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educated but confused

educated but confused

by Yassine Filali, Avery Van De Water & Val Soto

Education Society & Culture

Season 5

AI from the Perspective of Computational Neuroscience PhD Students: Part 1

Hello ebc– We are entering a brave new world. Have you seen that movie? If not, it’s a wonderful spectacle (and book). That being said, what are we going to do with the wild, wild, west that is artificial intelligence (AI), especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In today’s episode, we discuss our perspectives and experiences with AI including our current understanding, how we use it within our research workflows, and important caveats to consider. More specifically, we firstly break down how AI models are derived from supervised and unsupervised machine learning, the importance of understanding how these models are built from datasets, and this concept of “crap data in, crap data out.” We then explore the utility of using AI, across individuals, ranging from programmers all the way to lay users, removing previous barriers of entry in asking questions and speeding up the discovery process that would otherwise require a technical background. We also discuss how we use AI in our scientific workflows to help with writing code, writing, and making plots and figures. Finally, we discuss all the caveats of AI including problem-solving, critical thinking, ground truth, the energy and ecological impact, regulation and democratization of AI. This all begs the question… When will we reach a symbiosis with AI, and what will that world look like? Stay tuned for Part 2! Next episode topic: Wrapping up the 5th year in our Neuroscience PhDs As always, stay educated and seek confusion! -A&Y Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :)

Publish or Perish in Academia

Hello ebc– Publishing certainly dictates success in your career, from competing for scarce tenured-track positions to receiving government grants, the sheer volume of primary research articles and their impact factor is at the forefront of climbing the scientific ladder. This is embedded into the culture of academia and is not going away any time soon, but how will we manage in an ever-evolving publication model? In today’s episode, Avery and Yassine break down publishing in academia, including the process of submitting a manuscript for peer review, the meaning and economies of “open-access,” and the current ways for which article submissions are funded. We also discuss the issues with the current publishing model, highlighting the proposed government changes to bankrolling publications, the shortage of finding scientists to conduct peer-review, and the ramifications of closed-access. Finally, we offer our ideas to create an ideal publishing model for across stakeholders including journals, academics, and the tax-payer. Will they be integrated? The world only hopes so. We hope you enjoy the listen! Next episode topic and homework for this week: The collective consciousness As always, stay educated and seek confusion! -A&Y Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :) Resources: Article on elife’s new publication policy and its ramifications for its Clarivate-assigned Impact Factor Article discussing the outrage with the proposed changes to funding from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) See this article released by Society for Neuroscience (SFN) discussing the importance of the commenting campaign and more information on what OMB is proposing: The deadline for submitting a comment to OMB to advocate against the changes has passed. But… we will keep you guys posted for the next phase of action and responses if you want to show your support!

The Summer Before the End

Hello ebc listerns– We are in the midst of summer 2026–the flora and fauna have awakened, the air is warm, and we are in peak farmers market season! Whatever you are getting into this summer, we hope you are relishing this beautiful time of year and perhaps you wanna listen to today’s episode as you tan on the beach or as you walk through your favorite trail, listener's choice… In this episode, we provide updates on our latest research progress as well as what we are working on outside of the lab. More specifically, Avery discusses their process and feelings of pushing towards defending–including dissertation writing, manuscript preparation, and securing a post-doc. Yassine provides his perspectives on attending scientific conferences and incorporating new ideas into ongoing projects. Our confusion today begs the question of who is really in control… us or the bees? Moreover, we are announcing a new structure to the podcast! We are going to assign ourselves “homework” on any topic in science at the end of an episode, for which we will then do some research for a discussion in the following episode. The first assignment: “Should we use AI in science?” Dun, dun duuuun. Come back next episode to listen to our findings. We hope you enjoy the episode–stay educated and seek confusion! -A&Y

Planning for AFTER the PhD

In this episode, Avery shares updates on manuscripts currently in review, discusses planning for life after the PhD, and reflects on applying for industry positions while exploring postdoctoral opportunities. Yassine provides an update on his research investigating migraine pain and the brain networks that underlie it, then discusses exciting next steps for his postdoctoral work and his plans to launch a contract research organization (CRO). Together, they discuss navigating career transitions, balancing research with future planning, and the opportunities that come after graduate school. As always, stay educated and seek confusion :) Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :) Support us by joining our patreon! patreon.com/educatedbutconfused

The first, first author publication; prediction accuracy; and reflecting

Hello ebc crew- We are back again! We hope you are well! Welcome to episode 2 of season 5 where we share our current research updates, talk about our lives outside of the lab, and have a deep conversation about how we can become better humans. More specifically, Avery speaks upon pushing out their current manuscripts in preparation, preparing the dissertation, and advice on the writing process. Yassine discusses his follow up experimentation, quality controlling and preprocessing datasets, and working with undergraduates. Outside of the hectic research lifestyle, Avery and Yassine have a discussion of their love of coffee shops and reflect upon their personal growth and philosophy on listening for others. Bonus: We tease our goals for career transitions after the PhD. More to come. We hope you enjoy the episode! Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :) Support us by joining our patreon! patreon.com/educatedbutconfused Resources— Books mentioned: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Living in the oasis of the 5th year in a neuroscience PhD

Hello ebc listeners– Are you still there? We certainly hope so, and we really miss y’all! Welcome to season 5! It’s been a long minute since we have posted, excuse us as we are both in the middle of some pretty intense times in the PhD :) However, the mics are scorching hot again, with some brand new updates and insights. In today’s episode, Avery and Yassine talk about some confusions that have crept up during the middle of their 5th years. These include communication and clarity in team-oriented conversations, putting together manuscripts, and prioritizing difficult tasks. This then leads into a conversation on the more exciting aspects of science and research, unpacking the big and small moments that keep one going despite failures. Finally, we talk about our evolution in our expertise within our fields of social cognition and migraine, respectively, and make predictions of where these fields are headed in the future. Bonus: we talk about post-doc transitions and coming up with new research projects, questions, and incorporating new techniques. You don’t want to miss out! Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :) Support us by joining our patreon! patreon.com/educatedbutconfused Resources— Books mentioned: Native Sun by Richard Wright Research studies: “Virtual Embodiment of White People in a Black Virtual Body Leads to a Sustained Reduction in Their Implicit Racial Bias”

Season 4

academia on fire

Is science even real anymore? What is real? And do people still believe in science? Just when we thought grad school couldn’t get more chaotic, the NIH funding landscape threw us a curveball. This week, Avery and Yassine dive into the messy realities of pursuing science in uncertain times, from funding struggles to the bigger question of how we connect research to real-world impact. We also check in on our PhD journeys... and yes, we have updates on Avery’s dating life too. 🧠 -As always, stay educated and seek confusion! Connect with us: 📩 educatedbutconfused@gmail.com 💸 Support: patreon.com/educatedbutconfused

Fourth Year Confessions: Grants, Goals, and the Glorious NeeDoh Gumdrop

It's Year 4 for the Educated But Confused podcast! Join Yassine and Avery for personal and professional updates, a deep dive into the challenges of transitioning after grant work or big deadlines, and the inside scoop on fourth year. Plus, we're spilling the tea and de-stressing with NeeDoh Gumdrops. As always, stay educated and seek confusion! Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com Support us by joining our patreon!patreon.com/educatedbutconfused

Mentorship & Legacy with Dr. Daniel Tranel: A Standing Ovation

Hello, listeners— It is with the deepest honor, respect, and gratitude that we, Avery and Yassine, bring you this truly special episode. Our guest is none other than Dr. Daniel Tranel—Professor of Neurology, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Senior Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship, and Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Iowa. These titles barely scratch the surface of his contributions to science and mentorship, for which we owe him immense gratitude. Join us in this meaningful conversation as we celebrate Dr. Tranel’s impact on the scientific community, unpack his 2024 Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Mentor Award, explore his passion for mentorship, discuss the importance of scholarship, reflect on major scientific milestones, and gather invaluable advice for students. And if that wasn’t special enough—this episode was recorded to the minute on Dan’s birthday. Enjoy the magic of the Iowa Vibes! -As always, stay educated and seek confusion! Get connected with us: Contact us for educated thoughts or general confusions at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com & follow us on instagram @ebcpod :) Support us by joining our patreon!patreon.com/educatedbutconfused

Season 3

gritty but berated

In today’s episode, Yassine and Avery wrap up their third year of grad school, reflecting on key lessons learned and setting intentions for the year ahead. Join us as we look back, plan forward, and embrace the chaos and clarity of academic life. —As always, stay educated and seek confusion! 💡 Get in touch: 📩 Email us at educatedbutconfused@gmail.com 🎙️ Support the show: Join our Patreon at patreon.com/educatedbutconfused

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