Nathanael Sheehan
@nathanaelsheehan.bsky.social
Computer Science | Philosophy of Science // PhD student part of PHIL_OS (https://opensciencestudies.eu/)
(he/him)
nsheehan.vercel.app
(he/him)
nsheehan.vercel.app
Pinned
Reconciling data actionability and accountability in global health research: The case of SARS-CoV-2
The requirements for actionability and accountability in data infrastructures are often viewed as incompatible, creating a trade-off where enhancing one diminishes the other. Through a comparative ...
www.tandfonline.com
New paper by me and @sabinaleonelli.bsky.social : Reconciling data actionability and accountability in global health research: The case of SARS-CoV-2 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#openscience #data #ethics
#openscience #data #ethics
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Can metadata curation count as experimental practice? We answer in this new paper on data reanalysis in #plant #spacebiology, a major outcome of #PHIL_OS & Paola Castaño‘s collaboration w NASA’s open data team! #philsci, #data, #experimentation, #modelling, #ISS. OA version: doi.org/10.1016/j.sh...
doi.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Can metadata curation count as experimental practice? We answer in this new paper on data reanalysis in #plant #spacebiology, a major outcome of #PHIL_OS & Paola Castaño‘s collaboration w NASA’s open data team! #philsci, #data, #experimentation, #modelling, #ISS. OA version: doi.org/10.1016/j.sh...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
📣 This Friday, we will have another seminar: @nathanaelsheehan.bsky.social from TU Munich will give a talk on 'Metascience of Past, Present, & Future'.
🎧 Make sure to join!
📅 Friday, 7.11.2025 | 3:00-4:15 PM (CET)
📌 Online & at CWTS
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
🎧 Make sure to join!
📅 Friday, 7.11.2025 | 3:00-4:15 PM (CET)
📌 Online & at CWTS
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
Metascience of Past, Present, & Future
This talk traces the trajectory of metascience from its origins in the Unity of Science movement to its contemporary form as an empirical reform project. I argue that while its methods and objects hav...
www.universiteitleiden.nl
November 4, 2025 at 12:02 PM
📣 This Friday, we will have another seminar: @nathanaelsheehan.bsky.social from TU Munich will give a talk on 'Metascience of Past, Present, & Future'.
🎧 Make sure to join!
📅 Friday, 7.11.2025 | 3:00-4:15 PM (CET)
📌 Online & at CWTS
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
🎧 Make sure to join!
📅 Friday, 7.11.2025 | 3:00-4:15 PM (CET)
📌 Online & at CWTS
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
"The protocol taught us that technology can be based on human values like ethics and morality. It showed that voluntary compliance works when all parties benefit."
On robots.txt.
www.heise.de/en/backgroun...
On robots.txt.
www.heise.de/en/backgroun...
Obituary: Farewell to robots.txt (1994-2025)
The voluntary compliance protocol that civilized the internet has departed, bids Henning Fries farewell.
www.heise.de
October 16, 2025 at 8:16 PM
"The protocol taught us that technology can be based on human values like ethics and morality. It showed that voluntary compliance works when all parties benefit."
On robots.txt.
www.heise.de/en/backgroun...
On robots.txt.
www.heise.de/en/backgroun...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
If you’re interested in practicing the philosophy of science in practice why not come along to an online workshop “the philosophy of science in practice - in practice”? #philsci
October 8, 2025 at 1:01 PM
If you’re interested in practicing the philosophy of science in practice why not come along to an online workshop “the philosophy of science in practice - in practice”? #philsci
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
a grifter who left a political career (former UK Deputy Prime Minister) to serve as Zucks lapdog, now says the most evil company is indeed 'evil' having
actively created a hostile/anti-regulation culture & making millions doing it. cry me a fucking river
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
actively created a hostile/anti-regulation culture & making millions doing it. cry me a fucking river
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘At Meta I found myself wrestling my deputy in an MMA gym’: Nick Clegg on the culture shock of Silicon Valley
In an exclusive extract from his new book, the former Meta number two recalls the mindset, the mantras and the man at the top
www.theguardian.com
August 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM
a grifter who left a political career (former UK Deputy Prime Minister) to serve as Zucks lapdog, now says the most evil company is indeed 'evil' having
actively created a hostile/anti-regulation culture & making millions doing it. cry me a fucking river
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
actively created a hostile/anti-regulation culture & making millions doing it. cry me a fucking river
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge
This week I was looking for info on what cognitive scientists mean when they speak of ‘domain-general’ cognition. I was curious, because the nuances are relevant for something I am researching at t…
irisvanrooijcogsci.com
August 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
These Billionaires need you to believe that they are super smart like their friends from high school, not just rich. Its not enough for them to be richer, they have to be richer because they are smarter.
August 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
These Billionaires need you to believe that they are super smart like their friends from high school, not just rich. Its not enough for them to be richer, they have to be richer because they are smarter.
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Likening PhD holders to a (non-functional) algorithm is a form of dehumanisation & anti-intellectualism that is a bellwether for contemporary fascism. Essentially it's a typical — if not the archetypal — first step towards fascism: to dehumanise, deskill, defund, and, ultimately, fire the academics.
What I would like to remind everyone talking about Sam Altman talking about the “PhD level intelligence” of the new ChatGPT is that Sam Altman dropped out of college so he… has no experiential construct for what grad school even is.
August 9, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Likening PhD holders to a (non-functional) algorithm is a form of dehumanisation & anti-intellectualism that is a bellwether for contemporary fascism. Essentially it's a typical — if not the archetypal — first step towards fascism: to dehumanise, deskill, defund, and, ultimately, fire the academics.
Very excited for this to finally be published!! As someone who will soon graduate with a PhD in Environmental Intelligence (EI), it has always been difficult to explain what EI is. Sabina's new paper answers these questions and provides a roadmap for future EI research 🌿🐝👩🏻💻 🦠🎋
Just out /2: condensing years of thinking, my philosophical examination of “Environmental Intelligence” as framing for foundations of #AI is on @harvarddataverse.bsky.social ! Officially published with commentaries in October, but sneak preview here: hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/mx9vpa0b... #philsci 🧪
Environmental Intelligence: Redefining the Philosophical Premises of AI
Forthcoming. Now Available: Just Accepted Version.
hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu
August 7, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Very excited for this to finally be published!! As someone who will soon graduate with a PhD in Environmental Intelligence (EI), it has always been difficult to explain what EI is. Sabina's new paper answers these questions and provides a roadmap for future EI research 🌿🐝👩🏻💻 🦠🎋
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Just out / 1: “methods in philosophy of science”, #OA heroically assembled by Adrian Currie & Sophie Veigl. Comments welcome on mine & @Rachel Ankeny’s “Research design for philosophy of science in practice”, topic close to our hearts & constant source of questions! mitpress.mit.edu/978026255224...
Methods in the Philosophy of Science
The last twenty years have seen multiple methodological revolutions in the philosophy of science: There has been increased diversity concerning the questions...
mitpress.mit.edu
August 7, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Just out / 1: “methods in philosophy of science”, #OA heroically assembled by Adrian Currie & Sophie Veigl. Comments welcome on mine & @Rachel Ankeny’s “Research design for philosophy of science in practice”, topic close to our hearts & constant source of questions! mitpress.mit.edu/978026255224...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
so I am one of the 12 people (including the “god-fathers of AI”) that will be at the Vatican this September for a two full-day working group on the Future of AI
here is my Vatican approved short provocation on 'AI and Fraternity' for the working group
here is my Vatican approved short provocation on 'AI and Fraternity' for the working group
August 4, 2025 at 11:31 AM
so I am one of the 12 people (including the “god-fathers of AI”) that will be at the Vatican this September for a two full-day working group on the Future of AI
here is my Vatican approved short provocation on 'AI and Fraternity' for the working group
here is my Vatican approved short provocation on 'AI and Fraternity' for the working group
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Methods in the Philosophy of Science: A User's Guide is now a real, live book. My chapter offers an appraisal of philosophy of science in its engagement with applied mathematics. With immense gratitude for the vision and execution of @phieveigl.bsky.social and @adrian-currie.bsky.social sky.social.
Methods in the Philosophy of Science
The last twenty years have seen multiple methodological revolutions in the philosophy of science: There has been increased diversity concerning the questions...
mitpress.mit.edu
August 1, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Methods in the Philosophy of Science: A User's Guide is now a real, live book. My chapter offers an appraisal of philosophy of science in its engagement with applied mathematics. With immense gratitude for the vision and execution of @phieveigl.bsky.social and @adrian-currie.bsky.social sky.social.
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
all microsoft products are shit. my working days would be much more productive if I didn't have to use them
July 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
all microsoft products are shit. my working days would be much more productive if I didn't have to use them
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Should we expect AI to be explainable?
Read the new Ethical Data Blog post by Laura Gorrieri, EDI Affiliate from the University of Turin. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the ethical implications of AI.
👉 ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/06/04/s...
Read the new Ethical Data Blog post by Laura Gorrieri, EDI Affiliate from the University of Turin. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the ethical implications of AI.
👉 ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/06/04/s...
June 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Should we expect AI to be explainable?
Read the new Ethical Data Blog post by Laura Gorrieri, EDI Affiliate from the University of Turin. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the ethical implications of AI.
👉 ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/06/04/s...
Read the new Ethical Data Blog post by Laura Gorrieri, EDI Affiliate from the University of Turin. A thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the ethical implications of AI.
👉 ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/06/04/s...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Just published: my 3rd & final PhD paper! (with @iriszez.bsky.social)
🧪📢 How should we talk about vaccination rates?
Assuming rationality, normativity, or reasonableness leads to very different outcomes.
Findings from 3 experiments:
🔓 doi.org/10.1177/0033...
#PsychSky #AcademicSky #Psychology
🧪📢 How should we talk about vaccination rates?
Assuming rationality, normativity, or reasonableness leads to very different outcomes.
Findings from 3 experiments:
🔓 doi.org/10.1177/0033...
#PsychSky #AcademicSky #Psychology
May 7, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Just published: my 3rd & final PhD paper! (with @iriszez.bsky.social)
🧪📢 How should we talk about vaccination rates?
Assuming rationality, normativity, or reasonableness leads to very different outcomes.
Findings from 3 experiments:
🔓 doi.org/10.1177/0033...
#PsychSky #AcademicSky #Psychology
🧪📢 How should we talk about vaccination rates?
Assuming rationality, normativity, or reasonableness leads to very different outcomes.
Findings from 3 experiments:
🔓 doi.org/10.1177/0033...
#PsychSky #AcademicSky #Psychology
I recently wrote a blog post for the @edinitiative.bsky.social summarising the EDI's first town hall! The blog post covers all of the talks and activities from the day!
Check it out on the EDI website: ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/05/02/s...
Check it out on the EDI website: ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/05/02/s...
Shaping the Future of Data Ethics: EDI Town Hall 2025 - The Ethical Data Initiative
It has now been little over one month since the Ethical Data Initiative (EDI) hosted its first annual multi-stakeholder town hall meeting titled "Shaping the Future of Data Ethics”. From early in the ...
ethicaldatainitiative.org
May 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
I recently wrote a blog post for the @edinitiative.bsky.social summarising the EDI's first town hall! The blog post covers all of the talks and activities from the day!
Check it out on the EDI website: ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/05/02/s...
Check it out on the EDI website: ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/05/02/s...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
“is my calculator horny?“ our tech columnist asks. “i entered 5318008 into it and turned it upside down. what i saw surprised me”
“Can ChatGPT experience joy or suffering? Does Gemini deserve human rights?” our tech columnist asks. “Many A.I. experts I know would say no, not yet, not even close. But I was intrigued.”
Should We Start Taking the Welfare of A.I. Seriously?
As artificial intelligence systems become smarter, one A.I. company is trying to figure out what to do if they become conscious.
www.nytimes.com
April 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
“is my calculator horny?“ our tech columnist asks. “i entered 5318008 into it and turned it upside down. what i saw surprised me”
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
He could, for instance, have written about any number of topics. Here are some ideas for free.
1. What cults are the Anthropic crew in, and what is the ideological ancestry of these cults? (We've done the work for him here, hint hint, its eugenics: firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...).
1. What cults are the Anthropic crew in, and what is the ideological ancestry of these cults? (We've done the work for him here, hint hint, its eugenics: firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...).
April 25, 2025 at 2:27 AM
He could, for instance, have written about any number of topics. Here are some ideas for free.
1. What cults are the Anthropic crew in, and what is the ideological ancestry of these cults? (We've done the work for him here, hint hint, its eugenics: firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...).
1. What cults are the Anthropic crew in, and what is the ideological ancestry of these cults? (We've done the work for him here, hint hint, its eugenics: firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...).
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
So, covid.gov now redirects to, uh, this... www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
Lab Leak: The True Origins of Covid-19
THE ORIGIN “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak
covid.gov
April 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
So, covid.gov now redirects to, uh, this... www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
This was interesting! As I understand it the claim is: in the UK the only research at scale is done by big universities. This meant the ATI was immediately captured by a clique thereof, who just wanted to use it to shuffle government money back to themselves...
www.chalmermagne.com/p/how-not-to...
www.chalmermagne.com/p/how-not-to...
How not to build an AI Institute
What went wrong with the Alan Turing Institute?
www.chalmermagne.com
April 17, 2025 at 6:46 PM
This was interesting! As I understand it the claim is: in the UK the only research at scale is done by big universities. This meant the ATI was immediately captured by a clique thereof, who just wanted to use it to shuffle government money back to themselves...
www.chalmermagne.com/p/how-not-to...
www.chalmermagne.com/p/how-not-to...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
➡️ Find our work thus far on www.dair-institute.org/tigray-genoc....
➡️ More importantly, we have a statement describing the unbridled war mongering currently spreading on ALL social media platforms, setting the stage for all out war between Ethiopia & Eritrea:
www.dair-institute.org/blog/tigray-...
➡️ More importantly, we have a statement describing the unbridled war mongering currently spreading on ALL social media platforms, setting the stage for all out war between Ethiopia & Eritrea:
www.dair-institute.org/blog/tigray-...
Social Media Platforms Are Spreading Violent Warmongering Content Encouraging All-Out War Between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Again
The Distributed AI Research Institute is a space for independent, community-rooted AI research, free from Big Tech’s pervasive influence.
www.dair-institute.org
April 15, 2025 at 7:50 PM
➡️ Find our work thus far on www.dair-institute.org/tigray-genoc....
➡️ More importantly, we have a statement describing the unbridled war mongering currently spreading on ALL social media platforms, setting the stage for all out war between Ethiopia & Eritrea:
www.dair-institute.org/blog/tigray-...
➡️ More importantly, we have a statement describing the unbridled war mongering currently spreading on ALL social media platforms, setting the stage for all out war between Ethiopia & Eritrea:
www.dair-institute.org/blog/tigray-...
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
I have long complained about gemini overview being embedded, non-optionally, in web search. However, I wish to revise my opinion. I think it can, in fact, serve a function, namely, as evidence of the extent to which folk knowledge of a given subject is confused or contradictory.
April 17, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I have long complained about gemini overview being embedded, non-optionally, in web search. However, I wish to revise my opinion. I think it can, in fact, serve a function, namely, as evidence of the extent to which folk knowledge of a given subject is confused or contradictory.
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
we made a critical error allowing reactionaries to make-up concepts like “biological sex” and frame them as non-ideological when it’s the exact opposite: people who undergo HRT *are literally changing their biological sex.* this is not some philosophical distinction, it is actual biological reality.
April 17, 2025 at 5:35 PM
we made a critical error allowing reactionaries to make-up concepts like “biological sex” and frame them as non-ideological when it’s the exact opposite: people who undergo HRT *are literally changing their biological sex.* this is not some philosophical distinction, it is actual biological reality.
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
If you're not aware of forum.safeguar.de and other efforts to save data/tools from government destruction, now is the time to learn about them. You can even help!
April 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
If you're not aware of forum.safeguar.de and other efforts to save data/tools from government destruction, now is the time to learn about them. You can even help!
Reposted by Nathanael Sheehan
Open science isn't just for the rich.
I wrote about building #REPOPSI – a repository of psychological instruments in Serbian – and what it taught me about doing #OpenScience with limited resources and lots of persistence. #PhDSky
doi.org/10.1038/d415...
I wrote about building #REPOPSI – a repository of psychological instruments in Serbian – and what it taught me about doing #OpenScience with limited resources and lots of persistence. #PhDSky
doi.org/10.1038/d415...
April 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Open science isn't just for the rich.
I wrote about building #REPOPSI – a repository of psychological instruments in Serbian – and what it taught me about doing #OpenScience with limited resources and lots of persistence. #PhDSky
doi.org/10.1038/d415...
I wrote about building #REPOPSI – a repository of psychological instruments in Serbian – and what it taught me about doing #OpenScience with limited resources and lots of persistence. #PhDSky
doi.org/10.1038/d415...