Marco Giancotti
@marco-giancotti.bsky.social
Thinking tool artisan. Gardener of aethermug.com and planktonvalhalla.com
I Used to Know How to Write in Japanese
(Somehow, though, I can still read it)
aethermug.com/posts/i-use...
(Somehow, though, I can still read it)
aethermug.com/posts/i-use...
I Used to Know How to Write in Japanese
Somehow, though, I can still read it
aethermug.com
August 15, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I Used to Know How to Write in Japanese
(Somehow, though, I can still read it)
aethermug.com/posts/i-use...
(Somehow, though, I can still read it)
aethermug.com/posts/i-use...
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
A great book by Sean B Carroll on two of my intellectual heroes: Jacques Monod and Albert Camus. Two giants (and friends) who won the @nobelprize.bsky.social but also fought totalitarianism during the Nazi occupation (joining the Resistance) and afterwards. Two great inspirations for these days.
June 8, 2025 at 1:31 PM
A great book by Sean B Carroll on two of my intellectual heroes: Jacques Monod and Albert Camus. Two giants (and friends) who won the @nobelprize.bsky.social but also fought totalitarianism during the Nazi occupation (joining the Resistance) and afterwards. Two great inspirations for these days.
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
When the IT guy takes over my computer remotely
May 16, 2025 at 11:51 AM
When the IT guy takes over my computer remotely
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
OK, this is wild.
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
May 12, 2025 at 3:20 PM
OK, this is wild.
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Clusters - an Asymmetrifcal Particle System with Emergent Patterns
By Jeffrey Ventrella
vimeo.com/1048238799
By Jeffrey Ventrella
vimeo.com/1048238799
Clusters - an Asymmetrifcal Particle System with Emergent Patterns
This is a video explaining the Clusters particle algorithm. Explore it in real-time at ventrella.com/clusters
vimeo.com
April 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Clusters - an Asymmetrifcal Particle System with Emergent Patterns
By Jeffrey Ventrella
vimeo.com/1048238799
By Jeffrey Ventrella
vimeo.com/1048238799
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Every year at the end of the semester, I ask the students in my Psych of Language class to create memes about what they've learned. They then vote for their favorites.
Here's the winner about how the idea of a universal grammar is no longer as compelling as it once seemed.
1/5
Here's the winner about how the idea of a universal grammar is no longer as compelling as it once seemed.
1/5
April 29, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Every year at the end of the semester, I ask the students in my Psych of Language class to create memes about what they've learned. They then vote for their favorites.
Here's the winner about how the idea of a universal grammar is no longer as compelling as it once seemed.
1/5
Here's the winner about how the idea of a universal grammar is no longer as compelling as it once seemed.
1/5
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
This is a new image from #JWST.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
April 29, 2025 at 6:47 PM
This is a new image from #JWST.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.
Everything else is a galaxy.
Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
In chaotic systems, the smallest fluctuations get amplified. As scientist Edward Lorenz put it in the 1960s and 70s, even a seagull flapping its wings might eventually make a big difference to the weather. Here's how scientists came to understand what chaos is, and how to wrangle it:
🧵
🧵
March 14, 2025 at 5:38 PM
In chaotic systems, the smallest fluctuations get amplified. As scientist Edward Lorenz put it in the 1960s and 70s, even a seagull flapping its wings might eventually make a big difference to the weather. Here's how scientists came to understand what chaos is, and how to wrangle it:
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
How can biological systems anticipate future events? In our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social, we show how a simple genetic circuit can predict future trends through a simple (and perhaps widespread) mechanism @drmichaellevin.bsky.social @koseskalab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
April 28, 2025 at 10:42 PM
How can biological systems anticipate future events? In our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social, we show how a simple genetic circuit can predict future trends through a simple (and perhaps widespread) mechanism @drmichaellevin.bsky.social @koseskalab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Bertrand Russell, writing on the other side of two world wars, on how to heal an ailing and divided world – it is not too late www.themarginalian.org/2019/11/13/e...
Bertrand Russell on How to Heal an Ailing and Divided World
“What is needed in our very complex modern society is calm consideration, with readiness to call dogmas in question and freedom of mind to do justice to the most diverse points of view.”…
www.themarginalian.org
April 19, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Bertrand Russell, writing on the other side of two world wars, on how to heal an ailing and divided world – it is not too late www.themarginalian.org/2019/11/13/e...
One thing is to say "thank you", another thing is to imply it even without saying it out loud. Which is not possible in most languages.
What if Gratitude Was Built Into the Grammar?
New post on Aether Mug: aethermug.com/posts/what-...
What if Gratitude Was Built Into the Grammar?
New post on Aether Mug: aethermug.com/posts/what-...
What if Gratitude Was Built Into the Grammar?
Another Japanese marvel
aethermug.com
April 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
One thing is to say "thank you", another thing is to imply it even without saying it out loud. Which is not possible in most languages.
What if Gratitude Was Built Into the Grammar?
New post on Aether Mug: aethermug.com/posts/what-...
What if Gratitude Was Built Into the Grammar?
New post on Aether Mug: aethermug.com/posts/what-...
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Researchers think a single strand of RNA could have done the work of a contemporary protein enzyme. It might even have been capable of replicating itself, helping to explain the origin of life. 🧪
The Incredible Conundrum of Life's Origin
How to solve biology’s chicken-or-egg dilemma
nautil.us
April 17, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Researchers think a single strand of RNA could have done the work of a contemporary protein enzyme. It might even have been capable of replicating itself, helping to explain the origin of life. 🧪
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Gorgeous vintage Japanese illustrations of animals and scientific phenomena www.themarginalian.org/2019/12/12/k...
Gorgeous Vintage Japanese Illustrations of Animals and Scientific Phenomena
A vibrant minimalist celebration of nature, from the scale of cells and atoms to the scale of elephants and the Moon.
www.themarginalian.org
April 17, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Gorgeous vintage Japanese illustrations of animals and scientific phenomena www.themarginalian.org/2019/12/12/k...
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Norbert Wieiner, who was a central figure within the field of cybernetics—a precursor to complexity science—is describing below the implications of the compression that automatization entails. Outsourcing a computation to a machine explicitly or implicitly involves the creation of and investment in—
April 16, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Norbert Wieiner, who was a central figure within the field of cybernetics—a precursor to complexity science—is describing below the implications of the compression that automatization entails. Outsourcing a computation to a machine explicitly or implicitly involves the creation of and investment in—
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
Another day, another proof of the Riemann hypothesis in my inbox
March 29, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Another day, another proof of the Riemann hypothesis in my inbox
The responsibility is reciprocal: I'm bad at socials and socials are bad at me.
March 27, 2025 at 7:36 AM
The responsibility is reciprocal: I'm bad at socials and socials are bad at me.
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
1/🧵 The biggest parenting myth? That our behavior has ENORMOUS influence on our children. Almost every trait kids develop gets blamed on something parents did (usually mom...). This belief creates massive anxiety. But what does the SCIENCE actually say? #ParentingTips #MomTok
March 24, 2025 at 1:48 PM
1/🧵 The biggest parenting myth? That our behavior has ENORMOUS influence on our children. Almost every trait kids develop gets blamed on something parents did (usually mom...). This belief creates massive anxiety. But what does the SCIENCE actually say? #ParentingTips #MomTok
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
This will never stop blowing my mind.
I know that the mRNA is larger than the protein it codes for but I don't believe it
March 20, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This will never stop blowing my mind.
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
How to know that there's life on a planet? What biosignatures can be detected? In a 1993 @nature.com paper, Carl Sagan and his team turned Galileo's spacecraft towards our planet. Here's what they found and the lessons for future exoplanet research nature.com/articles/365...
March 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
How to know that there's life on a planet? What biosignatures can be detected? In a 1993 @nature.com paper, Carl Sagan and his team turned Galileo's spacecraft towards our planet. Here's what they found and the lessons for future exoplanet research nature.com/articles/365...
Reposted by Marco Giancotti
How to put all complexity in a single drawing? Here's my take, with catastrophes (the folded surface), ecosystems, computation (Turing Machine), turbulence, collective intelligence, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, evolution, viruses, networks and time. And a little touch of Santa Fe NM
March 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
How to put all complexity in a single drawing? Here's my take, with catastrophes (the folded surface), ecosystems, computation (Turing Machine), turbulence, collective intelligence, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, evolution, viruses, networks and time. And a little touch of Santa Fe NM