Drew Altschul
@dremalt.bsky.social
Lecturer in Psychology @ Newcastle University. Studying the evolution of hierarchies and hierarchical thinking, mostly in primates. Open science, BTS, ManyPrimates/ManyManys. Living organism. Psoriatic arthritic. Age dyschronic. Writer. Buddhist.
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Reposted by Drew Altschul
📢 New article out in PLOS BIology!
It was truly a pleasure and honour be a part of the core team members to lead this study and work alongside 129 collaborators from 82 institutions across 24 countries - the largest ever comparative study of neophobia in 🐦! 🥰
It was truly a pleasure and honour be a part of the core team members to lead this study and work alongside 129 collaborators from 82 institutions across 24 countries - the largest ever comparative study of neophobia in 🐦! 🥰
October 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
📢 New article out in PLOS BIology!
It was truly a pleasure and honour be a part of the core team members to lead this study and work alongside 129 collaborators from 82 institutions across 24 countries - the largest ever comparative study of neophobia in 🐦! 🥰
It was truly a pleasure and honour be a part of the core team members to lead this study and work alongside 129 collaborators from 82 institutions across 24 countries - the largest ever comparative study of neophobia in 🐦! 🥰
This is so cool. Thanks for watching!
We received this dispatch from a @uop-ccep.bsky.social @uopcidd.bsky.social BTSCON viewing party. Look at all the Big Team Science FUN they're having! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
October 7, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This is so cool. Thanks for watching!
Reposted by Drew Altschul
We received this dispatch from a @uop-ccep.bsky.social @uopcidd.bsky.social BTSCON viewing party. Look at all the Big Team Science FUN they're having! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
October 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
We received this dispatch from a @uop-ccep.bsky.social @uopcidd.bsky.social BTSCON viewing party. Look at all the Big Team Science FUN they're having! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
(👀 @dremalt.bsky.social @manyprimates.bsky.social)
Other minds are foreign countries
October 7, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Other minds are foreign countries
100 years? This might as well be a short story collection of speculative fiction. "This issue is about scientific foresight, not science fiction." Okay, I mean, good luck?
I think it'd be more valuable *and* enjoyable to read something like David Eagleman's "Sum"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum:_Fo...
I think it'd be more valuable *and* enjoyable to read something like David Eagleman's "Sum"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum:_Fo...
October 6, 2025 at 10:01 AM
100 years? This might as well be a short story collection of speculative fiction. "This issue is about scientific foresight, not science fiction." Okay, I mean, good luck?
I think it'd be more valuable *and* enjoyable to read something like David Eagleman's "Sum"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum:_Fo...
I think it'd be more valuable *and* enjoyable to read something like David Eagleman's "Sum"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum:_Fo...
Such a loss. Hard to understate how much Jane Goodall did for the field of primatology, and probably all of comparative psychology, animal cognition, animal behaviour... We are very much in her debt.
And its also just great that still to this day she would describe herself as an ethologist.
And its also just great that still to this day she would describe herself as an ethologist.
The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1st, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, has passed away due to natural causes.
She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.
She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.
October 1, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Such a loss. Hard to understate how much Jane Goodall did for the field of primatology, and probably all of comparative psychology, animal cognition, animal behaviour... We are very much in her debt.
And its also just great that still to this day she would describe herself as an ethologist.
And its also just great that still to this day she would describe herself as an ethologist.
Recently I spoke about @manyprimates.bsky.social for @liftcostaction.bsky.social about distributed research projects and teams in animal sciences!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrA...
If you're interested in BTS projects, comparative cognition etc, have a watch
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrA...
If you're interested in BTS projects, comparative cognition etc, have a watch
[Drew Altschul & Bernhard Voelkl] Strategies to optimize cross-institute collaborations
YouTube video by Animal Welfare Slack
www.youtube.com
September 22, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Recently I spoke about @manyprimates.bsky.social for @liftcostaction.bsky.social about distributed research projects and teams in animal sciences!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrA...
If you're interested in BTS projects, comparative cognition etc, have a watch
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrA...
If you're interested in BTS projects, comparative cognition etc, have a watch
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Academic authors, here's a peek into the black box of journal publishing from an journal editor if you can bear it:
September 6, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Academic authors, here's a peek into the black box of journal publishing from an journal editor if you can bear it:
Bringing in new reviewers after the first back-and-forth has got to be one of the biggest misuses of everybody's time
September 1, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Bringing in new reviewers after the first back-and-forth has got to be one of the biggest misuses of everybody's time
Reposted by Drew Altschul
📣 New paper out (and my first one on ravens)! ❤️ "Startling ravens Corvux corax at foraging: Differences in anti-predator behaviour can be explained by age rather than personality" by Janina Weißenborn, @pesumas.bsky.social, Thomas Bugnyar and myself, out now in Journal of Avian Biology! ✨️😊
Do ravens have personalities?
We tested how free-flying ravens respond to predator calls & gunshots. No consistent boldness across individuals, but:
🖤 Juveniles fed sooner than adults
🦅 All reacted more cautiously to raptors than gunshots
doi.org/10.1002/jav....
@avianbiology.bsky.social #univienna
We tested how free-flying ravens respond to predator calls & gunshots. No consistent boldness across individuals, but:
🖤 Juveniles fed sooner than adults
🦅 All reacted more cautiously to raptors than gunshots
doi.org/10.1002/jav....
@avianbiology.bsky.social #univienna
August 27, 2025 at 7:54 AM
📣 New paper out (and my first one on ravens)! ❤️ "Startling ravens Corvux corax at foraging: Differences in anti-predator behaviour can be explained by age rather than personality" by Janina Weißenborn, @pesumas.bsky.social, Thomas Bugnyar and myself, out now in Journal of Avian Biology! ✨️😊
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Today, our article "The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly" is finally published in PNAS. I hope that it proves to be a wake-up-call for the whole scientific community.
reeserichardson.blog/2025/08/04/a...
reeserichardson.blog/2025/08/04/a...
A do-or-die moment for the scientific enterprise
Reflecting on our paper “The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly”
reeserichardson.blog
August 4, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Today, our article "The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly" is finally published in PNAS. I hope that it proves to be a wake-up-call for the whole scientific community.
reeserichardson.blog/2025/08/04/a...
reeserichardson.blog/2025/08/04/a...
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Richard Wollheim on Bertrand Russell.
August 3, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Richard Wollheim on Bertrand Russell.
Reposted by Drew Altschul
We are currently testing highly underrated and understudied colobus monkeys for @manyprimates.bsky.social at Zoo Krefeld.
It's a start - but ManyPrimates needs more colobines (and gibbons) for fair representation!
It's a start - but ManyPrimates needs more colobines (and gibbons) for fair representation!
July 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
We are currently testing highly underrated and understudied colobus monkeys for @manyprimates.bsky.social at Zoo Krefeld.
It's a start - but ManyPrimates needs more colobines (and gibbons) for fair representation!
It's a start - but ManyPrimates needs more colobines (and gibbons) for fair representation!
Reposted by Drew Altschul
1/3 First evidence of anxiety in snails
They exhibit fear responses hours after the source of their anxiety is removed. These responses can be reduced with an anxiolytic, such as alprazolam. They have also demonstrated high-level learning.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
They exhibit fear responses hours after the source of their anxiety is removed. These responses can be reduced with an anxiolytic, such as alprazolam. They have also demonstrated high-level learning.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 3, 2025 at 7:01 AM
1/3 First evidence of anxiety in snails
They exhibit fear responses hours after the source of their anxiety is removed. These responses can be reduced with an anxiolytic, such as alprazolam. They have also demonstrated high-level learning.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
They exhibit fear responses hours after the source of their anxiety is removed. These responses can be reduced with an anxiolytic, such as alprazolam. They have also demonstrated high-level learning.
(paper) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Our letter is out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social
We argue against a recent claim that animals cannot make mental simulations because they supposedly do not reliably memorize sequences. The evidence for model-based animal cognition is too overwhelming. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lKMt_V1r-...
We argue against a recent claim that animals cannot make mental simulations because they supposedly do not reliably memorize sequences. The evidence for model-based animal cognition is too overwhelming. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lKMt_V1r-...
authors.elsevier.com
June 26, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Our letter is out in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social
We argue against a recent claim that animals cannot make mental simulations because they supposedly do not reliably memorize sequences. The evidence for model-based animal cognition is too overwhelming. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lKMt_V1r-...
We argue against a recent claim that animals cannot make mental simulations because they supposedly do not reliably memorize sequences. The evidence for model-based animal cognition is too overwhelming. 🧪
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lKMt_V1r-...
Reposted by Drew Altschul
To be clear: I'm not sure what exactly this is and it deserves further study. But if something analogous would happen in primates/corvids/dolphins someone would publish a high-profile anecdotal report about it, celebrating it as a hallmark of advanced cognition in large-brained vertebrates ...
June 16, 2025 at 1:35 PM
To be clear: I'm not sure what exactly this is and it deserves further study. But if something analogous would happen in primates/corvids/dolphins someone would publish a high-profile anecdotal report about it, celebrating it as a hallmark of advanced cognition in large-brained vertebrates ...
Reposted by Drew Altschul
Normalise writing a nice quick note to scholars literally every time you read and like their work. Our world is small and getting smaller. We need encouragement.
May 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Normalise writing a nice quick note to scholars literally every time you read and like their work. Our world is small and getting smaller. We need encouragement.
When you're stuck in a nightmare that you can't get your contact lenses out
May 13, 2025 at 1:20 PM
When you're stuck in a nightmare that you can't get your contact lenses out
Observe the wild Brown Dog, thermoregulating so good in the little hole he dug for himself in the cool dirt in the shade
May 6, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Observe the wild Brown Dog, thermoregulating so good in the little hole he dug for himself in the cool dirt in the shade
Just another day walking by a herd of cows on my way home through central Newcastle
April 30, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Just another day walking by a herd of cows on my way home through central Newcastle
Reposted by Drew Altschul
What are common characteristics of #power & #dominance in humans?!? 🧔🤺
➡️ it's different in non-humans 🐒 🐦!
Drew Altschul finds convergence among psyc measures - there is a general assertative factor which is stable!
@dremalt.bsky.social
#ehbea2025 #status
➡️ it's different in non-humans 🐒 🐦!
Drew Altschul finds convergence among psyc measures - there is a general assertative factor which is stable!
@dremalt.bsky.social
#ehbea2025 #status
April 16, 2025 at 12:33 PM
What are common characteristics of #power & #dominance in humans?!? 🧔🤺
➡️ it's different in non-humans 🐒 🐦!
Drew Altschul finds convergence among psyc measures - there is a general assertative factor which is stable!
@dremalt.bsky.social
#ehbea2025 #status
➡️ it's different in non-humans 🐒 🐦!
Drew Altschul finds convergence among psyc measures - there is a general assertative factor which is stable!
@dremalt.bsky.social
#ehbea2025 #status
Reposted by Drew Altschul
If anyone has questions about @manyprimates.bsky.social or want to know how to get involved, I will be at #EHBEA2025 for the rest of the week 🐒🦍🦧
#EHBEA2025 kicks off with pre-conference panel on large scale collaborations
Great to hear about some of the often unspoken aspects of large-scale collaborations
@ehbea2025.bsky.social @ehbea.bsky.social @thorabjorns.bsky.social @shona-d.bsky.social @amrotella.bsky.social
Great to hear about some of the often unspoken aspects of large-scale collaborations
@ehbea2025.bsky.social @ehbea.bsky.social @thorabjorns.bsky.social @shona-d.bsky.social @amrotella.bsky.social
April 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
If anyone has questions about @manyprimates.bsky.social or want to know how to get involved, I will be at #EHBEA2025 for the rest of the week 🐒🦍🦧
Soula's feedback has been quite valuable today. She's very invested in the current project on dog personality. Brown, meanwhile, clearly phoning it in as a collaborator. He'll be getting last author.
April 10, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Soula's feedback has been quite valuable today. She's very invested in the current project on dog personality. Brown, meanwhile, clearly phoning it in as a collaborator. He'll be getting last author.
Reposted by Drew Altschul
While this is not exactly what's going on in the article, I am reminded that we've had modern measurement theory for quite a while now, and that dismayingly few widely-used and socially important measures survive first contact with it.
It is time to abandon student evaluations of teaching - Nature Reviews Psychology
Student teaching evaluations are discriminatory against women and racialized groups, exhibit poor construct and predictive validity, and undermine teaching and learning standards. It is time to replac...
www.nature.com
April 2, 2025 at 5:52 PM
While this is not exactly what's going on in the article, I am reminded that we've had modern measurement theory for quite a while now, and that dismayingly few widely-used and socially important measures survive first contact with it.