Jessica Flack
@c4computation.bsky.social
Professor | Collective Computation | Emergence | Complex Systems | BabelBlog: jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog | https://substack.com/@jessicaflack/notes
Love this (No) Limits story about Natalie Grabow who has continued to learn new sports over the course of her life and at the age of eighty completed the Kona Ironman. Amazing mentality, amazing role model.
Image: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images for Ironman via The Athletic / New York Times.
Image: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images for Ironman via The Athletic / New York Times.
October 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Love this (No) Limits story about Natalie Grabow who has continued to learn new sports over the course of her life and at the age of eighty completed the Kona Ironman. Amazing mentality, amazing role model.
Image: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images for Ironman via The Athletic / New York Times.
Image: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images for Ironman via The Athletic / New York Times.
Ah, no, neither Modi and the Indians nor anyone else has the right to surveil me in my home and watch me in my bathroom.
(Since when do US diplomats get to use American women in their bathrooms as bait or tools of appeasement.)
(Since when do US diplomats get to use American women in their bathrooms as bait or tools of appeasement.)
October 16, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Ah, no, neither Modi and the Indians nor anyone else has the right to surveil me in my home and watch me in my bathroom.
(Since when do US diplomats get to use American women in their bathrooms as bait or tools of appeasement.)
(Since when do US diplomats get to use American women in their bathrooms as bait or tools of appeasement.)
For more on emergence and computation in nature, please visit my website. Unfortunately my research website, Bluesky and x accounts, and substack continue to be censored and edited by a third party without permission so I cannot vouch for their content at this time.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
October 12, 2025 at 2:33 AM
For more on emergence and computation in nature, please visit my website. Unfortunately my research website, Bluesky and x accounts, and substack continue to be censored and edited by a third party without permission so I cannot vouch for their content at this time.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Wondering what your view is @govmlg.bsky.social on a person‘s right to privacy in his or her home, and especially when it involves multi-year high resolution video surveillance her bedroom and bathroom, not to mention a civilian committee of discussants.
October 12, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Wondering what your view is @govmlg.bsky.social on a person‘s right to privacy in his or her home, and especially when it involves multi-year high resolution video surveillance her bedroom and bathroom, not to mention a civilian committee of discussants.
A dewy Verbascum thapsus spotted on the Picacho peak trails this afternoon.
October 11, 2025 at 2:51 AM
A dewy Verbascum thapsus spotted on the Picacho peak trails this afternoon.
Please note my email, website, x, Bluesky and substack accounts are still under third party control without permission.
Image: Still from The Lives of Others
Image: Still from The Lives of Others
October 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Please note my email, website, x, Bluesky and substack accounts are still under third party control without permission.
Image: Still from The Lives of Others
Image: Still from The Lives of Others
Congratulations to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for winning the 2025 @nobelprize.bsky.social
for their work on macroscopic quantum tunneling and quantisation in circuits.
Preliminary thoughts are up at my blog.
jessicacflack.wordpress.com
for their work on macroscopic quantum tunneling and quantisation in circuits.
Preliminary thoughts are up at my blog.
jessicacflack.wordpress.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Congratulations to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for winning the 2025 @nobelprize.bsky.social
for their work on macroscopic quantum tunneling and quantisation in circuits.
Preliminary thoughts are up at my blog.
jessicacflack.wordpress.com
for their work on macroscopic quantum tunneling and quantisation in circuits.
Preliminary thoughts are up at my blog.
jessicacflack.wordpress.com
Happy Public Lands Day!
September 28, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Happy Public Lands Day!
Tomás Sánchez is a Cuban painter. His works are often in my mind. This painting, I believe, is from his 1948 “Enchanting Forrests” series.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
August 30, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Tomás Sánchez is a Cuban painter. His works are often in my mind. This painting, I believe, is from his 1948 “Enchanting Forrests” series.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
For science related issues, I can be reached at the email on my website. In addition, I post often abt my work, and that of others, on Babel Blog.
The latest post is on Borges, Oulipo + the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com
The latest post is on Borges, Oulipo + the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:26 PM
For science related issues, I can be reached at the email on my website. In addition, I post often abt my work, and that of others, on Babel Blog.
The latest post is on Borges, Oulipo + the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com
The latest post is on Borges, Oulipo + the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com
After ~23 years at the Institute—as grad student, postdoc, + professor—I’ve elected not to pursue renewal of my faculty contract. My last day was August 1st.
There are fundamental science advances on the horizon. . .more @ Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Image: Turrell Blue Day. JCF
There are fundamental science advances on the horizon. . .more @ Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Image: Turrell Blue Day. JCF
August 19, 2025 at 12:21 PM
After ~23 years at the Institute—as grad student, postdoc, + professor—I’ve elected not to pursue renewal of my faculty contract. My last day was August 1st.
There are fundamental science advances on the horizon. . .more @ Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Image: Turrell Blue Day. JCF
There are fundamental science advances on the horizon. . .more @ Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Image: Turrell Blue Day. JCF
On Babel Blog—Borges, Oulipo, and the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
This post isn’t abt Oulipo per se but abt value in boundaries + constraints, when self-imposed or cooperatively adopted, rather than imposed by others.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
This post isn’t abt Oulipo per se but abt value in boundaries + constraints, when self-imposed or cooperatively adopted, rather than imposed by others.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
August 12, 2025 at 6:50 PM
On Babel Blog—Borges, Oulipo, and the impoverishing power of being able to see everything everywhere all at once.
This post isn’t abt Oulipo per se but abt value in boundaries + constraints, when self-imposed or cooperatively adopted, rather than imposed by others.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
This post isn’t abt Oulipo per se but abt value in boundaries + constraints, when self-imposed or cooperatively adopted, rather than imposed by others.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Any potential project is at least a year off + there are no guarantees given continuous petty nonesense.
Delays serve to aggravate, undermine confidence in skills, + push start dates further into the future.
Had decision-making been intelligent, projects could be starting now. 🤨
rubegoldberg.org
Delays serve to aggravate, undermine confidence in skills, + push start dates further into the future.
Had decision-making been intelligent, projects could be starting now. 🤨
rubegoldberg.org
August 7, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Any potential project is at least a year off + there are no guarantees given continuous petty nonesense.
Delays serve to aggravate, undermine confidence in skills, + push start dates further into the future.
Had decision-making been intelligent, projects could be starting now. 🤨
rubegoldberg.org
Delays serve to aggravate, undermine confidence in skills, + push start dates further into the future.
Had decision-making been intelligent, projects could be starting now. 🤨
rubegoldberg.org
After ~23 years at the Institute—as a grad student, postdoc, and professor—I’ve elected not to pursue renewal of my faculty contract. My last day was August 1st.
There are fundamental science advances on the near horizon. . .more at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
There are fundamental science advances on the near horizon. . .more at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
August 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
After ~23 years at the Institute—as a grad student, postdoc, and professor—I’ve elected not to pursue renewal of my faculty contract. My last day was August 1st.
There are fundamental science advances on the near horizon. . .more at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
There are fundamental science advances on the near horizon. . .more at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
Spotted on the Picacho Peak trail—Galadriel with her quiver and a snow leopard. She was out of breath with glossy pearls of sweat beading above her brow. 🤨
July 26, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Spotted on the Picacho Peak trail—Galadriel with her quiver and a snow leopard. She was out of breath with glossy pearls of sweat beading above her brow. 🤨
delight I felt as a child watching an evening performance of Midsummer's Nights Dream at Virginia's Lime Kiln Theater.
Santa Fe Opera is truly magical. On my to-do list is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (as well as a visit to the nearby Rogue Brewery).
Image:Lime Kiln Theater website.
Santa Fe Opera is truly magical. On my to-do list is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (as well as a visit to the nearby Rogue Brewery).
Image:Lime Kiln Theater website.
July 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
delight I felt as a child watching an evening performance of Midsummer's Nights Dream at Virginia's Lime Kiln Theater.
Santa Fe Opera is truly magical. On my to-do list is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (as well as a visit to the nearby Rogue Brewery).
Image:Lime Kiln Theater website.
Santa Fe Opera is truly magical. On my to-do list is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (as well as a visit to the nearby Rogue Brewery).
Image:Lime Kiln Theater website.
Thinking this morning about memorable + enjoyable performance venues. I loved watching Buena Vista Social Club on a warm summer night while picnicking in Atlanta's Chastain Park ampitheater (I lived in Little Five Points).
I often recall the total...
Image credit: JCF, Santa Fe Opera
I often recall the total...
Image credit: JCF, Santa Fe Opera
July 18, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Thinking this morning about memorable + enjoyable performance venues. I loved watching Buena Vista Social Club on a warm summer night while picnicking in Atlanta's Chastain Park ampitheater (I lived in Little Five Points).
I often recall the total...
Image credit: JCF, Santa Fe Opera
I often recall the total...
Image credit: JCF, Santa Fe Opera
...negative liberties naturally and profoundly incentivizes behavior that contributes to the social good while protecting individual rights.
More at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog (scroll down).
Image: Composite made by JCF. See website for information.
More at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog (scroll down).
Image: Composite made by JCF. See website for information.
July 18, 2025 at 10:13 AM
...negative liberties naturally and profoundly incentivizes behavior that contributes to the social good while protecting individual rights.
More at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog (scroll down).
Image: Composite made by JCF. See website for information.
More at Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog (scroll down).
Image: Composite made by JCF. See website for information.
Perspective on rights that emphasize individual liberties are sometimes equated with selfishness or described as anti-social. It is precisely the opposite for the concept of negative liberties. Continued...
Image credit: Isaiah Berlin by Steve Pyke, National Portrait Gallery
Image credit: Isaiah Berlin by Steve Pyke, National Portrait Gallery
July 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Perspective on rights that emphasize individual liberties are sometimes equated with selfishness or described as anti-social. It is precisely the opposite for the concept of negative liberties. Continued...
Image credit: Isaiah Berlin by Steve Pyke, National Portrait Gallery
Image credit: Isaiah Berlin by Steve Pyke, National Portrait Gallery
New posts on Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
1. Reasoning + discreteness
2. Shannon, hourglass emergence, flourishing
3. Weaver's 3 communication problems
4. Euler's formula and causal horizon
5. Bistable images and tbe common now
6. Laughlin's protectorates and hourglass emergence.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
1. Reasoning + discreteness
2. Shannon, hourglass emergence, flourishing
3. Weaver's 3 communication problems
4. Euler's formula and causal horizon
5. Bistable images and tbe common now
6. Laughlin's protectorates and hourglass emergence.
July 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM
New posts on Babel Blog.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
1. Reasoning + discreteness
2. Shannon, hourglass emergence, flourishing
3. Weaver's 3 communication problems
4. Euler's formula and causal horizon
5. Bistable images and tbe common now
6. Laughlin's protectorates and hourglass emergence.
jessicaflack.wordpress.com/blog
1. Reasoning + discreteness
2. Shannon, hourglass emergence, flourishing
3. Weaver's 3 communication problems
4. Euler's formula and causal horizon
5. Bistable images and tbe common now
6. Laughlin's protectorates and hourglass emergence.
Fitness—including walking outside in 'natural' areas—is likely the most underused yet effective medical intervention available—and for a range of ailments from mental health to cancer. Want to improve public health while decreasing healthcare costs? Start thinking outside box abt food + fitness.
July 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Fitness—including walking outside in 'natural' areas—is likely the most underused yet effective medical intervention available—and for a range of ailments from mental health to cancer. Want to improve public health while decreasing healthcare costs? Start thinking outside box abt food + fitness.
1. Subfivisions and other housing projects that backup against National Forests increase fire + flood risk. Playing fields, dog parks, and small, produce-producing farms could provide multi-functional buffers. Think about how space might be intelligently reorganized +
July 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
1. Subfivisions and other housing projects that backup against National Forests increase fire + flood risk. Playing fields, dog parks, and small, produce-producing farms could provide multi-functional buffers. Think about how space might be intelligently reorganized +
Especially given the 911 system in PA was down statewide yesterday. Now restored.
July 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Especially given the 911 system in PA was down statewide yesterday. Now restored.
Fermented coconut thickened with tapioca. This is store bought (as my kitchen is ill equipped at the moment for more serious cooking).
It can be used with or in place of cream and eggs to make ice cream. One of the best textured ice creams I've made was a fennel pollen ice cream that used this...
It can be used with or in place of cream and eggs to make ice cream. One of the best textured ice creams I've made was a fennel pollen ice cream that used this...
July 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Fermented coconut thickened with tapioca. This is store bought (as my kitchen is ill equipped at the moment for more serious cooking).
It can be used with or in place of cream and eggs to make ice cream. One of the best textured ice creams I've made was a fennel pollen ice cream that used this...
It can be used with or in place of cream and eggs to make ice cream. One of the best textured ice creams I've made was a fennel pollen ice cream that used this...
July 9, 2025 at 1:29 PM