Follow your curiosity
Explore the work
Publications
Papers, books, and research notes, with citations and source PDFs where available.
Browse the bibliography BuildSoftware
Open-source tools for modeling, research, formalization, and scientific workflows.
Explore the software LookArt
Pen-and-ink drawings, geometric explorations, and the original Curio Cards.
Visit the gallery LearnTeaching
Biology courses, Active Inference study groups, and open learning materials.
Find learning pathsAbout
My research connects collective behavior, Active Inference, and cognitive security. I study ants and build open-source tools at the intersection of biology, computation, and information ecosystems. I am President and co-founder of the Active Inference Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for open science.
I hold a PhD in Ecology & Evolution from Stanford, where my advisor was Deborah M. Gordon, and completed an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Davis. I teach Biology at College of the Redwoods and draw in pen and ink, including three works in the Curio Cards collection.
This site brings together papers, software, talks, teaching, and art. One Surface, Many Projections describes how that record connects across domains. For a guided route, visit Start Here; for identifiers and public sources, use the Discovery Map.
Research Domains
Interconnected paths through the bibliography, software catalog, collaborators, and learning materials
Entomology & Social Insects
Harvester ants, collective behavior, dopamine regulation of foraging, brain gene expression. Cell, iScience, Communications Biology.
Domain catalogActive Inference & FEP
CEREBRUM, GNN, federated inference, Thoughtseeds, Bayesian modeling. With Karl Friston et al. Entropy, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
Domain catalogCognitive Security
COGSEC.org, P3IF, narrative security, ATLAS. 3 books: IRT-20, NIM-21, CAT-22. Cognitive Integrity Framework.
Domain catalogArt, Philosophy & Synergetics
William Blake, Buckminster Fuller, quadray/IVM math, Partner Pen Play, and early Ethereum art NFTs.
Domain catalogComputational Frameworks
Python, Rust, Go, TypeScript, Julia. AI-native workspaces, steganography, research templates, and document tooling.
Works & softwareGenetics & Biomedicine
Honey bee evolution, nuclear structure, gene expression variation, Ehrlichial infection mechanisms.
Domain catalogAII Ecosystem
Institute programs, textbook cohorts, open-science infrastructure, and the organizational context around Active Inference.
Domain catalogPresentations & Media
Talks, courses, study groups, presentations, and transcript-linked video routes across the research program.
Media catalogResearch Guides & Pillar Explainers
Comprehensive long-form tutorials, threat models, and architectural guides
What Is Cognitive Security?
Theory, threat models, information commons, narrative topography, and multi-agent AI defense.
Pillar GuideComputational Entomology
Algorithms, collective behavior, social insect neurogenomics, and digital ant colony simulation.
Pillar GuideInsect Cognition & Intelligence
Distributed problem-solving, stigmergic coordination, and Active Inference without a central brain.
Pillar GuideActive Inference Tutorial
Practical guide to the Free Energy Principle, generative models, expected free energy, and action selection.
TutorialNeurosymbolic AI & Inference
Bridging deep learning with formal knowledge graphs, category theory, and discrete active inference agents.
Pillar GuideAI Provenance & GEO Architecture
Verifiable citation structures, machine-readable exports, and Generative Engine Optimization principles.
Case StudySelected Publications
Highlights from the catalog across 8 research domains
Full bibliography Paper documentation Google Scholar ORCID Profile
Visual Art
Pen-and-ink drawings exploring patterns across living systems, minds, and mathematics
Complexity
Patterns across systems.
View the card
Passion
Rhythm, movement, and intensity.
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Education
Improvement and discovery.
View the cardContinue through the gallery for drawings exploring science, consciousness, and complex systems.
Media & Appearances
Podcasts, conferences, published interviews, courses, and press
Teaching & Education
University courses, online courses, and Active Inference Institute programs
AII Textbook Group
Nine completed 2022-textbook cohorts plus a live first 2026 Fundamentals cohort. Deep study of the Active Inference textbook (Parr, Pezzulo, Friston 2022 and Namjoshi 2026).
AII Programs
Internship (since 2022), Fellows Program (5 fellows by Nov 2024), Mentorship Program (2024).
Open Learning on Video
Research discussions, study groups, and art livestreams. Explore the video catalog.
Contact
Open to consulting, tutoring, and research collaboration in Active Inference, Bayesian modeling, computational biology, and cognitive security. Email is the best way to reach me.
Daniel@ActiveInference.Institute · danielarifriedman@gmail.com