iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Variations_on_a_theme_270926. #Emergent #Multiscale #Organisation across (un)conscious states. I’ve been toying with how we visualise data as #digital #art- (ifacts). I am using @blender.org‘s particle systems, scientific data is the medium. Art accompanying the publication.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I hold that this research programme is promising and cannot be reduced to source level dynamics. We even tried(!) by projecting the n-macros back onto the source dynamics to see if maybe going "macro" doesn't add anything. 15/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

From this dual working definition of #multiscale #emergence important inferences emerge (😅) that are worth chasing up---these two paragraphs in our discussion do a good job at summarising that: 13/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

But we can do some stats as well, and we show that #wakefulness reveals a significantly more structured emergent landscape across scales than both, #propofol and #xenon, but, when #compared to #ketamine, some preservation of structure is revealed in ketamine too! 12/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

As raw data, for each subject and macroscale, the data look something like this.. 12/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Giving us a proxy for the organisation of the energy landscape, or emergent landscape at those scales. We introduce the #structure-#fragmentation (SF) index to ascertain the degree of (dis)organisation of the #multiscale #emergent landscape of dynamics. 11/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Now, with that out of the way, lets get into the nitty gritty. We show that under this definition wake is marked by #reduced #emergence of multiscale dynamics compared to #xenon and #propofol, whereas #ketamine shows #heightened #emergence! 6/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

But, what the hell is #multiscale #emergence anyway(?!) In this paper, what we mean by it is captured by identifying lower-dimensional subspaces we call 'n'-macros in EEG which represent dynamically closed dynamics. We do this across dimensionalities, i.e., across scales. 3/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

No more power ups please. I just wanna chill and do my thang. I’ll be AI generating my way right into the stone age if this continues.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

If we want #synthetic #consciousness, the challenge is not to find what algorithm we should run. But, what kind of physical system must compute it and what are it’s features. That is the shift #biological #computationalism demands. 8/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Biological computation has 3 properties: 1. It is #hybrid: discrete events embedded in continuous dynamics 2. It is #scale-#inseparable: no clean software/hardware or functional level separation 3. Its metabolically grounded: #scale-#integration is an energy optimisation strategy 4/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

The core claim is simple but uncomfortable: the traditional computational paradigm is broken. Brains don’t compute like von Neumann machines, but we can build an alternative theory of computation 3/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Anaesthetic-induced unresponsiveness, by contrast, breaks this vertical tether: macroscopic dynamics proliferate and become fragmented, producing an explosion of the number of closed macros discovered on each scale that never consolidate into structured and dominant dynamics 11/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Contrasting this with #wake, and to a lesser extent the #dream-like #ketamine anaesthetic state, which display *lower* overall emergence but a far more structured emergence landscape! It was crazy wild! But it took time to grasp the deeper insight behind it. 8/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Getting into the nitty gritty, we found drug specific effects. First, propofol and xenon both *elevate* emergence while fragmenting the emergent landscape across the #multiscale #heterarchy. 7/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

The results overturn an intuitive assumption that richer #consciousness should coincide with greater #emergence. Instead, we show that loss of consc. is characterised by higher emergence (meaning stronger cross-scale decoupling) yet the emergent landscape becomes fragmented 6/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Today, on our closing day, we begin with the cohesive and clear work of Carmen Miguel. Here she is providing us with a model of chasing movement of pairs of fish. Going beyond just toy examples of collective dynamics!

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

..After which.. we have the wonderful #synch.live active scientifico-movement-performance!

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Next up!.. Madalina Sas presenting a consilience between artistic and scientific methods in her practice to discover emergent phenomena. Fascinating! #EmbracingComplexity @ifisc.uib-csic.es

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

After an afternoon swim and a beautiful dinner yesterday we begin refreshed for the 4th day of the workshop with David Sanchez presenting on whether human coordination is embedded in social network structures. In the image is a fascinating analysis of the use of ‘bruh!’ Across the U.S., #bruh.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Our third day begins with a #Workshop #Tutorial, by the always-erudite Pedro Mediano. Making distinctions between the difference ‘faces’ of an #information-theorist he presents a clear starters guide to information in #complex #systems.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

For the first #workshop of #EmbracingComplexity, Julia Mindlin explains how Takens embedding can be used to chatacterise time-series from climate-specific dynamical systems. With the addition, of measuring their complexity under particular criteria. Fascinating work!

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Antonella Tramacere moves us towards not only thinking about the positives of emergentist thinking, but towards its limits as well. A talk that is proving powerful with its considered precision of thought.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Next, Leonardo Gollo highlighting a key notion of scales and the duality of whether a priviledged scale is a necessary assumption.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Today we kick off with @frosas.bsky.social, with an opening overview of the utility of maths when confronting challenges in philosophy, particularly ideas of emergence!

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

After lunch, we have begun with Lucas Lacasa (@wetuad.bsky.social) who is introducing the use of #federated #learning as implementable solutions for cross-institutional problems. Highlighting industry applications of quantifying #emergence. @ifisc.uib-csic.es

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Next, @canalesjohnson.bsky.social showing that shifts between temporal integration and segregation in sound phenomenology is concomitant with information exchange of neural dynamics between Frontal and Posterior regions prior to report. Super cool!

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

We kick off #EmbracingComplexity with the inimitable @laurennross.bsky.social explaining two key aspects of emergence that cause philosophical and scientific challenges. Challenges we hope to tackle! @ifisc.uib-csic.es @rherzoga.bsky.social

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

We're looking forward to welcoming everyone to #Mallorca tomorrow at the @ifisc.uib-csic.es, for the #EmbracingComplexity: Principled and practical approaches to #emergence! It's going to be a stellar line-up, during what appears to be a few glorious summer days. See you tomorrow everyone! 🎉🎉

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

The key is that we *very* systematically show how our Dynamical Independence framework works on simple synthetic data. Serving as a step-by-step tutorial on what you can do with it! 3/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

🎉 FINALLY PUBLISHED! 🎉 We outline how to capture the #emergent dynamical structure in #biophysical neural models. coauthored with a team dear to my heart; @thomasandrillon.bsky.social, @anilseth.bsky.social, Lionel Barnett, and Olivia Carter. journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

🏆 Embracing #Complexity: Principled and Practical Approaches to #Emergence 🏆 We are delighted to announce a first-of-its-kind workshop on emergence across scientific domains. Hosted on 23-27 June, 2025, @ #IFISC, Mallorca, Spain AND, WE WANT YOU TO COME! 🫵 🪧 ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS OPEN 🪧 Link 👇

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Hearing @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu speak on EU’s AI future at the #AISummit in Paris sounds promising. But I would argue that a parallel with @cern.bsky.social should not be the direction. We should not be investing in larger data centres but rather better systems that use significantly less compute.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Leaving London with a full heart and a stimulated mind after the Stat. Phys. of Cog workshop which had me—amongst others—glued to every talk and poster. The poster sess. was extremely fun, and presenting to an impressive line up of scientists I admire was equal parts terrifying and fulfilling.

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

But the organisational structure is maximised (!) at the balanced point, and minimised (!) otherwise: 10/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

We show that the dependence of macroscopic patterns on microlevel constituents is stronger during balanced points of int and seg, and weaker otherwise. In our framework, this means emergence is minimised (!) during balanced points of int and seg, and maximised (!) otherwise: 9/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Using a simulated minimal biophysical neural model: 7/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

t’s widely assumed that complex neural systems can exhibit structured emergent dynamics. But capturing this emergent structure without a bird’s-eye view of the system is a real challenge. Take, for instance, a murmuration of starlings: 2/n

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Borjan (Boki) Milinković @neuromorphicboki.bsky.social · 02/12/2023

A wonderful time chatting about emergence in respect to brains and neural systems. It’s been real. Thank you. #ACNS2023

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