Greg Egan
@gregegansf.bsky.social
SF writer / computer programmer
Latest novel: MORPHOTROPHIC
Latest collection: SLEEP AND THE SOUL
Web site: http://gregegan.net
Also: @gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz
Latest novel: MORPHOTROPHIC
Latest collection: SLEEP AND THE SOUL
Web site: http://gregegan.net
Also: @gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz
Pinned
Greg Egan
@gregegansf.bsky.social
· Nov 25
My new novel MORPHOTROPHIC is available now!
You can read the first two chapters here:
www.gregegan.net/MORPHOTROPHI...
You can read the first two chapters here:
www.gregegan.net/MORPHOTROPHI...
Reposted by Greg Egan
It's time for your periodic reminder that we count on subscriptions to keep the lights on.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM
It's time for your periodic reminder that we count on subscriptions to keep the lights on.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.
clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
Thank you.
Reposted by Greg Egan
Imagine! I mean, imagine how hard it is for a quadratic equation to understand itself! Imagine how hard it is for that statement to have any meaning whatsoever!
Researchers working with the A.I. system Claude have come to understand that the model’s selfhood, like our own, is a matter of both neurons and narratives. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/kEX1vV
February 11, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Imagine! I mean, imagine how hard it is for a quadratic equation to understand itself! Imagine how hard it is for that statement to have any meaning whatsoever!
I very much enjoyed “The Secret Agent”. It reminded me of “Once Upon A Time in Anatolia’’, in the sense it created of being immersed in a very specific time, place and culture, while the flash-forwards expanded the scope and gave everything an eerie poignancy.
February 10, 2026 at 12:18 PM
I very much enjoyed “The Secret Agent”. It reminded me of “Once Upon A Time in Anatolia’’, in the sense it created of being immersed in a very specific time, place and culture, while the flash-forwards expanded the scope and gave everything an eerie poignancy.
Reposted by Greg Egan
Hear the brand new track from our upcoming album The World is To Dig. The song is Wu-Tang. Arrives in April.... and get your own free download of it right now at TMBGshop. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io63...
Preview TMBG's new album The World Is to Dig: Wu-Tang
YouTube video by ParticleMen
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Hear the brand new track from our upcoming album The World is To Dig. The song is Wu-Tang. Arrives in April.... and get your own free download of it right now at TMBGshop. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io63...
Both of these Quanta articles describe fascinating mathematical developments — but they also come with encouraging human stories of the ultimate success of persistence over decades by individual mathematicians, fresh collaborations that reignite dormant ideas, and connections to work from long ago.
February 9, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Both of these Quanta articles describe fascinating mathematical developments — but they also come with encouraging human stories of the ultimate success of persistence over decades by individual mathematicians, fresh collaborations that reignite dormant ideas, and connections to work from long ago.
Dear MacOS developers
How about you stop uglifying the icons and start disambiguating multiple folders with the same name in the Finder’s Go > Recent Folders menu. Maybe include enough of the end of each path so that every item becomes distinct?
How about you stop uglifying the icons and start disambiguating multiple folders with the same name in the Finder’s Go > Recent Folders menu. Maybe include enough of the end of each path so that every item becomes distinct?
February 8, 2026 at 4:36 AM
Dear MacOS developers
How about you stop uglifying the icons and start disambiguating multiple folders with the same name in the Finder’s Go > Recent Folders menu. Maybe include enough of the end of each path so that every item becomes distinct?
How about you stop uglifying the icons and start disambiguating multiple folders with the same name in the Finder’s Go > Recent Folders menu. Maybe include enough of the end of each path so that every item becomes distinct?
Reposted by Greg Egan
Welcome, piles of slop filling up the journals with clouds of useless wordy garbage. Case in point:
What the Literature is Filling Up With
www.science.org
February 4, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Welcome, piles of slop filling up the journals with clouds of useless wordy garbage. Case in point:
In special relativity, observers in relative motion will disagree about various measurements. But if Alice draws any planar figure, and fires a simultaneous pulse of light from each point on it, perpendicular to the plane, any observer will agree on the figure’s shape and size.
February 5, 2026 at 5:50 AM
In special relativity, observers in relative motion will disagree about various measurements. But if Alice draws any planar figure, and fires a simultaneous pulse of light from each point on it, perpendicular to the plane, any observer will agree on the figure’s shape and size.
I’m sure the writers of “Death By Lightning” know exactly what they’re doing with the anachronistic dialog: endless F-words, “quality time”, “crash and burn” etc. It’s fun, in a West Wing With Beards way. But it still makes me nervous about trusting them on any of the history.
February 4, 2026 at 1:44 PM
I’m sure the writers of “Death By Lightning” know exactly what they’re doing with the anachronistic dialog: endless F-words, “quality time”, “crash and burn” etc. It’s fun, in a West Wing With Beards way. But it still makes me nervous about trusting them on any of the history.
Today in the supermarket I scanned 2 packs of flour … and one of them was listed on the receipt as frozen raspberries. So that must have been a genuine barcode misread, rather than just incorrect data in a product database. The barcodes looked fine, so maybe the reader glitched.
February 3, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Today in the supermarket I scanned 2 packs of flour … and one of them was listed on the receipt as frozen raspberries. So that must have been a genuine barcode misread, rather than just incorrect data in a product database. The barcodes looked fine, so maybe the reader glitched.
Reposted by Greg Egan
FYI @profgalloway.com: a paper in the journal of a major US professional society for computer scientists: “Against Imaginary Friends: Why Digital Companions Are No Solution to Social Isolation” by Robert Sparrow & James Brown. Published with a 5 minute video overview.
cacm.acm.org/research/aga...
cacm.acm.org/research/aga...
Against Imaginary Friends: Why Digital Companions Are No Solution to Social Isolation
Robert Sparrow and James Brown discuss "Against Imaginary Friends: Why Digital Companions Are No Solution to Social Isolation," a Research Article in the…
vimeo.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:39 PM
FYI @profgalloway.com: a paper in the journal of a major US professional society for computer scientists: “Against Imaginary Friends: Why Digital Companions Are No Solution to Social Isolation” by Robert Sparrow & James Brown. Published with a 5 minute video overview.
cacm.acm.org/research/aga...
cacm.acm.org/research/aga...
Reposted by Greg Egan
"Among the hires at CBS News announced by Weiss is a doctor who claims he reduced his biological age by 20 years with cold plunges; that cod liver oil treats autism; and that Alzheimer’s and dementia can be reversed with supplements he sells on his online store."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Bari Weiss’s new CBS hires include ‘germ theory denialist’ doctor
Dr Mark Hyman, who claimed he reduced his biological age by 20 years, brought on as a contributor
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2026 at 7:58 PM
"Among the hires at CBS News announced by Weiss is a doctor who claims he reduced his biological age by 20 years with cold plunges; that cod liver oil treats autism; and that Alzheimer’s and dementia can be reversed with supplements he sells on his online store."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Just rewatched “The Wages of Fear”, which suited the ambience on a 37C day.
I last saw it 40 years ago, and I’d forgotten everything but the overall premise, so it was every bit as jaw-dropping as if I was watching for the first time.
4.9/5 stars, with -0.1 for the very end.
I last saw it 40 years ago, and I’d forgotten everything but the overall premise, so it was every bit as jaw-dropping as if I was watching for the first time.
4.9/5 stars, with -0.1 for the very end.
February 1, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Just rewatched “The Wages of Fear”, which suited the ambience on a 37C day.
I last saw it 40 years ago, and I’d forgotten everything but the overall premise, so it was every bit as jaw-dropping as if I was watching for the first time.
4.9/5 stars, with -0.1 for the very end.
I last saw it 40 years ago, and I’d forgotten everything but the overall premise, so it was every bit as jaw-dropping as if I was watching for the first time.
4.9/5 stars, with -0.1 for the very end.
Two pairs of ants set off from the same starting point, walking side-by-side. One pair takes the red path, the other pair takes the blue path.
The red and blue paths are geodesics (the straightest possible paths, like great circles on a sphere) …
The red and blue paths are geodesics (the straightest possible paths, like great circles on a sphere) …
February 1, 2026 at 7:40 AM
Two pairs of ants set off from the same starting point, walking side-by-side. One pair takes the red path, the other pair takes the blue path.
The red and blue paths are geodesics (the straightest possible paths, like great circles on a sphere) …
The red and blue paths are geodesics (the straightest possible paths, like great circles on a sphere) …
“Can a time capsule outlast geology?
A ridiculous but instructive thought experiment involving deep time, plate tectonics, erosion and the slow death of the sun”
This is hugely enjoyable! The subheading is exactly right: don’t take the premise seriously, just go along for the ride.
A ridiculous but instructive thought experiment involving deep time, plate tectonics, erosion and the slow death of the sun”
This is hugely enjoyable! The subheading is exactly right: don’t take the premise seriously, just go along for the ride.
Could a time capsule outlast plate tectonics?
A ridiculous but instructive thought experiment involving deep time, plate tectonics, erosion and the slow death of the sun
www.scientificamerican.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:57 PM
“Can a time capsule outlast geology?
A ridiculous but instructive thought experiment involving deep time, plate tectonics, erosion and the slow death of the sun”
This is hugely enjoyable! The subheading is exactly right: don’t take the premise seriously, just go along for the ride.
A ridiculous but instructive thought experiment involving deep time, plate tectonics, erosion and the slow death of the sun”
This is hugely enjoyable! The subheading is exactly right: don’t take the premise seriously, just go along for the ride.
Reposted by Greg Egan
So there you have it: AlphaGenome is a great start, and will surely be a valuable tool. Whether it will lead to clinical advances remains to be seen. Its applicability will be limited by its very nature. And we still need to do the basic science. 32/32
January 30, 2026 at 10:02 AM
So there you have it: AlphaGenome is a great start, and will surely be a valuable tool. Whether it will lead to clinical advances remains to be seen. Its applicability will be limited by its very nature. And we still need to do the basic science. 32/32
“Add personality to your work with new editable shapes!”
— Apple, fondly imagining that this prospect is so alluring that I will pay them A$19.99/month for “Creator Studio” when the current apps I have (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) work perfectly well.
— Apple, fondly imagining that this prospect is so alluring that I will pay them A$19.99/month for “Creator Studio” when the current apps I have (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) work perfectly well.
January 29, 2026 at 4:30 AM
“Add personality to your work with new editable shapes!”
— Apple, fondly imagining that this prospect is so alluring that I will pay them A$19.99/month for “Creator Studio” when the current apps I have (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) work perfectly well.
— Apple, fondly imagining that this prospect is so alluring that I will pay them A$19.99/month for “Creator Studio” when the current apps I have (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) work perfectly well.
Reposted by Greg Egan
I often find myself explaining something that is easy to take for granted, but should be evident: There is no reason why the program of Figuring Out Nature should proceed in time steps that are less than or comparable to the duration of one scientist’s career. (1/n)
Is Particle Physics Dead, Dying, or Just Hard? | Quanta Magazine
Columnist Natalie Wolchover checks in with particle physicists more than a decade after the field entered a profound crisis.
www.quantamagazine.org
January 27, 2026 at 4:57 PM
I often find myself explaining something that is easy to take for granted, but should be evident: There is no reason why the program of Figuring Out Nature should proceed in time steps that are less than or comparable to the duration of one scientist’s career. (1/n)
“A newly married billionaire remains partially conscious during his long-awaited heart transplant and overhears details of a shocking plot against him.”
So relatable.
So relatable.
January 27, 2026 at 11:54 AM
“A newly married billionaire remains partially conscious during his long-awaited heart transplant and overhears details of a shocking plot against him.”
So relatable.
So relatable.
Some light relief in dark times:
“Witnesses reported a white Mitsubishi Triton was being driven on the beach, with a dog in the driver's seat and a man in the passenger seat.
[Not OK because:]
The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.”
“Witnesses reported a white Mitsubishi Triton was being driven on the beach, with a dog in the driver's seat and a man in the passenger seat.
[Not OK because:]
The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.”
'Dog in the driver's seat' sparks police call for witnesses on beach
Reports of a "dog in the driver's seat" of a ute driving on a Tasmanian beach have prompted police to ask for witnesses to come forward.
www.abc.net.au
January 26, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Some light relief in dark times:
“Witnesses reported a white Mitsubishi Triton was being driven on the beach, with a dog in the driver's seat and a man in the passenger seat.
[Not OK because:]
The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.”
“Witnesses reported a white Mitsubishi Triton was being driven on the beach, with a dog in the driver's seat and a man in the passenger seat.
[Not OK because:]
The Tasman Council's Dog Management Policy says dogs must be on a lead at all times on White Beach.”
"We're trying to compete with the big boys, and part of that is you've got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time," Mr Hennessy said.
Refreshed, new and hallucinated: tourists book trips to nonexistent hot springs.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Refreshed, new and hallucinated: tourists book trips to nonexistent hot springs.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
January 21, 2026 at 11:09 PM
"We're trying to compete with the big boys, and part of that is you've got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time," Mr Hennessy said.
Refreshed, new and hallucinated: tourists book trips to nonexistent hot springs.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Refreshed, new and hallucinated: tourists book trips to nonexistent hot springs.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
For crying out loud, ABC news, never send a line graph to do a bar chart’s job.
Link: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Link: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
January 21, 2026 at 10:21 AM
For crying out loud, ABC news, never send a line graph to do a bar chart’s job.
Link: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Link: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
When the crackpot DIY Theory of Everything spammers forget to fill in the blanks in their email templates:
“I'm reaching out because your work in - particularly on - engages with fundamental questions that the U-Model addresses from a unique angle.”
“I'm reaching out because your work in - particularly on - engages with fundamental questions that the U-Model addresses from a unique angle.”
January 21, 2026 at 12:38 AM
When the crackpot DIY Theory of Everything spammers forget to fill in the blanks in their email templates:
“I'm reaching out because your work in - particularly on - engages with fundamental questions that the U-Model addresses from a unique angle.”
“I'm reaching out because your work in - particularly on - engages with fundamental questions that the U-Model addresses from a unique angle.”
“Keep, ancient lands, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Give me your Oscars, your Tonys, your Grammys. Your Pulitzers and your Prime Time Emmys. Your Breakthrough Prizes. No one deserves a Breakthrough Prize like me. Just leave them all by the door on your way out.”
January 16, 2026 at 1:56 PM
“Keep, ancient lands, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Give me your Oscars, your Tonys, your Grammys. Your Pulitzers and your Prime Time Emmys. Your Breakthrough Prizes. No one deserves a Breakthrough Prize like me. Just leave them all by the door on your way out.”
Reposted by Greg Egan
I think determinism is perfectly compatible with the kinds of free will worth wanting - those that underlie moral responsibility and such. It's a 'purely academic' issue, since our universe is not deterministic. But it helps clarify things.
direct.mit.edu/books/book/4...
direct.mit.edu/books/book/4...
Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting
A landmark book in the debate over free will that makes the case for compatibilism.In this landmark 1984 work on free will, Daniel Dennett makes a case for
direct.mit.edu
January 16, 2026 at 1:54 AM
I think determinism is perfectly compatible with the kinds of free will worth wanting - those that underlie moral responsibility and such. It's a 'purely academic' issue, since our universe is not deterministic. But it helps clarify things.
direct.mit.edu/books/book/4...
direct.mit.edu/books/book/4...