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Michael Hochberg

@mkhochb.bsky.social

University of Montpellier - Santa Fe Institute. Working these days on intelligence in biological and artificial systems. Website https://mehochberg.wixsite.com/blog/academia

589 Followers  |  222 Following  |  122 Posts  |  Joined: 29.11.2024
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Posts by Michael Hochberg (@mkhochb.bsky.social)

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Found this guy (female) hanging-out in our entry gate: Mediterranean false wolf spider, Zoropsis spinimana. I carefully released her in a more native habitat.

04.03.2026 10:18 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
AI and the Nature of Science: Keynote presentation by Carl Bergstrom
YouTube video by MN Center for Philosophy of Science AI and the Nature of Science: Keynote presentation by Carl Bergstrom

how LLMs change incentives for research - a great talk by @carlbergstrom.com , had to watch in parts, a lot to digest. #institutional_epistemology at its best! www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mj3... #philsci

01.03.2026 06:13 β€” πŸ‘ 36    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
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BientΓ΄t 72 noms de femmes scientifiques sur la tour EiffelΒ ! Saviez-vous qu’au premier Γ©tage de la tour Eiffel sont inscrits en lettres d’or les noms de 72Β illustres savantsΒ ? 72 femmes scientifiques auront bientΓ΄t leur place au cΕ“ur de ce « PanthΓ©onΒ scientifiq...

This is SO merited for these great women scientists, one of whom (Isabelle Oliveri) was a close colleague, friend, and helped me fight political obstacles in my move to Montpellier in 2000. www.paris.fr/pages/biento...

02.02.2026 15:05 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What kinds of cognitions are possible? Are there discrete classes of cognition? Here's our new paper with @brigan.bsky.social @jordiplam.bsky.social @mitibennett.bsky.social @mkhochb.bsky.social and @drmichaellevin.bsky.social arxiv.org/abs/2601.12837 We explore basal, neural and human-AI spaces.

21.01.2026 10:06 β€” πŸ‘ 66    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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TGIF!!!!

16.01.2026 19:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

A quick reminder that the deadline for this exciting postdoc fellowship is due soon. Come work with us! Support for work in biodiversity, ecology, and conservation with applied connections. Contact me or other Lovejoy faculty if you are interested πŸ§ͺ🌐🌾

16.01.2026 17:46 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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if you understand geometry you will understand what is going on

03.01.2026 16:28 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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This Diminutive Reptile Plays Rock-Paper-Scissors

Thanks to Barry Sinervo for leading decades-long research on the amazing side-blotched lizards. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/s...

02.01.2026 11:42 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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ISEEC The International Society for Evolution, Ecology and Cancer

Abstract submission is now open for the 2026 ISEEC Conference (21st-24th May in Crete). The theme is human-tech cooperation for the evolutionary management of cancer but we welcome submissions on all topics related to evolution, ecology and cancer. Submit abstracts by 10th Jan via www.evocancer.com

15.12.2025 09:55 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Disease as a Mediator of Somatic Mutation - Fitspan Coevolution: Model Analysis and Empirical Tests Multicellular organisms are confronted not only with germline mutations, but also mutations emerging in somatic cells. Somatic mutations can lead to various conditions, diseases, and cancers in partic...

Latest preprint where I analyze a simple coevolutionary model of somatic mutation rate and fitness lifespan. Evolution is mediated by disease, notably cancers. The model can explain the non-linear empirical relationship between somatic mutation and lifespan, and more. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

23.12.2025 08:39 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Student Research Award <p>The ASN Student Research Awards support research by student members that advances the goals of the society: the conceptual unification of ecology, evolution, and behavior. Each award consists of a ...

Putting on my hat as @asn-amnat.bsky.social ASN President for a minute for a string of announcements, please share widely!!!

1. Student research awards are open for applications, to fund research expenses for 10 graduate students ($2000 each)
nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

25.11.2025 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 43    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

After about a year of almost daily use, I'm having my first argument with ChatGpt. Seems it differs in "opinion" with Gemini about the employment of e-folding for return times to equilibrium between nodes and foci. Getting to the bottom of this!

10.12.2025 11:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Was happy to run into a pair of Buthus occitanus during a hike. They seemed happy too.

04.12.2025 16:05 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Postdoc position in individual-level incentives, social
learning, and payoff-biased imitation shape group-level accuracy in complex prediction and decision-making tasks in Konstanz

files.newsletter2go.com/l3slzozn/s_i...

17.11.2025 09:27 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 37    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
#48 Could humans and AI merge into an evolutionary individual?
YouTube video by The DeepDive lab #48 Could humans and AI merge into an evolutionary individual?

Nice discussion of our recent paper led by
@paulbrainey.bsky.social on possible routes to Human - AI interdependence and emergence of a new evolutionary individual www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7LM...

18.11.2025 21:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Portail Emploi CNRS - Offre d'emploi - IngΓ©nieur d'Γ©tudes en bioinformatique (H/F)

Un poste d’IE en bioinformatique est actuellement ouvert au CEFE Γ  Montpellier pour travailler dans le cadre de l'ERC RegEvol.

DΓ©tails ici:

emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...

DΓ©but 01/01/2026 pour 18 mois potentiellement renouvelable.

candidature jusqu'au 29/11

N’hΓ©sitez pas Γ  diffuser largement

18.11.2025 15:09 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Come and do a PhD at Exeter with me and Chico Camargo (Computer Science) on human-genAI coevolution

"Leveraging Natural Language Processing for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Online Cultural Dynamics"

www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recr...

More details here:
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

14.11.2025 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 26    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
#48 Could humans and AI merge into an evolutionary individual?
YouTube video by The DeepDive lab #48 Could humans and AI merge into an evolutionary individual?

πŸ˜³πŸ˜Άβ€πŸŒ«οΈπŸ§

youtu.be/Y7LM3ERa0SE

15.11.2025 08:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Great umbrella πŸ‘

15.11.2025 09:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New theme issue of #PhilTransB on the evolutionary functions of #consciousness. Read: buff.ly/blMm4eR

14.11.2025 19:00 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

SAVE THE DATE: the yearly NY Population Genetics meeting will be back on March 9 2026, generously hosted by the
@simonsfoundation.org. Details to follow. Please RT.

14.11.2025 17:05 β€” πŸ‘ 60    πŸ” 39    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 4
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

My department at UT Austin is looking to hire an Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology, broadly defined. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have.
apply.interfolio.com/177547

13.11.2025 15:23 β€” πŸ‘ 47    πŸ” 71    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
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AI 2027 A research-backed AI scenario forecast.

clearly hyperbole, though try asking GPT to formulate a model to address question. Then interact with it (correct it, guide it), and you'll see that it can do a decent job. GPT is baby AI. Just wait for next versions and ruptures e.g., ai-2027.com. It's just a matter of time.

13.11.2025 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Indeed, lots of types of incentives have been discussed, but nothing has really generalized. I wouldn't say that AI is crap, but rather that it needs to be guided. I do predict that it will increasingly aid reviewers and editors as well. Look back at this thread in 2030.

13.11.2025 14:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The BIG problem is that there are too many submissions compared to willing/qualified reviewers. I think that we will increasingly see AI "participating" in the review process.

13.11.2025 12:15 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I think that if a rejection is legitimate (qualified reviewers and good editor oversight), then there's no problem.

13.11.2025 12:14 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Still some hope. They did say "implies".

10.11.2025 19:51 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

postmodern dr suess

10.11.2025 19:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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We left the US and moved to France Hello readers, I got big updates! Some of you already know this, but it’s getting more real and more official every month: my family and I have left the US and moved to France! A few months ago I q…

I started a new job in Montpellier, France!
Happy about new opportunities, sad about the state of things in the US.

abetterscientist.wordpress.com/2025/10/26/w...

27.10.2025 19:19 β€” πŸ‘ 157    πŸ” 34    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 1

Hard to know what to say here. So much going on.

06.11.2025 20:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0