Xavier Snelgrove
@wxs.ca
Creating Orbital Studies Magazine. Towards a more beautiful science.
https://orbitalstudies.com
https://orbitalstudies.com
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
This is one of the only good takes
a lot of "AI hype" discourse makes more sense when you realize that a lot of initial LLM/GenAI hype envisioned replacing artists and PhDs, and its actual impacts have been much greater on coders and other tech workers
creatives/experts see "AI" as underperforming hype, techies see it overperforming
creatives/experts see "AI" as underperforming hype, techies see it overperforming
February 11, 2026 at 9:24 PM
This is one of the only good takes
”The real world is what is left unsaid when we have said everything. What we have said is language and the world is not language. A rock is not a word.“
— Guy Davenport
— Guy Davenport
February 11, 2026 at 3:59 PM
”The real world is what is left unsaid when we have said everything. What we have said is language and the world is not language. A rock is not a word.“
— Guy Davenport
— Guy Davenport
I'll be doing one of these sessions, we'll take the love of complex patterns and structures which often draws us to work in tech, but instead we'll leave our screens and go for a walk in the woods, foraging new patterns, grounding the abstractions in the natural world.
We're really excited to announce Wayfinding, a new series we're hosting featuring conversations about navigating the tensions of tech in modern life.
Announcing Wayfinding
We're super excited to announce Wayfinding, a new event series at 1RG that we’ve been working on with Jenny Zhang and Jen Dodd, and we hope you’ll join us at the first event on January 28th.
We live in a moment where our trust in tech companies to
words.1rg.space
January 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I'll be doing one of these sessions, we'll take the love of complex patterns and structures which often draws us to work in tech, but instead we'll leave our screens and go for a walk in the woods, foraging new patterns, grounding the abstractions in the natural world.
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Frankly amazed that any biology gets done at all tbh
The protein concentration in the cytoplasm is so high that the average protein has a water hydration shell with a thickness of only ≈ 10 water molecules separating it from the adjacent protein hydration shell.
1/2
1/2
November 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Frankly amazed that any biology gets done at all tbh
We're accepting new writing for Orbital Studies, a literary science magazine cultivating a poetic orientation towards the world revealed to us by science.
Issue theme: *Ways of Seeing The Objective World*
Deadline Dec 10: orbitalstudies.com
Please share! We pay all contributors.
Issue theme: *Ways of Seeing The Objective World*
Deadline Dec 10: orbitalstudies.com
Please share! We pay all contributors.
❧ Orbital Studies Magazine ☙
Ways of Seeing the Objective World
orbitalstudies.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:18 PM
We're accepting new writing for Orbital Studies, a literary science magazine cultivating a poetic orientation towards the world revealed to us by science.
Issue theme: *Ways of Seeing The Objective World*
Deadline Dec 10: orbitalstudies.com
Please share! We pay all contributors.
Issue theme: *Ways of Seeing The Objective World*
Deadline Dec 10: orbitalstudies.com
Please share! We pay all contributors.
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Paul Klee
The Bounds of the Intellect, 1927
The Bounds of the Intellect, 1927
April 21, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Paul Klee
The Bounds of the Intellect, 1927
The Bounds of the Intellect, 1927
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Each type of touch neuron can detect specific sensations, such as vibration or temperature; together they generate our complex touch experience. www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
April 18, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Each type of touch neuron can detect specific sensations, such as vibration or temperature; together they generate our complex touch experience. www.quantamagazine.org/touch-our-mo...
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Just got handed an invite to Western Toronto’s fastest growing screen free social network PostPost Social
The full protocol specification is available if you want to self onboard postpost.social
The full protocol specification is available if you want to self onboard postpost.social
April 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Just got handed an invite to Western Toronto’s fastest growing screen free social network PostPost Social
The full protocol specification is available if you want to self onboard postpost.social
The full protocol specification is available if you want to self onboard postpost.social
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
In response to all the ai pushed on us & predictions of replacing professions, I think "Men have forgotten this truth," "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."
My images take extraordinary amounts of time for me to make and I wouldn’t have it any other way
My images take extraordinary amounts of time for me to make and I wouldn’t have it any other way
March 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
In response to all the ai pushed on us & predictions of replacing professions, I think "Men have forgotten this truth," "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."
My images take extraordinary amounts of time for me to make and I wouldn’t have it any other way
My images take extraordinary amounts of time for me to make and I wouldn’t have it any other way
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
TIL that most modern heavy metal logos are designed by a guy who works at the Co-Op in Exeter
www.devonlive.com/whats-on/wha...
www.devonlive.com/whats-on/wha...
Exeter's unassuming Co-op worker leads astonishing 'double life'
Christophe has designed logos for the likes of Rihanna
www.devonlive.com
March 23, 2025 at 4:57 PM
TIL that most modern heavy metal logos are designed by a guy who works at the Co-Op in Exeter
www.devonlive.com/whats-on/wha...
www.devonlive.com/whats-on/wha...
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Periodic reminder that are.na is the best place on the internet. Legitimately somewhere I feel awe/movement, not something I typically get through this little glowing demon rectangle.
Here's a great channel on anachronism: https://www.are.na/francesco-venturi/anachronisms
Here's a great channel on anachronism: https://www.are.na/francesco-venturi/anachronisms
Anachronisms | Are.na
the anachronistic is a way of thinking about the heterogeneous within time
www.are.na
March 24, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Periodic reminder that are.na is the best place on the internet. Legitimately somewhere I feel awe/movement, not something I typically get through this little glowing demon rectangle.
Here's a great channel on anachronism: https://www.are.na/francesco-venturi/anachronisms
Here's a great channel on anachronism: https://www.are.na/francesco-venturi/anachronisms
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
today is the day
GOOD NEWS, everyone: tomorrow we're going to get a few seconds of perfect day, assuming this bold prediction from 2019 can be believed!!
qwantz.com/index.php?co...
qwantz.com/index.php?co...
Dinosaur Comics!
looking forward to it, everyone arrange your lives such that they all tend towards maximum perfection on this date and I will see you there!!
qwantz.com
March 22, 2025 at 11:17 AM
today is the day
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Layers of information in an archival document:
- What is said
- What is not said
- What is alluded to
- What is omitted intentionally
(and unintentionally)
- What is misleading
- What is ambiguous
- What is highlighted
- What is downplayed
- What is weaponized
- What is unintelligible today
...
- What is said
- What is not said
- What is alluded to
- What is omitted intentionally
(and unintentionally)
- What is misleading
- What is ambiguous
- What is highlighted
- What is downplayed
- What is weaponized
- What is unintelligible today
...
January 27, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Layers of information in an archival document:
- What is said
- What is not said
- What is alluded to
- What is omitted intentionally
(and unintentionally)
- What is misleading
- What is ambiguous
- What is highlighted
- What is downplayed
- What is weaponized
- What is unintelligible today
...
- What is said
- What is not said
- What is alluded to
- What is omitted intentionally
(and unintentionally)
- What is misleading
- What is ambiguous
- What is highlighted
- What is downplayed
- What is weaponized
- What is unintelligible today
...
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Dear trainee friends (et al.),
'Tis true that parts of the sky are falling & this is distracting. However, if you happen to have done A THING (paper, etc.), we want to support you. Don't hold back from letting us know. So we can learn and 👏.
We're still here for the science.
Sincerely,
Everyone
'Tis true that parts of the sky are falling & this is distracting. However, if you happen to have done A THING (paper, etc.), we want to support you. Don't hold back from letting us know. So we can learn and 👏.
We're still here for the science.
Sincerely,
Everyone
March 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Dear trainee friends (et al.),
'Tis true that parts of the sky are falling & this is distracting. However, if you happen to have done A THING (paper, etc.), we want to support you. Don't hold back from letting us know. So we can learn and 👏.
We're still here for the science.
Sincerely,
Everyone
'Tis true that parts of the sky are falling & this is distracting. However, if you happen to have done A THING (paper, etc.), we want to support you. Don't hold back from letting us know. So we can learn and 👏.
We're still here for the science.
Sincerely,
Everyone
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
Well, this seems now to be official. Trust me, it is a beautiful thing.
yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
Alchemy - Yale University Press London
Flush with hundreds of illustrations, this book revisits the histories of chemistry, medicine, ideas, and culture through the lens of alchemy The craf...
yalebooks.co.uk
March 18, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Well, this seems now to be official. Trust me, it is a beautiful thing.
yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
By popular demand https://PostPost.social now includes accessibility features: send us your phone number and we'll read your posts aloud to you!
#toronto #socialmedia #mail #accessibility
#toronto #socialmedia #mail #accessibility
March 11, 2025 at 4:29 PM
By popular demand https://PostPost.social now includes accessibility features: send us your phone number and we'll read your posts aloud to you!
#toronto #socialmedia #mail #accessibility
#toronto #socialmedia #mail #accessibility
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
this morning @wxs.ca led a discussion on Antiqua and nova - here are some my thoughts! www.vatican.va/roman_curia/...
Antiqua et nova. Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence (28 January 2025)
Antiqua et nova. Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence, 28 January 2025
www.vatican.va
February 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
this morning @wxs.ca led a discussion on Antiqua and nova - here are some my thoughts! www.vatican.va/roman_curia/...
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
January 3, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
I'm going to make enemies, but saying that we know the number of parameters of the brain is akin to saying that you have no clue about the brain. It's a complex multilevel system tightly integrated with the rest of the body. The statement doesn't even make sense, or "not even wrong" as they say.
December 23, 2024 at 2:54 PM
I'm going to make enemies, but saying that we know the number of parameters of the brain is akin to saying that you have no clue about the brain. It's a complex multilevel system tightly integrated with the rest of the body. The statement doesn't even make sense, or "not even wrong" as they say.
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
"the body agent is using the bioelectric patterns as its memory, and simultaneously, these agential memories are doing their thing while using the physical body as their memory scratchpad" […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 4, 2024 at 2:57 AM
"the body agent is using the bioelectric patterns as its memory, and simultaneously, these agential memories are doing their thing while using the physical body as their memory scratchpad" […]
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
I try to post my reminders that spaced repetition propagates a soulless and depressing conception of learning at regularly spaced intervals to help people remember.
December 5, 2024 at 6:19 PM
I try to post my reminders that spaced repetition propagates a soulless and depressing conception of learning at regularly spaced intervals to help people remember.
Reposted by Xavier Snelgrove
They mean instead tasks with a quantifiable performance metric. The notion that these capture the primary characteristics of human cognition/intelligence is not just mistaken but corrosive.
December 3, 2024 at 2:55 PM
They mean instead tasks with a quantifiable performance metric. The notion that these capture the primary characteristics of human cognition/intelligence is not just mistaken but corrosive.