NicoleCRust

NicoleCRust, 3 days ago to science

When should one call themselves an X researcher?

There are so many different types of researchers. Weather researchers, climate researchers, brain researchers. And within those categories, the nuances (like memory researchers).

When someone says they are an X researcher, what does that imply to you? In other words, what qualifies? Does it just imply that they are curious about X? Or perhaps that they know a bit more about it - perhaps they've mastered some scholarly literature or they've done at least one experiment? Or maybe even published a paper in a peer reviewed journal? Or maybe even more - perhaps they have a body of work on the topic; maybe they even run a lab (and have grants to support X research).

On one hand, no one should gate keep curiosity! On the other, certain terms imply knowledge and qualifications. I'm a "researcher". But just because I know a lot about memory doesn't automatically mean that people should listen to me about climate or economics. And I once read a very good book about ecosystems, but I don't think that means I should quality as an ecosystem researcher. So what, then, might instead?

#science

NicoleCRust, 8 days ago to random

On making the anticipation bifurcation collapse ...

At the final stages of pulling together a big proposal where I'm really sticking my neck out, I feel like I'm torn between two states: I can be nervous about woulda-shoulda-coulda, or I can be really happy with the delta from start to finish.

After musing for a good while on the first (Did I do everything I possibly could, given what I know?), I'm going to opt for the latter.

While it feels a bit dangerous to be hopeful and excited, I'll say it: I'M EXCITED!!!

And instead of being superstitious, I'm opting to invite the universe to join in. Hey universe: working together could be fun. Want to collaborate?!

NicoleCRust, 18 days ago to random

Many know about amyloid, the gene APP and its relationship to Alzheimer's. But how many know the backstory? It all began with a letter from Carol Jennings to John Hardy .... Wonderful tribute and retelling here in @thetransmitter.

Much gratitude, Carol Jennings. RIP.

https://www.thetransmitter.org/alzheimers-disease/carol-jennings-whose-familys-genetics-informed-amyloid-cascade-hypothesis-dies-at-70/

NicoleCRust, 21 days ago to random

Summer reading recs?!

I’m looking to compile a big pile of IRL books for summer beach reading.

Big fan of scifi, specfic, murder mysteries. Strong female characters = bonus points. Can’t deal with darkness. Nothing high brow or tedious. Nonfiction lover but that list is already bursting at the seams.

I also love long series - 3 body problem, wheel of time, foundation … those waves all have good memories attached.

If that brings anything to mind, please send the rec!!

NicoleCRust, 26 days ago to random

Sometimes I think that maybe (just maybe) I write well ...

Then I encounter someone who writes REALLY well (sometimes a revising my own text).

Sigh ... focusing on the delta can be hard. But inspiring and motivating too.

The deeper I get into it, the more I realize: writing (compelling nonfiction) is an art form.

NicoleCRust, 28 days ago to random

I’m sad that NPR is turning into silly. Where are y’all getting your (audio) news?

https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Big news! A townhall will follow the #ccn2024 talk unpacked in the post below. A chance for you to chime in.

The topic of the townhall: The GrandPlan for brain & mind research. What are the challenges? And opportunities? Particularly with regard to the research arc that culminates in new treatments for brain & mental dysfunction. What do we need to know and how will we figure it out?

Leading the discussion: @ivanoransky, Editor in Chief of @thetransmitter, medical doctor, researcher, journalist & founder of @retractionwatch.

With that CV 🤩, Ivan is (somewhat uniquely) perfect to lead this.

https://neuromatch.social/@NicoleCRust/112060313599258663

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Brainstorming corrections for scientific myopia

I’m convinced that we’ve inadvertently created a scientific culture that disproportionately dissuades high-level, big-picture thinking. How do we rectify that?

A few venues I know. Please add to this list!

We write at a high-level. Venues: perspective pieces of journals, thetransmitter.org, aeon.org, etc

We hold workshops to discuss things, at a high-level. Venues like https://www.tfi.ucsb.edu/ & https://esforum.de/ have interesting models.

We devote some time to this at conferences (I’ll be trying that here: https://2024.ccneuro.org/; let’s see how it goes). Know any other examples?

We write, read and discuss books.

I understand astrophysics does something organized (given shared resources): everyone is polled; plans are discussed; reports are written.

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Carol Jennings, RIP

Carol Jennings was an amazing woman who letters wrote letters to Alzheimer's researchers about her family. That led to the discovery of the APP gene and, in turn, the amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's. (Her family carries a rare form in which mutations to the APP gene cause Alzheimer's with certainty). She devoted the rest of her life to Alzheimer's advocacy. Tragically, she acquired the disorder later in life herself.

Thank you, Carol Jennings. Rest in peace.

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/blog/honouring-couple-dementia-their-contributions-research

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Ironically, I got to know Prof @kevinbolding here before IRL, despite the fact that his lab is on the same campus (and we might have the same boss? Dunno. Penn is a big, confusing place). In any case, we’ve now rectified that and I can attest: he’s a real person. And he’s great!

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago) to random

What, if anything, makes mood fundamentally different from memory?

My new piece in @thetransmitter

https://www.thetransmitter.org/the-big-picture/what-if-anything-makes-mood-fundamentally-different-from-memory/

You might hear, "Mood disorders are psychological, not biological." What does that even mean? Here I lay out not just this but five different clusters of positions around what mood and mood disorders are (along with a six that you might suspect but no one adopts).

I also asked researchers to chime in on the most effective path forward for mood research. The diversity of opinions is insightful, and telling.

In my own mind, mood is among the most challenging functions that exist. We'll need all hands (and all perspectives) on deck.

Insights from: @awaisaftab, Austin Coley, @eikofried, Steve Hyman, @amygdaloid, Lisa Monteggia, @russpoldrack, Lauren Ross, Robb Rutledge, Maryma Shanechi, Shan Siddiqi, and Eric Turkheimer

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Did you ever feel that the universe was screaming at you to not do (or do) something? If so, did you listen?

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Nope. Delete. Sticking to the policy. If Nicole can’t say something nice, Nicole just doesn’t …

(Of course, you do you!)

NicoleCRust, 1 month ago to random

Are mental disorders brain disorders? Youtube video of the excellent salon organized by @PessoaBrain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFiJIaE77aw

Anneli Jefferson: 8:30
@awaisaftab: 31:00
me: 53:30
Alexey Tolchinsky: 1:04
@eikofried 1:13
With discussion to follow

(If you want the TL;DR: in my few minutes, I try to summarize the diversity of positions in a way anyone can understand; the other speakers do a great job deep diving and advocating for those positions).

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago to random

How do you pack a 95K word (nonfiction) book into a 40 minute talk?

How many words are in 40 minutes? My estimate is 4-5K. That's ~20-fold compression. Something like half of 1 (of 10) chapters in the book.

Obviously you don't just read off the first half of the first chapter. But an outline of all of it is also super unsatisfying; it needs more depth than that. Clearly you present the central thesis and why it matters. But what to support it? This is a problem I've never encountered before. Not yet sure how to wrap my head around it.

Any advice? Any pointers to book talks you love?

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago (edited 1 month ago) to random

Podcast: this one is so good. True story. Female spy. Comes close to assassinating Hitler. Contemplates murdering her childhood nanny to keep things under wraps. All the while completely underestimated because she was a she & a mom. And a love story that follows from a marriage for a passport to boot.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-mom-who-stole-the-blueprints-for-the-atomic-bomb/

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Another great @PessoaBrain salon: 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?

Neuroscience & Philosophy Salon discussion with Anneli Jefferson & @awaisaftab, plus @eikofried, Alexey Tolchinsky & yours truly 😊​ chiming in.

Mar 21, 12pm US-east

Register here:
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vc-6hpjwoHt3QkJSC7gmndwYYUiaf5S2F#/registration

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago to random

Declaration ❤️ 🦣

Finally updated my website (that was overdue!). And declared to the world that y’all are my favorites.

https://www.nicolerust.com/

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Brain and mind researchers of all types: I hope you'll join this conversation at Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (August 6-9, Boston).

There, I'll be zooming out to 40,000 feet to inspire discussion around the question: Why have we been learning so much about the brain and mind for so many decades, but our ability to treat its dysfunction has been so frustrated?

The answer to that question informs what I affectionately call the Grand Plan — a description, in broad strokes, of how brain and mind researchers of all types plan to move from where we are now to societal benefits (including treating brain dysfunction).

I'm envisioning a community-centered conversation unlike any I've seen before; because it's unusual, I unpack it here:
https://www.nicolerust.com/grandplan

I'm grateful to the CCN organizers for providing an opportunity for this. I hope you'll join in!

https://2024.ccneuro.org/

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

On our recent conversations about opt-in polls ....

An alarming poll last December suggested Holocaust denial was widespread. Pew research followed it up with questions like, "Are you licensed to drive a nuclear submarine?" (Answer: No one is). The answer: 12% of certain edit: self reported to be (but suspected not really to be) demographics say yes. And that demographic matched up with those that polled as Holocaust deniers.

They conclude that (big surprise?) we need to be careful when interpreting the results of opt-in polls.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/05/online-opt-in-polls-can-produce-misleading-results-especially-for-young-people-and-hispanic-adults/

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago to random

Gratitude to Kay Tye at Cosyne.

"Raise your hand if you or someone you know experienced sexual harassment or misconduct .... next time you are asked this question, you can all raise your hand because you know me ..."

Wisdom and grace- this talk is full of it.

https://youtu.be/Tr97HwgQ9ik?t=4549

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Curious: do you ever participate in polls/studies when contacted by email, text or phone?

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago to random

Fascinating first person account by a psychologist who faked data

The scientist: Diederik Stapel. A Dutch social psychologist. He wrote a book explaining the context and how one thing led to another until he was caught. Nick Brown translated it into English. Freely available here:

http://nick.brown.free.fr/stapel

Page 101:

I also became increasingly skilled in the use of techniques that could put a healthy-
looking shine on otherwise mediocre results. If I didn’t get the effect I wanted across all the
different measures I’d used or the questions I’d asked, I would use the ones that did show
that effect. If an effect was present in an experiment, but not strongly enough to be tapped
by all of the types of measurements I’d used, I would make it stronger by combining the measures where the effect seemed to be only partly working. ...

Page 102:

After years of balancing on the outer limits, the gray became darker and darker until
it was black, and I fell off the edge into the abyss. I’d been having trouble with my
experiments for some time. Even with my various “gray” methods for “improving” the data,
I wasn’t able to get the results the way I wanted them. I couldn’t resist the temptation to go wanted it so badly. I wanted to belong, to be part of the action, to score. I really, really wanted to be really, really good. I wanted to be published in the best journals
and speak in the largest room at conferences. I wanted people to hang on my every word
as I headed for coffee or lunch after delivering a lecture. I felt very alone.

p103

I was alone in my tastefully furnished office at the University of Groningen. I’d taken
extra care when closing the door, and made my desk extra tidy. Everything had to be neat
and orderly. No mess. I opened the computer file with the data that I had entered and
changed an unexpected 2 into a 4; then, a little further along, I changed a 3 into a 5. It
didn’t feel right. I looked around me, nervously. The data danced in front of my eyes.
When the results are just not quite what you’d so badly hoped for; when you know that that
hope is based on a thorough analysis of the literature; when this is your third experiment
on this topic and the first two worked great; when you know that there are other people
doing similar research elsewhere who are getting good results; then, surely, you’re entitled
to adjust the results just a little?

NicoleCRust, 2 months ago to random

If you were to recalibrate, what would you do?

I always suspected I would do something like study those amazing desert ants that navigate via the earth’s magnetic field. But when thinking through the question “How do you want to spend the next 10 years?” more seriously (pretending there are few constraints), that’s not where I actually point myself.

Acknowledging that it’s a tremendously priveleged (and emotional) thought experiment, What would you do with your next 10 years, assuming that thing needs to be useful enough that it’s reasonably supported (and you would continue to get a paycheck)?

NicoleCRust, 3 months ago to random

Ugh.

https://www.vulture.com/article/hugo-awards-china-censorship-controversy.html

the volunteer body that administered the 2023 Hugo Awards appeared to have directly engaged in self-censoring the nominees over political concerns about the host country, China. The emails allege members of the Hugo administration team succeeded in keeping certain books off-ballot because they wanted to operate under Chinese laws related to content and censorship