Zoltán Sylvester
@zzsylvester.bsky.social
Research professor at UT Austin | geology | sedimentology | rivers | python | mountains | running | opinions are my own | he/him
zsylvester.github.io
zsylvester.github.io
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
If anyone’s opinion on AI can be trusted to have merit, it’s Terence Tao. 🧪⚛️🧮
This interview between two mathematicians is as awkward as you might expect it to be, but what they are discussing is a promising new direction.
This interview between two mathematicians is as awkward as you might expect it to be, but what they are discussing is a promising new direction.
February 13, 2026 at 4:09 AM
If anyone’s opinion on AI can be trusted to have merit, it’s Terence Tao. 🧪⚛️🧮
This interview between two mathematicians is as awkward as you might expect it to be, but what they are discussing is a promising new direction.
This interview between two mathematicians is as awkward as you might expect it to be, but what they are discussing is a promising new direction.
I gave a talk last week at the University of New Mexico and one thing people seem to have remembered from it was this old animation that shows how migration rate depends on curvature in meandering rivers. It was created using Manim, a Python package written by @3blue1brown.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:52 PM
I gave a talk last week at the University of New Mexico and one thing people seem to have remembered from it was this old animation that shows how migration rate depends on curvature in meandering rivers. It was created using Manim, a Python package written by @3blue1brown.com
This beautiful book by Stephen Welch explains really well some of the key concepts in ML/AI, often from a historical perspective. The YouTube videos are not bad either: youtube.com/@welchlabs?s...
February 10, 2026 at 8:15 PM
This beautiful book by Stephen Welch explains really well some of the key concepts in ML/AI, often from a historical perspective. The YouTube videos are not bad either: youtube.com/@welchlabs?s...
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Excited that this paper, led by former PhD student Natalia Varela (based on her dissertation), is now out!
We use the occurrence & characteristics of thin, silty turbidites from the Ross Sea to interpret Antarctic Bottom Water outflow since ~3.3 Ma.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
We use the occurrence & characteristics of thin, silty turbidites from the Ross Sea to interpret Antarctic Bottom Water outflow since ~3.3 Ma.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
February 3, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Excited that this paper, led by former PhD student Natalia Varela (based on her dissertation), is now out!
We use the occurrence & characteristics of thin, silty turbidites from the Ross Sea to interpret Antarctic Bottom Water outflow since ~3.3 Ma.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
We use the occurrence & characteristics of thin, silty turbidites from the Ross Sea to interpret Antarctic Bottom Water outflow since ~3.3 Ma.
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
February 1, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
My advice to undergraduates:
Do *not* sign on to a PhD just because it's a 'next step' and you don't know what else to do. A master's program is a much better option in that scenario. You can find out if you genuinely enjoy the endeavor and, if not, it's only 2 years and you get a great degree! 1/2
Do *not* sign on to a PhD just because it's a 'next step' and you don't know what else to do. A master's program is a much better option in that scenario. You can find out if you genuinely enjoy the endeavor and, if not, it's only 2 years and you get a great degree! 1/2
January 31, 2026 at 3:52 PM
My advice to undergraduates:
Do *not* sign on to a PhD just because it's a 'next step' and you don't know what else to do. A master's program is a much better option in that scenario. You can find out if you genuinely enjoy the endeavor and, if not, it's only 2 years and you get a great degree! 1/2
Do *not* sign on to a PhD just because it's a 'next step' and you don't know what else to do. A master's program is a much better option in that scenario. You can find out if you genuinely enjoy the endeavor and, if not, it's only 2 years and you get a great degree! 1/2
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
“We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.”
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:50 AM
“We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.”
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Props to Anthropic for studying the effects of their creation and reporting results that are not probably what they wished for
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Just an incredible and unusual landslide at Niscemi, Sicily, Italy, as captured by @planet.com SuperDove satellites 🧪⚒️🛰️
January 29, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Just an incredible and unusual landslide at Niscemi, Sicily, Italy, as captured by @planet.com SuperDove satellites 🧪⚒️🛰️
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Want to know how we used AI to classify and identify dinosaur footprints?
Check out this breezy summary of our new study by coauthor Paige dePolo in @uk.theconversation.com
Including a tutorial for our free DinoTracker app, which YOU can use to study tracks.
theconversation.com/identifying-...
Check out this breezy summary of our new study by coauthor Paige dePolo in @uk.theconversation.com
Including a tutorial for our free DinoTracker app, which YOU can use to study tracks.
theconversation.com/identifying-...
Identifying dinosaurs from their footprints is difficult – but AI can help
Dinosaur footprints are not perfect snapshots of the feet that made them. AI techniques from photon science can help identify their owner.
theconversation.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Want to know how we used AI to classify and identify dinosaur footprints?
Check out this breezy summary of our new study by coauthor Paige dePolo in @uk.theconversation.com
Including a tutorial for our free DinoTracker app, which YOU can use to study tracks.
theconversation.com/identifying-...
Check out this breezy summary of our new study by coauthor Paige dePolo in @uk.theconversation.com
Including a tutorial for our free DinoTracker app, which YOU can use to study tracks.
theconversation.com/identifying-...
I added a page to my website that hints at the idea that I am interested in experimenting with artsy stuff when exploring landscapes with rocks and rivers zsylvester.github.io/art/
Art
Artwork by Zoltán Sylvester - photographs, prints, and 3D prints
zsylvester.github.io
January 27, 2026 at 4:13 PM
I added a page to my website that hints at the idea that I am interested in experimenting with artsy stuff when exploring landscapes with rocks and rivers zsylvester.github.io/art/
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
The US Winter Storm Seen from Space – January 25, 2026
Watch the 2026 U.S. Winter Storm unfold from space in this stunning satellite timelapse created with just a few clicks using the QGIS Timelapse Plugin.
Watch the 2026 U.S. Winter Storm unfold from space in this stunning satellite timelapse created with just a few clicks using the QGIS Timelapse Plugin.
January 25, 2026 at 7:15 PM
The US Winter Storm Seen from Space – January 25, 2026
Watch the 2026 U.S. Winter Storm unfold from space in this stunning satellite timelapse created with just a few clicks using the QGIS Timelapse Plugin.
Watch the 2026 U.S. Winter Storm unfold from space in this stunning satellite timelapse created with just a few clicks using the QGIS Timelapse Plugin.
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
"You look around and think, 'Yep, this is it. Paramilitary deportations, apocalyptic foreign policy, and private corporations looting the federal government. This has to be the Fourth Reich.' Not so fast. It’s only the Fourth Reich if it comes from the Reich region of Germany."
It’s Only the Fourth Reich If It Comes from the Reich Region of Germany, Otherwise It’s Just Sparkling Fascism
Don’t be embarrassed, it’s a common mistake. You look around and think, Yep, this is it. Paramilitary deportations, apocalyptic foreign policy, and...
buff.ly
January 25, 2026 at 3:20 AM
"You look around and think, 'Yep, this is it. Paramilitary deportations, apocalyptic foreign policy, and private corporations looting the federal government. This has to be the Fourth Reich.' Not so fast. It’s only the Fourth Reich if it comes from the Reich region of Germany."
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
A man was murdered today for filming the American Gestapo.
There's no other way to put that. I watched the footage, it is horrifying. The only reason ICE initiated violence was because he was standing in place filming their lawless actions.
There's no other way to put that. I watched the footage, it is horrifying. The only reason ICE initiated violence was because he was standing in place filming their lawless actions.
January 24, 2026 at 6:30 PM
A man was murdered today for filming the American Gestapo.
There's no other way to put that. I watched the footage, it is horrifying. The only reason ICE initiated violence was because he was standing in place filming their lawless actions.
There's no other way to put that. I watched the footage, it is horrifying. The only reason ICE initiated violence was because he was standing in place filming their lawless actions.
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Exploring Death Valley w/ @zzsylvester.bsky.social for fall field trip this week
January 21, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Exploring Death Valley w/ @zzsylvester.bsky.social for fall field trip this week
Spending half an hour to figure out how to log in to a for-profit journal website to let them know that I don't have time to review a paper: not my favorite activity. You are making more than enough money to build (or pay for) a decent editorial management system. #elsevier
January 18, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Spending half an hour to figure out how to log in to a for-profit journal website to let them know that I don't have time to review a paper: not my favorite activity. You are making more than enough money to build (or pay for) a decent editorial management system. #elsevier
This PBS Terra / Weathered episode is not easy to watch but it gives a great overview of the science and the aftermath of the 2025 fires in LA, one year later youtu.be/tYNwfj74WsI?...
I Know Why LA Burned. And It WILL Happen Again.
YouTube video by PBS Terra
youtu.be
January 10, 2026 at 1:43 AM
This PBS Terra / Weathered episode is not easy to watch but it gives a great overview of the science and the aftermath of the 2025 fires in LA, one year later youtu.be/tYNwfj74WsI?...
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
New #OA @geosociety.bsky.social Geosphere pub 'landslide influenced delta stratigraphy' w/ @zzsylvester.bsky.social, Dunlap & Covault: pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geospher.... Paper's Figure 11 compares deltas w/ landslides v 'typical' delta ('typical' see: zsylvester.github.io/papers/fuji_...).
January 9, 2026 at 9:15 PM
New #OA @geosociety.bsky.social Geosphere pub 'landslide influenced delta stratigraphy' w/ @zzsylvester.bsky.social, Dunlap & Covault: pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geospher.... Paper's Figure 11 compares deltas w/ landslides v 'typical' delta ('typical' see: zsylvester.github.io/papers/fuji_...).
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
I've been sitting on this for over a month...but given how cross I am with @royalsociety.org at their ongoing inaction over #Elon #Musk I thought I'd share this.
They invited me to serve on their Public Engagement Committee; I could have been more eloquent, but I had to give a firm "no"...
They invited me to serve on their Public Engagement Committee; I could have been more eloquent, but I had to give a firm "no"...
January 9, 2026 at 6:30 PM
I've been sitting on this for over a month...but given how cross I am with @royalsociety.org at their ongoing inaction over #Elon #Musk I thought I'd share this.
They invited me to serve on their Public Engagement Committee; I could have been more eloquent, but I had to give a firm "no"...
They invited me to serve on their Public Engagement Committee; I could have been more eloquent, but I had to give a firm "no"...
One task for which I would highly recommend using AI is improving poorly designed websites. I just asked Gemini to tweak the design of a conference page that makes me want to stay away from the conference, and the result is an order of magnitude better than the input
January 9, 2026 at 6:44 PM
One task for which I would highly recommend using AI is improving poorly designed websites. I just asked Gemini to tweak the design of a conference page that makes me want to stay away from the conference, and the result is an order of magnitude better than the input
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Here's a summary of all the data that supports adding more red meat to your diet
January 8, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Here's a summary of all the data that supports adding more red meat to your diet
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Fuck this man's grotesque narcissism.
The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.
National Park Service will void passes with stickers over Trump's face
The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.
n.pr
January 9, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Fuck this man's grotesque narcissism.
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
Just like climate change , there are two sides to this but one side is lying and we can just report the truth.
If the headline is "disputed shooting" rather than straightforwardly telling the public what happened this rewards the DHS for lying about these events
January 8, 2026 at 2:26 AM
Just like climate change , there are two sides to this but one side is lying and we can just report the truth.
Reposted by Zoltán Sylvester
How is salt tectonics affected by salt rheology, rift tectonics, and sedimentation rates? ⚒️🧂
In this article of Zhichen Wang, we use cross-scale geodynamic models of lithosphere deformation, evaporite flow and surface processes: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
In this article of Zhichen Wang, we use cross-scale geodynamic models of lithosphere deformation, evaporite flow and surface processes: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
January 7, 2026 at 12:37 PM
How is salt tectonics affected by salt rheology, rift tectonics, and sedimentation rates? ⚒️🧂
In this article of Zhichen Wang, we use cross-scale geodynamic models of lithosphere deformation, evaporite flow and surface processes: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
In this article of Zhichen Wang, we use cross-scale geodynamic models of lithosphere deformation, evaporite flow and surface processes: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...
Came across this old video of a sphere rolling down a 3D-printed meandering submarine channel. Even if you start out with a channel that has a constant slope, the meandering process results in a variable along-channel slope which is reflected in how the sphere speeds up and slows down ⚒️🧪
January 6, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Came across this old video of a sphere rolling down a 3D-printed meandering submarine channel. Even if you start out with a channel that has a constant slope, the meandering process results in a variable along-channel slope which is reflected in how the sphere speeds up and slows down ⚒️🧪
One of the best things that happened to me in 2025 was that we got a permit to visit The Wave in Arizona. Here are some photos from last Friday; needless to say, photos do not do justice to this place
January 2, 2026 at 4:27 AM
One of the best things that happened to me in 2025 was that we got a permit to visit The Wave in Arizona. Here are some photos from last Friday; needless to say, photos do not do justice to this place