Marcel
@macelblattner.bsky.social
Physicist and terrible programmer. Independent Scientist. Astrophotographer.
Pinned
Marcel
@macelblattner.bsky.social
· Sep 19
Tangential Action Spaces: Geometry, Memory and Cost in Holonomic and Nonholonomic Agents
Living systems balance energetic efficiency with the capacity for path-dependent effects. We introduce Tangential Action Spaces (TAS), a geometric framework that models embodied agents as hierarchies ...
arxiv.org
Our new paper introduces Tangential Action Spaces (TAS), a geometric framework for understanding how embodied agents translate goals into physical actions.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
Reposted by Marcel
Here's a talk that's quite different from ones I've given before, although it has connections to everything I often talk about, presented at #alife2025:
thoughtforms.life/meet-a-new-s...
(downloadable slides link there too). 🧪
thoughtforms.life/meet-a-new-s...
(downloadable slides link there too). 🧪
Forms of life, forms of mind | Dr. Michael Levin | Meet a new synthetic colleague: robot science as a translation tool between diverse intelligences
A video, and downloadable slides, of a presentation I gave on robot science and Xenobots at the 2025 Artificial Life meeting.
thoughtforms.life
October 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Here's a talk that's quite different from ones I've given before, although it has connections to everything I often talk about, presented at #alife2025:
thoughtforms.life/meet-a-new-s...
(downloadable slides link there too). 🧪
thoughtforms.life/meet-a-new-s...
(downloadable slides link there too). 🧪
Our new paper introduces Tangential Action Spaces (TAS), a geometric framework for understanding how embodied agents translate goals into physical actions.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
Tangential Action Spaces: Geometry, Memory and Cost in Holonomic and Nonholonomic Agents
Living systems balance energetic efficiency with the capacity for path-dependent effects. We introduce Tangential Action Spaces (TAS), a geometric framework that models embodied agents as hierarchies ...
arxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Our new paper introduces Tangential Action Spaces (TAS), a geometric framework for understanding how embodied agents translate goals into physical actions.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
arxiv.org/abs/2509.03399
Experimenting with some of my astrophotos. Here is one. Sharpless sh2-119. Removed almost all stars and gave the nebula more breathing space and depth. #Astrophotography
August 28, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Experimenting with some of my astrophotos. Here is one. Sharpless sh2-119. Removed almost all stars and gave the nebula more breathing space and depth. #Astrophotography
Sharpless 119, is a large patch of emission in the constellation Cygnus and lies some 2200 light years away. It’s only 2-3 degrees away from the North American and Pelican Nebulae, so is often overlooked.
#Astrophotography #Astrophoto #Photo
#Astrophotography #Astrophoto #Photo
August 12, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Sharpless 119, is a large patch of emission in the constellation Cygnus and lies some 2200 light years away. It’s only 2-3 degrees away from the North American and Pelican Nebulae, so is often overlooked.
#Astrophotography #Astrophoto #Photo
#Astrophotography #Astrophoto #Photo
Tonight dancing with the stars ✨
August 8, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Tonight dancing with the stars ✨
The fact that I get highly polarized reviews (paper submission) for a new idea tells me: I am on to something! I’ll continue to work even harder on that idea. #science
August 4, 2025 at 8:12 AM
The fact that I get highly polarized reviews (paper submission) for a new idea tells me: I am on to something! I’ll continue to work even harder on that idea. #science
The Western Veil Nebula NGC 6960 ✨
Capturing ancient stellar violence in the constellation Cygnus! This shows the aftermath of a massive star that exploded over 20,000 years ago.
Part of a larger mosaic project to capture the entire Cygnus Loop! 🌌
#Astrophotography #veilnebula
Capturing ancient stellar violence in the constellation Cygnus! This shows the aftermath of a massive star that exploded over 20,000 years ago.
Part of a larger mosaic project to capture the entire Cygnus Loop! 🌌
#Astrophotography #veilnebula
July 6, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The Western Veil Nebula NGC 6960 ✨
Capturing ancient stellar violence in the constellation Cygnus! This shows the aftermath of a massive star that exploded over 20,000 years ago.
Part of a larger mosaic project to capture the entire Cygnus Loop! 🌌
#Astrophotography #veilnebula
Capturing ancient stellar violence in the constellation Cygnus! This shows the aftermath of a massive star that exploded over 20,000 years ago.
Part of a larger mosaic project to capture the entire Cygnus Loop! 🌌
#Astrophotography #veilnebula
My shot of the incredible Veil Nebula! ✨ It's the ghostly remnant of a star that exploded thousands of years ago. So much beauty in our universe.
#VeilNebula #Astrophotography #Space #Nebula #DeepSky #Cosmos #Stars #Telescope #Astrophoto
#VeilNebula #Astrophotography #Space #Nebula #DeepSky #Cosmos #Stars #Telescope #Astrophoto
July 3, 2025 at 2:28 PM
My shot of the incredible Veil Nebula! ✨ It's the ghostly remnant of a star that exploded thousands of years ago. So much beauty in our universe.
#VeilNebula #Astrophotography #Space #Nebula #DeepSky #Cosmos #Stars #Telescope #Astrophoto
#VeilNebula #Astrophotography #Space #Nebula #DeepSky #Cosmos #Stars #Telescope #Astrophoto
Getting ready to connect to the universe. #Astrophotography
May 30, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Getting ready to connect to the universe. #Astrophotography
My latest experiment explores a somewhat different approach to PID control. By integrating neural networks, the system can dynamically adapt to changing conditions for improved performance. Learn more about the underlying concepts in the linked article. #AI
www.tangential.ch/experiments/...
www.tangential.ch/experiments/...
tangential
www.tangential.ch
May 13, 2025 at 7:51 PM
My latest experiment explores a somewhat different approach to PID control. By integrating neural networks, the system can dynamically adapt to changing conditions for improved performance. Learn more about the underlying concepts in the linked article. #AI
www.tangential.ch/experiments/...
www.tangential.ch/experiments/...
Eigenvalues go crazy.
May 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Eigenvalues go crazy.
Reposted by Marcel
Happy Friday! Here is a shiny new update for you.
🎊🎊 Our LaTex template just dropped! 🎊🎊
You can find it at 2025.alife.org
This template applies for Full Papers (≤ 8pages) & Summaries (≤ 3 pages)
Please prepare submissions using the template for a smooth submission process.
#ALIFE #ALIFE2025
🎊🎊 Our LaTex template just dropped! 🎊🎊
You can find it at 2025.alife.org
This template applies for Full Papers (≤ 8pages) & Summaries (≤ 3 pages)
Please prepare submissions using the template for a smooth submission process.
#ALIFE #ALIFE2025
ALIFE 2025: The Artificial Life Conference, 6-10 October, Kyoto, Japan
ALIFE 2025’s theme is 'Ciphers of Life', exploring the many ways that life encodes information, creates internal languages, and interacts in encrypted ways with its environment.
2025.alife.org
April 11, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Happy Friday! Here is a shiny new update for you.
🎊🎊 Our LaTex template just dropped! 🎊🎊
You can find it at 2025.alife.org
This template applies for Full Papers (≤ 8pages) & Summaries (≤ 3 pages)
Please prepare submissions using the template for a smooth submission process.
#ALIFE #ALIFE2025
🎊🎊 Our LaTex template just dropped! 🎊🎊
You can find it at 2025.alife.org
This template applies for Full Papers (≤ 8pages) & Summaries (≤ 3 pages)
Please prepare submissions using the template for a smooth submission process.
#ALIFE #ALIFE2025
Weekend. Time for reflection. What can we know?
It’s one thing to see my images on a screen. It’s another thing to see it tangible on a print out (NGC 7000). The universe is awesome. Have a nice weekend.
#reflections #Astrophotography
It’s one thing to see my images on a screen. It’s another thing to see it tangible on a print out (NGC 7000). The universe is awesome. Have a nice weekend.
#reflections #Astrophotography
March 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Weekend. Time for reflection. What can we know?
It’s one thing to see my images on a screen. It’s another thing to see it tangible on a print out (NGC 7000). The universe is awesome. Have a nice weekend.
#reflections #Astrophotography
It’s one thing to see my images on a screen. It’s another thing to see it tangible on a print out (NGC 7000). The universe is awesome. Have a nice weekend.
#reflections #Astrophotography
After falling into a rabbit hole of numerical instabilities in my simulations, I finally found a way out. What an awful journey for the last few months. Peace now! Have a lovely evening.
February 27, 2025 at 11:02 PM
After falling into a rabbit hole of numerical instabilities in my simulations, I finally found a way out. What an awful journey for the last few months. Peace now! Have a lovely evening.
Reposted by Marcel
Early career researchers, tech enthusiasts, students, and people with half-baked ideas are especially encouraged to join! DM me to sign up!
Join us for the 5th annual Cross Labs spring workshop, "New Human Interfaces"! www.crosslabs.org/new-human-in...
From March 3-7, we will be hosting panels by leading experts, a multi-day hackathon, and deep-dive discussions on new and unexplored innovative human-machine interface design.
From March 3-7, we will be hosting panels by leading experts, a multi-day hackathon, and deep-dive discussions on new and unexplored innovative human-machine interface design.
New Human Interfaces | March 3–7, 2025 | Cross Labs AI
A hands-on exploration of new and unexplored human-machine interfaces. Leading researchers, technologists, and innovators from diverse disciplines to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligenc...
www.crosslabs.org
January 9, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Early career researchers, tech enthusiasts, students, and people with half-baked ideas are especially encouraged to join! DM me to sign up!
Have a nice weekend. Time for reflection. #moon #astrophotography
February 8, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Have a nice weekend. Time for reflection. #moon #astrophotography
How do biological systems achieve adaptability and resilience with simple, local interactions and no central control?Together with Michael Levin we explore these processes in regeneration, offering insights that could inspire AI systems to become more robust and flexible.
medium.com/@marcelblatt...
Bridging the Gap Between Biological Emergence and Top-Down AI
Blattner and Levin’s exploration of planarian regeneration [1] underscores a profound difference between the emergent processes of biological systems and the predominantly top-down approaches found…
medium.com
January 11, 2025 at 4:02 PM
How do biological systems achieve adaptability and resilience with simple, local interactions and no central control?Together with Michael Levin we explore these processes in regeneration, offering insights that could inspire AI systems to become more robust and flexible.
medium.com/@marcelblatt...
Reposted by Marcel
Save the date!
The annual #Conference on #ArtificialLife - #ALIFE2025 will take place in the heart of Kyoto, Japan, from 6-10 October 2025. The conference logo, official website launch, and more details coming soon!
The annual #Conference on #ArtificialLife - #ALIFE2025 will take place in the heart of Kyoto, Japan, from 6-10 October 2025. The conference logo, official website launch, and more details coming soon!
January 5, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Save the date!
The annual #Conference on #ArtificialLife - #ALIFE2025 will take place in the heart of Kyoto, Japan, from 6-10 October 2025. The conference logo, official website launch, and more details coming soon!
The annual #Conference on #ArtificialLife - #ALIFE2025 will take place in the heart of Kyoto, Japan, from 6-10 October 2025. The conference logo, official website launch, and more details coming soon!
Reposted by Marcel
Seagull Nebula is available to members. ~62GB of full frame mono 3nm SHO data! I Can't wait to see what people are able to process with this data set! Some Example SHO Subs below. 🔭
January 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Seagull Nebula is available to members. ~62GB of full frame mono 3nm SHO data! I Can't wait to see what people are able to process with this data set! Some Example SHO Subs below. 🔭
Good morning peeps. Have a good start to the day.
January 3, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Good morning peeps. Have a good start to the day.
