Ricard Solé
@ricardsole.bsky.social
Scientist & skeptic. Dad. Book addict. Pathologically curious. Origins and Evolution of Complexity, Synthetic Transitions, Liquid Brains, and Earth Terraformation. ICREA + SFI professor. Author. Secular humanist.
Why do brains generalize so well while today’s neural networks often fail outside their training data? Check this paper in @cp-neuron.bsky.social argues how neuroscience can guide better architectures & representations. Check the table below.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 25, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Why do brains generalize so well while today’s neural networks often fail outside their training data? Check this paper in @cp-neuron.bsky.social argues how neuroscience can guide better architectures & representations. Check the table below.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Penrose authority in Theoretical Physics has been instrumental in failing to see how weak is the "microtubule" argument. No one has shown the causal relation, and the QM effects themselves are not relevant. The Emperor is naked. Check:
November 21, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Penrose authority in Theoretical Physics has been instrumental in failing to see how weak is the "microtubule" argument. No one has shown the causal relation, and the QM effects themselves are not relevant. The Emperor is naked. Check:
I know many physicists who have moved into neuroscience (seriously, not just superficially) and are doing groundbreaking work. And I think this is awesome. And some have made strong points concerning QM and its lack of relevance to consciousness:
November 21, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I know many physicists who have moved into neuroscience (seriously, not just superficially) and are doing groundbreaking work. And I think this is awesome. And some have made strong points concerning QM and its lack of relevance to consciousness:
How “intelligent” is a slime mold? When it solves mazes, it might not be thinking:it’s obeying physics. Our new paper with
@jordiplam.bsky.social shows how it follows a least action principle,letting physics do the job arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
@drmichaellevin.bsky.social @docteur-drey.bsky.social
@jordiplam.bsky.social shows how it follows a least action principle,letting physics do the job arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
@drmichaellevin.bsky.social @docteur-drey.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 4:17 AM
How “intelligent” is a slime mold? When it solves mazes, it might not be thinking:it’s obeying physics. Our new paper with
@jordiplam.bsky.social shows how it follows a least action principle,letting physics do the job arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
@drmichaellevin.bsky.social @docteur-drey.bsky.social
@jordiplam.bsky.social shows how it follows a least action principle,letting physics do the job arxiv.org/pdf/2511.08531
@drmichaellevin.bsky.social @docteur-drey.bsky.social
Sunday morining at @sfiscience.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Sunday morining at @sfiscience.bsky.social
What is the origin of diversity in allometric laws scaling across species? Check our new paper led by Andrea Tabi where
we propose a new theory of metabolic scaling grounded in thermodynamics and stochastic fluctuations at the cellular level.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
we propose a new theory of metabolic scaling grounded in thermodynamics and stochastic fluctuations at the cellular level.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 9, 2025 at 2:39 AM
What is the origin of diversity in allometric laws scaling across species? Check our new paper led by Andrea Tabi where
we propose a new theory of metabolic scaling grounded in thermodynamics and stochastic fluctuations at the cellular level.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
we propose a new theory of metabolic scaling grounded in thermodynamics and stochastic fluctuations at the cellular level.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Why do cultural skills (reading, maths) consistently activate the same brain regions across people? @standehaene.bsky.social and L. Cohen argue that culture doesn’t create new brain circuits: it invades evolutionarily ancient maps of the cortex. check this great paper www.cell.com/action/showP...
November 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Why do cultural skills (reading, maths) consistently activate the same brain regions across people? @standehaene.bsky.social and L. Cohen argue that culture doesn’t create new brain circuits: it invades evolutionarily ancient maps of the cortex. check this great paper www.cell.com/action/showP...
Back to @sfiscience.bsky.social joining the night shift (with some extra coffee) at the Cormac McCarthy's Library. Working on criticality + cancer, statistical physics of ant colonies, the Physarum Lagrangian, universal genetic codes, synthetic agriculture & hybrid agencies.
@jordiplam.bsky.social
@jordiplam.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Back to @sfiscience.bsky.social joining the night shift (with some extra coffee) at the Cormac McCarthy's Library. Working on criticality + cancer, statistical physics of ant colonies, the Physarum Lagrangian, universal genetic codes, synthetic agriculture & hybrid agencies.
@jordiplam.bsky.social
@jordiplam.bsky.social
Why do some cancers respond to immunotherapy while others don’t? A new paper by @guimaguade.bsky.social shows, using maths, that as tumors mutate, they face a trade-off: growing faster can also make them easier for the immune system to spot. @sandyanderson.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 31, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Why do some cancers respond to immunotherapy while others don’t? A new paper by @guimaguade.bsky.social shows, using maths, that as tumors mutate, they face a trade-off: growing faster can also make them easier for the immune system to spot. @sandyanderson.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
What can we learn about living computation from non-living machines? In this @royalsocietypublishing.org A. Adamatzky shows that a computer doesn’t need to be solid. From droplets 2 chemical waves, liquid computers blur the line between chemistry & thought. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
October 27, 2025 at 11:16 PM
What can we learn about living computation from non-living machines? In this @royalsocietypublishing.org A. Adamatzky shows that a computer doesn’t need to be solid. From droplets 2 chemical waves, liquid computers blur the line between chemistry & thought. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
How can we design complex computational systems using synthetic biology? Check our paper, where we use space as a computational element, dramatically reducing communication requirements while allowing modularity, reusability, scalability & minimal cell engineering.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
October 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM
How can we design complex computational systems using synthetic biology? Check our paper, where we use space as a computational element, dramatically reducing communication requirements while allowing modularity, reusability, scalability & minimal cell engineering.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
What if we could chart all cell types across the tree of life?
In @nature.com, @arnausebe.bsky.social and colls launch the Biodiversity Cell Atlas, a global effort to map eukaryotic cell diversity using single-cell & genomic data.
drive.google.com/file/d/1G4zZ... @crg.eu @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social
In @nature.com, @arnausebe.bsky.social and colls launch the Biodiversity Cell Atlas, a global effort to map eukaryotic cell diversity using single-cell & genomic data.
drive.google.com/file/d/1G4zZ... @crg.eu @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social
October 23, 2025 at 9:27 PM
What if we could chart all cell types across the tree of life?
In @nature.com, @arnausebe.bsky.social and colls launch the Biodiversity Cell Atlas, a global effort to map eukaryotic cell diversity using single-cell & genomic data.
drive.google.com/file/d/1G4zZ... @crg.eu @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social
In @nature.com, @arnausebe.bsky.social and colls launch the Biodiversity Cell Atlas, a global effort to map eukaryotic cell diversity using single-cell & genomic data.
drive.google.com/file/d/1G4zZ... @crg.eu @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social
What is the physical basis of death? Can we manipulate cellular rules to avoid it? What does death mean for a machine? Is immortality possible? What does it mean for language, thought, or information to die? My new book @princetonupress.bsky.social is coming soon. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
October 15, 2025 at 12:30 AM
What is the physical basis of death? Can we manipulate cellular rules to avoid it? What does death mean for a machine? Is immortality possible? What does it mean for language, thought, or information to die? My new book @princetonupress.bsky.social is coming soon. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Can consciousness arise purely from computation, or does it require the biological mechanisms that allow computing? The tension between computational roles and biological realizers may hold the key. Check this paper by @neddo.bsky.social @mkhochb.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Can consciousness arise purely from computation, or does it require the biological mechanisms that allow computing? The tension between computational roles and biological realizers may hold the key. Check this paper by @neddo.bsky.social @mkhochb.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Moreover, AGI might also require social interactions to become a reality, where cultural evolution (and extended mind) play a major role. It is not by chance that brain and culture evolved together, allowing complex minds to emerge @anilseth.bsky.social @mitibennett.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Moreover, AGI might also require social interactions to become a reality, where cultural evolution (and extended mind) play a major role. It is not by chance that brain and culture evolved together, allowing complex minds to emerge @anilseth.bsky.social @mitibennett.bsky.social
An evolutionary perspective is much required to truly understand consciousness, how it originates and what clases we might find. We proposed a space of possible cognitions and did a comparative analysis
October 11, 2025 at 1:55 PM
An evolutionary perspective is much required to truly understand consciousness, how it originates and what clases we might find. We proposed a space of possible cognitions and did a comparative analysis
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
Is 3I/Atlas anything other than a comet? It’s remarkable how much bullshit has spread in recent months thanks to Avi Loeb’s sensational claims & how many journalists & influencers have taken the bait. Thanks @setiinstitute.bsky.social for fighting misinformation eartharxiv.org/repository/v...
October 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Is 3I/Atlas anything other than a comet? It’s remarkable how much bullshit has spread in recent months thanks to Avi Loeb’s sensational claims & how many journalists & influencers have taken the bait. Thanks @setiinstitute.bsky.social for fighting misinformation eartharxiv.org/repository/v...
Honored to receive the 2024 Outstanding Publication Award from the Intl Soc for Artificial Life @alife2025.bsky.social for our @royalsocietypublishing.org ublishing.org paper “Fundamental Constraints to the Logic of Living Systems” @sfiscience.bsky.social
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
October 8, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Honored to receive the 2024 Outstanding Publication Award from the Intl Soc for Artificial Life @alife2025.bsky.social for our @royalsocietypublishing.org ublishing.org paper “Fundamental Constraints to the Logic of Living Systems” @sfiscience.bsky.social
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
Si trobem vida en un altre planeta, serà diferent de la que coneixem? Crear vida al laboratori seguirà les mateixes regles? Pot existir vida sense aigua o ADN? I les IAs del futur, poden aparèixer sense assemblar-se al cervell humà? Vine al @iec.cat i t’ho explico! @melisupf.bsky.social @prbb.org
October 8, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Si trobem vida en un altre planeta, serà diferent de la que coneixem? Crear vida al laboratori seguirà les mateixes regles? Pot existir vida sense aigua o ADN? I les IAs del futur, poden aparèixer sense assemblar-se al cervell humà? Vine al @iec.cat i t’ho explico! @melisupf.bsky.social @prbb.org
What if the chaotic-looking patterns in dryland vegetation were actually hiding a deep order? Check our new @pnas.org paper on "disordered hyperuniformity": a hidden structure with big implications for sustainability in Earth’s most fragile ecosystems.https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2504496122
October 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
What if the chaotic-looking patterns in dryland vegetation were actually hiding a deep order? Check our new @pnas.org paper on "disordered hyperuniformity": a hidden structure with big implications for sustainability in Earth’s most fragile ecosystems.https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2504496122
He had a huge library (photo) and: "was a genius-level intellectual polymath with an insatiable curiosity. His interests ranged from quantum physics, which he taught himself (...), to whale biology, violins, obscure corners of French history in the early Middle Ages". He was an amazing guy.
October 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM
He had a huge library (photo) and: "was a genius-level intellectual polymath with an insatiable curiosity. His interests ranged from quantum physics, which he taught himself (...), to whale biology, violins, obscure corners of French history in the early Middle Ages". He was an amazing guy.
This issue contains contributions from a broad range of disciplines, including philosophy, statistical physics, systems biology, thermodynamics, synthetic biology, geochemistry and artificial life. All started with a workshop at @sfiscience.bsky.social @julipereto.bsky.social @artemyte.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 9:13 AM
This issue contains contributions from a broad range of disciplines, including philosophy, statistical physics, systems biology, thermodynamics, synthetic biology, geochemistry and artificial life. All started with a workshop at @sfiscience.bsky.social @julipereto.bsky.social @artemyte.bsky.social
Looking forward to speak at this @embo.org Workshop event meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... to explore the origins of multicellular complexity along with great colleagues @multicellgenome.bsky.social @wcratcliff.bsky.social @viktri08.bsky.social I will be discussing synthetic multicellularity.
October 1, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Looking forward to speak at this @embo.org Workshop event meetings.embo.org/event/25-mul... to explore the origins of multicellular complexity along with great colleagues @multicellgenome.bsky.social @wcratcliff.bsky.social @viktri08.bsky.social I will be discussing synthetic multicellularity.
What is agency? How did it emerge through evolution? Why is it key to understanding complexity? Check out this brilliant Open Access book by my dear colleagues Alvaro Moreno & @julipereto.bsky.social. A deep exploration of a crucial concept. Highly recommended! link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
October 1, 2025 at 10:16 AM
What is agency? How did it emerge through evolution? Why is it key to understanding complexity? Check out this brilliant Open Access book by my dear colleagues Alvaro Moreno & @julipereto.bsky.social. A deep exploration of a crucial concept. Highly recommended! link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...