Fernando Rosas
@frosas.bsky.social
Emergence, synergy, brains, AI safety, mental health
Finally published:
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of
nature exposure”
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A synthesis of multiple EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS studies to map the mechanisms behind the restoring effects of nature on the brain 🧠🌱
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of
nature exposure”
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A synthesis of multiple EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS studies to map the mechanisms behind the restoring effects of nature on the brain 🧠🌱
Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of nature exposure
The relationship between natural environments and human cognition has gathered increasing attention across disciplines, including neuroscience, enviro…
www.sciencedirect.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Finally published:
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of
nature exposure”
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A synthesis of multiple EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS studies to map the mechanisms behind the restoring effects of nature on the brain 🧠🌱
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of
nature exposure”
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A synthesis of multiple EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS studies to map the mechanisms behind the restoring effects of nature on the brain 🧠🌱
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
We're running a 5th edition of the always-exciting UCL Summer School on Consciousness and Metacognition this year, 8th-10th July 2026 in London. Accommodation and travel expenses are covered.
For more information and how to apply, check out metacoglab.org/summer-schoo...
For more information and how to apply, check out metacoglab.org/summer-schoo...
Summer School - About — the MetaLab
metacoglab.org
January 20, 2026 at 5:07 PM
We're running a 5th edition of the always-exciting UCL Summer School on Consciousness and Metacognition this year, 8th-10th July 2026 in London. Accommodation and travel expenses are covered.
For more information and how to apply, check out metacoglab.org/summer-schoo...
For more information and how to apply, check out metacoglab.org/summer-schoo...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
cool work about information decomposition in artificial systems!
Synergistic information processing emerges through learning in LLMs and ablating these synergistic components causes large performance drops
#NeuroAI
👇👇👇
Synergistic information processing emerges through learning in LLMs and ablating these synergistic components causes large performance drops
#NeuroAI
👇👇👇
Preprint time:
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
The independent evolution of intelligence in biological and artificial systems offers a unique opportunity to identify its fundamental computational principles. Here we show that large language models...
arxiv.org
January 15, 2026 at 3:21 PM
cool work about information decomposition in artificial systems!
Synergistic information processing emerges through learning in LLMs and ablating these synergistic components causes large performance drops
#NeuroAI
👇👇👇
Synergistic information processing emerges through learning in LLMs and ablating these synergistic components causes large performance drops
#NeuroAI
👇👇👇
Preprint time:
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
The independent evolution of intelligence in biological and artificial systems offers a unique opportunity to identify its fundamental computational principles. Here we show that large language models...
arxiv.org
January 15, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Preprint time:
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
A Brain-like Synergistic Core in LLMs Drives Behaviour and Learning
arxiv.org/abs/2601.06851
LLMs are clearly different from actual brains… but could they share a similar functional architecture related to how they process information?
Looking forward to participate in this workshop on high-order interactions and multivariate information theory:
mithic2026.github.io
mithic2026.github.io
MITHIC 2026
Unveiling Complex Interactions
mithic2026.github.io
January 15, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Looking forward to participate in this workshop on high-order interactions and multivariate information theory:
mithic2026.github.io
mithic2026.github.io
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻
Annual reminder that the book is open access.
How do we think of the brain as a deeply interconnected system with highly distributed, non hierarchical processing.
Want to learn about the brain from a fresh perspective?
#neuroskyence
mitpress.mit.edu/978026254460...
Annual reminder that the book is open access.
How do we think of the brain as a deeply interconnected system with highly distributed, non hierarchical processing.
Want to learn about the brain from a fresh perspective?
#neuroskyence
mitpress.mit.edu/978026254460...
The Entangled Brain
Popular neuroscience accounts often focus on specific mind-brain aspects like addiction, cognition, or memory, but The Entangled Brain tackles a much bigger ...
mitpress.mit.edu
December 28, 2025 at 5:56 PM
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻
Annual reminder that the book is open access.
How do we think of the brain as a deeply interconnected system with highly distributed, non hierarchical processing.
Want to learn about the brain from a fresh perspective?
#neuroskyence
mitpress.mit.edu/978026254460...
Annual reminder that the book is open access.
How do we think of the brain as a deeply interconnected system with highly distributed, non hierarchical processing.
Want to learn about the brain from a fresh perspective?
#neuroskyence
mitpress.mit.edu/978026254460...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Hi RL Enthusiasts!
RLC is coming to Montreal, Quebec, in the summer: Aug 16–19, 2026!
Call for Papers is up now:
Abstract: Mar 1 (AOE)
Submission: Mar 5 (AOE)
Excited to see what you’ve been up to - Submit your best work!
rl-conference.cc/callforpaper...
Please share widely!
RLC is coming to Montreal, Quebec, in the summer: Aug 16–19, 2026!
Call for Papers is up now:
Abstract: Mar 1 (AOE)
Submission: Mar 5 (AOE)
Excited to see what you’ve been up to - Submit your best work!
rl-conference.cc/callforpaper...
Please share widely!
RLJ | RLC Call for Papers
rl-conference.cc
December 23, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Hi RL Enthusiasts!
RLC is coming to Montreal, Quebec, in the summer: Aug 16–19, 2026!
Call for Papers is up now:
Abstract: Mar 1 (AOE)
Submission: Mar 5 (AOE)
Excited to see what you’ve been up to - Submit your best work!
rl-conference.cc/callforpaper...
Please share widely!
RLC is coming to Montreal, Quebec, in the summer: Aug 16–19, 2026!
Call for Papers is up now:
Abstract: Mar 1 (AOE)
Submission: Mar 5 (AOE)
Excited to see what you’ve been up to - Submit your best work!
rl-conference.cc/callforpaper...
Please share widely!
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
A new, long paper on evolution - natural induction - split into 2:
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
@RichardWatson90 and Tim Lewens
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
@RichardWatson90 and Tim Lewens
Evolution by natural induction
Abstract. It is conventionally assumed that all evolutionary adaptation is produced, and could only possibly be produced, by natural selection. Natural ind
royalsocietypublishing.org
December 19, 2025 at 11:49 PM
A new, long paper on evolution - natural induction - split into 2:
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
@RichardWatson90 and Tim Lewens
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article...
@RichardWatson90 and Tim Lewens
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Cooperation is a universal feature of complex systems, from the origins of life and microbiomes to societies. What universal patterns can be found in these systems? Here's our new @pnas.org paper. @jordipinero.bsky.social @artemyte.bsky.social @sfiscience.bsky.social www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
December 19, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Cooperation is a universal feature of complex systems, from the origins of life and microbiomes to societies. What universal patterns can be found in these systems? Here's our new @pnas.org paper. @jordipinero.bsky.social @artemyte.bsky.social @sfiscience.bsky.social www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Our paper on event-based delay learning is now published! @neworderofjamie.bsky.social @drtnowotny.bsky.social
TL;DR: It’s now possible to train synaptic delays in large-scale spiking neural networks with high temporal precision—even in recurrent connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
TL;DR: It’s now possible to train synaptic delays in large-scale spiking neural networks with high temporal precision—even in recurrent connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Efficient event-based delay learning in spiking neural networks - Nature Communications
Inspired by how neurons in the brain communicate, Spiking Neural Networks are gaining attention as efficient models for solving spatiotemporal AI tasks. The authors introduce a training method for syn...
www.nature.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Our paper on event-based delay learning is now published! @neworderofjamie.bsky.social @drtnowotny.bsky.social
TL;DR: It’s now possible to train synaptic delays in large-scale spiking neural networks with high temporal precision—even in recurrent connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
TL;DR: It’s now possible to train synaptic delays in large-scale spiking neural networks with high temporal precision—even in recurrent connections.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Interesting discussion! 👇🏽
I'm more and more convinced that low-dimensional manifolds in the brain are just an artifact of the experimental designs and analyses we use...
🧠📈 🧪
🧠📈 🧪
Dimensionality reduction may be the wrong approach to understanding neural representations. Our new paper shows that across human visual cortex, dimensionality is unbounded and scales with dataset size—we show this across nearly four orders of magnitude. journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
December 16, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Interesting discussion! 👇🏽
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
I'm more and more convinced that low-dimensional manifolds in the brain are just an artifact of the experimental designs and analyses we use...
🧠📈 🧪
🧠📈 🧪
Dimensionality reduction may be the wrong approach to understanding neural representations. Our new paper shows that across human visual cortex, dimensionality is unbounded and scales with dataset size—we show this across nearly four orders of magnitude. journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
December 11, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I'm more and more convinced that low-dimensional manifolds in the brain are just an artifact of the experimental designs and analyses we use...
🧠📈 🧪
🧠📈 🧪
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Seems to be a losing battle to make people understand that Wheeler's "It from Bit" does not mean "reality is made of information" (it was about defending an epistemic view of quantum mechanics, where the wave function isn't real, only measurement outcomes are), and likewise...
December 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Seems to be a losing battle to make people understand that Wheeler's "It from Bit" does not mean "reality is made of information" (it was about defending an epistemic view of quantum mechanics, where the wave function isn't real, only measurement outcomes are), and likewise...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Entertaining and wide-ranging panel discussion on consciousness at the @crick.ac.uk hosted by @profbriancox.bsky.social and featuring me, @anilseth.bsky.social @kathaschmack.bsky.social and @cosmicskeptic.bsky.social
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
What is consciousness?
Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining i...
www.lnk.to
November 26, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Entertaining and wide-ranging panel discussion on consciousness at the @crick.ac.uk hosted by @profbriancox.bsky.social and featuring me, @anilseth.bsky.social @kathaschmack.bsky.social and @cosmicskeptic.bsky.social
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
Check it out, let us know what you think!
www.lnk.to/AQOSConsciou...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Is there any evidence for anti-Hebbian plasticity during sleep? This is an old hypothesis that continues to get cited (and to appear in some computational models), yet I haven't been able to find any study that shows this. There's ample evidence of synaptic downscaling, but that's different.
December 15, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Is there any evidence for anti-Hebbian plasticity during sleep? This is an old hypothesis that continues to get cited (and to appear in some computational models), yet I haven't been able to find any study that shows this. There's ample evidence of synaptic downscaling, but that's different.
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
Looks quite interesting.
"Collective coordination" as state where unspecialized cells coordinate behavior through distributed signaling before specialized tissues like the brain can emerge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Looks quite interesting.
"Collective coordination" as state where unspecialized cells coordinate behavior through distributed signaling before specialized tissues like the brain can emerge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#neuroskyence
December 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
Looks quite interesting.
"Collective coordination" as state where unspecialized cells coordinate behavior through distributed signaling before specialized tissues like the brain can emerge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Looks quite interesting.
"Collective coordination" as state where unspecialized cells coordinate behavior through distributed signaling before specialized tissues like the brain can emerge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
#neuroskyence
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Interested in studying in a MSc or other postgraduate taught programme at the IoPPN?
We're offering 10 scholarships for applicants starting in September 2026. Learn more and apply before 20 February 2026:
www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy...
We're offering 10 scholarships for applicants starting in September 2026. Learn more and apply before 20 February 2026:
www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy...
IoPPN Postgraduate Taught Scholarships
The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) is offering a number of scholarships to support students with the financial commitments of postgraduate study.
www.kcl.ac.uk
December 11, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Interested in studying in a MSc or other postgraduate taught programme at the IoPPN?
We're offering 10 scholarships for applicants starting in September 2026. Learn more and apply before 20 February 2026:
www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy...
We're offering 10 scholarships for applicants starting in September 2026. Learn more and apply before 20 February 2026:
www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Just to annoy all neuroscientists... (and others)
Even drawing this in terms of spikes and waves is just missing the point that biological complex systems are multilevel and have dense interlevel interactions. We're not in the domain of physics where one averages point particles in a chamber...
Even drawing this in terms of spikes and waves is just missing the point that biological complex systems are multilevel and have dense interlevel interactions. We're not in the domain of physics where one averages point particles in a chamber...
December 6, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Just to annoy all neuroscientists... (and others)
Even drawing this in terms of spikes and waves is just missing the point that biological complex systems are multilevel and have dense interlevel interactions. We're not in the domain of physics where one averages point particles in a chamber...
Even drawing this in terms of spikes and waves is just missing the point that biological complex systems are multilevel and have dense interlevel interactions. We're not in the domain of physics where one averages point particles in a chamber...
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Preprint time:
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence
Many systems of interest exhibit nested emergent layers with their own rules and regularities, and our knowledge about them seems naturally organised around these levels. This paper proposes that this...
arxiv.org
December 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Preprint time:
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
Preprint time:
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence
Many systems of interest exhibit nested emergent layers with their own rules and regularities, and our knowledge about them seems naturally organised around these levels. This paper proposes that this...
arxiv.org
December 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Preprint time:
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
“Symmetries at the origin of hierarchical emergence”
arxiv.org/abs/2512.00984
On how symmetries generate hierarchical macroscales and shape the structure of our beliefs, making high-dimensional inference tractable
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Join us in ASSC 2026 !
Call for symposia and tutorials is out.
Submissions must be made through the online submission portal and received by 23:59 (Pacific Time) on Monday, December 8, 2025 (final deadline!).
theassc.org/assc-29/
213 days to #ASSC2026 !
Submissions must be made through the online submission portal and received by 23:59 (Pacific Time) on Monday, December 8, 2025 (final deadline!).
theassc.org/assc-29/
213 days to #ASSC2026 !
Conference Manager
theassc.us8.list-manage.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Join us in ASSC 2026 !
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
The Computing Science Dept. at the University of Alberta has multiple faculty job openings. Please share this broadly. We have a great environment!
- CS Theory: tinyurl.com/zrh9mk69
- Network/Cyber Security: tinyurl.com/renxazzy
- Robotics/CV/Graphics: tinyurl.com/ypcsfbff
- CS Theory: tinyurl.com/zrh9mk69
- Network/Cyber Security: tinyurl.com/renxazzy
- Robotics/CV/Graphics: tinyurl.com/ypcsfbff
November 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
The Computing Science Dept. at the University of Alberta has multiple faculty job openings. Please share this broadly. We have a great environment!
- CS Theory: tinyurl.com/zrh9mk69
- Network/Cyber Security: tinyurl.com/renxazzy
- Robotics/CV/Graphics: tinyurl.com/ypcsfbff
- CS Theory: tinyurl.com/zrh9mk69
- Network/Cyber Security: tinyurl.com/renxazzy
- Robotics/CV/Graphics: tinyurl.com/ypcsfbff
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Out now in @commsbio.nature.com!
We studied brain-heart interactions during mind wandering and mind blanking.
Mind blanking is associated with a greater heart/brain decoupling, complicating the idea of an attentional switch between external & internal environments!
🧠🔄🫀🧪
We studied brain-heart interactions during mind wandering and mind blanking.
Mind blanking is associated with a greater heart/brain decoupling, complicating the idea of an attentional switch between external & internal environments!
🧠🔄🫀🧪
Multimodal analysis of spontaneous attentional state dynamics during sustained task performance reveals distinctive profiles of brain-heart interaction in mind-wandering and mind-blanking.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
When your heart isn’t in it anymore: cardiac correlates of task disengagement - Communications Biology
Multimodal analysis of spontaneous attentional state dynamics during sustained task performance reveals distinctive profiles of brain–heart interaction in mind-wandering and mind-blanking.
www.nature.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Out now in @commsbio.nature.com!
We studied brain-heart interactions during mind wandering and mind blanking.
Mind blanking is associated with a greater heart/brain decoupling, complicating the idea of an attentional switch between external & internal environments!
🧠🔄🫀🧪
We studied brain-heart interactions during mind wandering and mind blanking.
Mind blanking is associated with a greater heart/brain decoupling, complicating the idea of an attentional switch between external & internal environments!
🧠🔄🫀🧪
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Wow. Just wow. A decision in direct conflict with all the ideals of the Reith Lectures.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Wow. Just wow. A decision in direct conflict with all the ideals of the Reith Lectures.
Reposted by Fernando Rosas
Jonny Smallwood @themindwanders.bsky.social was a beloved friend and mentor. He was taken from us too soon. His was a beautiful mind who understood the beauty of minds. As ever before, his kind voice guides me and his work will continue. We miss you Jonny. www.cbs.mpg.de/news/obituar...
Obituary – Jonathan Smallwood
www.cbs.mpg.de
November 13, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Jonny Smallwood @themindwanders.bsky.social was a beloved friend and mentor. He was taken from us too soon. His was a beautiful mind who understood the beauty of minds. As ever before, his kind voice guides me and his work will continue. We miss you Jonny. www.cbs.mpg.de/news/obituar...