Daniel S. Brooks
@dsbrooks.bsky.social
Philosopher & Historian of Biology and Neuroscience
Associate editor for Acta Biotheoretica (https://link.springer.com/journal/10441)
https://www.danielsbrooks.com/
Associate editor for Acta Biotheoretica (https://link.springer.com/journal/10441)
https://www.danielsbrooks.com/
Pinned
Daniel S. Brooks
@dsbrooks.bsky.social
· Dec 14
Daniel S. Brooks - ICI Berlin
Originally applied to preserve a materialist worldview that extends beyond physics and chemistry, the notion of levels of organization is one of the most recognizable ideas in biology.
www.ici-berlin.org
I recently gave a talk at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry in Berlin on how scale and levels of organization relate to one another, the talk and Q&A can be found here: www.ici-berlin.org/events/danie...
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
My biggest piece yet for the #Rudolphina research magazine of #UniVienna on Rupert Riedl and thread of meta-inquiry that led to the creation of marine biology, theoretical biology, electron microscopy and cognitive biology at the University of Vienna. rudolphina.univie.ac.at/en/the-intel... #evobio
November 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM
My biggest piece yet for the #Rudolphina research magazine of #UniVienna on Rupert Riedl and thread of meta-inquiry that led to the creation of marine biology, theoretical biology, electron microscopy and cognitive biology at the University of Vienna. rudolphina.univie.ac.at/en/the-intel... #evobio
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
An adventurer, a biologist, a maverick and philosopher. 100 years after Rupert Riedl's birth, biologists at #univie are reflecting on how his systems theory of life contributed to evolutionary biology. 🎂⤵️
Rupert Riedl's intellectual legacy at the University of Vienna
An adventurer, a biologist, a maverick and philosopher. One hundred years after Rupert Riedl's birth, biologists at the University of Vienna reflect on how his systems theory of life contributed to ev...
rudolphina.univie.ac.at
November 12, 2025 at 10:10 AM
An adventurer, a biologist, a maverick and philosopher. 100 years after Rupert Riedl's birth, biologists at #univie are reflecting on how his systems theory of life contributed to evolutionary biology. 🎂⤵️
An excellent paper by @petinozappala.bsky.social on gatekeeping between disciplines nominally expected to integrate! #PhilSci #HPBio #evobio
November 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
An excellent paper by @petinozappala.bsky.social on gatekeeping between disciplines nominally expected to integrate! #PhilSci #HPBio #evobio
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
<i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
Cambridge Core - Philosophy: General Interest - <i>What Is Life?</i> Revisited
www.cambridge.org
October 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM
My little book on Schrödinger's famous classic 'What Is Life?' is out! Offering the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the book's origins, reception, impact, and legacy, it uncovers Schrödinger's motivations in writing it, and shows how it has shaped our current understanding of the cell
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
absolutely fascinating - Pamela McCorduck interviews Herbert Simon in 1974, history of #ai www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFkO...
Author Pamela McCorduck Interviews Herb Simon
YouTube video by Carnegie Mellon University Libraries
www.youtube.com
September 27, 2025 at 6:14 AM
absolutely fascinating - Pamela McCorduck interviews Herbert Simon in 1974, history of #ai www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFkO...
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
Today @dsbrooks.bsky.social and I hosted our symposium about conceptual ambiguity at #epsa25, with talks by us, Freek Oude Maatman and Markus Eronen (no pictures of me but you can see my intro slide) 😉
August 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Today @dsbrooks.bsky.social and I hosted our symposium about conceptual ambiguity at #epsa25, with talks by us, Freek Oude Maatman and Markus Eronen (no pictures of me but you can see my intro slide) 😉
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
Organismal agency is one of today's liveliest debates in the life sciences. Our volume—published a year ago—brings historians, philosophers & scientists into the conversation, offering the kind of nuanced treatment this complex issue deserves 👇 www.routledge.com/The-Riddle-o... #HPS #evosky #philsky
August 4, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Organismal agency is one of today's liveliest debates in the life sciences. Our volume—published a year ago—brings historians, philosophers & scientists into the conversation, offering the kind of nuanced treatment this complex issue deserves 👇 www.routledge.com/The-Riddle-o... #HPS #evosky #philsky
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
My paper on the history of biological organization was accepted at HOPOS! The paper looks at organicist efforts in the first half of the 20th century to elevate organization in biology as a central practical and theoretical notion. #hpbio #philbio #histbio www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) The Problem of Organization in Biology and Its Reception in Mainstream Philosophy of Science in the Mid-20th Century
PDF | In the early to mid-20th century, English-speaking organicist biologists strongly advocated the idea of organization in biological phenomena as a... | Find, read and cite all the research you ne...
www.researchgate.net
July 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
My paper on the history of biological organization was accepted at HOPOS! The paper looks at organicist efforts in the first half of the 20th century to elevate organization in biology as a central practical and theoretical notion. #hpbio #philbio #histbio www.researchgate.net/publication/...
My paper on the history of biological organization was accepted at HOPOS! The paper looks at organicist efforts in the first half of the 20th century to elevate organization in biology as a central practical and theoretical notion. #hpbio #philbio #histbio www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) The Problem of Organization in Biology and Its Reception in Mainstream Philosophy of Science in the Mid-20th Century
PDF | In the early to mid-20th century, English-speaking organicist biologists strongly advocated the idea of organization in biological phenomena as a... | Find, read and cite all the research you ne...
www.researchgate.net
July 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
My paper on the history of biological organization was accepted at HOPOS! The paper looks at organicist efforts in the first half of the 20th century to elevate organization in biology as a central practical and theoretical notion. #hpbio #philbio #histbio www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
Devastated to hear this. His books shaped how I thought about development, evolution, history, and science in general. I corresponded with him during grad school when it was less acceptable to be a Marxist in science. His encouragement kept me in the game, and made the field seem less lonely.
Steven Rose was a neuroscientist and critic of genetic determinist views of human behaviour; he was also a founder member of the now defunct British Society for Social Responsbility in Science (which perhaps needs to be resurrected…) www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Steven Rose obituary
Neuroscientist, author, political activist and advocate for social responsibility in science
www.theguardian.com
July 10, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Devastated to hear this. His books shaped how I thought about development, evolution, history, and science in general. I corresponded with him during grad school when it was less acceptable to be a Marxist in science. His encouragement kept me in the game, and made the field seem less lonely.
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
@epsaphilsci.bsky.social junior scholar online series came to an end yesterday with a great talk about "How to deal with Imposter Syndrome and self doubt" by Azita Chellapo, @dsbrooks.bsky.social, @mjbuedo.bsky.social and @abigailnd.bsky.social. Thanks for the personal stories and helpful advices! 💐
July 11, 2025 at 8:51 AM
@epsaphilsci.bsky.social junior scholar online series came to an end yesterday with a great talk about "How to deal with Imposter Syndrome and self doubt" by Azita Chellapo, @dsbrooks.bsky.social, @mjbuedo.bsky.social and @abigailnd.bsky.social. Thanks for the personal stories and helpful advices! 💐
We saved a baby squirrel that had overheated and was lying on the sidewalk. We gave the little guy some water and they perked right up: they climbed up on me, first on my shoulder, then decided to hang out on my head to collect themselves. After a bit they jumped off my head into a nearby tree.
July 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
We saved a baby squirrel that had overheated and was lying on the sidewalk. We gave the little guy some water and they perked right up: they climbed up on me, first on my shoulder, then decided to hang out on my head to collect themselves. After a bit they jumped off my head into a nearby tree.
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
DEADLINE EXTENDED to Apr 7 (midnight, CET)
For those of you who struggled with the submission system (we do to!), and those that didn't realize the deadline was on midnight **Central European Time**. 😉
Submit your motivation letter & CV at the link below:
#VeniceEvoDevo
For those of you who struggled with the submission system (we do to!), and those that didn't realize the deadline was on midnight **Central European Time**. 😉
Submit your motivation letter & CV at the link below:
#VeniceEvoDevo
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Venice Evo Devo Summer School 2025:
Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Aug 27-22, 2025
Centro Cultural Don Orione Artigianelli, Venice
Register at:
meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...
Deadline is March 31, 2025.
#VeniceEvoDevo
Venice Evo Devo Summer School 2025:
Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Aug 27-22, 2025
Centro Cultural Don Orione Artigianelli, Venice
Register at:
meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...
Deadline is March 31, 2025.
#VeniceEvoDevo
Venice Summer School 2025: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Biological systems comprise multiple levels of organization , from molecules, organelles, and cells, to the multi-cellular structures that form whole tissues, organisms, and ultimately societies and …
meetings.embo.org
April 1, 2025 at 2:52 PM
DEADLINE EXTENDED to Apr 7 (midnight, CET)
For those of you who struggled with the submission system (we do to!), and those that didn't realize the deadline was on midnight **Central European Time**. 😉
Submit your motivation letter & CV at the link below:
#VeniceEvoDevo
For those of you who struggled with the submission system (we do to!), and those that didn't realize the deadline was on midnight **Central European Time**. 😉
Submit your motivation letter & CV at the link below:
#VeniceEvoDevo
Deadline extended to April 7th -- Please consider applying!
Really looking forward to this year's EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems in Venice this year (meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...). Applications for participants open until 31 March! #phlsci in #evobio & #devbio
April 2, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Deadline extended to April 7th -- Please consider applying!
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
Deadline is TOMORROW night (Mar 31).
Not tonight, like wrongly announced at first.
And that's good news: because you get another 24hrs to apply, if you have not yet done so!
What are you waiting for!? 😉
Registration link below:
Not tonight, like wrongly announced at first.
And that's good news: because you get another 24hrs to apply, if you have not yet done so!
What are you waiting for!? 😉
Registration link below:
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Venice Evo Devo Summer School 2025:
Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Aug 27-22, 2025
Centro Cultural Don Orione Artigianelli, Venice
Register at:
meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...
Deadline is March 31, 2025.
#VeniceEvoDevo
Venice Evo Devo Summer School 2025:
Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Aug 27-22, 2025
Centro Cultural Don Orione Artigianelli, Venice
Register at:
meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...
Deadline is March 31, 2025.
#VeniceEvoDevo
Venice Summer School 2025: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Biological systems comprise multiple levels of organization , from molecules, organelles, and cells, to the multi-cellular structures that form whole tissues, organisms, and ultimately societies and …
meetings.embo.org
March 30, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Deadline is TOMORROW night (Mar 31).
Not tonight, like wrongly announced at first.
And that's good news: because you get another 24hrs to apply, if you have not yet done so!
What are you waiting for!? 😉
Registration link below:
Not tonight, like wrongly announced at first.
And that's good news: because you get another 24hrs to apply, if you have not yet done so!
What are you waiting for!? 😉
Registration link below:
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
If you're interested in theory in biology, please consider applying for this EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course "Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems", organized by @yoginho.spore.social.ap.brid.gy, @nrepina.bsky.social, and James DiFrisco. meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... #philsci #evobio
Venice Summer School 2025: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Biological systems comprise multiple levels of organization , from molecules, organelles, and cells, to the multi-cellular structures that form whole tissues, organisms, and ultimately societies and …
meetings.embo.org
January 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
If you're interested in theory in biology, please consider applying for this EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course "Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems", organized by @yoginho.spore.social.ap.brid.gy, @nrepina.bsky.social, and James DiFrisco. meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... #philsci #evobio
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
The concept of 'downward causation' has faced many strong critiques. In her recent 📄 @yashaddad.bsky.social argues that, when adopting an interventionist view of causation and a levels of organization framework, we can explanatorily use the notion 👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #hpbio
March 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
The concept of 'downward causation' has faced many strong critiques. In her recent 📄 @yashaddad.bsky.social argues that, when adopting an interventionist view of causation and a levels of organization framework, we can explanatorily use the notion 👇 link.springer.com/article/10.1... #philsci #hpbio
Really looking forward to this year's EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems in Venice this year (meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...). Applications for participants open until 31 March! #phlsci in #evobio & #devbio
February 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Really looking forward to this year's EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems in Venice this year (meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul...). Applications for participants open until 31 March! #phlsci in #evobio & #devbio
If you're interested in theory in biology, please consider applying for this EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course "Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems", organized by @yoginho.spore.social.ap.brid.gy, @nrepina.bsky.social, and James DiFrisco. meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... #philsci #evobio
Venice Summer School 2025: Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems
Biological systems comprise multiple levels of organization , from molecules, organelles, and cells, to the multi-cellular structures that form whole tissues, organisms, and ultimately societies and …
meetings.embo.org
January 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
If you're interested in theory in biology, please consider applying for this EMBO|FEBS Lecture Course "Emergence & Evolution of Multi-Level Regulatory Systems", organized by @yoginho.spore.social.ap.brid.gy, @nrepina.bsky.social, and James DiFrisco. meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... #philsci #evobio
Reposted by Daniel S. Brooks
This is an interesting and provocative new paper by DiFrisco and Gawne that critiques the agential stance in evolution in good faith. Both authors are incisive thinkers, and we should take their considerations to heart. That said, I do have some unstructured thoughts I will list below.
January 4, 2025 at 12:47 AM
This is an interesting and provocative new paper by DiFrisco and Gawne that critiques the agential stance in evolution in good faith. Both authors are incisive thinkers, and we should take their considerations to heart. That said, I do have some unstructured thoughts I will list below.
I recently gave a talk at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry in Berlin on how scale and levels of organization relate to one another, the talk and Q&A can be found here: www.ici-berlin.org/events/danie...
Daniel S. Brooks - ICI Berlin
Originally applied to preserve a materialist worldview that extends beyond physics and chemistry, the notion of levels of organization is one of the most recognizable ideas in biology.
www.ici-berlin.org
December 14, 2024 at 1:28 PM
I recently gave a talk at the Institute for Cultural Inquiry in Berlin on how scale and levels of organization relate to one another, the talk and Q&A can be found here: www.ici-berlin.org/events/danie...
This is an absolutely -fantastic- paper by @zvihb.bsky.social (hi!) on Levins' 1966 Strategy article that delves into layers of rich context behind the Strategy article's place in ecology and Levins' own thinking. Truly impressive work! 🖖 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
A strategy to what end? “The strategy of model building in population biology” in its programmatic context - History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
“The Strategy of Model Building in Population Biology” published by Richard Levins in 1966 has been cited over 2500 times. For a paper concerned with modeling approaches in population biology a surpri...
link.springer.com
November 19, 2024 at 9:47 AM
This is an absolutely -fantastic- paper by @zvihb.bsky.social (hi!) on Levins' 1966 Strategy article that delves into layers of rich context behind the Strategy article's place in ecology and Levins' own thinking. Truly impressive work! 🖖 link.springer.com/article/10.1...