brandonforys.com, @dr-stan.bsky.social et al. Building on Stan’s rodent work, Ryan found that > depression levels were associated w reduced capacity to learn to actively button-press to avoid a nasty sound www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Depression Curbs Ability to Actively Avoid Unpleasant Events
Depression in young patients is linked to difficulty in taking action to avoid something unpleasant, while the ability to withdraw and not act remains intact.
www.medscape.com
September 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
1. Media coverage of a new paper by @ryantomm.bsky.social w @brandonforys.com, @dr-stan.bsky.social et al. Building on Stan’s rodent work, Ryan found that > depression levels were associated w reduced capacity to learn to actively button-press to avoid a nasty sound www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
I just published a new substack on death and loss and radical hope when meaning as we know it slips from under our feet: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Death, Grief, and Radical Hope
Crepe myrtle’s confetti of flowers.
open.substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I just published a new substack on death and loss and radical hope when meaning as we know it slips from under our feet: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
My mother, Nancy Jack Todd, died May 30. This substack note is my first of many articulations of a personal tribute to her. substack.com/@beckettodd/...
Rebecca Todd on Substack
This note is a first tribute to my mother, Nancy Jack Todd, who died peacefully at home in the evening of May 30, in sunlight, with John and her grandson Max holding her hands.
Other obituaries and t...
substack.com
June 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
My mother, Nancy Jack Todd, died May 30. This substack note is my first of many articulations of a personal tribute to her. substack.com/@beckettodd/...
Reposted by Beck Todd
My mother-in-law, the inestimable Nancy Jack Todd, has left us. Here's a piece about her by her daughter and my partner, @beckety.bsky.social substack.com/@beckettodd/...
Rebecca Todd on Substack
This note is a first tribute to my mother, Nancy Jack Todd, who died peacefully at home in the evening of May 30, in sunlight, with John and her grandson Max holding her hands.
Other obituaries and t...
substack.com
June 2, 2025 at 2:26 PM
My mother-in-law, the inestimable Nancy Jack Todd, has left us. Here's a piece about her by her daughter and my partner, @beckety.bsky.social substack.com/@beckettodd/...
Reposted by Beck Todd
@beckety.bsky.social in dialogue with Yuri Celidwen and Gregoire Lamoureux: Participatory Sensemaking with the More than Human World open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Participatory Sensemaking with the More than Human World
Notice the texture of the lands where you are.
open.substack.com
May 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM
@beckety.bsky.social in dialogue with Yuri Celidwen and Gregoire Lamoureux: Participatory Sensemaking with the More than Human World open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Here I interview two of my heroes, Yuria Celidwen and Gregoire Lamoureux, who articulate and foster our enmeshed relationship with the more than human world. We need what they are offering so desperately, I'm excited to amplify their words and actions here: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Participatory Sensemaking with the More than Human World
Notice the texture of the lands where you are.
open.substack.com
May 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Here I interview two of my heroes, Yuria Celidwen and Gregoire Lamoureux, who articulate and foster our enmeshed relationship with the more than human world. We need what they are offering so desperately, I'm excited to amplify their words and actions here: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
New Love and Philosophy podcast from @lovephilosophy.substack.com with me, aerial dancer/philosopher Shay Welch & "frequency barista" penijean gracefire on complexity fatigue & the "third entity" - the interactive process that takes on a life of its own lovephilosophy.substack.com/p/complexity...
Complexity Fatigue & the 3rd Entity
Listen now | are we making any sense together in this world?
lovephilosophy.substack.com
April 26, 2025 at 7:01 AM
New Love and Philosophy podcast from @lovephilosophy.substack.com with me, aerial dancer/philosopher Shay Welch & "frequency barista" penijean gracefire on complexity fatigue & the "third entity" - the interactive process that takes on a life of its own lovephilosophy.substack.com/p/complexity...
Reposted by Beck Todd
This is a letter calling on Canadian federal party leaders asking them to make a historic investment in Canadian research sovereignty. If you're a Canadian researcher please sign it!
CC @mark-carney.bsky.social @jagmeetsingh.ca
🍁 🧪
www.linkedin.com/posts/dylanm...
CC @mark-carney.bsky.social @jagmeetsingh.ca
🍁 🧪
www.linkedin.com/posts/dylanm...
National Letter | Dylan MacKay
If you are a researcher in Canada (professor, postdoc, graduate student, librarian, technician, clinician scientist, research associate, director, manager, person with lived or living experience, etc)...
www.linkedin.com
April 18, 2025 at 12:48 AM
This is a letter calling on Canadian federal party leaders asking them to make a historic investment in Canadian research sovereignty. If you're a Canadian researcher please sign it!
CC @mark-carney.bsky.social @jagmeetsingh.ca
🍁 🧪
www.linkedin.com/posts/dylanm...
CC @mark-carney.bsky.social @jagmeetsingh.ca
🍁 🧪
www.linkedin.com/posts/dylanm...
Reposted by Beck Todd
A review of Conversations in Critical Psychiatry in the journal Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
"an engaging and accessible account of the state of the art, through the words of some of the leading figures involved in mapping the psychiatric territory."
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
"an engaging and accessible account of the state of the art, through the words of some of the leading figures involved in mapping the psychiatric territory."
Conversations in critical psychiatry
Published in Cognitive Neuropsychiatry (Ahead of Print, 2025)
www.tandfonline.com
April 11, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A review of Conversations in Critical Psychiatry in the journal Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
"an engaging and accessible account of the state of the art, through the words of some of the leading figures involved in mapping the psychiatric territory."
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
"an engaging and accessible account of the state of the art, through the words of some of the leading figures involved in mapping the psychiatric territory."
Reposted by Beck Todd
🧠 Are you completing a PhD in neuroscience or psychology and seek a competitive postdoc abroad?
Join my lab at CIMeC as a Marie Curie Fellow. We study abstract concept from newborns to adult using fMRI, EEG & more. Reach out for ideas!
Call opens May 8, 2025.
🔗https://r.unitn.it/en/cimec/per2con
Join my lab at CIMeC as a Marie Curie Fellow. We study abstract concept from newborns to adult using fMRI, EEG & more. Reach out for ideas!
Call opens May 8, 2025.
🔗https://r.unitn.it/en/cimec/per2con
April 12, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🧠 Are you completing a PhD in neuroscience or psychology and seek a competitive postdoc abroad?
Join my lab at CIMeC as a Marie Curie Fellow. We study abstract concept from newborns to adult using fMRI, EEG & more. Reach out for ideas!
Call opens May 8, 2025.
🔗https://r.unitn.it/en/cimec/per2con
Join my lab at CIMeC as a Marie Curie Fellow. We study abstract concept from newborns to adult using fMRI, EEG & more. Reach out for ideas!
Call opens May 8, 2025.
🔗https://r.unitn.it/en/cimec/per2con
Reposted by Beck Todd
Here's the link to the piece @liisagalea.bsky.social and I wrote for The Tyee on the threats to medical research funding buried in the Conservative party platform 😬
If elected, Poilievre’s government will “put an end to the imposition of woke ideology in the federal civil service and federal funds for university research.”
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
By Attacking Science, Poilievre Takes a Page from Trump’s Playbook | The Tyee
Professors find this chilling and warn of the costs.
thetyee.ca
April 10, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Here's the link to the piece @liisagalea.bsky.social and I wrote for The Tyee on the threats to medical research funding buried in the Conservative party platform 😬
Reposted by Beck Todd
If elected, Poilievre’s government will “put an end to the imposition of woke ideology in the federal civil service and federal funds for university research.”
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
By Attacking Science, Poilievre Takes a Page from Trump’s Playbook | The Tyee
Professors find this chilling and warn of the costs.
thetyee.ca
April 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
If elected, Poilievre’s government will “put an end to the imposition of woke ideology in the federal civil service and federal funds for university research.”
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
The phrase is almost identical to wording used by the Trump administration.
Catharine Winstanley and @liisagalea.bsky.social write.
Wonderful new piece by Steve Rose on my dad John Todd’s always-visionary work in ecological restoration and design, from the New alchemy Institute in the 1970s to today's vision of a fleet of sailing ships to clean up polluted coastal waters open.substack.com/pub/oceanark...
'YODA' FOR SCIENTISTS: A NEW ARTICLE FROM THE GUARDIAN
‘Yoda’ for scientists: the outsider ecologist whose ideas from the 80s just might fix our future' by Steve Rose
open.substack.com
April 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Wonderful new piece by Steve Rose on my dad John Todd’s always-visionary work in ecological restoration and design, from the New alchemy Institute in the 1970s to today's vision of a fleet of sailing ships to clean up polluted coastal waters open.substack.com/pub/oceanark...
Reposted by Beck Todd
My paper reviewing how different neurodegenerative diseases affect autonomic function was just published.
Autonomic dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease — a Review by Mara Mather
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maramather.bsky.social
#neuroscience
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maramather.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Autonomic dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease - Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Neurodegenerative disorders are commonly associated with autonomic dysfunction as well as the more well-known cognitive and motor effects. In this Review, Mather describes how properties of neurons in...
www.nature.com
April 10, 2025 at 12:54 AM
My paper reviewing how different neurodegenerative diseases affect autonomic function was just published.
Reposted by Beck Todd
𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆
How can network science tackle complex biological systems?
Substantially reworked version
Largely conceptual, would be happy to see others fill in details or collaborate if people find it of value
osf.io/preprints/os...
#complexity
How can network science tackle complex biological systems?
Substantially reworked version
Largely conceptual, would be happy to see others fill in details or collaborate if people find it of value
osf.io/preprints/os...
#complexity
April 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆
How can network science tackle complex biological systems?
Substantially reworked version
Largely conceptual, would be happy to see others fill in details or collaborate if people find it of value
osf.io/preprints/os...
#complexity
How can network science tackle complex biological systems?
Substantially reworked version
Largely conceptual, would be happy to see others fill in details or collaborate if people find it of value
osf.io/preprints/os...
#complexity
Reposted by Beck Todd
I'm now searching for new PhD students who are interested in studying how people's brains understand sequences of images like in comics. So, a mix of comics, cogneuro (EEG), and psycholinguistics (especially syntax/semantics). Please circulate to all who might be interested! tiu.nu/22739
Job opening: Two PhD positions for the neurocognition of the grammar of visual narratives (22739)
tiu.nu
April 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I'm now searching for new PhD students who are interested in studying how people's brains understand sequences of images like in comics. So, a mix of comics, cogneuro (EEG), and psycholinguistics (especially syntax/semantics). Please circulate to all who might be interested! tiu.nu/22739
New substack post on holding people in personhood when they are in danger of losing it in the eyes of the world — with artscientists Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Naomi Askenaizi Ariane Boulet. open.substack.com/pub/becketto... in Personhood open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Holding in Personhood
Oh, the days, they waste away, like an unplayed game.
open.substack.com
April 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
New substack post on holding people in personhood when they are in danger of losing it in the eyes of the world — with artscientists Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Naomi Askenaizi Ariane Boulet. open.substack.com/pub/becketto... in Personhood open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
I just published a new substack post focusing on "holding in personhood." Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Naomi Askenazi,
& Ariane Boulet describe their work using dance, music, and technology to hold people in relationship when communication channels are restricted: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
& Ariane Boulet describe their work using dance, music, and technology to hold people in relationship when communication channels are restricted: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
Holding in Personhood
Oh, the days, they waste away, like an unplayed game.
open.substack.com
April 4, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I just published a new substack post focusing on "holding in personhood." Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Naomi Askenazi,
& Ariane Boulet describe their work using dance, music, and technology to hold people in relationship when communication channels are restricted: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...
& Ariane Boulet describe their work using dance, music, and technology to hold people in relationship when communication channels are restricted: open.substack.com/pub/becketto...