About
I study ants, Active Inference, and cognitive security, 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) non-profit for open science.
My work runs from the behavioral ecology and transcriptomics of ant colonies to frameworks for consciousness, conflict resolution, and cognitive security, alongside pen-and-ink drawing and early Ethereum art (Curio Cards, 2017).
I hold a PhD in Ecology & Evolution from Stanford (advisor: Deborah M. Gordon), did an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Davis, and teach Biology at College of the Redwoods. Open to consulting, tutoring, and research collaboration.
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.
21 worksActive Inference & FEP
CEREBRUM, GNN, federated inference, Thoughtseeds, Bayesian modeling. With Karl Friston et al. Entropy, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
23 worksCognitive Security
COGSEC.org, P3IF, narrative security, ATLAS. 3 books: IRT-20, NIM-21, CAT-22. Cognitive Integrity Framework.
21 worksArt, Philosophy & Synergetics
William Blake, Buckminster Fuller, quadray/IVM math, Partner Pen Play, and early Ethereum art NFTs.
15 worksComputational Frameworks
Python, Rust, Go, TypeScript, Julia. AI-native workspaces, steganography, research templates, and document tooling.
16 works · 50 reposGenetics & Biomedicine
Honey bee evolution, nuclear structure, gene expression variation, Ehrlichial infection mechanisms.
9 worksSelected Publications
Highlights from the catalog across 8 research domains
Visual Art
Pen-and-ink drawing, and early Ethereum art on the mainnet since May 2017
942 catalogued pen-and-ink 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
10 cohorts through 2026. 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).
700+ Livestreams
500+ Active Inference Journal sessions + 200+ personal YouTube livestreams on research & art.
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