Stefano Nichele
@stenichele.bsky.social
Full Prof. Østfold University College and Oslo Metropolitan University, Lab http://nichele.eu/lab.html. I study bio-inspired AI with ALife & Complex Systems #CA #evo. Proud father of 2.
I am delighted to have been elected to the Board of Directors of The International Society for Artificial Life (ISAL), together with talented colleagues from around the world. I look forward to serving such a wonderful & diverse community where disciplinary boundaries disappear!
November 14, 2025 at 9:22 PM
I am delighted to have been elected to the Board of Directors of The International Society for Artificial Life (ISAL), together with talented colleagues from around the world. I look forward to serving such a wonderful & diverse community where disciplinary boundaries disappear!
Reposted by Stefano Nichele
@alife2025.bsky.social was such a blast! Met lots of old and new faces and had very good conversations. Already looking forward to next year in Canada 🍁
October 20, 2025 at 9:16 AM
@alife2025.bsky.social was such a blast! Met lots of old and new faces and had very good conversations. Already looking forward to next year in Canada 🍁
Reposted by Stefano Nichele
This year's ALICE guest speakers 🧑🔬
- Angel Goñi-Moreno - @angelgm.bsky.social
- Alyssa Adams - @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social
- Alexander Mordvintsev
- Eric Medvet - @ericmedvetts.bsky.social
- Kyrre Glette - @kyrre2000.bsky.social
- Stefano Nichele - @stenichele.bsky.social
- Susan Stepney
- Angel Goñi-Moreno - @angelgm.bsky.social
- Alyssa Adams - @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social
- Alexander Mordvintsev
- Eric Medvet - @ericmedvetts.bsky.social
- Kyrre Glette - @kyrre2000.bsky.social
- Stefano Nichele - @stenichele.bsky.social
- Susan Stepney
October 13, 2025 at 10:06 AM
This year's ALICE guest speakers 🧑🔬
- Angel Goñi-Moreno - @angelgm.bsky.social
- Alyssa Adams - @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social
- Alexander Mordvintsev
- Eric Medvet - @ericmedvetts.bsky.social
- Kyrre Glette - @kyrre2000.bsky.social
- Stefano Nichele - @stenichele.bsky.social
- Susan Stepney
- Angel Goñi-Moreno - @angelgm.bsky.social
- Alyssa Adams - @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social
- Alexander Mordvintsev
- Eric Medvet - @ericmedvetts.bsky.social
- Kyrre Glette - @kyrre2000.bsky.social
- Stefano Nichele - @stenichele.bsky.social
- Susan Stepney
great opening keynote by Hector Zenil at @alife2025.bsky.social 🇯🇵
the purpose of science (and ALife) is to make sense of patterns in the world
the purpose of science (and ALife) is to make sense of patterns in the world
October 7, 2025 at 2:13 AM
great opening keynote by Hector Zenil at @alife2025.bsky.social 🇯🇵
the purpose of science (and ALife) is to make sense of patterns in the world
the purpose of science (and ALife) is to make sense of patterns in the world
Ready for @alife2025.bsky.social 🇯🇵
Østfold University College is well represented with F. Reimers, C. Vibe, E. Guichard, and me.
Check out our 3 presentations at the Distributed Ciphers special session (EngramNCA, ARC-NCA & critical NCA) on Tue & poster session (RBNs for reservoir computing)!
Østfold University College is well represented with F. Reimers, C. Vibe, E. Guichard, and me.
Check out our 3 presentations at the Distributed Ciphers special session (EngramNCA, ARC-NCA & critical NCA) on Tue & poster session (RBNs for reservoir computing)!
October 6, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Ready for @alife2025.bsky.social 🇯🇵
Østfold University College is well represented with F. Reimers, C. Vibe, E. Guichard, and me.
Check out our 3 presentations at the Distributed Ciphers special session (EngramNCA, ARC-NCA & critical NCA) on Tue & poster session (RBNs for reservoir computing)!
Østfold University College is well represented with F. Reimers, C. Vibe, E. Guichard, and me.
Check out our 3 presentations at the Distributed Ciphers special session (EngramNCA, ARC-NCA & critical NCA) on Tue & poster session (RBNs for reservoir computing)!
I finally had the time to revise my website with updated descriptions of my research goals and lab activity: www.nichele.eu
Feedback is welcome 😄
PS. Is it clear enough that I *DO NOT* focus on artificial intelligence applications? 🧠
Feedback is welcome 😄
PS. Is it clear enough that I *DO NOT* focus on artificial intelligence applications? 🧠
September 30, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I finally had the time to revise my website with updated descriptions of my research goals and lab activity: www.nichele.eu
Feedback is welcome 😄
PS. Is it clear enough that I *DO NOT* focus on artificial intelligence applications? 🧠
Feedback is welcome 😄
PS. Is it clear enough that I *DO NOT* focus on artificial intelligence applications? 🧠
Detailed program of the Special Session "The Distributed Ciphers" @alife2025.bsky.social
Special session program also available here:
www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
The entire program of ALIFE 2025 is available on the conference website: 2025.alife.org/program
See you soon in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Special session program also available here:
www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
The entire program of ALIFE 2025 is available on the conference website: 2025.alife.org/program
See you soon in Kyoto 🇯🇵
September 30, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Detailed program of the Special Session "The Distributed Ciphers" @alife2025.bsky.social
Special session program also available here:
www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
The entire program of ALIFE 2025 is available on the conference website: 2025.alife.org/program
See you soon in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Special session program also available here:
www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
The entire program of ALIFE 2025 is available on the conference website: 2025.alife.org/program
See you soon in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Nice! Any paper / preprint?
September 12, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Nice! Any paper / preprint?
Gross annual salary between NOK 590 000 - 600 000.
Deadline: 12th October 2025
Please share with relevant candidates.
Deadline: 12th October 2025
Please share with relevant candidates.
September 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Gross annual salary between NOK 590 000 - 600 000.
Deadline: 12th October 2025
Please share with relevant candidates.
Deadline: 12th October 2025
Please share with relevant candidates.
The project may include working with Neural Cellular Automata, Abstraction and Reasoning, Bio-Inspired and Neuro-Inspired AI, Artificial Evolutionary and Developmental Systems, Alignment, Social Learning and Cultural Evolution, and other Artificial Life techniques.
September 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
The project may include working with Neural Cellular Automata, Abstraction and Reasoning, Bio-Inspired and Neuro-Inspired AI, Artificial Evolutionary and Developmental Systems, Alignment, Social Learning and Cultural Evolution, and other Artificial Life techniques.
🔥🔥PhD position alert 🔥🔥
I am looking for a talented PhD student at Østfold University College (Norway) to work on "Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems".
Apply here: 👇
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
I am looking for a talented PhD student at Østfold University College (Norway) to work on "Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems".
Apply here: 👇
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
PhD in Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems (286193) | Østfold University College
Job title: PhD in Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems (286193), Employer: Østfold University College, Deadline: Sunday, October 12, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no
September 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
🔥🔥PhD position alert 🔥🔥
I am looking for a talented PhD student at Østfold University College (Norway) to work on "Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems".
Apply here: 👇
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
I am looking for a talented PhD student at Østfold University College (Norway) to work on "Open-Ended AI: Novel Methods for Enabling Novelty and Creativity in AI Systems".
Apply here: 👇
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
Nice article on Neural Cellular Automata!
It also talks about our work on ARC-NCA!
It also talks about our work on ARC-NCA!
The cells of your body follow simple rules and play off one another to form a complete organism. The researcher Alexander Mordvintsev has developed “neural cellular automata,” building blocks that can self-assemble into any form. @georgemusser.com reports: www.quantamagazine.org/self-assembl...
Self-Assembly Gets Automated in Reverse of ‘Game of Life’ | Quanta Magazine
In cellular automata, simple rules create elaborate structures. Now researchers can start with the structures and reverse-engineer the rules.
www.quantamagazine.org
September 10, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Nice article on Neural Cellular Automata!
It also talks about our work on ARC-NCA!
It also talks about our work on ARC-NCA!
And here are the accepted contributions to the Special Session #TheDistributedCiphers at @alife2025.bsky.social:
Details: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
See you in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Details: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
See you in Kyoto 🇯🇵
August 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM
And here are the accepted contributions to the Special Session #TheDistributedCiphers at @alife2025.bsky.social:
Details: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
See you in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Details: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
See you in Kyoto 🇯🇵
Presentation of our work on "NCAs for memory transfer + application to ARC-AGI", given at the computational series of the #Levin Lab at Tufts & Harvard Universities.
Thanks M. Levin for the kind invitation & special thanks to Etienne for presenting our work.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyc0...
Thanks M. Levin for the kind invitation & special thanks to Etienne for presenting our work.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyc0...
"A Neural Cellular Automaton Model of Memory Transfer" by Etienne Guichard and Stefano Nichele.
YouTube video by Michael Levin's Academic Content
www.youtube.com
August 27, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Presentation of our work on "NCAs for memory transfer + application to ARC-AGI", given at the computational series of the #Levin Lab at Tufts & Harvard Universities.
Thanks M. Levin for the kind invitation & special thanks to Etienne for presenting our work.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyc0...
Thanks M. Levin for the kind invitation & special thanks to Etienne for presenting our work.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyc0...
A great review on Module Repetition in Neural Networks, very relevant for NCAs
arxiv.org/pdf/2507.12473
arxiv.org/pdf/2507.12473
arxiv.org
August 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
A great review on Module Repetition in Neural Networks, very relevant for NCAs
arxiv.org/pdf/2507.12473
arxiv.org/pdf/2507.12473
Check out our new work on Critical Neural Cellular Automata 👇
The critical NCA got perfect score in the 5-bit memory task and can surpass the performance of the best elementary CA, rule 30, in the MNIST classification.
This work was done together with @stenichele.bsky.social and @mikkellepperod.bsky.social
This work was done together with @stenichele.bsky.social and @mikkellepperod.bsky.social
August 5, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Check out our new work on Critical Neural Cellular Automata 👇
In parallel, cellular automata and synthetic worlds show how memory and constraints can support functional behavior in minimal systems. Together, these findings are reshaping classical notions of agency, belief, and goal-directedness.
Link: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
Link: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
The Distributed Ciphers - ALife 2025 Special Session
www.nichele.eu
August 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
In parallel, cellular automata and synthetic worlds show how memory and constraints can support functional behavior in minimal systems. Together, these findings are reshaping classical notions of agency, belief, and goal-directedness.
Link: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
Link: www.nichele.eu/ALIFE-Distri...
Abstract: Our understanding of intelligence is evolving. Research on fungi, plants, single cells, and swarms reveals complex problem-solving without centralized processes.
August 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Abstract: Our understanding of intelligence is evolving. Research on fungi, plants, single cells, and swarms reveals complex problem-solving without centralized processes.
We are happy to announce that @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social will give a keynote at our Distributed Ciphers Special Session at @alife2025.bsky.social Kyoto (Oct. 6-10) #ALIFE2025
Alyssa's talk:
⭐ What Fungi, Swarms, and Cellular Automata Are Teaching Us About Intelligence ⭐
Alyssa's talk:
⭐ What Fungi, Swarms, and Cellular Automata Are Teaching Us About Intelligence ⭐
August 4, 2025 at 1:50 PM
We are happy to announce that @alyssa-m-adams.bsky.social will give a keynote at our Distributed Ciphers Special Session at @alife2025.bsky.social Kyoto (Oct. 6-10) #ALIFE2025
Alyssa's talk:
⭐ What Fungi, Swarms, and Cellular Automata Are Teaching Us About Intelligence ⭐
Alyssa's talk:
⭐ What Fungi, Swarms, and Cellular Automata Are Teaching Us About Intelligence ⭐
Reposted by Stefano Nichele
I've finally got a copy of Nils Barricelli's 1st paper on Artificial Life, in Italian (1954). Would be great to get it translated into English. My preference would be to have this done by a skilled human translator rather than AI. Any bilingual Italian-English folk out there who might be interested?
December 4, 2024 at 10:26 AM
I've finally got a copy of Nils Barricelli's 1st paper on Artificial Life, in Italian (1954). Would be great to get it translated into English. My preference would be to have this done by a skilled human translator rather than AI. Any bilingual Italian-English folk out there who might be interested?
Reposted by Stefano Nichele
Your brain doesn’t just passively track time ⏳ - it structures it.
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Event structure sculpts neural population dynamics in the lateral entorhinal cortex
Our experience of the world is a continuous stream of events that must be segmented and organized at multiple timescales. The neural mechanisms underlying this process remain unknown. In this work, we...
www.science.org
June 26, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Your brain doesn’t just passively track time ⏳ - it structures it.
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In @Science.org we show that activity in 🧠 memory circuits (LEC) drifts constantly, but makes sharp jumps at key moments, segmenting life into meaningful events. (1/2)
👉 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Stefano Nichele
Synthetic ecosystems that autonomously and continuously evolve in silico 👾
An Alifer dream we pursue with Flow-Lenia, a mass-conservative continuous CA !
If you are interested in complex systems with (1) emergent creatures and (2) intrinsic evolutionary dynamics, go check our new paper !
A 🧵
An Alifer dream we pursue with Flow-Lenia, a mass-conservative continuous CA !
If you are interested in complex systems with (1) emergent creatures and (2) intrinsic evolutionary dynamics, go check our new paper !
A 🧵
June 24, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Synthetic ecosystems that autonomously and continuously evolve in silico 👾
An Alifer dream we pursue with Flow-Lenia, a mass-conservative continuous CA !
If you are interested in complex systems with (1) emergent creatures and (2) intrinsic evolutionary dynamics, go check our new paper !
A 🧵
An Alifer dream we pursue with Flow-Lenia, a mass-conservative continuous CA !
If you are interested in complex systems with (1) emergent creatures and (2) intrinsic evolutionary dynamics, go check our new paper !
A 🧵
Link: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Preprint: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
We use encoders-decoders to simulate elementary CA & identify a rich hierarchy of relationships not known before. We show that the number of elementary automata with unique dynamics can be reduced from 88 to 52!
Preprint: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
We use encoders-decoders to simulate elementary CA & identify a rich hierarchy of relationships not known before. We show that the number of elementary automata with unique dynamics can be reduced from 88 to 52!
Studying Encoder–Decoder Relation Between Cellular Automata to Uncover Their Computational Structure
Studying relationships between cellular automata can provide important insight into their structure and computational capacity. In this chapter, we study a notion called the encoder-decoder relation b...
link.springer.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Link: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Preprint: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
We use encoders-decoders to simulate elementary CA & identify a rich hierarchy of relationships not known before. We show that the number of elementary automata with unique dynamics can be reduced from 88 to 52!
Preprint: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
We use encoders-decoders to simulate elementary CA & identify a rich hierarchy of relationships not known before. We show that the number of elementary automata with unique dynamics can be reduced from 88 to 52!