Complexity Digest 2009.05

2009/02/27

Editor-in-Chief: Carlos Gershenson
Founding Editor: Gottfried Mayer

For individual e-mail subscriptions go to Subscriptions.
Previous issue 2009.04 | Next issue 2009.06

Content

  1. Wings, Horns, and Butterfly Eyespots: How Do Complex Traits Evolve?, PLoS Biol
    1. Mutation Patterns in the Human Genome: More Variable Than Expected, PLoS Biol
  2. Attractors and Democratic Dynamics, Science
  3. Language is a Complex Adaptive System, SFI Working Papers
    1. Agent-Based Models of Levels of Consciousness, SFI Working Papers
  4. Simple but not simpler, Comput Math Organ Theory
  5. Physics of Evolution: Selection without Fitness, SFI Working Papers
  6. Recession Watch: How to survive the recession, Nature
    1. Trade Wars: Will Protectionism Win out over Recovery?, Knowledge@Wharton
    2. Recession Brings Rise In 'Bargain' Spam: Money-Conscious Users Targeted In New Attacks, vnunet.com
  7. Communities in Networks, arXiv
    1. Navigating Ultrasmall Worlds in Ultrashort Time, Phys. Rev. Lett.
    2. Enhanced Synchronizability In Scale-Free Networks, Chaos
    3. Coherence Resonance Induced By Rewiring In Complex Networks, Chaos
    4. Generalized Outer Synchronization Between Complex Dynamical Networks, Chaos
  8. Microbial awakenings, Nature
  9. A World Transformed: What Are the Top 30 Innovations of the Last 30 Years?, Knowledge@Wharton
  10. Obtaining Consent for Future Research with Induced Pluripotent Cells: Opportunities and Challenges, PLoS Biol
  11. Neutrality and Robustness in Evo-devo: Emergence of Lateral Inhibition, SFI Working Papers
    1. Dynamical Hierarchy and Modularity in Gene Regulatory Networks, SFI Working Papers
  12. Cancer Research Meets Evolutionary Biology, SFI Working Papers
  13. Parkinson’s Law Quantified: Three Investigations on Bureaucratic Inefficiency, SFI Working Papers
  14. Obesity: Fat chance, Nature
  15. Researcher Seeks To Turn Stem Cells Into Blood Vessels, Innovations-report
    1. Molecules Self-assemble To Provide New Therapeutic Treatments, ScienceDaily
    2. What's Feeding Cancer Cells?, ScienceDaily
  16. Conceptualizing Climate Governance Beyond The International Regime, Global Env. Polit.
    1. Emission Of Methane From Plants, Proc. Biol. Sc.
  17. Gourmet Food, Served by Dogs, Science
  18. Asynchronous sequential processes, Information and Computation
  19. Katrina, 9/11, Global Recession: Moving Beyond Old Thinking about New Risks, Knowledge@Wharton
    1. Power Grid Vulnerability: A Complex Network Approach, Chaos
  20. Links & Snippets
    1. Other Publications
    2. Webcast Announcements
    3. Conference Announcements
    4. Other Announcements

  1. Wings, Horns, and Butterfly Eyespots: How Do Complex Traits Evolve?, PLoS Biol Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Throughout their evolutionary history, organisms have evolved numerous complex morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to increase their chances of survival and reproduction. (...) The way that most of these and other adaptations first evolved, however, is still largely unknown. In the last two decades we have learned that novel traits appear to be built using old genes wired in novel ways [5], but it is still a mystery whether these novel traits evolve when genes are rewired de novo, one at a time, into new developmental networks, or whether clusters of pre-wired genes are co-opted into the development of the new trait. The speed of evolution of novel complex traits is likely to depend greatly on which of these two mechanisms underlies their origin. It is important, thus, to understand how novel complex traits evolve.

    1. Mutation Patterns in the Human Genome: More Variable Than Expected, PLoS Biol Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: The development, survival, and reproduction of an organism depend on the genetic information that is carried in its genome, yet the transmission of genetic information is not perfectly accurate: new mutations occur at each generation. These mutations are the primary cause of the genetic diversity on which natural selection can operate, and hence are the sine qua non of evolution. A better knowledge of mutation processes is crucial for investigating the causes of genetic diseases or cancer and for understanding evolutionary processes.

  2. Attractors and Democratic Dynamics, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt:
    Transcription regulatory architecture.
    CREDIT: N. KEVITIYAGALA/SCIENCE
    Consider two concepts of transcriptional regulation. In a "molecular autocracy," master genes respond to environmental or developmental stimuli by regulating thousands of genes, either directly or through other transcription factors. In a "molecular democracy," all genes exert a regulatory influence on all other genes, and phenotypic change (altered cell behavior) is brought about through the concerted action of thousands of genes. These scenarios are extreme and cells operate under a condition that is somewhere intermediate (see the figure) (1). But the choice of concept affects how regulation is studied.
    • Source: Attractors and Democratic Dynamics, Yaneer Bar-Yam, Dion Harmon, Benjamin de Bivort, DOI: 10.1126/science.1163225, Science Vol. 323. no. 5917, pp. 1016 - 1017, 2009/02/20

  3. Language is a Complex Adaptive System, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Language has a fundamentally social function. Processes of human interaction along with domain-general cognitive processes shape the structure and knowledge of language. Recent research in the cognitive sciences has demonstrated that patterns of use strongly affect how language is acquired, used, and changes over time. These processes are not independent from one another but are facets of the same complex adaptive system (CAS). Language as a CAS involves the following key features: The system consists of multiple agents (the speakers in the speech community) interacting with one another. The system is adaptive, that is, speakers’ behavior is based on their past interactions, and current and past interactions together feed forward into future behavior. A speaker’s behavior is the consequence of competing factors ranging from perceptual constraints to social motivations. The structures of language emerge from interrelated patterns of experience, social interaction, and cognitive mechanisms. The CAS approach reveals commonalities in many areas of language research, including first and second language acquisition, historical linguistics, psycholinguistics, language evolution and computational modeling.

    1. Agent-Based Models of Levels of Consciousness, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: This paper is based on recent interdisciplinary experimental studies that emphasize the steps in language acquisition during the first few years of life. These steps are characterized as changes in levels of consciousness. The object is to place successive levels of consciousness in a complex adaptive systems (cas) framework, a framework that centers on learning agents that interact via exchanges of signals such as gestures and utterances. The cas framework thus provides a strong emphasis on the social nature of language acquisition and evolution. The models described are exploratory, not predictive. As such, the models are meant to suggest new mechanisms and experiments that will increase our understanding of language.

  4. Simple but not simpler, Comput Math Organ Theory Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Some scholars feel strongly that models should follow the “Keep it simple, stupid” (KISS) principle. They claim that models should be used to assist our intuition by showing proof about processes and mechanisms. Others see the value of realistic models" ones that can make predictions and deal with highly specified problems. While the two sides each make substantial contributions to our nascent area of computational or- ganization studies, the two sides rarely integrate their work or lay out when one side’s approach is more or less useful than the others’. (...)
    For thousands of years, philosophers of science have explored this issue with- out reaching any satisfactory resolution. The debate shows up framed in terms of Occam’s Razor, Realist vs. Anti-Realist programs, Realism vs. Constructive Em- piricism and more
    See Also: CMOT Special Issue: Simple or Realistic

  5. Physics of Evolution: Selection without Fitness, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Traditionally evolution is seen as a process where from a pool of possible variations of a population (e.g. biological species or industrial goods) a few variations get selected which survive and proliferate, whereas the others vanish. Survival probability is typically associated with the ’fitness’ of a particular variation. In this paper we argue that the notion of fitness is an a posteriori concept, in the sense that one can assign higher fitness to species that survive but one can generally not derive or even measure fitness " or fitness landscapes " per se. For this reason we think that in a ’physical’ theory of evolution such notions should be avoided. In this spirit, here we propose a random matrix model of evolution where selection mechanisms are encoded in the interaction matrices of species. We are able to recover some key facts of evolution dynamics (...)

  6. Recession Watch: How to survive the recession, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: The global economic downturn brings both predicament and promise. How will science fare and what role should scientists play on the long road back to recovery and growth? Ten of the world's leading thinkers and practitioners provide analysis, experience and advice.
    See Also: Recession Watch Special

    1. Trade Wars: Will Protectionism Win out over Recovery?, Knowledge@Wharton Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: The $787 billion stimulus plan that U.S. President Barack Obama signed on February 17 contained a provision that was hardly unexpected but nevertheless worrisome to proponents of global free trade. It was a requirement that projects funded by the bill buy American-made goods whenever possible. When governments around the world spend vast sums to stimulate their economies, it seems only reasonable for each to invest at home. After all -- or so the argument goes -- why should American taxpayers pay for steel from Canada when U.S. steelmakers are struggling?

    2. Recession Brings Rise In 'Bargain' Spam: Money-Conscious Users Targeted In New Attacks, vnunet.com Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: Messages promising cash savings and discounts are becoming an increasingly popular vector for spammers, security experts have warned. McAfee researcher Micha Pekrul said that the company's Avert Labs had received reports of a new malware attack which uses the lure of coupons to infect users with a Trojan. The spam comes in the form of a short message which contains a hyperlink claiming to offer coupon bundles. On clicking the link, the user is directed to a localised page which offers "thousands of coupons" in the form of an executable file. (...)

  7. Communities in Networks, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: We survey some of the concepts, methods, and applications of community detection, which has become an increasingly important area of network science. To help ease newcomers into the field, we provide a guide to available methodology and open problems, and discuss why scientists from diverse backgrounds are interested in these problems. As a running theme, we emphasize the connections of community detection to problems in statistical physics and computational optimization.
    • Source: Communities in Networks, Mason A. Porter, Jukka-Pekka Onnela, and Peter J. Mucha, DOI: 0902.3788, arXiv, 2009/02/22

    1. Navigating Ultrasmall Worlds in Ultrashort Time, Phys. Rev. Lett. Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Random scale-free networks are ultrasmall worlds. The average length of the shortest paths in networks of size N scales as lnlnN. Here we show that these ultrasmall worlds can be navigated in ultrashort time. Greedy routing on scale-free networks embedded in metric spaces finds paths with the average length scaling also as lnlnN. Greedy routing uses only local information to navigate a network. Nevertheless, it finds asymptotically the shortest paths, a direct computation of which requires global topology knowledge. Our findings imply that the peculiar structure of complex networks ensures that the lack of global topological awareness has asymptotically no impact on the length of communication paths. These results have important consequences for communication systems such as the Internet, where maintaining knowledge of current topology is a major scalability bottleneck.

    2. Enhanced Synchronizability In Scale-Free Networks, Chaos Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstact: We introduce a modified dynamical optimization coupling scheme to enhance the synchronizability in the scale-free networks as well as to keep uniform and converging intensities during the transition to synchronization. Further, the size of networks that can be synchronizable exceeds by several orders of magnitude the size of unweighted networks.
      • Source: Enhanced Synchronizability In Scale-Free Networks, M. Chen, Y. Shang, C. Zhou, Y. Wu, J. Kurths, DOI: 10.1063/1.3062864, Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, Mar. 2009, online 2009/01/16
      • Contributed by Pritha Das - prithadas01ayahoo.com

    3. Coherence Resonance Induced By Rewiring In Complex Networks, Chaos Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: We report a novel coherent excitation phenomenon in a heterogeneous network of coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo elements. It is demonstrated that dynamical rewiring in the network can play a constructive role to bring on coherent excitations. The coherence factor as the function of rewiring time interval represents a nontrivial phenomenon which is a fingerprint of coherence resonance. We call this resonant behavior caused by dynamical wiring changes the network-rewiring-induced coherence resonance. The mechanism can be understood by the effective noise played by the rewiring process.

    4. Generalized Outer Synchronization Between Complex Dynamical Networks, Chaos Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstact: In this paper, the problem of generalized outer synchronization between two completely different complex dynamical networks is investigated. With a nonlinear control scheme, a sufficient criterion for this generalized outer synchronization is derived based on Barbalat's lemma. Two corollaries are also obtained, which contains the situations studied in two lately published papers as special cases. Numerical simulations further demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the theoretical results.

  8. Microbial awakenings, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Summary:
    D. PARKINS
    A theory of how microbes 'wake up' from dormancy could help to solve scientific mysteries and improve disease control, says Slava S. Epstein.

  9. A World Transformed: What Are the Top 30 Innovations of the Last 30 Years?, Knowledge@Wharton Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Imagine this is 1979: If you were reading this article back then, chances are you would have read it on paper -- with a printed newspaper or magazine in your hands. Today, you are probably reading it on a desktop computer, a laptop (or as a printout from either of these), or perhaps even on your Blackberry or iPhone. The pace of innovation has been so hectic in recent years that it is hard to imagine which innovations have had the greatest impact on business and society.
    Editor's Note: It is interesting to note that most of the innovations are related to computer technologies. Other areas of innovation include medicine and energy.

  10. Obtaining Consent for Future Research with Induced Pluripotent Cells: Opportunities and Challenges, PLoS Biol Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: The recent development of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has reshaped the scientific and political landscape of stem cell biology. iPS cells provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the pathophysiology of diseases, understand stem cell biology, identify new therapeutic targets, and test new therapies. Furthermore, they offer the possibility of transplanting therapeutic cells that are genetically identical to their recipient.
    iPS cells are not included in the heated debates over the ethics of embryonic stem cell research because embryos or oocytes are not used.

  11. Neutrality and Robustness in Evo-devo: Emergence of Lateral Inhibition, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Embryonic development is defined by the hierarchical dynamical process that translates genetic information (genotype) into a spatial gene expression pattern (phenotype) providing the positional information for the correct unfolding of the organism. The nature and evolutionary implications of genotype-phenotype mapping still remain key topics in evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). We have explored here issues of neutrality, robustness and diversity in evo-devo by means of a simple model of gene regulatory networks. The small size of the system allowed an exhaustive analysis of the entire fitness landscape and the extent of its neutrality. This analysis shows that evolution leads to a class of robust genetic networks with an expression pattern characteristic of lateral inhibition. This class is a repertoire of distinct implementations of this key developmental process, the diversity of whom provides valuable clues about its underlying causal principles.

    1. Dynamical Hierarchy and Modularity in Gene Regulatory Networks, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: Modularity and hierarchy are two essential traits of biological organization. They pervade the logic of cellular computations, adaptive responses to changing environments and evolvability. However, no general agreement exists on how to properly measure them. Here, we provide a well grounded theoretical definition of dynamical hierarchy and modularity. This is possible through the identification of the dynamical backbone (DB), the minimal subgraph that contains all the dynamically essential components of any gene regulatory network. Our methodology is based on the most elementary trait behind any dynamic behavior: the principle of causality. In gene regulatory networks this principle is captured by the regulatory control of transcription factors on their target genes. As case studies, we analyzed the structure of the DB in both yeast and E. coli gene transcriptional regulatory networks. (...)

  12. Cancer Research Meets Evolutionary Biology, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: There is increasing evidence that Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection provides insights into the etiology and treatment of cancer. On a microscopic scale, neoplastic cells meet the conditions for evolution by Darwinian selection: cell reproduction with heritable variability that affects cell survival and replication. This suggests that, like other areas of biological and biomedical research, Darwinian theory can provide a general framework for understanding many aspects of cancer, including problems of great clinical importance. With the availability of raw molecular data increasing rapidly, this theory may provide guidance in translating data into understanding and progress. Several conceptual and analytical tools from evolutionary biology can be applied to cancer biology. Two clinical problems may benefit most from the application of Darwinian theory: neoplastic progression and acquired therapeutic resistance The Darwinian theory of cancer has especially profound implications for drug development, both in terms of explaining past difficulties, and pointing the way toward new approaches. Because cancer involves complex evolutionary processes, research should incorporate both tractable (simplified) experimental systems, and also longitudinal observational studies of the evolutionary dynamics of cancer in laboratory animals and in human patients. Cancer biology will require new tools to control the evolution of neoplastic cells.

  13. Parkinson’s Law Quantified: Three Investigations on Bureaucratic Inefficiency, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: We formulate three famous, descriptive essays of C.N. Parkinson on bureaucratic inefficiency in a quantifiable and dynamical socio-physical framework. In the first model we show how the use of recent opinion formation models for small groups can be used to understand Parkinson’s observation that decision making bodies such as cabinets or boards become highly inefficient once their size exceeds a critical ’Coefficient of Inefficiency’, typically around 20. A second observation of Parkinson " which is sometimes referred to as Parkinson’s Law " is that the growth of bureaucratic or administrative bodies usually goes hand in hand with a drastic decrease of its overall efficiency. (...)

  14. Obesity: Fat chance, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt:
    D. KING/DORLING KINDERSLEY/GETTY IMAGES
    Obesity is a complex disorder because, as well as environmental factors, many genes seem to be involved. One such gene is FTO, as several studies have indicated that different versions of FTO are strongly correlated with body mass index: individuals carrying the high-risk version weigh roughly 3 kilograms more than those with the low-risk version.

  15. Researcher Seeks To Turn Stem Cells Into Blood Vessels, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: A Johns Hopkins engineer is trying to coax human stem cells to turn into networks of new blood vessels that could someday be used to replace damaged tissue in people with heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. (...) "But we don't have a very good understanding of what's going on when stem cells change into a certain type of tissue, and we can't control the transformation with much precision. We're trying to learn more about what causes these cells to develop and differentiate. With this knowledge in hand, we can make medical applications involving stem cells more successful and more reliable." (...)

    1. Molecules Self-assemble To Provide New Therapeutic Treatments, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Researchers (...) have an interesting approach for tackling some major health problems: gather raw materials and then let them self-assemble into structures that can address a multitude of medical needs. At the core of the research are peptide amphiphiles (PA), small synthetic molecules that Stupp first developed seven years ago, which have been essential in his work on regenerative medicine. By tailoring these molecules and combining them with others, the researchers can make a wide variety of structures that may provide new treatments for medical issues including spinal cord injuries, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. (...)

    2. What's Feeding Cancer Cells?, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Cancer cells need a lot of nutrients to multiply and survive. While much is understood about how cancer cells use blood sugar to make energy, not much is known about how they get other nutrients. (...) have discovered how the Myc cancer-promoting gene uses microRNAs to control the use of glutamine, a major energy source. The results, which shed light on a new angle of cancer that might help scientists figure out a way to stop the disease, appear (...). "While we were looking for how Myc promotes cancer growth, it was unexpected to find that Myc can increase use of glutamine by cancer cells," says (...).
      • Source: What's Feeding Cancer Cells?, ScienceDaily & Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 2009/02/22
      • Contributed by Atin Das - dasatinayahoo.co.in

  16. Conceptualizing Climate Governance Beyond The International Regime, Global Env. Polit. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: The governance of climate change has traditionally been conceived as an issue of international co-operation and considered through the lens of regime analysis. Increasingly, scholars of global governance have highlighted the multiple parallel initiatives involving a range of actors at different levels of governance through which this issue is being addressed. In this paper, we argue that this phenomenon warrants a re-engagement with some of the conceptual cornerstones of international studies. We highlight the conceptual challenges posed by the increasing involvement of non-nation-state actors (...) .

    1. Emission Of Methane From Plants, Proc. Biol. Sc. Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: It has been proposed that plants are capable of producing methane by a novel and unidentified biochemical pathway. Emission of methane with an apparently biological origin was recorded from both whole plants and detached leaves. This was the first report of methanogenesis in an aerobic setting, and was estimated to account for 10-45 per cent of the global methane source. Here, we show that plants do not contain a known biochemical pathway to synthesize methane. However, under high UV stress conditions, there may be spontaneous breakdown of plant material, which releases methane. (...)
      • Source: Emission Of Methane From Plants, R.E.R Nisbet, R Fisher, R.H Nimmo, D.S Bendall, P.M Crill, A.V G.-Sala, E.R.C Hornibrook, E L.-Juez, D Lowry, P.B.R Nisbet, E.F Shuckburgh, S Sriskantharajah, C.J Howe1, E.G Nisbet, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1731, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences, 2009/01/13
      • Contributed by Atin Das - dasatinayahoo.co.in

  17. Gourmet Food, Served by Dogs, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: "We really don't know how people make decisions like these," says Shane Frederick, a behavioral economist at Yale University. When it comes to food, you'd expect flavor to be the main factor--and people usually claim that it is. But taste tests reveal that they sometimes can't distinguish gourmet from cheap imitation. "So in those cases, we know that people are just fooling themselves," he says. This area of research, known as hedonic psychology, puts science and culture on a strange collision course. "What happens when people become aware of the results of such experiments?" says Frederick. "Will that change their tastes?" If so, science could save people quite a lot of money.

  18. Asynchronous sequential processes, Information and Computation Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Deterministic behavior for parallel and distributed computation is rather difficult to ensure. To reach that goal, many formal calculi, languages, and techniques with well-defined semantics have been proposed in the past. But none of them focused on an imperative object calculus with asynchronous communications and futures. In this article, an object calculus, Asynchronous Sequential Processes (ASP), is defined, with its semantics. We prove also confluence properties for the ASP calculus. ASPs main characteristics are asynchronous communications with futures, and sequential execution within each process. This paper provides a very general and dynamic property ensuring confluence. Further, more specific and static properties are derived. Additionally, we present a formalization of distributed components based on ASP, and show how such components are used to statically ensure determinacy. This paper can also be seen as a formalization of the concept of futures in a distributed object setting.
    • Source: Asynchronous sequential processes, Denis Caromel, Ludovic Henrio, and Bernard Paul Serpette, DOI: 10.1016/j.ic.2008.12.004, Information and Computation Volume 207, Issue 4, April 2009, Pages 459-495, 2009/04

  19. Katrina, 9/11, Global Recession: Moving Beyond Old Thinking about New Risks, Knowledge@Wharton Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Disasters just aren't what they used to be, according to experts at a recent Wharton risk management conference titled, "The Irrational Economist." Indeed, they are a lot worse. With costs adjusted for inflation, all of the 20 most-costly disasters from 1970 through 2007 occurred after 1987, and half came after 2001. One speaker predicted "an accelerating rhythm of large-scale catastrophes" such as financial crises, problems with food and energy, disease pandemics, terrorism and natural disasters.

    1. Power Grid Vulnerability: A Complex Network Approach, Chaos Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstact: Power grids exhibit patterns of reaction to outages similar to complex networks. Blackout sequences follow power laws, as complex systems operating near a critical point. Here, the tolerance of electric power grids to both accidental and malicious outages is analyzed in the framework of complex network theory. In particular, the quantity known as efficiency is modified by introducing a new concept of distance between nodes. As a result, a new parameter called net-ability is proposed to evaluate the performance of power grids. A comparison between efficiency and net-ability is provided by estimating the vulnerability of sample networks, in terms of both the metrics.
      • Source: Power Grid Vulnerability: A Complex Network Approach, S. Arianos, E. Bompard, A. Carbone, F. Xue, DOI: 10.1063/1.3077229, Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, Mar. 2009, online 2009/02/20
      • Contributed by Pritha Das - prithadas01ayahoo.com

  20. Links & Snippets Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Other Publications Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Effective Complexity and its Relation to Logical Depth, Nihat Ay, Markus Müller, and Arleta Szkola, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 08-12-046
      2. Robustness to Mutations Depends on whether RNA Virus Replication Occurs Geometrically or Via a Stamping Machine, Josep Sardanyés, Ricard V. Solé, and Santiago F. Elena, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 08-12-050
      3. Inflation of the Edge of Chaos in a Simple Model of Gene Interaction Networks, Dejan Stokic, Rudolf Hanel, and Stefan Thurner, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 08-12-053
      4. Pruning the Tree of Life: k-core Percolation as Selection Mechanism, Peter Klimek, Stefan Thurner, and Rudolf Hanel, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 08-12-054
      5. An Emerging Movement Ecology Paradigm, R. Nathan - rnathanacc.huji.ac.il, 105:105:19050-19051, Dec. 2008, PNAS (Movement Ecology Special, R. Nathan -Ed.), DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0808918105
      6. Fractal Reorientation Clocks: Linking Animal Behavior To Statistical Patterns Of Search, F. Bartumeus - fbartuaprinceton.edu, S. A. Levin, 105:19072-19077, Dec. 2008, PNAS (Movement Ecology Special, R. Nathan -Ed.), DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0801926105
      7. Neural Circuitry Of Near-misses May Explain The Allure Of Gambling, 2009/01/22, ScienceDaily & University of Cambridge
      8. Forgotten And Lost - When Proteins "Shut Down" Our Brain: Max Planck Scientists Obtained Important New Insights Into The Structure And Interaction Of A Protein Relevant To Alzheimers Disease, 2009/02/19, Innovations-report
      9. Echoes Discovered In Early Visual Brain Areas Play Role In Working Memory, 2009/02/20, Innovations-report
      10. How We Keep Visual Details In Short-term Memory, 2009/02/23, ScienceDaily & University of Oregon
      11. The Relationship Between Social Behaviour And Habitat Familiarity In African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), N. P.-Wollman, L. A Isbell, L. A Hart, Mar. 2009, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1538

    2. Webcast Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Eulogy for Gottfried Mayer by Dean LeBaron [WMV, 25 Mb], [RM, 10 Mb], 09/02/10

      2. Can Ants Solve Traffic Jams?, Danielle Parsons, Slatev.com, 08/07/22

      3. Reseau Nationale des Systemes Complexes , (in French), 2007
      4. World Economic Forum , Davos, Switzerland, 08/01/22-27
      5. TED Talks, TED Conferences LLC , since 2006
      6. Talking Robots: The PodCast on Robotics and AI, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland, 06/11/03
      7. Potentials of Complexity Science for Business, Governments, and the Media 2006, Budapest, Hungary, 06/08/03-05
      8. 6th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 06/06/25-30
      9. Artificial Life X, 10th Intl Conf on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems, Bloomington, IN, USA. 2006/06/03-07
      10. 6th Understanding Complex Systems Symposium, Urbana-Champaign, Il, 06/05/15-18
      11. Ralph Abraham on Complexity Digest, , Calcutta, India, 05/12/27
      12. An Afternoon with Michael Crichton, Washington, 05/11/06
      13. Illuminating the Shadow of the Future, Ann Arbor, Mi 05/09/23-25
      14. Open Network of Centres of Excellence in Complex Systems - Brainstorming Meeting, Paris, France 05/09/19-23
      15. Complexity, Science & Society Conference 2005, U. Liverpool, UK 2005/09/11-14
      16. ECAL 2005 - VIIIth European Conference on Artificial Life, Canterbury, Kent, UK 2005/09/5-9
      17. T. Irene Sanders, Executive Director and Founder, The Washington Center for Complexity & Public Policy, 05/08/27, QuickTime video (10:38 min), Podcast
      18. North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity 2005 Conference, Virtual Conference Network, St. Pete's Beach, Florida, 05/06/09-11
      19. Understanding Complex Systems - Computational Complexity and Bioinformatics, Virtual Conference Network, Urbana-Champaign, Il, UIUC, 05/05/16-19
      20. Nonlinearity, Fluctuations, and Complexity, with a celebration of the 65th birthday of Gregoire Nicolis. , Complexity Session, Universite' Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, 05/03/16
      21. 1st European Conference on Complex Systems, Torino, Italy, 04/12/5-7
      22. From Autopoiesis to Neurophenomenology: A Tribute to Francisco Varela (1946-2001), Paris, France, 2004/06/18-20
      23. Evolutionary Epistemology, Language, and Culture, Brussels, Belgium, 04/05/26-28
      24. International Conference on Complex Systems 2004, Boston, 04/05/16-21
      25. Nonlinear Dynamics And Chaos: Lab Demonstrations, Strogatz, Steven H., Internet-First University Press, 1994
      26. CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
      27. Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
      28. Edge Videos

    3. Conference Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Systemic Solutions for Today’s World Challenges Lecture by Bernard A. Lietaer, Brussels, Belgium, 09/02/19
      2. COMPLEX'2009, First Intl Conf on Complex Systems: Theory and Applications, Shanghai, China, 09/02/23-25
      3. 3rd Biennial International Transdisciplinary Seminar on the Complexity Approach, Camaguey, Cuba. 09/02/23-27
      4. Models and Simulations 3 Conference, Charlottesville, USA 09/03/05-07
      5. 2nd Conf on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-09.org), Arlington, Virginia, 09/03/06-09
      6. EmergeNET2: Evolution and Emergence, Glasgow, Scotland, 09/03/23-24
      7. 2009 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,09/03/30-04/02
      8. INFORMATION PROCESSING IN CELLS AND TISSUES (IPCAT 2009) "From Small Scale Dynamics To Understanding Systems Behavior", Ascona, Switzerland, 09/04/05-09
      9. 7th Annual Bio-IT World Conference & Expo, 09/04/27-29, Boston, MA
      10. 2nd Chaotic Modeling and Simulation International Conference (CHAOS2009), Chania, Crete, Greece, 09/06/01-05
      11. International Workshop on Coping with Crises in Complex Socio-Economic Systems, Zurich, Switzerland, 09/06/8-13
      12. 20th Intl Conf on Noise and Fluctuations, Pisa, Italy, 09/06/14-19
      13. First International Workshop on Morphogenetic Engineering, Paris, France, 09/06/19
      14. 17th Intl Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics of Electronic Systems (NDES 2009), Rapperswil, Switzerland, 09/06/21-24
      15. First Latin American Conference on Computing and Philosophy, Mexico City, Mexico, June 22-23, 2009
      16. Emergence in Chemical Systems, , Anchorage, Alaska, 09/06/22-26
      17. From Systemic Thinking to Systems Design and Systems Practice, Xanthi, Greece, 09/06/24-27
      18. 7th Intl Conf on Computing, Communications and Control Technologies: CCCT 2009, Orlando, Florida, USA., 09/07/10-13
      19. Complex Systems and Social Simulations, Budapest, Hungary, 09/07/13-24
      20. Second International Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics and Synchronization (INDS'09), Klagenfurt, Austria, 09/07/20-21
      21. The 19th Annual Intl Conf Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Sciences , Milwaukee, WI USA, 09/07/23-25
      22. 2009 Intl Conf of the System Dynamics Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 09/07/26-30
      23. 5th Intl Conf on Fractals and Dynamic Systems in Geoscience, Townsville, Australia, 09/08/13-14
      24. Darwin Meets von Neumann: European Conference on Artificial Life 2009, Budapest, Hungary, 09/09/13-16
      25. IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems , San Francisco, California, 09/09/14-18
      26. 6th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, Guilford, UK, 09/09/14-18
      27. European Conference on Complex Systems 2009 (ECCS'09), University of Warwick, UK, 09/09/21-25
      28. The 2009 International Conference on Adaptive & Intelligent Systems (ICAIS'09), Klagenfurt, Austria, 09/09/24-26
      29. 9th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications, Pisa, Italy, 09/11/30-12/02
      30. 5th Biennial Convention about the philosophical, epistemological, and methodological implications of the Theory of Complexity, Havana, Cuba, 10/01/6-8

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      • Note to our subscribers: The mailing address from which ComDig is sent has changed from comdig'at'ms68.hinet.net to comdigadmin'at'turing.iimas.unam.mx. Please update your mail filters if necessary.

      • Faculty Opening: The Portland State University Systems Science Graduate Program emphasizes systems research and practice, with a focus on complexity science, computational intelligence, modeling & simulation, data mining, system control & optimization, and systems theory, especially as applied to biomedical systems and sustainability. Candidate must have an earned doctorate in an appropriate field and a strong interdisciplinary research record, and is expected to teach graduate courses, be a dissertation advisor, seek external funding, and become active in PSU’s urban community. Academic rank is open, with possibility of Program leadership. See www.pdx.edu/sysc for complete job description. Review will begin March 1, 2009. Portland State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution and welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support diversity.


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