Complexity Digest 2004.01

Jan. 05, 2004

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Content

  1. E-Learning - Predictions, DarwinMag.com
    1. Bringing the Historical Confucius to Life, NYTimes
  2. How to Measure Student Proficiency?, NYTimes
    1. Wins, Losses and Algorithms, NYTimes
  3. Increase Of Complexity From Classical Greek To Latin Poetry, Complex Systems
  4. Corporate Pensions Face Pressure Despite Stock Rally, NYTimes
    1. An Operation to Ease Back Pain Bolsters the Bottom Line, Too, NYTimes
    2. Is Your Future Written?, CIO Magazine
  5. Way to Track U.S. Cattle Isn't Ready for Quick Use, NYTimes
  6. Therapeutic Approaches To Protein-Misfolding Diseases, Nature
    1. Protein Folding And Misfolding, Nature
  7. Squaring The Circle: South African Fruit Exports, J. Int. Development
    1. Vietnam In The Global Economy: Trade, Employment And Poverty, J. Int. Development
  8. Workplace: The Bad Apples Do Spoil The Whole Barrel, J. Org. Behavior
    1. Mapping Weblog Communities, arXiv
  9. Songbird Duets Resonate To Beat, Natue Science update
  10. Are Viruses Driving Microbial Diversification And Diversity?, Env. Microbiol.
    1. A Computational Algebra Approach to the Reverse Engineering of Gene Regulatory Networks, arXiv
  11. Evolution Of Spatial Expression Pattern, Evol. & Development
    1. Structure Trees And Species Trees: What They Say, Evol. & Development
    2. Coral Reveals Ancient Origins Of Human Genes, Nature
  12. 'Reverse Genetics' Could Offer Forward-Thinking Flu Vaccine, Nature
    1. Modelling of SARS for Hong Kong, arXiv
  13. Midlife Crisis In Brain Circuitry As Key To Brain Aging, ScienceDaily
    1. Young Nerve Cells Can Rewind Their Developmental Clocks, Eurekalert
    2. MIT Helps Unlock Life-extending Secrets Of Calorie Restriction, ScienceDaily
  14. Scientists Grapple with 'Dark Energy' Theory, NPR Audio
    1. The Time We Thought We Knew, NYTimes
  15. Gaia: The living Earth, Nature
    1. Planetary Science: Icy Martian Mysteries, Nature
    2. Ships' Logs Uncover Past Climate, BBC News
  16. Heavyweights Are Choosing Sides in Battle Over Next DVD Format, NYTimes
    1. Computer Hardware 2004's Top Technology Trends, Forbes
  17. What We Will Do in 2004, NYTimes
    1. The Fantasy and Reality of 2004, Wired
  18. How the Internet has Changed Our Lives, Nielsen-Netratings.com
    1. The Battle Against Junk Mail and Spyware on the Web, NYTimes
    2. Viruses Make Criminal Move, BBC News
  19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
    1. Freeze On Terror Cash Not Working, Associated Press
    2. A Nuclear Headache: What if the Radicals Oust Musharraf?, NYTimes
    3. FBI Warns of Potential Almanac Terror Link, NPR Audio
    4. Guarding Incoming Airliners, NYTimes
    5. Bus Thief's Trip to Kennedy Raises Alarm, and Questions, NY Times
  20. Links & Snippets
    1. Other Publications
    2. Webcast Announcements
    3. Conference & Call for Papers Announcements
    4. ComDig Announcement: New ComDig Archive in Beta Test

  1. E-Learning - Predictions, DarwinMag.com Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Think customizable simulations that can be available on demand.Tools are easier to use, learning management systems (LMSs) are in place and catalog vendors have consolidated to just a few players. With that in mind, I hereby put forth my top five e-learning trend predictions for 2004: Customer e-learning courseware will gain enterprise importance. Outsourced e-learning will be the model or choice for corporate buyers. Buyers will spend more; strong vendors will thrive. Simulations will prove to be the premier choice for compelling training. On-demand e-learning technology services will go mainstream.

    1. Bringing the Historical Confucius to Life, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts:
      Provincial Museum of Shandong
      Confucius, as portrayed in a silk painting.
      The Musée Guimet in Paris has set out to bridge the gap between East and West by devoting an exhibition to this central pillar of Asian thought.

      By all accounts, he was a man devoted to learning (...).

      In Book 2, Verse 4, of the Analects, he is quoted as summarizing his life in typically philosophical terms: "The Master said, `At 15, I had my mind bent on learning. At 30, I stood firm. At 40, I had no doubts. At 50, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At 60, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At 70, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right."

  2. How to Measure Student Proficiency?, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts:
    Disparities in Testing
    Disparities in Testing
    Three-quarters of children across the country would fail South Carolina's tough fifth-grade test, one study shows, while seven out of eight would ace the third-grade tests in Colorado and Texas. (...) The divergent standards also have ramifications under the federal education law, passed in 2001. Schools deemed failures eventually face stern consequences, including loss of students and reorganization. And in some states with high standards there could be lots of failing schools. In other states with low standards, schools with equally poor performance could be left alone.

    1. Wins, Losses and Algorithms, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: How computers made a mess out of college football.

      Moral: when people try to divide subjective opinions into components and put them together to get more accuracy, they often end up disagreeing with the result. Maybe you've experienced this when you've tried using a checklist to choose a house or a housemate and ended up following your instincts instead.

      Most of the practical decisions that people make are based not on logic but on intuition. Most decisions hang on too many things that can't be objectively measured and combined.

  3. Increase Of Complexity From Classical Greek To Latin Poetry, Complex Systems Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: In this paper a method is developed to analyze the increase of complexity from classical Greek poetry to classical Latin poetry by mapping large samples of poems onto a symbolic time series. This mapping setup intends to characterize the regular succession of rhythms, that is, the patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse. Using techniques from information theory; more precisely, the mutual information function, it is shown how the rhythmical patterns in Greek poetry evolve to more complex behavior in Latin poetry. Some interesting results are reported.

  4. Corporate Pensions Face Pressure Despite Stock Rally, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: A year ago, even though stock prices were lower, the same companies were considerably closer to meeting their obligations, being only $212 billion short. (...)

    That is because their obligations to their workers have spiraled up at an even faster pace than stocks have risen. One obvious reason for this is that as the baby boom generation ages, many more people are starting to claim their money. Another factor is that many pension calculations incorporate several years' worth of data, to smooth out shar

    1. An Operation to Ease Back Pain Bolsters the Bottom Line, Too, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Critics say there is a clear reason why a complex surgery called spinal fusion is being performed more and more often: money. A complex operation called spinal fusion has emerged as the treatment of choice for many kinds of unrelenting back pain. (...) But a number of researchers say there is little scientific evidence to show that for most patients, spinal fusion works any better than a simpler operation, the laminectomy. (...) Some people, experts add, would be better off with no surgery at all. (...)

    2. Is Your Future Written?, CIO Magazine Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: (...) Thurow argued that globalization is inexorable, and that we're moving toward a harsher form of capitalism than we've seen in the past. This belief is reflected in some of our reporting in this issue. But Businesspeople can influence the course of events to create a better future-for themselves, for the U.S. economy and for the developing world as well, Thurow asserts in his interview with Art Jahnke.

      Working to shape that future requires CIOs and other executives to make choices that demand real moral courage in the face of

  5. Way to Track U.S. Cattle Isn't Ready for Quick Use, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: An animal identification system that the Agriculture Department has said it will begin putting in place immediately to help safeguard the meat supply against mad cow disease is expected to take a year or two to phase in, an official said yesterday. Weaknesses in tracking cattle have been revealed in the last week as officials have scrambled to try to locate cows connected to the one in Washington State found to be infected with mad cow disease. (...) trace them to their origins within 48 hours.

  6. Therapeutic Approaches To Protein-Misfolding Diseases, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Summary: Several sporadic and genetic diseases are caused by protein misfolding. These include cystic fibrosis and other devastating diseases of childhood as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other debilitating maladies of the elderly. A unified view of the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of these conditions has led to the search for chemical chaperones that can slow, arrest or revert disease progression. Molecules are now emerging that link our biophysical insights with our therapeutic aspirations.

    1. Protein Folding And Misfolding, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The manner in which a newly synthesized chain of amino acids transforms itself into a perfectly folded protein depends both on the intrinsic properties of the amino-acid sequence and on multiple contributing influences from the crowded cellular milieu. Folding and unfolding are crucial ways of regulating biological activity and targeting proteins to different cellular locations. Aggregation of misfolded proteins that escape the cellular quality-control mechanisms is a common feature of a wide range of highly debilitating and increasingly prevalent diseases.

  7. Squaring The Circle: South African Fruit Exports, J. Int. Development Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: South African fruit growers simultaneously face rising standards imposed within supermarket global value chains, falling market prices internationally, and increasing government legislation. These pressures are leading to falling permanent employment and increasing use of contract labour on fruit farms, tempered by the need to employ skilled workers to meet quality and labour standards. Informal contract employment provides some (male) workers with regular work at relatively good pay, but others (particularly women) work for short periods at low pay. None enjoy work security or employment benefits. The informality of work intensifies their risks and vulnerability to poverty.

    1. Vietnam In The Global Economy: Trade, Employment And Poverty, J. Int. Development Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Vietnam has undergone a significant change from a relatively closed economy as a result of the reform process initiated in the late 1980s. Since one of the main mechanisms through which greater openness is expected to lead to poverty reduction is via the labour market, the paper examines the impact which trade flows have had on employment in Vietnam since the early 1990s. (...) the paper shows that the growth of exports has had a significant positive effect on employment, while increased import competition had a negative effect both directly and indirectly through rationalization of producers facing foreign competition.

  8. Workplace: The Bad Apples Do Spoil The Whole Barrel, J. Org. Behavior Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: The influences of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and workplace deviant behavior (WDB) on business unit performance were investigated using data from branches of a fast food organization. Data included measures of WDB and OCB obtained from staff, ratings of performance provided by supervisors, and objective measures of performance. It was found that WDB was negatively and significantly associated with business unit performance (...). OCB, however, failed to contribute to the prediction of business unit performance beyond the level that was achieved by WDB. It appeared, therefore, that the presence of deviant employees among business units impinges upon the performance (...).

    1. Mapping Weblog Communities, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Websites of a particular class form increasingly complex networks, and new tools are needed to map and understand them. A way of visualizing this complex network is by mapping it. A map highlights which members of the community have similar interests, and reveals the underlying social network. In this paper, we will map a network of websites using Kohonen's self-organizing map (SOM), a neural-net like method generally used for clustering and visualization of complex data sets. The set of websites considered has been the Blogalia weblog hosting site (based at http://www.blogalia.com ), a thriving community of around 200 members, created in January 2002. In this paper we show how SOM discovers interesting community features, its relation with other community-discovering algorithms, and the way it highlights the set of communities formed over the network.
      • Source: Mapping Weblog Communities, Juan-J. Merelo-Guervos, Beatriz Prieto, Fatima Rateb, Fernando Tricas, DOI: cs.NE/0312047, arXiv, 2003-12-20

  9. Songbird Duets Resonate To Beat, Natue Science update Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: The synchronized rhythms of South American ovenbirds may be driven by simple physics, say researchers, rather than deep-rooted musical talent. (...) When a male and female strike up song, the male begins by singing (...).

    Instead of keeping pace with her partner, the female punctuates his beat with one of her own. The result is "a most appealing rhythm," (...).

    (...) muscles controlling the birds' breathing and syrinx, the sound-generating organ, work like so-called nonlinear oscillators. Nonlinear oscillators can respond to regular 'driving' signals in complex ways.

  10. Are Viruses Driving Microbial Diversification And Diversity?, Env. Microbiol. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Viruses can influence the genetic diversity of prokaryotes in various ways (...) by 'killing the winner' and keeping in check competitive dominants. This may sustain species richness and the amount of information encoded in genomes. Viruses can also transfer (viral and host) genes between species. Such mechanisms have probably influenced the speciation of prokaryotes. Whole-genome sequencing has clearly revealed the importance of (virus-mediated) gene transfer. Here, we present data supporting the hypothesis that viral genes and viral activity generate genetic variability of prokaryotes and are a driving force for ecological functioning and evolutionary change.

    1. A Computational Algebra Approach to the Reverse Engineering of Gene Regulatory Networks, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: This paper proposes a new method to reverse engineer gene regulatory networks from experimental data. The modeling framework used is time-discrete deterministic dynamical systems, with a finite set of states for each of the variables. The simplest examples of such models are Boolean networks, in which variables have only two possible states. The use of a larger number of possible states allows a finer discretization of experimental data and more than one possible mode of action for the variables, depending on threshold values. Furthermore, with a suitable choice of state set, one can employ powerful tools from computational algebra, that underlie the reverse-engineering algorithm, avoiding costly enumeration strategies. To perform well, the algorithm requires wildtype together with perturbation time courses. This makes it suitable for small to meso-scale networks rather than networks on a genome-wide scale. The complexity of the algorithm is quadratic in the number of variables and cubic in the number of time points. The algorithm is validated on a recently published Boolean network model of segment polarity development in Drosophila melanogaster.

  11. Evolution Of Spatial Expression Pattern, Evol. & Development Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Summary: How can complex patterns of gene expression evolve? Understanding the near-precise repeatability of morphology created by animal development (...) is one of the most difficult outstanding problems in developmental biology. Spatial patterns are created in part by interactions between transcription factors and their DNA targets. Here we simulate the evolution of such interactions to compare the success and the evolvability of simple and complex gene networks (...). We find that adding more genes to a network makes only a slight difference to evolvability. Expression patterns can evolve within a few hundred mutational events, and some simulations show partial redundancy.
    • Source: Evolution Of Spatial Expression Pattern, L. J. Johnson, J. F. Y. Brookfield - john.brookfieldanottingham.ac.uk, DOI: 110.1046/j.1525-142X.2003.03064.x, Evolution & Development, Nov. 2003
    • Contributed by Pritha Das - prithadas01ayahoo.com

    1. Structure Trees And Species Trees: What They Say, Evol. & Development Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary: The evolutionary history of morphological structures generally is equated with that of the taxa that carry them. It is argued here that, analogous to genes, developmental genetic pathways underlying morphological structures may be subject to developmental evolutionary changes that result, for instance, in. Entities that undergo evolution are expected to be related to each other as a tree. Just as with molecular evolution, "structure trees" and species trees sometimes may be incongruent, (...). These analyses suggest that leaf primordia in monocots and close relatives are related to each other as a tree and, therefore, are developmentally integrated, evolving entities.

    2. Coral Reveals Ancient Origins Of Human Genes, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: A study of coral suggests that ancient members of the animal kingdom slithered through the Precambrian mud with a hefty cache of genes in common with humans.

      Surprisingly, many of these genes are not shared with creatures such as flies and worms, even though these animals evolved millions of years after coral. This calls into question some studies that use these model organisms to unravel the evolution of the human genome.

      (...) much older origins, and have been lost during the evolution of the fly and worm.

  12. 'Reverse Genetics' Could Offer Forward-Thinking Flu Vaccine, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Scientists could rapidly engineer the seed strain in the laboratory by stitching together the viral genes they want, and then use it to mass-produce the vaccine in hens' eggs.

    Influenza vaccines made using reverse genetics have not yet progressed through clinical trials, however. And according to WHO officials and other experts, vaccine manufacturers might be dissuaded from using reverse genetics because they would owe licensing fees to MedImmune, a biotechnology firm based in Gaithersburg, Maryland that holds patents on the technique.

    1. Modelling of SARS for Hong Kong, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: A simplified susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) epidemic model and a small-world model are applied to analyse the spread and control of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) for Hong Kong in early 2003. From data available in mid April 2003, we predict that SARS would be controlled by June and nearly 1700 persons would be infected based on the SIR model. This is consistent with the known data. A simple way to evaluate the development and efficacy of control is described and shown to provide a useful measure for the future evolution of an epidemic. This may contribute to improve strategic response from the government. The evaluation process here is universal and therefore applicable to many similar homogeneous epidemic diseases within a fixed population. A novel model consisting of map systems involving the Small-World network principle is also described. We find that this model reproduces qualitative features of the random disease propagation observed in the true data. Unlike traditional deterministic models, scale-free phenomena are observed in the epidemic network. The numerical simulations provide theoretical support for current strategies and achieve more efficient control of some epidemic diseases, including SARS.

  13. Midlife Crisis In Brain Circuitry As Key To Brain Aging, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: A novel model of human brain aging developed by a UCLA neuroscientist identifies midlife breakdown of myelin, a fatty insulation coating the brain's internal wiring, as a possible key to the onset of Alzheimer's disease later in life. (...) the model presents opportunities to explore how lifestyle changes, hormone replacement therapy, higher education or treatment with common medications in middle age might help brains remain healthy longer. "This model embraces the human brain as a high-speed Internet rather than a computer. The quality of the Internet's connections is the key to its speed, fidelity and overall capability."

    1. Young Nerve Cells Can Rewind Their Developmental Clocks, Eurekalert Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Scientists have identified a gene in the cerebral cortex that apparently controls the developmental clock of embryonic nerve cells, a finding that could open another door to tissue replacement therapy in the central nervous system. In a new study, the researchers found that they could rewind the clock in young cortical cells in mice by eliminating a gene called Foxg1. The finding could potentially form the basis of a new method to push progenitor cells in the brain to generate a far wider array of tissue than is now possible.

    2. MIT Helps Unlock Life-extending Secrets Of Calorie Restriction, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Shedding light on why drastically restricting calorie intake prolongs life span in some organisms, MIT researchers report (...) that lowering the level of a common coenzyme activates an anti-aging gene in yeast. Calorie restriction extends life span in a wide spectrum of organisms, and has been shown to delay the onset or reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases, including cancer and diabetes. (...) calorie restriction activates the silenced information regulator (SIR2) gene, which has the apparent ability to slow aging during the low-calorie diet. Humans carry a similar gene. This latest study probes how Sir2 is activated by calorie restriction.

  14. Scientists Grapple with 'Dark Energy' Theory, NPR Audio Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: In recent years, scientists have theorized that as much as two-thirds of the universe may be made up of a mysterious substance called "dark energy." As new observations continue to support the existence of dark energy, scientists struggle to understand what it portends for the fate of the universe. Hear NPR's Richard Harris.

    1. The Time We Thought We Knew, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts:
      Time and space themselves, though, would be rendered secondary, derivative features, that emerge only in suitable conditions (in the aftermath of the Big Bang, for example). (...)

      A hundred years ago today, the discovery of special relativity was still 18 months away, and science still embraced the Newtonian description of time. Now, however, modern physics' notion of time is clearly at odds with the one most of us have internalized. Einstein greeted the failure of science to confirm the familiar experience of time with "painful but inevitable resignation."

  15. Gaia: The living Earth, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Like life, Gaia is an emergent phenomenon, comprehensible intuitively, but difficult or impossible to analyse by reduction - not surprisingly it is often misunderstood. A simple automatic mechanism, like a thermostatically controlled oven, requires a sensor to measure the difference between the ambient temperature and the set point of regulation, (...) and apply it as negative feedback to oppose unwanted change. Living systems rarely work in this simple way; they require positive as well as negative feedback for homeostasis, and a restraining function replaces the simple manual set point.

    1. Planetary Science: Icy Martian Mysteries, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Both Mars and Earth have experienced ice ages in geologically recent times. (...) scientific quest to answer the question of how ice ages originate.

      Among the grandest of mysteries about planet Earth is the origin of its ice ages and related climate change. Human civilization developed during a warm, 'greenhouse' climatic interlude of several thousand years within the overall 'ice-house' conditions of a major ice age that became most intense during the past two million years. (...) evidence that this same period coincides with an occurrence of martian ice ages.

    2. Ships' Logs Uncover Past Climate, BBC News Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts:
      Ships at sea National Maritime Museum
      East Indiaman under sail: The data collected was vital
      An international team is pioneering a new source of information about climate change: old sailing ships' logbooks. (...)

      The 19th and 18th Century logbooks from UK, Dutch, French and Spanish fleets yield "consistent and reliable" data.

      Cliwoc says its work is slowly building up "one of the most accurate pictures yet of daily weather over the oceans." Cliwoc says it "aims to discover more about the changing climate over the world's oceans before industrialisation could have had any significant influence on climate and weather."

  16. Heavyweights Are Choosing Sides in Battle Over Next DVD Format, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: The next generation of DVD's, which will not be widely available until at least 2005, are already the subject of a multibillion-dollar fight. The arguments are in many ways reminiscent of the Betamax-VHS showdown in the 1970's (...) (...) the HD (high definition) DVD, a disc that is 0.6 millimeter thick and made with machinery similar to that used for today's DVD's. On the other side (...) a disc only 0.1 millimeter thick that can hold more data but needs additional investment to be produced. Information on the discs can be overwritten after it is recorded, something that is not possible wi

    1. Computer Hardware 2004's Top Technology Trends, Forbes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Bluetooth, the wireless technology that replaces the cables on electronics, is set to have a big year in 2004. (...) In the past, the companies said, manufacturers of products like keyboards and headsets had focused on perfecting one piece of the Bluetooth technology. But now they're ready to introduce full-fledged products. Once a few PCs start shipping with built-in Bluetooth keyboards and mice, watch skeptics start jumping onto the Bluetooth bandwagon in August, around back-to-school season. We'll be saying we told you so.
      Editor's Note:: I can confirm: Bluetooth keyboard and mouse -like on my mac- are really neat.

  17. What We Will Do in 2004, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: We resolve, of course, to expand freedom, and we are focused in particular on Afghanistan and Iraq. The Afghan people now have a constitution, a rapidly advancing market economy, and new hope as they look toward national elections. (...) free and talented Iraqi nation are also taking wing, now that Saddam Hussein's murderous and dangerous regime is no more. We are working to return sovereignty to the Iraqi people through a fair and open process and to ensure that the country receives the maximum feasible debt relief.

    1. The Fantasy and Reality of 2004, Wired Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: "I wish that spam would just go away in 2004.

      "What probably will happen is that the amount of spam that is being sent out will explode in volume, (...).

      "We'll have more poorly conceived laws like the recently passed U.S. and British ones that are full of holes that you can drive a truckload of spam through. Laws against spam will be watered down by direct marketers who tend to equate e-mail with physical direct marketing (...), thanks to the transference of cost.

  18. How the Internet has Changed Our Lives, Nielsen-Netratings.com Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: It is almost impossible to overstate the extent to which the Internet has changed our lives in that time. Selected by Nielsen//NetRatings' European analytics team, the following ten websites and Internet applications are the ones we feel have had the greatest impact on the Internet and on society as a whole so far. Google This website is so successful it became a verb - search engine Google is not only one of the most-visited sites online, it is also the market leader in a fiercely competitive sector.

    1. The Battle Against Junk Mail and Spyware on the Web, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The communications breakthrough that was supposed to link people and information in revolutionary new ways is turning into a forum for digital detritus that pushes Viagra, pornography and penile enhancements.

      The spam law that Congress recently enacted will have little impact on this blight. The law makes it easier to know who is sending the spam because it requires the senders to furnish return addresses and other information. But it also guts stronger state statutes, which would have given spammers more incentive to knock it off.

    2. Viruses Make Criminal Move, BBC News Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The communications breakthrough that was supposed to link people and information in revolutionary new ways is turning into a forum for digital detritus that pushes Viagra, pornography and penile enhancements.

      The spam law that Congress recently enacted will have little impact on this blight. The law makes it easier to know who is sending the spam because it requires the senders to furnish return addresses and other information. But it also guts stronger state statutes, which would have given spammers more incentive to knock it off.

  19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Freeze On Terror Cash Not Working, Associated Press Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts:
      Pfc. Michael Oakes stood guard at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Security was heightened in many cities across the United States.
      Though an internal investigation in 2002 recommended OFAC make changes to ensure it has the legal authority to test banks' compliance with sanctions, the agency hasn't taken steps to do so, (...).

      "This leaves OFAC in a position of not knowing what it does not know," (...). "While many financial institutions report their own violations when they are detected, we do not have the luxury of assuming that all financial institutions do this.

      "The dangers of terrorism financing operating unhindered are too great to take a passive approach," (...).

    2. A Nuclear Headache: What if the Radicals Oust Musharraf?, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Two recent assassination attempts against Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, have renewed concern in the Bush administration over both the stability of a critical ally and the security of its nuclear weapons if General Musharraf were killed or removed from office.

      Administration officials would not discuss their contingency plans for Pakistan, but several said the White House was revisiting an effort (...) to prevent Al Qaeda or extremists within the Pakistani military or intelligence services from gaining access to the country's weapons and fissile material.

    3. FBI Warns of Potential Almanac Terror Link, NPR Audio Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The FBI warns that almanacs could be used by terrorists "to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning." The FBI warns police that terrorists could use the books, which compile data on everything from lunar cycles to weather patterns, to plan an attack.
      Editor's Note: Actually, any type of useful book or newspaper could be used by a terrorist.

    4. Guarding Incoming Airliners, NYTimes Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: When the United States has intelligence about a possible terrorist threat, it has every right to demand that foreign airliners headed for the United States carry air marshals or other law enforcement officers onboard. The total freedom of air carriers from other countries to make their own security rules ends when their planes are bound for American airspace. Tom Ridge, (...), made the correct decision when he issued an emergency order (...) after six Los Angeles-bound Air France flights, which do not carry marshals, were canceled because of terrorism concerns.
      Editor's Note: Here is a scenario for the next terrorist attack: Al Qaeda infiltrates an Air Marshal service of a foreign airline, uses their officially sanctioned guns to take over the plane … Or did I see that scenario already in a movie?

    5. Bus Thief's Trip to Kennedy Raises Alarm, and Questions, NY Times Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: A 55-seat private bus was stolen from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in broad daylight on Sunday - (...). It was seven hours before the police knew it was gone. (...)

      The tale also triggered more serious questions. At a time of renewed terror warnings, some found it unsettling to know that a bus - surely a formidable weapon in the hands of a terrorist - could be stolen in Midtown Manhattan and remain undetected for so long.

      "It is particularly troubling that this could happen at a time of heightened security (...).
      Editor's Note: I was told by a shuttle bus driver at LAX that they are never undergo a security check when they approach the terminal.

  20. Links & Snippets Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Other Publications Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Wind Industry, Environmentalists Split on Energy Bill , Alternative energy companies are at odds with environmental groups over support for the energy bill currently stalled in Congress. The wind energy industry says passage of the bill is needed to renew tax credits, which expire today, crucial to their industry's survival. But environmental groups say the rest of the bill will do more harm than good. Jeff Young reports.
      2. The Cow Jumped Over the U.S.D.A., Eric Schlosser, You'd have a hard time finding a federal agency more completely dominated by the industry it was created to regulate than the Agriculture Department.
      3. Flight Sent Back on Terror Fear, U.S. Officials Say, Eric Lichtblau, U.S. authorities imposed extraordinary security measures on at least seven incoming flights because of terrorist concerns.
      4. That Parent-Child Conversation Is Becoming Instant, and Online, John Schwartz, Instant messaging, long a part of teenagers' lives, is working its way into the broader fabric of the American family.
      5. Immigration Reform, American officials cannot keep pretending that 8 million to 10 million illegal immigrants do not exist.
      6. The Unkept Promise, Until we start chiseling away at our farm subsidies, the promise of trade will remain a promise unkept for many of the world's poor.
      7. 'Most Influential' Websites Named, The sites that have had the most impact on how we see the net have been chosen by analysts
      8. Special Counsel Is Named to Head Inquiry on C.I.A. Leak, Eric Lichtblau, At the same time, Attorney General John Ashcroft disqualified himself from any involvement in the politically charged case.
      9. The Right Thing, at Last, After a long delay, Attorney General John Ashcroft finally has turned the inquiry into last summer's C.I.A. leak over to a deputy.
      10. Effort to Promote U.S. Falls Short, Critics Say, Christopher Marquis, America, the land that gave the world Coca-Cola, "Titanic" and the Marlboro Man, is having a hard time selling itself.
      11. This Car Can Talk. What It Says May Cause Concern, John Schwartz, OnStar is one of a growing number of automated eyes and ears that enhance driving safety and convenience but that also increase the potential for surveillance.
      12. How Internet Banks Have Inched Ahead on Rates, John Kimelman, If your bank offers too-low interest rates for your savings, it may be time to go "branchless."
      13. Cell Cycle: Passenger Acrobatics , Toru Higuchi, Frank Uhlmann, 03/12/18, Nature 426, 780 - 781 , DOI: 10.1038/426780a
      14. A Self-Organizing System Of Repressor Gradients Establishes Segmental Complexity Indrosophila, Dorothy E. Clyde, Maria S. G. Corado, Xuelin Wu, Adam Paré, Dmitri Papatsenko, Stephen Small, 03/12/18, Nature 426, 849 - 853, DOI: 10.1038/nature02189
      15. Key Step Towards US Terror Trials, , 03/12/31, BBC News,
        Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
        The detainees at Guantanamo Bay have been held incommunicado
      16. Tiny Nanotube Antennas May Yield Better Signals In Cell Phones, Televisions, 03/12/31, Science Daily
      17. Secrets of stone skimming revealed Magic angle boosts bounces, Helen R. Pilcher, 04/01/02
      18. 'Specific Threat' To BA Flight, 04/01/03, Security scare grounds new flight British Airways cancels a flight to Saudi Arabia hours after grounding a Washington flight amid fears of a terror attack.
      19. Redundancy Attributes Of A Complex System: Application To Bioinformatics, P. S. Neelakanta, T. V. Arredondo, D. DeGroff, 2003, Complex Systems
      20. Modelling of SARS for Hong Kong, Pengliang Shi, Michael Small, 2003-12-11, arXiv, DOI: q-bio.PE/0312016
      21. Reasoning About Expectation, Joseph Y. Halpern, Riccardo Pucella, 2003-12-17, arXiv, DOI: cs.AI/0312037
      22. Reasoning About Expectation, Joseph Y. Halpern, Riccardo Pucella, 2003-12-17, arXiv, DOI: cs.AI/0312037
      23. A Computational Algebra Approach to the Reverse Engineering of Gene Regulatory Networks, Reinhard Laubenbacher, Brandilyn Stigler, 2003-12-17, arXiv, DOI: q-bio.QM/0312026
      24. Clustering by Compression, Rudi Cilibrasi, Paul Vitanyi, 2003-12-19, arXiv, DOI: cs.CV/0312044
      25. Clustering by Compression, Rudi Cilibrasi, Paul Vitanyi, 2003-12-19, arXiv, DOI: cs.CV/0312044
      26. Mapping Weblog Communities, Juan-J. Merelo-Guervos, Beatriz Prieto, Fatima Rateb, Fernando Tricas, 2003-12-20, arXiv, DOI: cs.NE/0312047
      27. Do The Web Sites Of Higher Rated Scholars Have Significantly More Online Impact?, M. Thelwall - m.thelwallawlv.ac.uk, G. Harries, 2003/10/28, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1002/asi.10362
      28. Does Citation Reflect Social Structure?: Longitudinal Evidence From The Globenet Interdisciplinary Research Group, H. D. White - whitehdadrexel.edu, B. Wellman - wellmanachass.utoronto.ca, N. Nazer, 2003/11/13, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, DOI: 10.1002/asi.10369
      29. Testing For Anxiety, F. Ohl - f.ohlalas.vet.uu.nl, 2003/11/21, Clinical Neuroscience Research, DOI: 10.1016/S1566-2772(03)00084-7
      30. Stress Models Of Depression, B. Vollmayr - vollmayrazi-mannheim.de, F. A. Henn, 2003/11/21, Clinical Neuroscience Research, DOI: 10.1016/S1566-2772(03)00086-0
      31. One Eye But No Vision: Cave Fish With Induced Eyes Do Not Respond To Light, A. Romero - aromeroaastate.edu, S. M. Green, A. Romero, M. M. Lelonek, K. C. Stropnicky, 2003/11/24, Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.47
      32. Increasing Urban Wage Inequality In China Extent, Elements And Evaluation, J. Knight - john.knightaeconomics.ox.ac.uk, L. Song, 2003/12/01, The Economics of Transition, DOI: 10.1111/j.0967-0750.2003.00168.x
      33. Scoring Clustering Solutions By Their Biological Relevance, G.-Viks I., Sharan R., 2003/12/12, Bioinformatics, DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btg330
      34. Historian Reveals Christmas Dinner Wouldn't Be The Same Without the Aztecs and Columbus, J. Murray - jennifer.murrayawarwick.ac.uk, 2003/12/23, Alphagalileo
      35. The End Of The Line For Silicon Dioxide?, C. Först - clemens.foerstatuwien.ac.at, 2003/12/23, Alphagalileo
      36. What Does Measure The Scaling Exponent Of The Correlation Sum In The Case Of Human Heart Rate?, M. Säkki, J. Kalda, M. Vainu, M. Laan Nőmme, 2003/12/24, Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, DOI: 10.1063/1.1636151
      37. 'Mad Cow' Mechanism May Be Integral To Storing Memory, 2003/12/29, ScienceDaily & Whitehead Inst. For Biomedical Res.
      38. New Understanding Of Why Brain Cells Die After Stroke Will Lead To Development Of New Treatments, 2003/12/29, ScienceDaily & University Of Toronto

    2. Webcast Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Presentation Webcasts from Scientific Sessions 2003, American Heart Association
      2. EVOLVABILITY & INTERACTION: Evolutionary Substrates of Communication, Signaling, and Perception in the Dynamics of Social Complexity, London, UK, 03/10/08-10
      3. The Semantic Web and Language Technology - Its Potential and Practicalities, Bucharest, Romania, 03/07/28-08/08
      4. ECAL 2003, 7th European Conference on Artificial Life, Dortmund, Germany, 03/09/14-17
      5. IMA International Conference Bifurcation 2003, Univ. Southampton, UK, 27-30 July, 2003
      6. New Santa Fe Institute President About His Vision for SFI's Future Role, (Video, Santa Fe, NM, 03/06/04)
      7. SPIE's 1st Intl Symp on Fluctuations and Noise, Santa Fe, NM, 2003/06/01-04
      8. NAS Sackler Colloquium on Mapping Knowledge Domains, Video/Audio Report, 03/05/11
      9. Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with the Unexpected and Unknowable, The University of Texas Austin, Texas USA, 2003/04/10-12
      10. 13th Ann Intl Conf, Soc f Chaos Theory in Psych & Life Sciences, Boston, MA, USA, 2003/08/08-10
      11. CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
      12. Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
      13. Edge Videos

    3. Conference & Call for Papers Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Complex Physical, Biological and Social Systems, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 04/01/05-09
      2. 2nd Biennial Seminar on the Philosophical, Epistemological, and Methodological Implications of Complexity Theory, Havana, Cuba, 04/01/07-10
      3. 2004 Western Simulation MultiConference (WMC'04), San Diego, CA., USA, 04/01/18-24
      4. The Mathematica Gulf Conference, Muscat, Oman, 04/01/26
      5. 1st International Workshop on Biologically Inspired Approaches to Advanced Information Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland, 04/01/29-30
      6. Physics of Socio-Economic Systems, 1st Intl Winter School 2004, Konstanz, Germany, 04/02/16-20
      7. Advances in Molecular Electronics: From molecular materials to single molecule devices, Dresden, Germany, 04/02/23
      8. Leadership in Rapidly Changing Business Environments -Learning and Adapting in Time, Cambridge, MA, 04/02/26-27
      9. 4th Intl ICSC Symposium Engineering Of Intelligent Systems (EIS 2004), Island of Madeira, Portugal, 04/02/29-03/02
      10. Conference on Longevity , Sydney, Australia, 04/03/05-07
      11. Arbeitskreis Physik sozio-ökonomischer Systeme Jahrestagung (AKSOE), Regensburg, Germany, 04/03/08-12
      12. 11th Annual Winter Chaos Conference Dynamical Systems Thinking in Science and Society, Stony Creek, CT, USA, 04/03/12-14
      13. Capital Science 2004, Washington, 04/03/20-21
      14. Fractal 2004, "Complexity and Fractals in Nature", 8th Intl Multidisciplinary Conf, Vancouver, Canada, 04/04/04-07
      15. 6th German Workshop on Artificial Life 2004 (GWAL-6), Bamberg, Germany, 04/04/14-16
      16. The 9th IEEE Intl Conf on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, Florence, Italy, 04/04/14-16
      17. 2004 Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference (ASTC'04), Arlington, VA., USA, 04/04/18-22
      18. NKS (New Kind of Science) 2004 Conference and Minicourse, Boston, Massachusetts, 04/04/22-25
      19. Urban Vulnerability and Network Failure: Constructions and Experiences of Emergencies, Crises and Collapse, Manchester, UK, 04/04/29-30
      20. 5th International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS2004), Boston, MA, USA, 04/05/16-21
      21. 3rd Intl Conf on Systems Thinking in Management (ICSTM 2004) "Transforming Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Success", Philadelphia, Pa, USA, 04/05/19-21
      22. 4th Intl Conf on Fractals And Dynamic Systems In Geoscience, München, Germany, 04/05/19-22
      23. 9th Annual Workshop on Economics and Heterogeneous Interaction Agents (WEHIA04), Kyoto, Japan, 2004/05/27-29
      24. 13th International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases, Toulon, France, 04/06/03-05
      25. ECC8 Experimental Chaos Conference, Florence, Italy, 04/06/14-17
      26. 7th Intl Conf on Linking Systems Thinking, Innovation,Quality, Entrepreneurship and Environment (STIQE), MARIBOR, SLOVENIA, 04/06/24-26
      27. From Animals To Animats 8, 8th Intl Conf On The Simulation Of Adaptive Behavior (SAB'04), Los Angeles, USA, 04/07/13-17
      28. 3rd Intl Conf Autonomous Agents & Multi-Agent Systems Conference (AAMAS 2004), New York City, 04/07/19-23
        1. 7th Intl Workshop on: Trust in Agent Societies , New York City, 04/07/19-20
      29. 8th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, Orlando, Florida, USA, 04/07/18-21
      30. 2004 Summer Simulation MultiConference (SummerSim'04), San Jose Hyatt, San Jose, California, 04/07/25-29
      31. 6th International Mathematica Symposium (IMS 2004), Banff, Canada, 04/08/02-06
      32. Fractals and Natural Hazards at 32nd Intl Geological Congress (IGC), Florence, Italy, 04/08/20-28
      33. ANTS 2004, 4th International Workshop on Ant Colony Optimization and Swarm Intelligence, Brussels, Belgium, 04/09/05-08
      34. Dynamic Ontology, An Inquiry into Systems, Emergence, Levels of Reality, and Forms of Causality, Trento, Italy, 04/09/08-11
      35. 9th Intl Conf on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems (ALIFE9), Boston, Massachusetts, 04/09/12-15
      36. The Verhulst 200 on Chaos, Brussels, BELGIUM, 04/09/16-18
      37. The 8th Intl Conf on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature (PPSN VIII), Birmingham, UK, 04/09/18-22
      38. XVII Brazilian Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Sao Luis, Maranhao - Brazil, 04/09/22-24
      39. TEDMED Conference , Charleston SC, 04/10/12-15
      40. Wolfram Technology Conference, Champaign, Illinois, 04/10/21-23

    4. ComDig Announcement: New ComDig Archive in Beta Test Bookmark and Share

      We are in the process of upgrading the Complexity Digest archives to a format with improved search capabilities. Also, we will finally be able to adequately publish the valuable feedback and comments from our knowledgable readers. You are cordially invited to become a beta tester of our new ComDig2 archive.

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