Marina Dubova

Reassessing the scientific method Is the scientific method really the best approach to learning about the world? A new paper in Collective Intelligence applies the scientific method to itself, finding that some common strategies that ...

How can we best learn about the world? A new paper by SFI's Marina Dubova (@mdubova.bsky.social) and coauthors applies the scientific method to itself, finding that some common strategies that scientists consider gold standards for designing experiments could perform worse than random choice.

Interested in radical exploration in science? There's evidence that it can actually be the best strategy for discovery. We talk about it in our new episode of the Night Science Podcast episode with Marina Dubova (@mdubova.bsky.social)!
Apple podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...

New episode of my favorite podcast! I had a great discussion with @itaiyanai.bsky.social and @martinlercher.bsky.social about (radical) exploration in science :)

These job ads have now been posted! 🎉

Social/Personality: aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05020

Biological Basis of Behavior: aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05054

Please spread the word!

doug medin finding out he is the rumelhart prize winner

Congrats to Doug Medin on becoming the next Rumelhart prize winner! 🏆 My “academic grandpa” through multiple pathways! #cogsci2025

Indiana University, home of one of the best cognitive science programs in the world, appears to be cancelling its undergrad cog sci program. Fascist ghouls
continuing their horrid torrent of destruction.

I am privileged to announce the publication of the Anti-Autocracy Handbook: sks.to/autocracy 1/12

Thank you, Russ!!

Thank you, Tobi!!!

I’m indebted to the entire @IUBloomington CogSci community and to @sfiscience for incredible intellectual engagement with my research. Finally, this wouldn’t have happened without TCTS (thinkcognitive.org/en) introducing me to cognitive science in the first place ❤️

This would never have been possible without the support of my family and friends across my Russian and US homes, my mentors (especially Rob Goldstone, who taught me nearly everything) and the letter writers.

The lab will focus on studying the cognitive mechanisms of discovery, including experimentation, theory building, and the learning of scientific concepts, with the goal of better understanding and improving science. I’ll be hiring soon (more info here: mdubova.com/lab)!

As a psych undergrad in St. Petersburg 6 years ago, I never imagined I’d be starting my own cognitive science lab at one of the world’s best research environments.

I’m beyond excited to share that I’ll be starting a Cognitive Epistemology Lab at @BerkeleyPsych in Fall 2026!