Tommy Blanchard
@tommyblanchard.bsky.social
PhD in neuroscience, MA in philosophy. Writing about science and philosophy of mind: https://cognitivewonderland.substack.com/
My latest post: cognitivewonderland....
About how the things we're immersed in are often invisible to us. "There's nothing we're more immersed in than the workings of our own brains."
About how the things we're immersed in are often invisible to us. "There's nothing we're more immersed in than the workings of our own brains."
May 19, 2025 at 5:26 PM
My latest post: cognitivewonderland....
About how the things we're immersed in are often invisible to us. "There's nothing we're more immersed in than the workings of our own brains."
About how the things we're immersed in are often invisible to us. "There's nothing we're more immersed in than the workings of our own brains."
A guest post by self-control researcher Michael Inzlicht on how the field has mischaracterized self-control and willpower: cognitivewonderland....
May 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
A guest post by self-control researcher Michael Inzlicht on how the field has mischaracterized self-control and willpower: cognitivewonderland....
New post: cognitivewonderland....
"In a very real sense, we are stuck in our skulls, figuring out what's going on in the world from the measurements of various instruments."
"In a very real sense, we are stuck in our skulls, figuring out what's going on in the world from the measurements of various instruments."
April 28, 2025 at 5:07 PM
New post: cognitivewonderland....
"In a very real sense, we are stuck in our skulls, figuring out what's going on in the world from the measurements of various instruments."
"In a very real sense, we are stuck in our skulls, figuring out what's going on in the world from the measurements of various instruments."
This week: Some book recommendations of sci fi stories that use my favorite sci fi trope: mind uploading!
cognitivewonderland....
cognitivewonderland....
March 31, 2025 at 7:15 PM
This week: Some book recommendations of sci fi stories that use my favorite sci fi trope: mind uploading!
cognitivewonderland....
cognitivewonderland....
New post. cognitivewonderland....
Disagreement doesn't mean irrationality: people interpret the same evidence differently due to prior beliefs and trusted sources. Being charitable, rather than dismissive, helps us understand—and maybe even persuade—those who disagree.
Disagreement doesn't mean irrationality: people interpret the same evidence differently due to prior beliefs and trusted sources. Being charitable, rather than dismissive, helps us understand—and maybe even persuade—those who disagree.
March 24, 2025 at 1:23 PM
New post. cognitivewonderland....
Disagreement doesn't mean irrationality: people interpret the same evidence differently due to prior beliefs and trusted sources. Being charitable, rather than dismissive, helps us understand—and maybe even persuade—those who disagree.
Disagreement doesn't mean irrationality: people interpret the same evidence differently due to prior beliefs and trusted sources. Being charitable, rather than dismissive, helps us understand—and maybe even persuade—those who disagree.
New post is up! cognitivewonderland....
Talking about why you shouldn't sweat decisions so much. More generally on power laws, touching on linguistics, Sturgeon's law, data science, and decision theory.
Talking about why you shouldn't sweat decisions so much. More generally on power laws, touching on linguistics, Sturgeon's law, data science, and decision theory.
March 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
New post is up! cognitivewonderland....
Talking about why you shouldn't sweat decisions so much. More generally on power laws, touching on linguistics, Sturgeon's law, data science, and decision theory.
Talking about why you shouldn't sweat decisions so much. More generally on power laws, touching on linguistics, Sturgeon's law, data science, and decision theory.
In last week's post, I answered some reader questions about the Dunning-Kruger effect, procrastination, and my vibes on the current political situation in the US.
cognitivewonderland....
cognitivewonderland....
March 10, 2025 at 2:03 PM
In last week's post, I answered some reader questions about the Dunning-Kruger effect, procrastination, and my vibes on the current political situation in the US.
cognitivewonderland....
cognitivewonderland....
Why The Algorithm Hates You: cognitivewonderland....
The Friendship Paradox and other adventures in sampling bias
The Friendship Paradox and other adventures in sampling bias
February 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Why The Algorithm Hates You: cognitivewonderland....
The Friendship Paradox and other adventures in sampling bias
The Friendship Paradox and other adventures in sampling bias
Post from last week: What is interesting? cognitivewonderland....
Exploring the psychology of what makes things interesting, and the relationship between our curiosity and complexity. Also has my wife's drawing of a cow.
Exploring the psychology of what makes things interesting, and the relationship between our curiosity and complexity. Also has my wife's drawing of a cow.
January 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Post from last week: What is interesting? cognitivewonderland....
Exploring the psychology of what makes things interesting, and the relationship between our curiosity and complexity. Also has my wife's drawing of a cow.
Exploring the psychology of what makes things interesting, and the relationship between our curiosity and complexity. Also has my wife's drawing of a cow.
New post is up: cognitivewonderland....
It talks about what improv can teach us about how to think about reductive explanations. Also talks about rainbows and cunnilingus. It's really got it all.
It talks about what improv can teach us about how to think about reductive explanations. Also talks about rainbows and cunnilingus. It's really got it all.
December 5, 2024 at 8:49 PM
New post is up: cognitivewonderland....
It talks about what improv can teach us about how to think about reductive explanations. Also talks about rainbows and cunnilingus. It's really got it all.
It talks about what improv can teach us about how to think about reductive explanations. Also talks about rainbows and cunnilingus. It's really got it all.
A Thanksgiving Day post about our senses: cognitivewonderland....
"Like a fish that doesn't know what water is because it's always present, we're unaware of how essential proprioception is because we never experience the world without it."
"Like a fish that doesn't know what water is because it's always present, we're unaware of how essential proprioception is because we never experience the world without it."
November 27, 2024 at 8:48 PM
A Thanksgiving Day post about our senses: cognitivewonderland....
"Like a fish that doesn't know what water is because it's always present, we're unaware of how essential proprioception is because we never experience the world without it."
"Like a fish that doesn't know what water is because it's always present, we're unaware of how essential proprioception is because we never experience the world without it."
New post about the history of computers, conceptual revolutions, and emergent phenomena! cognitivewonderland....
November 15, 2024 at 6:25 PM
New post about the history of computers, conceptual revolutions, and emergent phenomena! cognitivewonderland....
November 1, 2024 at 2:58 PM
A science fiction short story I wrote (originally published in Alternative Deathiness): open.substack.com/pu...
Mind uploads and death! Fun!
Mind uploads and death! Fun!
October 23, 2024 at 2:56 PM
A science fiction short story I wrote (originally published in Alternative Deathiness): open.substack.com/pu...
Mind uploads and death! Fun!
Mind uploads and death! Fun!
WEIRD AL vs THE LINGUISTS
cognitivewonderland....
A fun post about prescriptivism and descriptivism in language
cognitivewonderland....
A fun post about prescriptivism and descriptivism in language
October 21, 2024 at 7:29 PM
WEIRD AL vs THE LINGUISTS
cognitivewonderland....
A fun post about prescriptivism and descriptivism in language
cognitivewonderland....
A fun post about prescriptivism and descriptivism in language
This week: The Seductive Allure of Neuro Self-Help: cognitivewonderland....
Self-help and productivity gurus love to talk about neuroscience and the brain, despite neuroscience having little useful to say on these topics
Self-help and productivity gurus love to talk about neuroscience and the brain, despite neuroscience having little useful to say on these topics
October 3, 2024 at 8:39 PM
This week: The Seductive Allure of Neuro Self-Help: cognitivewonderland....
Self-help and productivity gurus love to talk about neuroscience and the brain, despite neuroscience having little useful to say on these topics
Self-help and productivity gurus love to talk about neuroscience and the brain, despite neuroscience having little useful to say on these topics
This week's post: cognitivewonderland....
The title sounds serious but also the word "butt" appears three times in the first ~100 words so make of that what you will
The title sounds serious but also the word "butt" appears three times in the first ~100 words so make of that what you will
September 26, 2024 at 5:02 PM
This week's post: cognitivewonderland....
The title sounds serious but also the word "butt" appears three times in the first ~100 words so make of that what you will
The title sounds serious but also the word "butt" appears three times in the first ~100 words so make of that what you will
New post is out! cognitivewonderland....
Talking about consciousness and "philosophical zombies", and why we should be skeptical of concluding too much from our intuitions and introspection about the mind.
Talking about consciousness and "philosophical zombies", and why we should be skeptical of concluding too much from our intuitions and introspection about the mind.
September 19, 2024 at 2:53 PM
New post is out! cognitivewonderland....
Talking about consciousness and "philosophical zombies", and why we should be skeptical of concluding too much from our intuitions and introspection about the mind.
Talking about consciousness and "philosophical zombies", and why we should be skeptical of concluding too much from our intuitions and introspection about the mind.
This week's post is about generative AI and art: cognitivewonderland....
It takes on both the hype around AI generation and those that put forward simple rules for why AI can't or shouldn't contribute to art, and speculation about what art with AI could look like in the future.
It takes on both the hype around AI generation and those that put forward simple rules for why AI can't or shouldn't contribute to art, and speculation about what art with AI could look like in the future.
September 12, 2024 at 2:05 PM
This week's post is about generative AI and art: cognitivewonderland....
It takes on both the hype around AI generation and those that put forward simple rules for why AI can't or shouldn't contribute to art, and speculation about what art with AI could look like in the future.
It takes on both the hype around AI generation and those that put forward simple rules for why AI can't or shouldn't contribute to art, and speculation about what art with AI could look like in the future.
This week's post is up! open.substack.com/pu...
A three-year-old's curiosity about door knobs, our ignorance of everyday objects, and the wonder all around us
A three-year-old's curiosity about door knobs, our ignorance of everyday objects, and the wonder all around us
September 5, 2024 at 6:12 PM
This week's post is up! open.substack.com/pu...
A three-year-old's curiosity about door knobs, our ignorance of everyday objects, and the wonder all around us
A three-year-old's curiosity about door knobs, our ignorance of everyday objects, and the wonder all around us
New post is up! cognitivewonderland....
"Anyone who has philosophical leanings (or has smoked a joint) at some point has thought: when you see colors, are they the same as the colors I see?"
"Anyone who has philosophical leanings (or has smoked a joint) at some point has thought: when you see colors, are they the same as the colors I see?"
August 29, 2024 at 1:01 PM
New post is up! cognitivewonderland....
"Anyone who has philosophical leanings (or has smoked a joint) at some point has thought: when you see colors, are they the same as the colors I see?"
"Anyone who has philosophical leanings (or has smoked a joint) at some point has thought: when you see colors, are they the same as the colors I see?"