Participant reflections from Lake Toya, Japan

※You can view the survey results here!

 What makes a scientific meeting truly memorable? For participants at Shin-Socrates, the answer was clear: not the presentations themselves, but the conversations, unexpected connections, and new ideas that emerged from them.

 Feedback from 22 participants revealed overwhelming enthusiasm for the meeting’s informal, interdisciplinary, and discussion-driven approach—alongside valuable suggestions for making future gatherings even better.

1. Less Presenting, More Discussing

The most celebrated aspect of Shin-Socrates was its emphasis on genuine scientific dialogue rather than conventional lectures.

Researchers from neuroscience, philosophy, AI, and consciousness science explored questions across disciplinary boundaries. Participant-organized sessions, parallel discussions, and spontaneous exchanges created opportunities for perspectives to collide and new ideas to emerge.

“All the amazing discussions. Outstanding!! Truly.”

“The format and atmosphere was very suggesting for new ideas, I got 5 ideas forward, and three new article ideas. I have never had this fruitful ideation week in my life.”

Participants especially appreciated that discussions were not merely Q&A sessions following talks—they were the main event.

2. Posters That Started Conversations

Poster presentations were another highlight, providing a springboard for discussions that continued throughout the day and into the evening.

Early-career researchers particularly benefited from opportunities to challenge and engage with established scientists, while participant-led sessions allowed individuals to pursue questions they genuinely cared about.

“The poster presentation served as a catalyst for discussions and Q&A sessions that continued day and night.”

The final-day small-group discussions and reflection sessions also received enthusiastic feedback, with several participants suggesting that similar activities should happen earlier and more frequently.

3. Pre-jClub: Building Connections Before Arrival

The pre-meeting journal clubs helped participants encounter unfamiliar ideas, prepare for discussions, and get to know one another before meeting in person.

“J-Club helped me understand how others think on central questions.”

Participants appreciated exploring topics outside their own specialties, including phenomenology, predictive processing, interoception, and Buddhism.

However, participation was sometimes limited by time-zone differences, busy schedules, preparation demands, and language barriers. Suggestions included offering accessible introductory papers, providing optional paper assignments, and more directly connecting pre-jClub discussions with on-site sessions.

4. Science, Community, and Fireworks

The social environment was an essential part of the experience. Informal conversations over meals, in small groups, and during evening gatherings helped build relationships across institutions, disciplines, and career stages.

Lake Toya provided a memorable backdrop—particularly the fireworks viewed from the rooftop hot spring.

“Watching the fireworks from the rooftop bath was amazing. It’s a great memory.”

Participants also valued the welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere and the strong sense of community, particularly for younger researchers.

5. Making the Next Shin-Socrates Even Better

Although feedback was overwhelmingly positive, participants identified several opportunities for improvement:

• More thematic continuity: Establish discussion groups earlier and let them develop shared questions throughout the meeting.
• More reflection and synthesis: Build on the success of the final-day group discussions.
• Better continuity for posters: Keep posters displayed longer and accommodate late-arriving participants.
• More accessible pre-jClubs: Reduce preparation barriers and provide support for newcomers.
• Preserve intimacy: Avoid letting increasing participant numbers undermine meaningful interactions.
• Small practical improvements: More breaks, name tags, and comfortable accommodation arrangements.

Importantly, participants were not asking for a more rigid conference. They wanted just enough structure to make spontaneous conversations even more productive.

Looking Ahead: A Different Kind of Scientific Meeting

Perhaps the greatest achievement of Shin-Socrates was creating a space where researchers could move beyond disciplinary boundaries, challenge assumptions, and explore ideas before they were fully formed.

As one participant reflected:

“Definitely meeting up with everyone from Q-str and IIT, seeing how people’s projects have progressed and having the chance to socialise and build a connection with people in the project, makes me feel a part of something and that is very motivating.”

The message from participants was clear: preserve the openness, deepen the connections, and keep the conversations going.

Shin-Socrates demonstrated that the most productive scientific meetings may be those that leave the greatest room for the unexpected.