Chrysalis Labs is an independent research lab and think tank dedicated to advancing foundational knowledge in neurobiology, affect science, and human information processing.
We conduct original research into the mechanisms by which cultural and cognitive structures shape human perception, decision-making, and biological response. Our work spans several interconnected domains: the role of inherited explanatory patterns in shaping scientific inquiry, the bioenergetic relationship between information environments and population-level outcomes, thermodynamic frameworks for understanding evolutionary and demographic dynamics, and the development of novel models for classifying and predicting affective response in complex systems.
We believe that many of the most consequential barriers to human progress are not technological but perceptual — rooted in unexamined assumptions that have persisted across centuries and now operate beneath the surface of modern science and culture. Identifying and removing these barriers is prerequisite work for any serious effort to expand the boundaries of human capability.
Chrysalis Labs is not affiliated with any university, corporation, or government body. We operate independently, publish on our own terms, and prioritize engineering rigor and empirical falsifiability over institutional consensus.
Founded by John MacKinnon. Toronto, Canada.