Colin Phillips

(Psycho)linguist. Language science evangelist. Aging runner.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@mara_yamauchi @hovisdino @jan_murray I honestly have no idea how they or almost anybody else is registered. I spent yesterday focusing on a medical emergency, ensuring safety on a crowded course, finding lost valuables, helping newcomers to connect. It takes 2 minutes for many to cross the start line. Not a race!

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@jamesdavis6939 @parkrunUK At parkrun, the successes that we celebrate involve things like showing up regularly, volunteering in your community, and doing so safely and happily. (Unlike kickboxing, punching fellow participants in the head is not a regular safety concern at parkrun.)

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@HallisseyC I'm happy to show anybody how we use information in support of broadening participation. Also happy to show how we use participation data to identify good practices for increasing inclusion. But not so keen in the context of a Twitter thread.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@HallisseyC I do find it helpful, yes. We have heard from countless people, especially older and slower people, that they kept coming back because someone took the trouble to learn their name. It makes it easier for me to do that. That helped us to get to 33% walkers and run-walkers weekly.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

It was really fun to work on this short piece with @sathvikn4 . Connecting the current wave of interest in psycholinguistics and LLMs with lessons learned from the 1960s.

[Sathvik @sathvikn4]

What (if anything) can LLMs tell us about human language processing?

I discuss this question and how psycholinguistics is moving forward with @ColinPhillips2, to appear in BBS as a commentary on Futrell & Mahowald's article about LLMs & linguistics.
https://t.co/mh3C3NrFIL

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

We are looking to fill an open-rank position in Sociolinguistics in Oxford, in conjunction with Worcester College. Come be a part of the exciting developments in language and linguistics in Oxford! https://t.co/SAmR9acEjW

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@DavidBlackm0re It’s safe, yes. Event organizers put loads of time into ensuring safety, and on ensuring good relations with landowners and park users. They have to report every single week on whether any incidents occurred at the event.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@spectator I am fortunate enough to work there every day. I disagree with this take. The building has already had a huge impact, especially on how different people come together and interact.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@sharrond62 Context: there are ~3 million age/gender category first finishers at parkrun events each year. Also, each year around 300,000 milestone shirts are 'earned' for finishing or volunteering. No awards or 'advantage' for being fast, only for showing up regularly.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@sharrond62 @parkrunUK You keep claiming that self ID makes it impossible to track participation trends, and you use that to imply a threat to public funding (with the added boost of your peerage). Sorry, this is not a good statistical argument. parkrun makes it easy to track participation trends.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@HallisseyC Congrats on the birthday and the barcode. I hope it brings much joy. Another thing your daughter may learn is that she is blessed with excellent genes for running. One thing I love about parkrun is that it’s a great place for those who did not win the genetic lottery.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@benbloomsport Just wait until she learns that they don't punish course cutters, either. And kids whose parents hold their hands to encourage them to keep going. So much cheating!

Bottom line: if you want to get hundreds of thousands out every week, for free, there's no adjudication.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@JosephPConlon As a recent returner to this system, it is remarkably ineffective. Basically, your entire university career turned into a binary categorisation. Rather than sorting out excellence, it disincentivizes innovation and creativity.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

Interested in spending 3-12 months with us in Oxford as a senior visiting academic? The Leverhulme Trust has a scheme to help. Get in touch with an Oxford colleague soon, as the internal deadline for interest is on Apr 17. https://t.co/NGiMfL69WA

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@sophiescott The Maryland tradition of thesis-themed cakes has produced some legendary results.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@CanaanBreiss A great catch for UChicago! And still within the Big10 (kinda sorta).

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

@21percentgroup @amwilson_opera is right. My college has many non-stipendiary JRFs. I spend time with them almost every day. Talented researchers, with prestigious funding awards, who feel fortunate, not remotely exploited. They say that it enriches their life, with minimal responsibilities.

[Colin Phillips @ColinPhillips2]

Postdoc opportunity with any of my Oxford colleagues funded by the British Academy. Expressions of interest due next week! https://t.co/u4X9Hboc1r