Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Fernanda Ferreira

@fernandaedi.bsky.social

8K followers 4.6K following 730 posts

Psycholinguist @UCDavis. Made in Portugal, raised in Canada, living in California. Author of "Psycholinguistics: A Very Short Introduction" from Oxford University Press, coming out January 23, 2025.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · Nov 10

With lots of new people and followers, thought I’d give my bio:

I’m 2-times an immigrant (🇵🇹—>🇨🇦, 🇨🇦—>🇺🇸), grew up in Winnipeg, 1st-gen. I’m a prof at UCDavis where I study language processing and teach amazing students. Love progressive politics, science, commuter cycling, running, and Jane Austen.

1 48

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Aislinn Keogh @mandolinguist.bsky.social · 1d

⚠️ New paper! Why do words sound so similar? In an agent-based model + communication game, we show that production/comprehension pressures trade off to shape lexicon structure.

In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The lexicon adapts to competing communicative pressures: Explaining patterns of word similarity

Cross-linguistically, lexicons tend to be more phonetically clustered than required by the phonotactics of the language; that is, words within a langu…

www.sciencedirect.com

2 10 32

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 2d

Funny because the biggest takeaway I got from EP is the huge asymmetry in the costs of reproduction for (mammal) females versus males, with the consequence that if women don’t control their bodies, they don’t control their lives.

1 1

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 3d

I've never received so many requests for letters of recommendation. I'm averaging 1-2 a day, most from students who took one of my 300+ enrollment classes. Anyone else seeing this, and is this a recession effect - the job market is bad so students are choosing to do postgrad work to wait it out?

2 1 3

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 3d

We see this in Davis, CA: Chamber of Commerce types and realtors’ associations always plug our system of bike paths and bike lanes in their promotional materials, but at the same time they oppose any extension of our biking infrastructure.

2 12

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 4d

Your moment of zen

Foggy morning, an hour or two after dawn. A bike path runs through the center of the image with trees and plants to either side. The trees on the left display beautiful autumn reds and golds.

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 5d

12 Hangry Men.

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 5d

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE MUST CREDIT: Lunch for jurors in the “sandwich guy” trial are a variety of sandwiches, according to a source familiar with lunch.

7 120 870

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 6d

I’ve waited my entire adult life to hear a speech from an American politician like the one Mamdani gave last night.

1 28

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 7d

I feel like I can breathe again

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 7d

Not often you read an obituary that’s better than poetry

Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 7d

All day, many of you have been asking for a Cheney obituary from me. Get ready:

His Works Completed, Dick Cheney, Mass Murderer of Iraqis and American Democracy, Dies

As much as the Trumpists claim to disavow the War on Terror, they walk a path paved by the most powerful vice president in U.S. history.

www.thenation.com

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 8d

I predict Zoran Mamdani will make an excellent mayor, not only because of his progressive policies, although those are great, but because his entire campaign has projected an extraordinary level of competence and skill. After all, governing is problem solving.

1 23

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Aidan Horner @aidanhorner.bsky.social · 8d

I wrote a thing on episodic memory and systems consolidation. I hope you all enjoy it and/or find it interesting.

A neural state space for episodic memories

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition 🧪

A neural state space for episodic memories

Episodic memories are highly dynamic and change in nonlinear ways over time. This dynamism is not captured by existing systems consolidation theories …

www.sciencedirect.com

2 67 160

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 10d

Yes but the clock change here dramatically increases my chances of getting to Trader Joe’s by 8am

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 15d

It’s just beautiful. The design is fantastic, but I also adore the color combination. Bet it looks amazing with jeans

1 1

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 19d

Nothing in teaching gives me anxiety like trying to get across the Baddeley & Hitch working memory model. Any tips to make it intuitive to undergrads? especially the episodic buffer?

3 9

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 20d

We’ve had some success moving to Diamond OA in linguistics / psycholinguistics Maybe talk to @johanrooryck.bsky.social about a possible journal flip?

1 2

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Glossa Psycholinguistics @glossapsycholx.bsky.social · 21d

We are thrilled to announce that the Italian Agency for the Evaluation of Research has given our journal a rating of “A” for Linguistics publications. This is a major milestone for our journal! Thanks to
@escholarship.bsky.social
, Valentina Bambini, and Federico Frau for their support!

1 12

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 21d

Manitoba is expanding its degree programs in Ojibwe and Cree. This is an example of the good that can happen when you elect a progressive, indigenous leader to run things.

Wab Kinew is with the University of Winnipeg and University College of the North. He says:

“Every day, all of us speak indigenous languages - even if we don’t realize it.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Now we’re taking action to keep those languages alive.

Starting in 2026, new indigenous languages degree programs at UWinnipeg and UCN will train the next generation of Ojibwe and Cree teachers.

Let’s lift up our shared heritage and build One Manitoba for all of us.”

8 41

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 22d

It's a privilege to work with these wonderful people. Here's the lab, 2025 edition.

About 15 members of Fernanda Ferreira's lab--undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs--posing in front of the iconic UC Davis sign on campus.

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Calle Börstell @cborstell.bsky.social · 26d

New paper with @ryanlepic.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1515/ling....

Our previous research showed that ✨️inherently plural meanings✨️ favor two-handed signs across sign languages, now we see that hearing non-signers also produce more two-handed forms when asked to gesture plural meanings! 👐🏼
#linguistics

Non-signers favor two-handed gestures when expressing inherently plural meanings

Sign languages have been shown to favor two-handed forms to express plural meanings, and in this paper we investigate whether this pattern is similarly found in silent gestures improvised by hearing n...

doi.org

1 14 27

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 22d

Here's a gift link to the New York Times' coverage of the initial Tea Party rallies in April 2009 which inspired the media to treat it like a massive movement.

Check out how tiny the crowds were:

Philly: 200
DC: "several hundred"
Boston: 500
Austin: 1,000
Houston: 2,000

Tax Day Is Met With Tea Parties (Published 2009)

www.nytimes.com

320 3.3K 9.3K

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 25d

For some reason finding myself thinking of one of my high school teachers who warned our class that reducing complex situations to the “there are two kinds of” trope is a sign of a lazy mind.

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 26d

There are basically only two positions in the debate about AI.
1. I’ve barely invested any time in learning how to use it effectively. AI sucks.
2. I’ve invested in learning how to use this tool. Holy cow, it’s transformational.

Position #1 has lower barriers to entry.

2 29

Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira

Justin Ling @justinling.ca · 27d

Friendly reminder that Tidal ($10.99) is now cheaper than Spotify ($11.99), delivers better audio quality, pays its artists 2x as much, and generally doesn't allow AI slop.

You can move your entire music library over in a matter of minutes.

31 280 720

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 28d

Just thought I'd share that account numbers at UC Davis are now 59 characters long, excluding hyphens.

2 1 10

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 29d

It’s always been around but seems especially common today—people who think that simply generating a lot of heat is a sign of intellectual depth and bravery.

Sally Jenkins @sallyjenx.bsky.social · Oct 12

Ratio me. Please. It's a badge of honor. If you don't like a link, go follow some chicken-heart who needs the approval of the thought-police. Caitlin Flanagan of @theatlantic.com is a tremendous writer and this piece is an excellent read. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Don’t Bet Against Bari Weiss

The new editor in chief of CBS News triumphs over her critics.

www.theatlantic.com

Fernanda Ferreira @fernandaedi.bsky.social · 29d

Just received an email from Prezi, which put me in the mood to don a pair of jeggings and an infinity scarf.