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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Mike Levin @drmichaellevin.bsky.social · 22d

New #preprint - @bhartl.bsky.social , Léo Pio-Lopez

arxiv.org/abs/2509.11131

"Neural cellular automata: applications to biology and beyond classical AI"

Neural cellular automata: applications to biology and beyond classical AI

Neural Cellular Automata (NCA) represent a powerful framework for modeling biological self-organization, extending classical rule-based systems with trainable, differentiable (or evolvable) update rul...

arxiv.org

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jul 4

I'm not sure about "fast=night science". To me, the fast part describes fitting/learning by heart of things that need to go quickly from the hand. Deep, intuitive insights which you can't put your finger on just yet (creative night science) is more subtle: it's models forming via distributed insight

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jul 4

Everything reminds me of #TCTeAC

When are we doing this again?

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

paveltomancak.bsky.social @paveltomancak.bsky.social · Jun 26

Read this piece. It gives a great impression of #TCTeAC WoodstockBio2 & Night Science from one of the #Instigators. This is the next best thing to being there... I like the expression #BohemianFixers. Many thanks to them! Děkujeme.

thenode.biologists.com/from-posters...

From Posters to Parades: Inside Woodstock.Bio² & Night Science Conference - the Node

A fever dream of science and spirit wrapped in the forests of Bohemia. Here’s an escalating list — starting with the standard (though nothing was standard

thenode.biologists.com

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Mike Levin @drmichaellevin.bsky.social · Jun 20

New paper with @bhartl.bsky.social : "What does evolution make? Learning in living lineages and machines"
cell.com/trends/genet...

Genes code for proteins, but what is the relationship between the genome and the large-scale form and function of organisms? What is a good formalism for thinking

What does evolution make? Learning in living lineages and machines

How does genomic information unfold, to give rise to self-constructing living organisms with problem-solving capacities at all levels of organization? We review recent progress that unifies work in de...

cell.com

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Jesse Veenvliet @jesseveenvliet.bsky.social · Jun 18

Indeed Oded. Some Will think of #TCTeAC as escapism, but I think it was showing us how beautiful we can make this world if the guiding values are respect & trust, and if world leaders would adopt a vision that is based on hope instead of hatred. On collaboration instead of competition. 💚

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 14

You might also be interested in our complimentary insights to Mitchell and Cheney's great work:

Evolution doesn't simply adapt, it makes adaptive, problem solving agents.

bsky.app/profile/cp-t...

Trends in Genetics @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social · Jun 10

Online Now! A new Opinion:

"What does evolution make? Learning in living lineages and machines"
by Benedikt Hartl (@bhartl.bsky.social) & Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin.bsky.social)

FREE access till July 30th with this link:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lE%7EGcQb...

Figure 1. Developmental morphogenesis dynamically interprets genomic prompts as a multiscale generative process.

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Helena Klara Jambor @helenajambor.bsky.social · Jun 13

A very short summary of "Data Visualization against fascism":

Fascism conceals truths, disregards evidence-based decision-making, and jeopardizes the education of the next generation. Standing up against means: MONITOR, EXPOSE, and EDUCATE. As scientists we are ready for this!

#TCTeAC

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 14

Let's not be #TCTeAC "The Conference To END All Conferences", but a new format of many more such events. Depating science outside of our typical nutshell (scientifically and mentally) has great potential - we could have come up with 50+ project proposals together. Let's bring fun back to science :)

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 14

#TCTeAC - the Woodstock of Biology2 & #nightscience - was such an amazing event!! We met great scientists who creatively presented their high quality work. We dreamt and discussed in a very broad, open-minded setting. Talking science outside of our nutshell can be soo valuable - let's do this again!

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Rainer Machné @selfsplicing.bsky.social · Jun 13

Everybody is just talking about the fun #TCTeAC but the high quality of science, across a diverse range of fields, was equally impressive. Thanks to the organizers, such a unique event.

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Megan Barker @meganbarkerase.bsky.social · Jun 11

The slide you submitted | The slide you’re presenting
#tcteac #PragueSights

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 12

science is magic #TCTeAC

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 12

#fightforsciemce at #TCTeAC with #nightscience :) cell & gene people gather together.

(no scientist got hurt)

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 12

#nightscience at #TCTeAC, hence the umbrella

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 11

over time at #TCTeAC

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 11

they evolved, but backwards?! #dino

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 11

biology vs theology at #TCTeAC

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 10

Over the last century, biologists developed a strong model of morphogenesis: the genome defines the microscopic hardware that sets the rules of how cells interact wich leads to the emergence of an organism.

We invite you to see this through the lens of collective and generative intelligence.

Trends in Genetics @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social · Jun 10

Online Now! A new Opinion:

"What does evolution make? Learning in living lineages and machines"
by Benedikt Hartl (@bhartl.bsky.social) & Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin.bsky.social)

FREE access till July 30th with this link:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lE%7EGcQb...

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 10

@woodstocknightsci.bsky.social we get to hear what we can learn from mantis shrimps :)

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jun 10

@woodstocknightsci.bsky.social the conference to end all conferences

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jan 25

New #preprint with @drmichaellevin.bsky.social:

osf.io/r8z7c/

"What does evolution make? Learning in living lineages and machines."

Some thoughts about recent developments in collective AI and evolutionary developmental biology.

OSF

osf.io

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Reposted by Ben Hartl

Mike Levin @drmichaellevin.bsky.social · Jan 15

New preprint with Nic Rouleau (allencenter.tufts.edu/nicolas-roul...) : what do the major theories of #consciousness say as to why it's specifically associated with brains?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
"Brains and Where Else? Mapping Theories of Consciousness to Unconventional Embodiments"
🧪

OSF

osf.io

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Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jan 12

Posts below are imported from Twitter/X

Ben Hartl @bhartl.bsky.social · Jan 12

#Bananenrepublik 🍌, oder so.