Sasha Winkler, PhD

Postdoctoral researcher @DukeU | PhD @UCLA | Primate behavior, communication, social bonds & emotion | Profile pic by @kazfantone for NPR

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

My new paper, "Bonobos tend to behave optimistically after hearing laughter” is out! We found that bonobos were more likely to expect rewards after hearing same-species laughter, suggesting that the sound puts them in a good mood. https://t.co/9NGbYJwGjb

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

Great apes may use playful teasing to learn about their social relationships. In a new paper, Erica Cartmill & I propose a bond-testing hypothesis for ape teasing. Out today in Phil Trans Biology: https://t.co/amWGYLWCAI

[Phys.org @physorg_com]

#Hearing #Laughter increases optimism in bonobos, indicating that positive vocalizations can influence emotional states and decision-making in great apes, with evolutionary links to human laughter. @SciReports https://t.co/EQ70eXGQ7F https://t.co/Yb87jYvD3q

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

Some exciting news - I’m joining @HermanPontzer ‘s lab at @DukeU as a postdoc! I’ll be researching energetics in baboons, collaborating with folks at the Amboseli Baboon Project 😊@AmboseliBaboons @ArchieLab

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

The COMPARE lab at @IndianaUniv is hiring a new full-time lab manager to assist studies with children and dogs, and manage the activities of the lab space on IU Bloomington campus. Please share! https://t.co/Sg2DakRz8v

[Zanna Clay @zannaclay]

The loss of a legend- Kanzi, the language-competent bonobo, has died age 44.
Kanzi was exceptional in so many ways and offered us profound insights into the linguistic & cognitive capacities of great apes.
He has taught us so much and will be hugely missed. @ApeInitiative

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

The JHU Social & Cognitive Origins lab has a new opening for a full-time position - a great opportunity to work with an all-star team of animal cognition researchers!

[Christopher Krupenye @ChrisKrupenye]

🚨RT!

The Social & Cognitive Origins group at @JohnsHopkins (https://t.co/t1Znq14Mli), directed by Dr. Christopher Krupenye, is recruiting a full-time research assistant or lab manager to begin Summer 2025. The position has a one-year minimum, w/ the possibility of extension. 1/

[The African Bioacoustics Community @AfriBioacoustic]

The Kalahari Research Centre (Northern Cape, South Africa) is hosting a FULLY FUNDED course on animal behaviour and communication!

Check out the flyers below and find out more on their website - https://t.co/VsgcQz8S9c

#kalahariresearchcentre #africanbioacoustics #fieldcourse

[Neuroscience News @NeuroscienceNew]

Toddlers Learn Best After Experiencing Impossible Events

Children as young as two understand differences between improbable and impossible events, a new study reveals.

Researchers found that toddlers learned significantly better after witnessing an impossible event rather than an improbable one, highlighting the unique impact of unexpected experiences.

The study involved two- and three-year-olds interacting with a toy machine rigged to occasionally deliver an impossible result.

Children who received an impossible outcome—like a pink toy from a machine filled only with purple ones—showed better learning retention than those who experienced merely improbable outcomes.

Researchers believe the impossible events prompted the children to seek explanations, sparking a strong drive for learning.

These findings may influence new strategies in early education by creating “mystery” moments that enhance learning.

[Brenda de Groot @brendadegroot]

Not to sound cheesy, but DISI was life-changing for me—and a lot of fun. Can’t think of a better way to spend three weeks of your summer, so.. consider this call if this calls to you!

[Christopher Krupenye @ChrisKrupenye]

Are humans the only species that communicates when a collaborator is missing information?

@TownrowLuke and I show that our closest relatives, bonobos, can track when a partner is knowledgeable or ignorant, and tailor communication accordingly @PNASNews

https://t.co/OOJerxAOzi

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

New @sciam article by my PhD advisor Erica Cartmill does a fantastic job summarizing our lab's research on playful teasing in great apes! I bet you'll be ape-solutley tickled to read it (ok sorry I had to): https://t.co/0FRjZ3esQx

#primates #animals #humor #science #bioanthro

[Selçuk Korkmaz @selcukorkmaz]

The Datasaurus Dozen is a collection of thirteen datasets that, despite having nearly identical summary statistics—such as mean, variance, and correlation—exhibit vastly different distributions when visualized. This underscores the critical importance of graphing data to uncover underlying patterns that summary statistics alone may obscure.

#Statistics #DataScience #Research #Science

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

Exciting new animal cognition lab just dropped 😎- congrats Amalia!!

[Fay Clark @DrFayClark]

I have a really exciting PhD opportunity on a highly novel topic: flow state in animals! This is open to students worldwide, drawing on the University of Bristol's strengths in animal cognition, animal welfare and human game design https://t.co/UntFCzSZax

[ComparativeCognitionSociety @ComparativeCog]

🚨Do Rodents Smell with Sound?🚨 Ultrasonic vocalisations may cluster oderants & when this is coordinated with sniffing, it may enhance olfactory sensing. So cool! 🐀👃👂https://t.co/ohZN2xoMRE

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

@c00l_mom Huge claim

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

My @TED_ED video on the science of laughter just passed 1 MILLION views! 😱 If you haven't seen it yet and want to know more about why humans laugh, check it out here: https://t.co/6bagYvDAaU (& shout out to @rybak_hanna for the awesome animation!)

[Sasha Winkler, PhD @ScienceSquil]

Raise your hand if you got overly invested with the absolute DRAMA of #FatBearWeek this year 🙋‍♀️

[rachael @rachaelbitch]

we are gearing up for 128 grazer vs. 32 chunk in the fat bear week 2024 finals, and if she loses to chunk at the very end of the competition after everything she's been through I will never forgive y'all

[Alex Mielke @MielkeAlexander]

PhD Studentship available

I am looking for a student to study the 'Quality and function of affiliative actions in non-human primates' - if you are interested in primate sociality, communication, and relationships, get in touch!

https://t.co/Nve4ieQIvl