Complexity Digest 2009.04

2009/02/13

Dear friends:

It has been a week since Gottfried left us. Over the past week, I received many warm letters and caring words from all over the world. Although I still could not help having tears covered my face every time I read these letters, I am very grateful to not only the local community, but also the worldwide friends who provided our family with strength and support during this difficult time.

Gottfried was born and educated in Germany (Europe), his complexity career was flourished in US (America), and he chose to spend his last 10 years in Taiwan (Asia) with Stefanie and I, and he will forever rest in the north coast of Taiwan looking over the Pacific ocean.

There will be a simple ceremony before his remains bebing cremated on Feburary 6, and a formal memorial service will be held on Feburary 13 at the Taipei American School. There is a group of grad students from NTNU working on a photo presentation of the life of Gottfried. We will very much appreciate it if you have any phtos of/with Gottfried that you could share with us.
Thanks again for all you friends.

Yeou-Teh (09/02/02)

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Content

  1. Gates Predicts Recession Will Last Until 2012, vnunet.com
  2. Humanity and evolution, Nature
    1. Darwin 200: The other strand, Nature
    2. Is Genetic Evolution Predictable?, Science
    3. The evolution and distribution of species body size, arXiv
  3. How to Cool the Planet, Manually, ScienceNOW
    1. Big Year For Darwin, But What Would He Make Of The Climate Change Ahead?, ScienceDaily
  4. Can Kangaroos save the world?, Faculty of 1000 Biology
    1. Native wildlife on rangelands to minimize methane and produce lower-emission meat: kangaroos versus livestock, Conservation Letters
  5. Errors and Artefacts in Agent-Based Modelling, JASSS
    1. Forum: Contra Epstein, Good Explanations Predict, JASSS
    2. Forum: Not All Explanations Predict Satisfactorily, and Not All Good Predictions Explain, JASSS
  6. The Key to Pandora's Box, Science
  7. A Neandertal Primer, Science
  8. The Nonsense In Our Genes:1 In 200 Human Genes Superfluous?, Innovations-report
    1. Extra Copies Of A Gene Carry Extra Risk, Innovations-report
  9. Stochastic evolutionary game dynamics, arXiv
  10. Being Human: Engineering: Worldwide ebb, Nature
    1. Network Analysis in the Social Sciences, Science
    2. Boolean modeling of collective effects in complex networks, arXiv
  11. Agreeing to Disagree, Science
  12. Sudden Death of Entanglement, Science
  13. Less is Moore, The Economist
  14. Exploring Agent-Based Methods for the Analysis of Payment Systems: A Crisis Model for StarLogo TNG, JASSS
  15. A Proximate Mechanism for Communities of Agents to Commemorate Long Dead Ancestors, JASSS
  16. Modelling Control Of Epidemics Spreading By Long-Range Interactions, Interface
  17. Where You Stand Depends Upon Where Your Grandparents Sat: The Inheritability Of Generalized Trust, Public Opin. Quart.
    1. The End Of Welfare As We Know It? Durable Attitudes In A Changing Information Environment, Public Opin. Quart.
  18. Can Mathematics Map the Way Toward Less-Bizarre Elections?, Science
    1. Social Trust And Attitudes Toward Democracy, Public Opin. Quart.
  19. Military Power And International Order, World Policy J.
    1. Motives For Martyrdom: Al-Qaida, Salafi Jihad, And The Spread Of Suicide Attacks, Int. Security
  20. Links & Snippets
    1. Other Publications
    2. Webcast Announcements
    3. Conference Announcements
    4. Other Announcements

  1. Gates Predicts Recession Will Last Until 2012, vnunet.com Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Speaking at the annual Technology, Entertainment, Design 2009 conference in California last night, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates predicted that the US economy would suffer another three to four "very tough" years. Despite the hardships of the economic crisis, however, Gates called on world governments to continue investing in sectors such as education and healthcare. "We're going through a period ... where a 50-year credit expansion has moved to contraction," said Gates. "You're going to have a number of years where aggregate demand is low." (...)

  2. Humanity and evolution, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Although history is not made entirely, or even mostly, by prominent men and women, two great exceptions to that rule were born exactly 200 years ago today, on 12 February 1809: Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln.
    See Also: Darwin 200 online collection.

    1. Darwin 200: The other strand, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Editor's Note: This article discusses cultural evolution, and how genes are not sufficient to understand how humanity evolved.
      Excerpt: Barely a decade after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, he and his long-time correspondent Alfred Russel Wallace were engaged in a fierce debate. Darwin said that natural selection had shaped the human species just like any other. But Wallace disagreed, arguing that selection alone could not account for the exceptional capabilities of the human mind. "How could natural selection, or survival of the fittest in the struggle for existence, at all favour the development of mental powers so entirely removed from the material necessities of savage men?"

    2. Is Genetic Evolution Predictable?, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Ever since the integration of Mendelian genetics into evolutionary biology in the early 20th century, evolutionary geneticists have for the most part treated genes and mutations as generic entities. However, recent observations indicate that all genes are not equal in the eyes of evolution. Evolutionarily relevant mutations tend to accumulate in hotspot genes and at specific positions within genes. Genetic evolution is constrained by gene function, the structure of genetic networks, and population biology. The genetic basis of evolution may be predictable to some extent, and further understanding of this predictability requires incorporation of the specific functions and characteristics of genes into evolutionary theory.

    3. The evolution and distribution of species body size, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: The distribution of species body size within taxonomic groups exhibits a heavy right-tail extending over many orders of magnitude, where most species are significantly larger than the smallest species. We provide a simple model of cladogenetic diffusion over evolutionary time that omits explicit mechanisms for inter-specific competition and other microevolutionary processes yet fully explains the shape of this distribution. We estimate the model's parameters from fossil data and find that it robustly reproduces the distribution of 4002 mammal species from the late Quaternary. The observed fit suggests that the asymmetric distribution arises from a fundamental tradeoff between the short-term selective advantages (Cope's rule) and long-term selective risks of increased species body size, in the presence of a taxon-specific lower limit on body size.

  3. How to Cool the Planet, Manually, ScienceNOW Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: In a study published today in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, earth systems scientist Tim Lenton (...) and a graduate student analyzed 17 schemes for cooling the planet. Roughly half involve changing the reflectivity of the atmosphere or the ground, employing humanmade pollution, machines to alter clouds, or schemes to lighten deserts or city roofs with plastic sheets or white paint. The other half would involve altering Earth's carbon cycle to draw in CO2, either by growing massive amounts of new trees, boosting the growth of carbon-sucking algae at sea, or creating machines that draw down the atmospheric carbon and store it underground.
    Editor's Note: Side effects aside, considering how little the most effective techniques would affect global warming makes us think that reducing emissions is the only viable solution.

    1. Big Year For Darwin, But What Would He Make Of The Climate Change Ahead?, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Charles Darwin may have been born 200 years ago come Feb. 12, but his theory of evolution remains an everyday touchstone for modern biologists. And while the Origin of Species author might not have known the term "global warming," he wouldn't have been surprised that the environment is changing. He would, however, be astonished by the speed at which it's happening today, researchers believe. "Every species is under temporary permanence," says (...). Darwin would have predicted changes in species' habits and even changes in the environment, but the planet's facing changes that are both drastic and unpredictable. (...)

  4. Can Kangaroos save the world?, Faculty of 1000 Biology Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: The authors argue the case for Australia through converting livestock herds of introduced ruminants to non-ruminant forestomach-fermenting native kangaroo populations. This is important in the context of Australian GHG emissions because Australia has one of the highest per capita emission profiles of any nation worldwide. It is also a major producer of meat for export and large livestock populations characterize extensive parts of the continent.
    • Source: Can Kangaroos save the world?, David Lindenmayer, Faculty of 1000 Biology: evaluations for Wilson GR & Edwards MJ Conserv Lett 2008 1 :119-128, 2009/01/12

    1. Native wildlife on rangelands to minimize methane and produce lower-emission meat: kangaroos versus livestock, Conservation Letters Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: Ruminant livestock produce the greenhouse gas methane and so contribute to global warming and biodiversity reduction. Methane from the foregut of cattle and sheep constitutes 11% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Kangaroos, on the other hand, are nonruminant forestomach fermenters that produce negligible amounts of methane. We quantified the GHG savings Australia could make if livestock were reduced on the rangelands where kangaroo harvesting occurs and kangaroo numbers increased to 175 million to produce same amount of meat. Removing 7 million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 would lower Australia's GHG emissions by 16 megatonnes, or 3% of Australia's annual emissions.

  5. Errors and Artefacts in Agent-Based Modelling, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: The objectives of this paper are to define and classify different types of errors and artefacts that can appear in the process of developing an agent-based model, and to propose activities aimed at avoiding them during the model construction and testing phases. To do this in a structured way, we review the main concepts of the process of developing such a model â€" establishing a general framework that summarises the process of designing, implementing, and using agent-based models. Within this framework we identify the various stages where different types of errors and artefacts may appear. Finally we propose activities that could be used to detect (and hence eliminate) each type of error or artefact.
    • Source: Errors and Artefacts in Agent-Based Modelling, JosĂ© Manuel Galán, Luis R. Izquierdo, Segismundo S. Izquierdo, JosĂ© Ignacio Santos, Ricardo del Olmo, Adolfo LĂłpez-Paredes and Bruce Edmonds, JASSS 12(1), 2009/31/01

    1. Forum: Contra Epstein, Good Explanations Predict, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Epstein has argued that an explanation's capacity to make predictions should play a minor role in its evaluation . This view contradicts centuries of scientific practice and, at least, decades of philosophy of science. We argue that the view is not only unfounded but seems to arise from a mistaken fear that ABM models are in need of defense against the criticism that they don't necessarily forecast events in the natural or social world.
      See Also: EPSTEIN, Joshua M. (2008) Why Model? Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation vol. 11, no. 4 12 http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/11/4/12.html

    2. Forum: Not All Explanations Predict Satisfactorily, and Not All Good Predictions Explain, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: This short comment on Epstein's (2008) paper and on the response by Thompson and Derr (2009) argues that the symmetry between explanation and prediction cannot satisfactorily be discussed without making clear what prediction meansâ€"depending on which connotations the authors have with 'prediction' their arguments can or cannot be accepted.

  6. The Key to Pandora's Box, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: On page 627 of this issue, Anstey et al. describe how social encounters between desert locusts promote release of the neurochemical serotonin, which turns out to be both sufficient and necessary for switching their behavior from mutual avoidance to aggregation--a prerequisite for building swarms of migrating plague locusts. This finding advances our understanding of how social interactions implement behavioral adaptations. Further research on amine-containing neurons and their interactions with other messenger system-orchestrating behavior in insects could lead to new pest control strategies.
    • Source: The Key to Pandora's Box, P. A. Stevenson, DOI: 10.1126/science.1169280, Science Vol. 323. no. 5914, pp. 594 - 595, 2009/01/26

  7. A Neandertal Primer, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: The rough draft of the Neandertal nuclear genome may usher in a brave new world of research on these extinct humans, but after 150 years of study, we already know a few things about them.
    • Source: A Neandertal Primer, Michael Balter, DOI: 10.1126/science.323.5916.870, Science Vol. 323. no. 5916, p. 870, 2009/02/13

  8. The Nonsense In Our Genes:1 In 200 Human Genes Superfluous?, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: 1 in 200 of our human genes can be inactivated with no detectable effect on our health. A study by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute scientists raises new questions about the effects of gene loss on our wellbeing and evolution. The team studied variations in the genetic code of more than 1000 people from around the world. They focused their work on single-letter changes (called SNPs) that disrupt proteins, leading to versions that are either shorter or completely absent. One might intuitively expect that such a change - called a nonsense-SNP - would be harmful to the person. (...)

    1. Extra Copies Of A Gene Carry Extra Risk, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: The gene LIS1 is crucial for ensuring the proper placement of neurons in the developing brain. When it is missing, brains fail to develop their characteristic folds, resulting in defects. However, new research at the Weizmann Institute shows that having extra LIS1 genes can cause problems as well. Is more of a good thing better? (...). Her latest study shows that LIS1 works by helping to determine polarity in the cell - how the various organelles are arranged inside the cell, as well as where it connects to neighboring cells. Neurons alter their polarity several times (...).

  9. Stochastic evolutionary game dynamics, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: In this review, we summarize recent developments in stochastic evolutionary game dynamics of finite populations.
    1. Network growth for enhanced natural selection, Valmir C. Barbosa, Raul Donangelo, Sergio R. Souza, 2008/12/12, arXiv, DOI: 0812.2327
    2. Self-organization, scaling and collapse in a coupled automaton model of foragers and vegetation resources with seed dispersal, D. Boyer and O. L'opez-Corona, 2009/01/01, arXiv, DOI: 0902.0950
    3. Evolve Networks Towards Better Performance: a Compromise between Mutation and Selection, Zhen Shao and Hai-jun Zhou, 2009/01/04, arXiv, DOI: 0901.0357
    4. Four-state rock-paper-scissors games on constrained Newman-Watts networks, Guo-Yong Zhang, Yong Chen, Wei-Kai Qi, and Shao-Meng Qin, 2009/01/08, arXiv, DOI: 0901.0955
    5. Natural selection maximizes Fisher information, Steven A. Frank, 2009/01/23, arXiv [Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22:231-244], DOI: 0901.3742
    6. Programmable reconfiguration of Physarum machines, Andrew Adamatzky and Jeff Jones, 2009/01/28, arXiv, DOI: 0901.4556
    7. Comparing bird and human soaring strategies, Zsuzsa Akos, Mate Nagy, and Tamas Vicsek, 2009/02/02, arXiv [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105: 4139-4143], DOI: 0902.0312
    8. Implementation of Glider Guns in the Light-Sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky Medium, Ben de Lacy Costello, Rita Toth, Christopher Stone, Andrew Adamatzky, Larry Bull, 2009/02/03, arXiv, DOI: 0902.0587
    9. Energy Drinks: The Coffee Of A New Generation? Universite De Montreal Nutritionist Warns Of The Dangers Of Energy Drinks, 2009/02/09, Innovations-report
    10. Complex dynamics emerging in Rule 30 with majority memory, Genaro J. Martinez, Andrew Adamatzky, Ramon Alonso-Sanz and J.C. Seck-Touh-Mora, 2009/02/12, arXiv, DOI: 0902.2203
    11. Techniques to Understand Computer Simulations: Markov Chain Analysis, Luis R. Izquierdo, Segismundo S. Izquierdo, José Manuel Galán and José Ignacio Santos, 2009/31/01, JASSS 12(1)
    12. Games on Cellular Spaces: How Mobility Affects Equilibrium, Pedro Ribeiro de Andrade, Antonio Miguel Vieira Monteiro, Gilberto Câmara and Sandra Sandri, 2009/31/01, JASSS 12(1)

  10. Being Human: Engineering: Worldwide ebb, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: To manage our impact on the environment and understand the ramifications of our actions in an increasingly interconnected world, we need a macroscopic view as well as a detailed understanding of the structure of the networks we have created. The bigger picture is beginning to emerge from theoretical approaches that reveal the structure and dynamics of networks, how networks change as they grow, and how networks constrain individual behaviour.
    See Also: Focus: Being Human essay series

    1. Network Analysis in the Social Sciences, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest in network research across the physical and social sciences. For social scientists, the theory of networks has been a gold mine, yielding explanations for social phenomena in a wide variety of disciplines from psychology to economics. Here, we review the kinds of things that social scientists have tried to explain using social network analysis and provide a nutshell description of the basic assumptions, goals, and explanatory mechanisms prevalent in the field. We hope to contribute to a dialogue among researchers from across the physical and social sciences who share a common interest in understanding the antecedents and consequences of network phenomena.
      • Source: Network Analysis in the Social Sciences, Stephen P. Borgatti, Ajay Mehra, Daniel J. Brass, Giuseppe Labianca, DOI: 10.1126/science.1165821, Science Vol. 323. no. 5916, pp. 892 - 895, 2009/02/13

    2. Boolean modeling of collective effects in complex networks, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: Complex systems are often modeled as Boolean networks in attempts to capture their logical structure and reveal its dynamical consequences. Approximating the dynamics of continuous variables by discrete values and Boolean logic gates may, however, introduce dynamical possibilities that are not accessible to the original system. We show that large random networks of variables coupled through continuous transfer functions often fail to exhibit the complex dynamics of corresponding Boolean models in the disordered (chaotic) regime, even when each individual function appears to be a good candidate for Boolean idealization. A simple criterion identifies continuous systems that exhibit the full dynamical range of their Boolean counterparts. Transfer functions inferred from the literature on transcriptional regulation of genes do not satisfy the criterion.

  11. Agreeing to Disagree, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt:
    Heave ho. Weaver ants work together to build nests for colonies with millions of members. CREDIT: BERT HĂ-LLDOBLER
    Yet, over the past 4 years, the duo has struggled to reconcile new information indicating that some social insects are exceptions to the rules that guided their thinking when they wrote The Ants. Although their new book, The Superorganism, tackles the evolution of eusociality, the two researchers are at odds over how these social systems got started.

  12. Sudden Death of Entanglement, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: A new development in the dynamical behavior of elementary quantum systems is the surprising discovery that correlation between two quantum units of information called qubits can be degraded by environmental noise in a way not seen previously in studies of dissipation. This new route for dissipation attacks quantum entanglement, the essential resource for quantum information as well as the central feature in the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen so-called paradox and in discussions of the fate of Schrödinger's cat. The effect has been labeled ESD, which stands for early-stage disentanglement or, more frequently, entanglement sudden death. We review recent progress in studies focused on this phenomenon.
    • Source: Sudden Death of Entanglement, Ting Yu and J. H. Eberly, DOI: 10.1126/science.1167343, Science Vol. 323. no. 5914, pp. 598 - 601, 2009/01/30

  13. Less is Moore, The Economist Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: There is strong demand for technologies that do the same for less money, rather than more for the same price

  14. Exploring Agent-Based Methods for the Analysis of Payment Systems: A Crisis Model for StarLogo TNG, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: This paper presents an exploratory agent-based model of a real time gross settlement (RTGS) payment system. Banks are represented as agents who exchange payment requests, which are then settled according to a set of simple rules. The model features the main elements of a real-life system, including a central bank acting as liquidity provider, and a simplified money market. A simulation exercise using synthetic data of BI-REL (the Italian RTGS) predicts the macroscopic impact of a disruptive event on the flow of interbank payments.

  15. A Proximate Mechanism for Communities of Agents to Commemorate Long Dead Ancestors, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Many human cultures engage in the collective commemoration of dead members of their community. Ancestor veneration and other forms of commemoration may help to reduce social distance within groups, thereby encouraging reciprocity and providing a significant survival advantage. Here we present a simulation in which a prototypical form of ancestor commemoration arises spontaneously among computational agents programmed to have a small number of established human capabilities. Specifically, ancestor commemoration arises among agents that: a) form relationships with each other, b) communicate those relationships to each other, and c) undergo cycles of life and death. By demonstrating that ancestor commemoration could have arisen from the interactions of a small number of simpler behavioural patterns, this simulation may provide insight into the workings of human cultural systems, and ideas about how to study ancestor commemoration among humans.

  16. Modelling Control Of Epidemics Spreading By Long-Range Interactions, Interface Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: We have studied the spread of epidemics characterized by a mixture of local and non-local interactions. The infection spreads on a two-dimensional lattice with the fixed nearest neighbour connections. In addition, long-range dynamical links are formed by moving agents (vectors). Vectors perform random walks, with step length distributed according to a thick-tail distribution. Two distributions are considered in this paper, an a-stable distribution describing self-similar vector movement, (...). Such long-range interactions are hard to track and make control of epidemics very difficult. We also allowed for cryptic infection, (...).

  17. Where You Stand Depends Upon Where Your Grandparents Sat: The Inheritability Of Generalized Trust, Public Opin. Quart. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Generalized trust is a stable value that is transmitted from parents to children. Do its roots go back further in time? Using a person's ethnic heritage (where their grandparents came from) and the proportion of people of different ethnic backgrounds in a state, I ask whether your own ethnic background matters more than whom you live among. People whose grandparents came to the United States from countries that have high levels of trust (Nordics, and the British) tend to have higher levels of generalized trust (using the General Social Survey from 1972 to 1996). (...)

    1. The End Of Welfare As We Know It? Durable Attitudes In A Changing Information Environment, Public Opin. Quart. Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: When white Americans think about welfare, they are likely to think about black Americans. The most prominent explanation for this phenomenon offered has been media coverage-newsmakers have presented welfare as an overwhelmingly black and overwhelmingly bad social program. Most of the data used in studies that reach these conclusions, however, predate welfare reform. Since passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), welfare has lost its place among America's most controversial issues. (...) In this paper, we provide systematic evidence that the information environment surrounding welfare policy has changed. (...)

  18. Can Mathematics Map the Way Toward Less-Bizarre Elections?, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Parties in power like to carve up voters to their own advantage, a practice known as gerrymandering. Some reformers, however, hope to limit the mischief--and are turning to mathematics for tools to do so. (...) Gerrymandering "gives people the sense that they're not really in control of their democracy," Pildes says. "It's part of what contributes to an alienation and cynicism about democracy."

    1. Social Trust And Attitudes Toward Democracy, Public Opin. Quart. Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: In spite of the great importance attached by social capital theory to the role of social trust in maintaining stable and effective democracy, research has produced rather weak and mixed support for the idea that the socially trusting individuals tend to be politically trusting, and the weight of evidence suggests either a weak or insignificant relationship between social and political trust. The present work, however, reports robust and statistically significant correlations between generalized social trust, on the one hand, and confidence in political institutions and satisfaction with democracy, on the other. The associations are significant in 23 European countries and in the United States. (...)
      • Source: Social Trust And Attitudes Toward Democracy, S. Zmerli, K. Newton - knewtonasoton.ac.uk, DOI: 10.1093/poq/nfn054, Public Opinion Quarterly, Winter 2008, online 2008 /11/16
      • Contributed by Pritha Das - prithadas01ayahoo.com

  19. Military Power And International Order, World Policy J. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: MITRE is indeed a defense contractor, born at MIT in the late 1950s as an independent, not-for-profit organization surviving on government contracts-but it still retains a reputation for its academic-style research. I had been invited to the Virginia campus for a conference (...) I soon found myself closeted in a windowless seminar room, ringed by analysts from across the U.S. intelligence community, their counterparts from the United Kingdom, and, surprisingly, a scattering of civil-rights advocates and "representatives" of the American Muslim community. Respites from the discussion were few- and every time you needed a bathroom break, a MITRE employee would accompany you to ensure you didn't stray too far. (...)

    1. Motives For Martyrdom: Al-Qaida, Salafi Jihad, And The Spread Of Suicide Attacks, Int. Security Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Suicide missions made their modern debut in 1981. In recent years, however, they have witnessed an unprecedented increase according to several indicators, including number of attacks, number of organizations conducting these attacks, number of countries targeted, and number of victims. Existing explanations, including the occupation and outbidding theses, cannot account for the dramatic increase (...). A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including analysis of a data set of 1,857 suicide attacks from December 1981 through March 2008, suggests that two interrelated factors have contributed to the "globalization of martyrdom": al-Qaida's evolution into a global terrorist actor and the growing appeal of its guiding ideology, Salafi jihad. (...).

  20. Links & Snippets Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Other Publications Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Education May Not Affect How Fast You Will Lose Your Memory, 2009/01/12, ScienceDaily & American Academy of Neurology
      2. A Weighted Communicability Measure Applied To Complex Brain Networks, J. J. Crofts, D. J. Higham, 2009/01/13, Interface, DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2008.0484
      3. Physical Methods For Investigating Structural Colours In Biological Systems, P. Vukusic, D.G. Stavenga, 2009/01/21, Interface, DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2008.0386.focus
      4. Readers Build Vivid Mental Simulations Of Narrative Situations, 2009/02/05, ScienceDaily & Washington University in St. Louis
      5. Google Brings Books To Mobile Users: Book Search Can Now Be Accessed From iPhone And Android Devices, R. Marshall, 2009/02/06, vnunet.com
      6. Cognitive Training Can Alter The Biochemistry Of The Brain, 2009/02/06, Innovations-report
      7. Fingerprints And Faces Can Be Faked, But Not Brain Patterns, 2009/02/06, ScienceDaily & ICT Results

    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. Emergence in Chemical Systems, , Anchorage, Alaska, 09/06/22-26
      16. From Systemic Thinking to Systems Design and Systems Practice, Xanthi, Greece, 09/06/24-27
      17. 7th Intl Conf on Computing, Communications and Control Technologies: CCCT 2009, Orlando, Florida, USA., 09/07/10-13
      18. Complex Systems and Social Simulations, Budapest, Hungary, 09/07/13-24
      19. Second International Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics and Synchronization (INDS'09), Klagenfurt, Austria, 09/07/20-21
      20. The 19th Annual Intl Conf Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Sciences , Milwaukee, WI USA, 09/07/23-25
      21. 2009 Intl Conf of the System Dynamics Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 09/07/26-30
      22. 5th Intl Conf on Fractals and Dynamic Systems in Geoscience, Townsville, Australia, 09/08/13-14
      23. Darwin Meets von Neumann: European Conference on Artificial Life 2009, Budapest, Hungary, 09/09/09-12
      24. IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems , San Francisco, California, 09/09/14-18
      25. 6th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, Guilford, UK, 09/09/14-18
      26. The 2009 International Conference on Adaptive & Intelligent Systems (ICAIS'09), Klagenfurt, Austria, 09/09/24-26
      27. 9th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications, Pisa, Italy, 09/11/30-12/02
      28. 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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      • SPECIAL ISSUE: Complex systems science and brain dynamics

        HOSTED BY Hava T.Siegelmann

        ABOUT THE SPECIAL TOPIC During the last years the incorporation of Dynamical system theory, Evolutionary dynamics and Complex systems has contributed deep understanding to biology and human health. Modeling along this line include prominent contributions to the understanding of various topics including Heart arrhythmia, Cancer evolution, Genetic networks, the Circadian system, and HIV infection, as well as opened new directions for treatments and policy regulations.
        This special issue aims at bringing a comprehensive overview of the most promising and recently introduced studies pursued by the scientific community in studying the central and peripheral nervous systems from the dynamical and complex system points of view.

        DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION March 15, 2009

        http://frontiersin.org/computationalneuroscience/specialtopics/27


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