Thomas Hills

Unfortunately I couldn't attend this year's #NetSci2025, but I am there in spirit, and hopefully in text, which mentions the work of many of my inspirations, like Max Schich, Mirta Galesic, Cynthia Siew, Olaf Sporns, Filippo Menczer, and many more.

🐈🏳️‍🌈 🛫✈️🛬 🚂 🚂 🚂 🎉

Just arrived in Maastricht
for #NetSci2025 (@netsciconf.bsky.social),
scheduled to present the #HISTONET satellite #keynote
on #NetworkHistory.

Tuesday, Jun 3, 17:40-18:20
at @fasosmaastricht.bsky.social

Abstract & details:
historicalnetworkresearch.github.io/netsci-maast...

Workshops / Programme The academic programme for the 29th edition of the Summer School is ready - minor changes can still occur. Registration: Registrations for the Summer School is now OPEN! Places are assigned on a first...

Postgraduates, this is a very exciting Summer School programme for Methods in Social Sciences, in Lugano Switzerland, August 2025. Check out courses by @thomhills.bsky.social and @lukaszwalasek.bsky.social www.usi.ch/en/education...

Workshops / Programme The academic programme for the 29th edition of the Summer School is ready - minor changes can still occur. Registration: Registrations for the Summer School is now OPEN! Places are assigned on a first...

Interested in learning how to deal with big data, web scraping, network science, or natural language processing in the lovely Lugano this summer? The list of courses is rich and some still have open seats. Check it out: www.usi.ch/en/education...

Very cool. So now I'm wondering--for no particular reason--how might age alter the outcome these simulations? 🍄

Cognitive slowness and disjointedness that often come with aging might be better seen as a symptom of a brain full of 'cluttered' wisdom rather than a sign of decline.

Thanks so much @thomhills.bsky.social at @warwickpsych.bsky.social for giving us all some hope that it's not all lost as we age! 😊

Does the mind degrade or become enriched as we grow old? To explain healthy aging effects, the evidence supports enrichment. Indeed, the evidence suggests changes in crystallized (enrichment) and fluid intelligence (slowing) share a common cause. psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

Assistant Professor (Teaching Focussed) or Teaching Fellow (110378-0325) - (Two Posts) at University of Warwick Discover an exciting academic career path as a Assistant Professor (Teaching Focussed) or Teaching Fellow (110378-0325) - (Two Posts) at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply toda...

We are recruiting for two 1-year teaching-focussed positions. We welcome applicants in a wide range of areas, with a particular focus on social psychology for one of the posts.

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DML866/a...

Two PhDs with me on offer, focusing on language, information, well-being, and the attention economy. Project-Linked Studentships Deadline April 14. warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fa...

I am a strong proponent of this for all departments (which would increase productivity and avoid numerous biases and costs associated with current funding policies). There even merit based routes to achieving it. I lay out one such approach in the final chapter of my recent book.

Jonathan Wolff on the research assessment exercise Although in financial terms no one has won the jackpot, there are some who are nursing huge losses, says Jonathan Wolff

Years ago I argued that the Research Excellence Framework (RAE then) does more harm than good and should be replaced (at least in the humanities) with equal research funding for everyone who meets a threshold for being research active. Have not changed my mind.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Excited to see an inside peek in @thomhills.bsky.social's new network science book!! Just added this to my cart!

#netsci

YouTube video by Thomas Hills Behavioral Network Science: Language, Mind, and Society

m.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCA...

1/8. This week I had a few different conversations with scholars who, in the face of the attacks on science and institutions of learning in the U.S., are wondering what to do. One suggestion I have is: keep doing your work. It matters in and of itself. Why do I say that? A few reasons.

A picture of a humpback whale just below the sea surface taken by Marc Quintin

A thread explaining our new discovery about humpback whale song published today in Science... We found key statistical properties that characterise all human languages in another species for the first time. We have more in common with whales than we previously thought! doi.org/10.1126/scie...

Agreed. Scientists need not be so thoughtful they cannot act. Most scientists have chosen a life of service to truth and the curiosity it requires,...above authority "Resistance need not be overt"--it cannot be for everyone--but it should be woven into our deeds.

Thanks Matthew.

Four PhD Fellowships in Psychology at University of Warwick Discover a Four PhD Fellowships in Psychology on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other PhD opportunities.

The Psychology Department (@warwickpsych.bsky.social) at the University of Warwick is seeking new talent! If you're interested in pursuing a PhD focused on the topics of language and gesture, I encourage you to get in touch with me and apply: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLI727/f...

A cheerful little watercolor and ink I made from a picture of Salt Lake City a friend sent me. I miss them both.

ICYMI: A comprehensive textbook on data analysis for business, applied economics, and public policy students that uses case studies with real-world data.
gabors-data-analysis.com/getting-star...
Datasets
Code #Rstats #python #stata.
Slides.
Courses.

#EconSky #econsky_data #data #econometrics

SfNC Starter Pack Join the conversation

The Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity (@tsfnc.bsky.social) has a starter pack of folks doing creativity research. We're trying to build the creativity research community here. Please follow and let us know if you'd like to be added.

Here's a network lesson on #creativity @yoedkenett.bsky.social and I came up: How to be more creative? Get noisy! Try lots of things. It's the old exploration-exploitation trade-off, and good practice when you don't know what to do. DM for a copy of the paper. psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...

Just got my hands on this wonderful book - looking forward to getting stuck in to it!

Many thanks, Rory! I really appreciate it.

There is a general theme here of hidden connections that this book only grazes. Where can I lean more about vegetation/behavior? Yes to humans, but the arrows go both ways.

Hi Alejandro, there is no real consensus on this. Any views I've heard strongly pitching one way or another sound more dogmatic than informed. Determinist, non-deterministic, it remains an open question.

Why did shamanism evolve in societies all around the globe? | Aeon Essays The trances and healing powers of shamans are so widespread that they can be counted a human universal. Why did they evolve?

The value of shamanism on this festive holiday--a long form article for those looking for a positive diversion from minimal contrast information: aeon.co/essays/why-d...

Yes, this is sensitivity to initial conditions arbitrarily small. IF we had access to tunable non- determinism, we could alter aspects of the choice and do so on our own terms in a way that no one could predict.

You got it. The question is open, of course, but I've yet to hear a convincing argument either way.