Thomas F. Varley
@thosvarley.bsky.social
Dual PhD: Complex Systems & Computational Neuroscience - Postdoc at UVM in the Vermont Complex Systems Institute.
Information theory, synergy, and emergence.
Connoisseur of collapse phenomena
Information theory, synergy, and emergence.
Connoisseur of collapse phenomena
Pinned
Thomas F. Varley
@thosvarley.bsky.social
· Nov 20
Apropos of nothing - here's my dog. I think she might be an alien.
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
Null models for comparing information decomposition across complex systems journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Null models for comparing information decomposition across complex systems
Author summary How do complex systems process information? Perhaps more interestingly, when can we say two systems process information in the same way? Information-theoretic methods have been shown to...
journals.plos.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Null models for comparing information decomposition across complex systems journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
God help me, I think I'm becoming microtubule-pilled.
October 31, 2025 at 2:51 PM
God help me, I think I'm becoming microtubule-pilled.
The Government isn't coming back, is it? Even if this or that gets re-funded, I feel like we've moved into a qualitatively new chapter of American history.
October 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The Government isn't coming back, is it? Even if this or that gets re-funded, I feel like we've moved into a qualitatively new chapter of American history.
I'm not even particularly religious, but the whole idea of "automating pastoral work" seems genuinely evil.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I'm not even particularly religious, but the whole idea of "automating pastoral work" seems genuinely evil.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Are there any fictional mantras that go anywhere near as hard as "Fire walk with me"?
October 25, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Are there any fictional mantras that go anywhere near as hard as "Fire walk with me"?
This is hugely significant since it seems like a killing blow to the fundamental premise of liberalism: that the population is rational and deliberative enough to be trusted to work out a just structure for society.
It’s getting increasingly harder to convince anti-vaxxers bc it is no longer about science & evidence. It is about identify & belonging.
It’s not just accepting a vaccine, it’s about leaving behind their sense of self & community. It’s about security. This is why throwing data will never work.
It’s not just accepting a vaccine, it’s about leaving behind their sense of self & community. It’s about security. This is why throwing data will never work.
October 25, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This is hugely significant since it seems like a killing blow to the fundamental premise of liberalism: that the population is rational and deliberative enough to be trusted to work out a just structure for society.
I actually love this - I would 100% play a surrealist survival game where the world around you follows some kind of unstable dream logic.
There's some awesome potential for psychological horror here.
There's some awesome potential for psychological horror here.
Oh my god some fucking tech dingdong posted this on Twitter with the caption "AI games are going to be amazing" totally seriously, you have to watch it. You have to. In full screen.
October 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I actually love this - I would 100% play a surrealist survival game where the world around you follows some kind of unstable dream logic.
There's some awesome potential for psychological horror here.
There's some awesome potential for psychological horror here.
I feel like we have a lot of difficulty threading the needle between "normalcy bias" and "catastrophizing". It seems every take is either: "we're all doomed" or an optimistic "don't worry, nothing fundamental will change."
Where is the take saying: "doom is not inevitable, but certainly possible."
Where is the take saying: "doom is not inevitable, but certainly possible."
The dooming on this site is getting out of control. Every time you post anything about politics some rando condescendingly wonders how you can't possibly know that elections are over and all hope is lost. If you've completely lost hope, I'm sorry, but shut the fuck up, OK? You're not helping.
October 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I feel like we have a lot of difficulty threading the needle between "normalcy bias" and "catastrophizing". It seems every take is either: "we're all doomed" or an optimistic "don't worry, nothing fundamental will change."
Where is the take saying: "doom is not inevitable, but certainly possible."
Where is the take saying: "doom is not inevitable, but certainly possible."
One thing I didn't anticipate about the Musk-ification of The Other Site is the sheer number of confident crackpots that have come out of the woodwork. It seems like every third bluecheck wants you to know that they "solved consciousness" or whatever.
October 22, 2025 at 1:42 AM
One thing I didn't anticipate about the Musk-ification of The Other Site is the sheer number of confident crackpots that have come out of the woodwork. It seems like every third bluecheck wants you to know that they "solved consciousness" or whatever.
Is it insane to keep trying to make a career in science? I'm on year 2 of the academic job market, and every piece of news makes me think that I'm putting my eggs in a basket that may not even exist in a decade.
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Is it insane to keep trying to make a career in science? I'm on year 2 of the academic job market, and every piece of news makes me think that I'm putting my eggs in a basket that may not even exist in a decade.
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
Proclamation of the Imperium - III
2022
2022
October 21, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Proclamation of the Imperium - III
2022
2022
The undeniable truth is that the American Left has *utterly failed* to provide even a bulwark of resistance against the Right, let alone inspire a popular mass movement with its own vision.
Would-be revolutionaries should probably sit with that a bit before condescending to all the liberals.
Would-be revolutionaries should probably sit with that a bit before condescending to all the liberals.
this is why the "heh, listen up, libs, let a *real* protestor tell ya how it's done, casuals" shit about stuff like no-kings is so grating to me. like maybe put up a few fucking Ws before lecturing people. maybe do anything at all to earn deference here.
"liberals lack a theory of change" is one of the things that gets me every time. like what's the leftist theory of change. how is its track record. what number general strike, seizure of the means of production, workers' revolution are we on.
October 20, 2025 at 7:48 PM
The undeniable truth is that the American Left has *utterly failed* to provide even a bulwark of resistance against the Right, let alone inspire a popular mass movement with its own vision.
Would-be revolutionaries should probably sit with that a bit before condescending to all the liberals.
Would-be revolutionaries should probably sit with that a bit before condescending to all the liberals.
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
people playing music/videos on their phone speakers in public is more than just mildly annoying and is instead a leading indicator of the decline of community and empath
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 19, 2025 at 8:54 PM
people playing music/videos on their phone speakers in public is more than just mildly annoying and is instead a leading indicator of the decline of community and empath
Cocktail idea: a Leland Palmer - iced tea, lemonade, and two unexpected shots of bottom-shelf vodka.
October 18, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Cocktail idea: a Leland Palmer - iced tea, lemonade, and two unexpected shots of bottom-shelf vodka.
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
Evaluating oscillatory mechanisms underlying flexible neural communication in the human brain https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.16.682957v1
October 17, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Evaluating oscillatory mechanisms underlying flexible neural communication in the human brain https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.16.682957v1
We are watching a civilizational crash-out of world-historic proportions here.
i don't have the words to emphasise how seriously bad things are gonna get
October 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
We are watching a civilizational crash-out of world-historic proportions here.
Every time we find a way to use technology to satisfy some rewarding urge, it has been a problem. From opioid drug dependency to obesity and metabolic disease, we just can't handle it.
I have no idea what the psycho-sexual equivalent of diabetes will be...but we'll find out, I guess.
I have no idea what the psycho-sexual equivalent of diabetes will be...but we'll find out, I guess.
i don't have the words to emphasise how seriously bad things are gonna get
October 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Every time we find a way to use technology to satisfy some rewarding urge, it has been a problem. From opioid drug dependency to obesity and metabolic disease, we just can't handle it.
I have no idea what the psycho-sexual equivalent of diabetes will be...but we'll find out, I guess.
I have no idea what the psycho-sexual equivalent of diabetes will be...but we'll find out, I guess.
It is finally out! Have you ever wanted to get into information theory, complexity, and networks? If so, this is the paper for you: a comprehensive tutorial review on information theory for complexity scientists specifically.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Information theory for complex systems scientists: What, why, and how
In the 21st century, many of the crucial scientific and technical issues facing humanity can be understood as problems associated with understanding, …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:46 PM
It is finally out! Have you ever wanted to get into information theory, complexity, and networks? If so, this is the paper for you: a comprehensive tutorial review on information theory for complexity scientists specifically.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
For the past year, we've analyzed hundreds of primary sources spanning nearly a decade—emails, transcripts, texts, recordings, slides & other materials—revealing how a group of Silicon Valley elites sought to capture the psychedelic industry.
Out now: "The Psychedelic Syndicate”
Out now: "The Psychedelic Syndicate”
October 11, 2025 at 6:45 PM
For the past year, we've analyzed hundreds of primary sources spanning nearly a decade—emails, transcripts, texts, recordings, slides & other materials—revealing how a group of Silicon Valley elites sought to capture the psychedelic industry.
Out now: "The Psychedelic Syndicate”
Out now: "The Psychedelic Syndicate”
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
New paper dropped!
Led by @thosvarley.bsky.social and Pai Vaibhav, we show that flows of information within a #xenobot resemble flows of information observed in adult human brains.
Thomas provides caveats and context below.
w/ @drmichaellevin.bsky.social, Caitlin Grasso, & Jeantine Lunshof.
Led by @thosvarley.bsky.social and Pai Vaibhav, we show that flows of information within a #xenobot resemble flows of information observed in adult human brains.
Thomas provides caveats and context below.
w/ @drmichaellevin.bsky.social, Caitlin Grasso, & Jeantine Lunshof.
October 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
New paper dropped!
Led by @thosvarley.bsky.social and Pai Vaibhav, we show that flows of information within a #xenobot resemble flows of information observed in adult human brains.
Thomas provides caveats and context below.
w/ @drmichaellevin.bsky.social, Caitlin Grasso, & Jeantine Lunshof.
Led by @thosvarley.bsky.social and Pai Vaibhav, we show that flows of information within a #xenobot resemble flows of information observed in adult human brains.
Thomas provides caveats and context below.
w/ @drmichaellevin.bsky.social, Caitlin Grasso, & Jeantine Lunshof.
New paper!
This one is going to raise some eyebrows, so I want to explain the details before people get all worked-up about the title.
1/N
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
This one is going to raise some eyebrows, so I want to explain the details before people get all worked-up about the title.
1/N
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Identification of brain-like complex information architectures in embryonic tissue of Xenopus laevis organoids
Understanding how populations of cells collectively coordinate activity to produce the complex structures and behaviors that characterize multicellular organisms, and which coordinated activities, ...
www.tandfonline.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM
New paper!
This one is going to raise some eyebrows, so I want to explain the details before people get all worked-up about the title.
1/N
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
This one is going to raise some eyebrows, so I want to explain the details before people get all worked-up about the title.
1/N
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
New release of Nvim-Lab, with better LSP configuration, and some new QoL plugins.
github.com/thosvarley/n...
github.com/thosvarley/n...
GitHub - thosvarley/nvim-lab: Neovim: for scientists
Neovim: for scientists. Contribute to thosvarley/nvim-lab development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
New release of Nvim-Lab, with better LSP configuration, and some new QoL plugins.
github.com/thosvarley/n...
github.com/thosvarley/n...
Reposted by Thomas F. Varley
This is probably a good look at the future of AI - small, lightweight systems optimized for a given task getting wired together to produce high-level behavior.
Very excited to share that our work (together with co-first author Shanka Subhra Mondal and @neuroai.bsky.social ) on a brain-inspired architecture for planning with LLMs is now out in Nature Communications! www.nature.com/articles/s41... (thread below)
A brain-inspired agentic architecture to improve planning with LLMs - Nature Communications
Multi-step planning is a challenge for LLMs. Here, the authors introduce a brain-inspired Modular Agentic Planner that decomposes planning into specialized LLM modules, improving performance across tasks and highlighting the value of cognitive neuroscience for LLM design.
www.nature.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:53 PM
This is probably a good look at the future of AI - small, lightweight systems optimized for a given task getting wired together to produce high-level behavior.