Complexity Digest 2009.19

2009/09/09

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

For individual e-mail subscriptions go to Subscriptions.
Previous issue 2009.18 | Next issue 2009.20

Content

  1. An information-theoretic primer on complexity, self-organization, and emergence, Complexity
    1. A synthesis and a practical approach to complex systems, Complexity
  2. Early-warning signals for critical transitions, Nature
  3. Economic Networks: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?, SFI Working Papers
  4. On the Origin of Cooperation, Science
    1. Self-Organization and Emergence in Social Systems: Modeling the Coevolution of Social Environments and Cooperative Behavior, SFI Working Papers
    2. Positive Interactions Promote Public Cooperation, Science
  5. Pandemic flu: from the front lines, Nature
  6. Randomness, Chaos, And Structure, Complexity
  7. Do High-fat Diets Make Us Stupid And Lazy? Physical And Memory Abilities Of Rats Affected After 9 Days, ScienceDaily
  8. Society need not be selfish, Nature
  9. Like Infant, Like Dog, Science
    1. Differential Sensitivity to Human Communication in Dogs, Wolves, and Human Infants, Science
  10. Hot Ice Computer, arXiv
  11. Collective Decision-Making In White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys, Proc. Biol. Sc.
    1. Monkey Brains Signal The Desire To Explore, ScienceDaily
  12. Time To Tap Climate-Change-Combating Potential Of The World's Ecosystems, Innovations-report
    1. Web Page Ranking Algorithm Detects Critical Species In Ecosystems, ScienceDaily
  13. Friend or Foe: Subjective Expected Relative Similarity as a Determinant of Cooperation, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
  14. Poor Money Saving Linked To General Impulsiveness, ScienceDaily
  15. Cooperation, punishment, emergence of government and the tragedy of authorities, arXiv
    1. When and How to Imitate Your Neighbours: Lessons from and for FEARLUS, JASSS
  16. Recession Is Good News For Cloud Computing, V3.co.uk
  17. Adaptive Social Immunity In Leaf-Cutting Ants, Biol. Lett.
  18. Complex Joint R&D Projects: From Empirical Evidence To Managerial Implications, Complexity
  19. Book Announcements
    1. Critical Transitions in Nature and Society, Princeton University Press
    2. The New Foundations of Evolution: On the Tree of Life, Oxford University Press
    3. On the Death and Life of Languages, Yale University Press
    4. Genes in Conflict: The Biology of Selfish Genetic Elements, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
    5. Complexity Science & Social Entrepreneurship: Adding Social Value Through Systems Thinking, ISCE Publishing
  20. Links & Snippets
    1. Other Publications
    2. Conference Announcements
    3. Webcast Announcements
    4. Other Announcements

  1. An information-theoretic primer on complexity, self-organization, and emergence, Complexity Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Complex Systems Science aims to understand concepts like complexity, self-organization, emergence and adaptation, among others. The inherent fuzziness in complex systems definitions is complicated by the unclear relation among these central processes: does self-organisation emerge or does it set the preconditions for emergence? Does complexity arise by adaptation or is complexity necessary for adaptation to arise? The inevitable consequence of the current impasse is miscommunication among scientists within and across disciplines. We propose a set of concepts, together with their possible information-theoretic interpretations, which can be used to facilitate the Complex Systems Science discourse. Our hope is that the suggested information-theoretic baseline may promote consistent communications among practitioners, and provide new insights into the field.

    1. A synthesis and a practical approach to complex systems, Complexity Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: This document is both a synthesis of current notions about complex systems and a practical approach description. A disambiguation is proposed and exposes possible reasons for controversies related to causation and emergence. Theoretical considerations about simulations are presented. A justification is then given for the development of practical tools and techniques for the investigation of complex systems. A methodology for the usage of these tools is finally suggested, illustrated by application examples.

  2. Early-warning signals for critical transitions, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Complex dynamical systems, ranging from ecosystems to financial markets and the climate, can have tipping points at which a sudden shift to a contrasting dynamical regime may occur. Although predicting such critical points before they are reached is extremely difficult, work in different scientific fields is now suggesting the existence of generic early-warning signals that may indicate for a wide class of systems if a critical threshold is approaching.
    • Source: Early-warning signals for critical transitions, Marten Scheffer, Jordi Bascompte, William A. Brock, Victor Brovkin, Stephen R. Carpenter, Vasilis Dakos, Hermann Held, Egbert H. van Nes, Max Rietkerk, George Sugihara, DOI: 10.1038/nature08227, Nature 461, 53-59, 2009/09/03

  3. Economic Networks: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: We examine the emergent field of economic networks and explore its ability to shed light on the global and volatile economy where credit, ownership, innovation, investment, and virtually every other economic activity is carried at a scale and scope that respects no geographical, organizational, or political boundaries. In this context, the study of economic networks and their dynamics must reflect the vast complexity of the interaction patterns and integrate it with a realistic account of the incentives and information that govern agents’ behavior. (...)

  4. On the Origin of Cooperation, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt:
    CREDIT: KATHARINE SUTLIFF/SCIENCE
    Cooperation has created a conundrum for generations of evolutionary scientists. If natural selection among individuals favors the survival of the fittest, why would one individual help another at a cost to itself? Charles Darwin himself noted the difficulty of explaining why a worker bee would labor for the good of the colony, because its efforts do not lead to its own reproduction.
    • Source: On the Origin of Cooperation, Elizabeth Pennisi, DOI: 10.1126/science.325_1196, Science Vol. 325. no. 5945, pp. 1196 - 1199, 2009/09/04

    1. Self-Organization and Emergence in Social Systems: Modeling the Coevolution of Social Environments and Cooperative Behavior, SFI Working Papers Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Abstract: We demonstrate with computational simulation scenarios how social environment and individual behavior coevolve and how fundamentally different macro-effects emerge, when separate micro-mechanisms are combined. Our framework considers social interactions in prisoner's dilemmas, stag hunt, chicken or coordination games among agents on a spatial grid. Neither imitation of more successful strategies nor the migration to more favorable locations can promote cooperation in prisoner's dilemmas. However, when both microscopic mechanisms are combined, they cause the segregation of cooperators and defectors, and the self-organization of cooperative clusters on the macro-level. These are robust to randomness, while cooperation may break down in a “globalized society.” Results are discussed regarding their implications for the evolution of norms and institutions.

    2. Positive Interactions Promote Public Cooperation, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary: Reward is as good as punishment to promote cooperation, costs less, and increases the share out of resources up for grabs.

  5. Pandemic flu: from the front lines, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Summary: Researchers describe the scientific and public-health challenges they face in battling the H1N1 virus.

  6. Randomness, Chaos, And Structure, Complexity Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: We show how a simple scheme of symbolic dynamics distinguishes a chaotic from a random time series and how it can be used to detect structural relationships in coupled dynamics. This is relevant for the question at which scale in complex dynamics regularities and patterns emerge.
    • Source: Randomness, Chaos, And Structure, F. M. Atay, S. Jalan, J. Jost - jostamis.mpg.de, DOI: 10.1002/cplx.20278, Complexity, Sep.-Oct. 2009, online 2009/07/27
    • Contributed by Pritha Das - prithadas01ayahoo.com

  7. Do High-fat Diets Make Us Stupid And Lazy? Physical And Memory Abilities Of Rats Affected After 9 Days, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Rats fed a high-fat diet show a stark reduction in their physical endurance and a decline in their cognitive ability after just nine days, a study by Oxford University researchers has shown. The research, (...) may have implications not only for those eating lots of high-fat foods, but also athletes looking for the optimal diet for training and patients with metabolic disorders. "We found that rats, when switched to a high-fat diet from their standard low-fat feed, showed a surprisingly quick reduction in their physical performance," says (...).

  8. Society need not be selfish, Nature Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Over the past 15 years or so, de Waal has written a series of popular books with the main theme that humans are more similar to other animals in their attitudes and behaviour than most people realize. In particular, he has set out to combat the idea that evolution selects exclusively for individualistically selfish behaviour in animals. He argues that evolution has also selected for conciliation, cooperation and even empathy in many species, most obviously in those who live in complex social groups
    See Also: The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society

  9. Like Infant, Like Dog, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Over the past decade, behavioral scientists have uncovered a surprising set of social-cognitive abilities in the otherwise humble domestic dog. These abilities are not possessed by dogs' closest canine relatives, wolves, nor by other highly intelligent mammals such as great apes. Rather, these skills parallel some of the social-cognitive skills of human children.
    • Source: Like Infant, Like Dog, Michael Tomasello and Juliane Kaminski, DOI: 10.1126/science.1179670, Science Vol. 325. no. 5945, pp. 1213 - 1214, 2009/09/04

    1. Differential Sensitivity to Human Communication in Dogs, Wolves, and Human Infants, Science Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Ten-month-old infants persistently search for a hidden object at its initial hiding place even after observing it being hidden at another location. Recent evidence suggests that communicative cues from the experimenter contribute to the emergence of this perseverative search error. We replicated these results with dogs (Canis familiaris) (...) However, comparative investigations suggest that communicative signals serve different functions for dogs and infants, whereas human-reared wolves (Canis lupus) do not show doglike context-dependent differences of search errors. We propose that shared sensitivity to human communicative signals stems from convergent social evolution of the Homo and the Canis genera.

  10. Hot Ice Computer, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate that supersaturated solution of sodium acetate, commonly called 'hot ice', is a massively-parallel unconventional computer. In the hot ice computer data are represented by a spatial configuration of crystallization induction sites and physical obstacles immersed in the experimental container. Computation is implemented by propagation and interaction of growing crystals initiated at the data-sites. We discuss experimental prototypes of hot ice processors which compute planar Voronoi diagram, shortest collision-free paths and implement AND and OR logical gates.

  11. Collective Decision-Making In White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys, Proc. Biol. Sc. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: In group-living animals, collective movements are a widespread phenomenon and occur through consensus decision. When one animal proposes a direction for group movement, the others decide to follow or not and hence take part in the decision-making process. This paper examines the temporal spread of individual responses after the departure of a first individual (the initiator) in a semi-free ranging group of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). We analysed 294 start attempts, 111 succeeding and 183 failing. Using a modelling approach, we have demonstrated that consensus decision-making for group movements is based on two complementary phenomena in this species: firstly, the joining together of group members (�).
    • Source: Collective Decision-Making In White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys, O. Petit - odile.petitac-strasbourg.fr, J. Gautrais, J.-B. Leca, G. Theraulaz, J.-L. Deneubourg, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0983, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences, 2009/09/07, online 2009/07/15
    • Contributed by Atin Das - dasatinayahoo.co.in

    1. Monkey Brains Signal The Desire To Explore, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: Sticking with what you know often comes at the price of learning about more favorable alternatives. Managing this trade-off is easy for many, but not for those with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or obsessive-compulsive disorder who are trapped in simple routines. Using brain scans in monkeys, Duke University Medical Center researchers are now able to predict when monkeys will switch from exploiting a known resource to exploring their options. "Humans aren't the only animals who wonder if the grass is greener elsewhere, but it's hard to abandon what we know in hopes of finding something better," said (�).

  12. Time To Tap Climate-Change-Combating Potential Of The World's Ecosystems, Innovations-report Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: (...) Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth's multi-trillion dollar ecosystems - from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins - can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies. It says the planet's biological diversity and 'ecological infrastructure' are increasingly being put at risk from the impact of climbing greenhouse gases. Yet natural systems represent one of the biggest untapped allies against the greatest challenge of this generation, says the paper, part of a stream of work towards a final study in 2010. (�)

    1. Web Page Ranking Algorithm Detects Critical Species In Ecosystems, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpts: Google's algorithm for ranking web-pages can be used to determine which species are critical for sustaining ecosystems. Drs. Stefano Allesina and Mercedes Pascual find that "PageRank" can be applied to the study of food webs, the complex networks describing who eats whom in an ecosystem. The researchers, (�) therefore adapt Google's PageRank algorithm, which efficiently ranks web-pages according to search criteria, for ecological purposes. (�) In a world of ever greater human-generated change, there is a need to forecast the impact of species extinctions on ecosystems. This presents challenges, as every species is embedded in a complex network of relationships with others: (�).

  13. Friend or Foe: Subjective Expected Relative Similarity as a Determinant of Cooperation, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Subjective expected relative similarity (SERS) is a descriptive theory that explains cooperation levels in single-step prisoner's dilemma (PD) games. SERS predicts that individuals cooperate whenever their subjectively perceived similarity with their opponent exceeds a situational index, namely the game's similarity threshold.[...] The study's findings suggest that perceived similarity and its application in SERS play an important role in the evolution of cooperation underlying both kin and group selection mechanisms.

  14. Poor Money Saving Linked To General Impulsiveness, ScienceDaily Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: Financial imprudence is linked to other impulsive behaviour such as overeating, smoking and infidelity, according to a new study (�) conducted through the BBC website with over 40,000 participants, measured people's financial impulsivity by asking whether they would they prefer to receive �45 in three days or �70 in three months. The survey asked a related series of questions about other behaviours. Nearly half of those who responded preferred the smaller-sooner sum of money, and these people were more likely to show a raft of other impulsive behaviours. (�)

  15. Cooperation, punishment, emergence of government and the tragedy of authorities, arXiv Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Abstract: Under the conditions prevalent in the late Pleistocene (small hunter-gatherer groups and frequent inter-group conflicts), coevolution of gene-related behavior and culturally transmitted group-level institutions provides a plausible explanation for the parochial altruistic and reciprocator traits of most modern humans. When, with the agricultural revolution, societies became larger and more complex, the collective nature of the monitoring and punishment of norm violators was no longer effective. This led to the emergence of new institutions of governance and social hierarchies. Likely, the smooth acceptance of the new institutions was possible only because, in the majority of the population, the reciprocator trait had become an internalized norm. However the new ruling class has its own dynamics which in turn may lead to new social crisis. Using a simple model, inspired on previous work by Bowles and Gintis, these effects are studied here.

    1. When and How to Imitate Your Neighbours: Lessons from and for FEARLUS, JASSS Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Excerpt: This paper summarises some previously published work on imitation, experimentation (or innovation) and aspiration thresholds using the FEARLUS modelling system and reports new work with FEARLUS extending these studies. Results are discussed in the context of existing literature on imitation and innovation in related contexts.

  16. Recession Is Good News For Cloud Computing, V3.co.uk Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpts: The global recession could be good news for the cloud computing industry, delegates at VMworld 2009 have been told. "The best thing that ever happened to the cloud was the downturn in the economy," said (�). "People see it all working at a fraction of the cost, and call the chief information officer and say 'is it true?' that they can save so much money." Medina claimed that the past three months had seen a huge increase in the number of companies signing up for cloud services, and that there is strong interest from the federal government. (�)

  17. Adaptive Social Immunity In Leaf-Cutting Ants, Biol. Lett. Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: Social insects have evolved a suite of sophisticated defences against parasites. In addition to the individual physiological immune response, social insects also express �social immunity� consisting of group-level defences and behaviours that include allogrooming. Here we investigate whether the social immune response of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior reacts adaptively to the virulent fungal parasite, Metarhizium anisopliae. We �immunized� mini-nests of the ants by exposing them twice to the parasite (�). The results thus indicate that the social immune response of this leaf-cutting ant is adaptive, with the group exhibiting a greater and more effective response to a parasite that it has previously been exposed to.
    • Source: Adaptive Social Immunity In Leaf-Cutting Ants, T. N. Walker, W. O. H. Hughes - w.o.h.hughesaleeds.ac.uk, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0107, Biological Letters, 2009/08/23, online 2009/05/01
    • Contributed by Atin Das - dasatinayahoo.co.in

  18. Complex Joint R&D Projects: From Empirical Evidence To Managerial Implications, Complexity Next Article Bookmark and Share

    Excerpt: At present, the role of joint R&D projects becomes fundamental for understanding the process of innovation. An extensive bibliography exists on the study of the organizations; however, the networks for the development of joint R&D projects themselves as a new form of organization are still a growing field of study. The aim of this article is to provide empirical evidence on joint R&D projects management. To approach this question the starting point will be that joint R&D projects are complex phenomena whose complexity derives from the heterogeneity of agents to take part, the technological process developed and from the organizational form that supports R&D projects. (�)

  19. Book Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Critical Transitions in Nature and Society, Princeton University Press Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary:
      How do we explain the remarkably abrupt changes that sometimes occur in nature and society and can we predict why and when they happen? This book offers a comprehensive introduction to critical transitions in complex systems - the radical changes that happen at tipping points when thresholds are passed. Marten Scheffer accessibly describes the dynamical systems theory behind critical transitions, covering catastrophe theory, bifurcations, chaos, and more. He gives examples of critical transitions in lakes, oceans, terrestrial ecosystems, climate, evolution, and human societies. (...)

    2. The New Foundations of Evolution: On the Tree of Life, Oxford University Press Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary:
      This is the story of a profound revolution in the way biologists explore life's history, understand its evolutionary processes, and reveal its diversity. It is about life's smallest entities, deepest diversity, and greatest cellular biomass: the microbiosphere. Jan Sapp introduces us to a new field of evolutionary biology that descends to the foundations of evolution on Earth to explore the origins of the genetic system and the primary life forms from which all others have emerged. In so doing, he examines-from Lamarck to the present-the means of pursuing the evolution of complexity, and of depicting the greatest differences among organisms.

    3. On the Death and Life of Languages, Yale University Press Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary:
      Twenty-five languages die each year; at this pace, half the world’s five thousand languages will disappear within the next century. In this timely book, Claude Hagège seeks to make clear the magnitude of the cultural loss represented by the crisis of language death. By focusing on the relationship of language to culture and the world of ideas, Hagège shows how languages are themselves crucial repositories of culture; the traditions, proverbs, and knowledge of our ancestors reside in the language we use. (...)

    4. Genes in Conflict: The Biology of Selfish Genetic Elements, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary:
      In evolution, most genes survive and spread within populations because they increase the ability of their hosts (or their close relatives) to survive and reproduce. But some genes spread in spite of being harmful to the host organism by distorting their own transmission to the next generation, or by changing how the host behaves toward relatives. As a consequence, different genes in a single organism can have diametrically opposed interests and adaptations. Genes in Conflict introduces the subject of selfish genetic elements in all its aspects, from molecular and genetic to behavioral and evolutionary. (...)

    5. Complexity Science & Social Entrepreneurship: Adding Social Value Through Systems Thinking, ISCE Publishing Next Article Bookmark and Share

      Summary:
      This ground-breaking volume explores social entrepreneurship from the perspective of complexity science and systems thinking. Case studies, models, simulations, and theoretical papers advance both theory and practice, providing an innovative and comprehensive look at these dynamic topics. Written by complexity theorists, international development practitioners, and experts in a variety of other disciplines, this must-have book is mandatory reading for everyone interested in this newly developing field.

  20. Links & Snippets Next Article Bookmark and Share

    1. Other Publications Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Trash Or Treasure? Discarded US Computers Often Get A Second Life, 2009/09/03, ScienceDaily & American Chemical Society
      2. 'Nanopen' May Write New Chapter In Nanotechnology Manufacturing, 2009/09/04, Innovations-report
      3. Human Brain Could Be Replicated In 10 Years, Researcher Predicts, 2009/09/04, ScienceDaily & AlphaGalileo Foundation
      4. Odour Intensity Learning In Fruit Flies, A Yarali - yaralianeuro.mpg.de, S. Ehser, F. Z. Hapil, J. Huang, B. Gerber, 2009/09/07, online 2009/07/08, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0705
      5. Forecasting a Language Shift Based on Cellular Automata, Beltran FS, Herrando S, Ferreres D, Adell MA, Estreder V, Ruiz-Soler M, August 30, 2009, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 12 (3) 5

    2. Conference Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Darwin Meets von Neumann: European Conference on Artificial Life 2009, Budapest, Hungary, 09/09/13-16
      2. IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems , San Francisco, California, 09/09/14-18
      3. 6th Conference of the European Social Simulation Association, Guilford, UK, 09/09/14-18
      4. International Symposium on Complex Systems Science, Paris, France, 09/09/17-18
      5. European Conference on Complex Systems 2009 (ECCS'09), University of Warwick, UK, 09/09/21-25
        1. Statistical Mechanics of Molecular and Cell Biology, 09/09/23
        2. EmergeNET3: Emergence and Networks, 09/09/24
      6. International Workshop on Natural Computing, Himeji, Japan, 09/09/23-25
      7. The 2009 International Conference on Adaptive & Intelligent Systems (ICAIS'09), Klagenfurt, Austria, 09/09/24-26
      8. Complexity Theories of Cities have come of Age, Delft Netherlands, 09/09/24-27
      9. 4th Annual Singularity Summit, New York City, NY, USA, 09/10/3-4
      10. IC3K 2009 - Int'l Joint Conf. on Knowledge Discovery, Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management, Madeira, Portugal, 09/10/6-8
      11. Future Internet Architectures Summit, Arlington, VA, USA, 09/10/12-15
      12. Systems Chemistry II: Evolution and Systems, Balatonfüred/Lake Balaton, Hungary, 09/10/18-23
      13. Workshop: Computing action policies that ensure resilience of social and ecological systems, Madeira, Portugal, 09/10/21-22
      14. Natural and Biomimetic Mechanosensing, Dresden, Germany, 09/10/26-28
      15. Lyapunov analysis, from theory to geophysical applications, Paris, France, 09/10/26-30
      16. The 11th International Symposium on Stabilization, Safety, and Security of Distributed Systems (SSS 2009) , Lyon, France, 09/11/03-06
      17. International Conference on Intelligent Networking and Collaborative Systems (INCoS 2009) , Barcelona, Spain, 09/11/4-6
      18. the 9th Asia-Pacific Complex Systems Conference Complex'09 How to Manage Complexity? , Tokyo, Japan, 09/11/4-7
      19. CAS in the Natural and Social Sciences, AAAI Fall Symposium Arlington, VA, USA, 09/11/5-7
      20. Ninth International Conference on Epigenetic Robotics: Modeling Cognitive Development in Robotic Systems, Venice, Italy, 09/11/12-14
      21. 1st Global Peter F. Drucker Forum, ‘Managing the Future’, Vienna, Austria, 09/11/19-20
      22. Darwin09, International Workshop on 150 Years after Darwin: From Molecular Evolution to Language, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 09/11/23-27
      23. 9th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications, Pisa, Italy, 09/11/30-12/02
      24. World Congress on Nature & Biologically Inspired Computing (NaBIC 2009), Coimbatore, India, 09/12/9-11
      25. Dynamics Days 2010, Evanston, IL, USA, 10/01/04-07
      26. 5th Biennial Convention about the philosophical, epistemological, and methodological implications of the Theory of Complexity, Havana, Cuba, 10/01/6-8
      27. 2nd International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence (ICAART 2010), Valencia, Spain, 10/01/22-24
      28. 20th European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research, EMCSR 2010, University of Vienna, Austria, 10/04/6-9
      29. EvoStar 2010 , Istanbul, Turkey, 10/04/7-10
      30. International Conference on Computer Supported Education, Valencia, Spain, 10/04/7-10
      31. The IV International Workshop on Nature Inspired Cooperative Strategies for Optimization - NICSO 2010, Granada, Spain, 10/05/12-14
      32. European Summer School in Logic, Language and Information (ESSLLI), Copenhagen, Denmark, 10/08/09-20
      33. Artificial Life XII (ALife XII), Odense, Denmark, 10/08/19--23

    3. Webcast Announcements Next Article Bookmark and Share

      1. Symmetry Festival 2009, Budapest, Hungary, 09/08/1-4.

      2. International Workshop on Coping with Crises in Complex Socio-Economic Systems, Zurich, Switzerland, 09/06/8-12

      3. Memorial Service for Dr Gottfried Mayer, Founding Editor Complexity Digest, Taipei, Taiwan (1954-2009). Video [RM], 09/02/13

      4. Making Connections: In Memory and Celebration of the Life of Dr. Gottfried Mayer (1954-2009). Video [RM] [MPG], 09/02/13

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

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

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

    4. Other Announcements Bookmark and Share

      • NECSI Announcements
        -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Postdoctoral and Student Researcher Positions
        -----------------------------------------------------------------
        We are fortunate to have funding for postdocs or predoctoral stipends and scholarships for research supervision at NECSI starting immediately or anytime this fall. We are looking for applicants with outstanding training in physics, math or computer science. We value strong writing ability. Candidates should be interested in contributing to a wide range of arenas, including analysis and modeling of
        Socio-economic systems relevant to: -the economic crisis, -ethnic violence, -international development, and -healthcare;
        Biological systems relevant to: -evolution and diversity, -cellular function, and -physiology;
        Fundamental mathematical advances such as: -multiscale representations.
        Applications (for both pre and postdoctoral positions) should be submitted though the website at http://www.necsi.edu/education/postdoc/app.php
        ---------------------------------
        NECSI Faculty Opening
        ---------------------------------
        NECSI seeks an outstanding candidate to become a faculty member on its academic team. This individual will perform research, teach, and oversee postdoctoral and graduate student researchers in the study of diverse areas of complex systems science and its applications. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, ethnic violence, healthcare, evolution and ecology, economics, engineering, networks, systems biology, multiscale method, management, military conflict, negotiation and global development. The new faculty member will enter a dynamic environment and have the opportunity not only to work on unique research, but to impact national and international policy.
        Candidates should e-mail curriculum vitae, 2 letters of recommendation, and three publications to complex@necsi.edu.
      • 13 PhD Studentships and 3 Postdocs in Developmental Robotics
        (RobotDoc ITN)
        To start 1st January 2010
        RobotDoc (Robotics for Development of Cognition) is a multi-national doctoral training network for the interdisciplinary training on developmental cognitive robotics. The RobotDoc network consists of an excellent balance of academic and industrial partners, and of European and international laboratory leaders in developmental cognitive robotics. The network activities will have a significant impact on the career perspectives of the Fellows through training opportunities on industrial and academic research projects and skills. This network is funded by the European Union Marie Curie program ITN Initial Training Network.
        The PhD students (called ESR: Early Stage Researchers) will develop advanced expertise of domain-specific cognitive robotics research skills and of complementary transferrable skills for careers in academia and industry. They will acquire hands-on experience through experiments with the open-source humanoid robot iCub, complemented by other existing robots available in the network's laboratories. Each PhD student will be employed by one of the RobotDoc partner institutions, and will also be expected to spend a study period in at least one of the other partner sites.
        For further information contact Professor Angelo Cangelosi (acangelosi@plymouth.ac.uk), the RobotDoc network coordinator, or email directly the partner leaders for the specific institution/country you intend to apply. See details below
        Partner institutions and positions available:
        UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH, UK: 2 PhD studentships and 1 two-year postdoc (contact Prof Angelo Cangelosi acangelosi@plymouth.ac.uk)
        UNIVERSITY OF ZÜRICH, Switzerland: 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof Rolf Pfeifer pfeifer@ifi.uzh.ch)
        ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Italy: 1 PhD studentship and 1 two-year postdoc (contact Prof Giorgio Metta Giorgio.metta@iit.it)
        UNIVERSITY OF SK-VDE, Sweden, 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof Tom Ziemke tom.ziemke@his.se)
        BIELEFELD UNIVERSITY, Germany, 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Britta Wrede bwrede@techfak.uni-bielefeld.de)
        UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND, UK, 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Stefan Wermter stefan.wermter@sunderland.ac.uk)
        UPPSALA UNIVERSITY, Sweden, 2 PhD studentships (contact Prof. Claes von Hofsten claes.von_hofsten@psyk.uu.se)
        TELEROBOT Srl, Italy, 1 two-year postdoc (contact Dr Francesco Becchi francesco.becchi@telerobot.it)
        Associate partner institutions (where PhD students can spend part of their studies)
        RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan (Prof Jun Tani)
        Yale University, USA (Prof Brian Scassellati)
        National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Prof Jerry Lin)
        Honda European Research Institute, Germany (Dr Christian Goerick)
        BARA British Automation and Robot Association, UK (Dr Paul Robinson)
        Application deadline:
        We aim to have all PhD students starting on 1 January 2010. Application deadlines vary between institutions, and you are advised to contact each partner as soon as possible, possibly before the end of September.
        The following international mobility conditions apply:
        Posts are open to candidate of all nationalities. Applicants must not be nationals of the country of the institution in which they are applying to. They must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country there are applying to, for longer than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment.
        Early-Stage Researchers are defined as those who are, at the time of selection, in the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. This is measured from the date when they obtained the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the research training is provided, irrespective of whether or not a doctorate is envisaged.
      • Funded PhD Studentship in Unconventional Computing and Cellular Automata
        http://uncomp.uwe.ac.uk
        A fully funded 3-year EPSRC DTA PhD studentship is availabl at the Unconvetional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. The Unconventional Computing Centre (UWE, Bristol) employs complex dynamics in physical, chemical and biological media to design computational techniques, architectures and working prototypes of novel and emerging computers.
        The 3-year studentship includes tuition fees and an annual stipend of £13,200 (tax free) and is for UK (home) students only.
        See more details and apply at
        http://info.uwe.ac.uk/hr/vacancies/job_details.asp?ref=FET/AA
      • 1 Postdoc position and 1 position for Scientific Programmer at VKS Amsterdam
        The VKS is looking for a postdoc researcher and a scientific programmer (each position 38 hours per week.) for its new 18 month project, Knowledge Space Lab: mapping knowledge interactively.
        http://www.virtualknowledgestudio.nl/vacancies.php
      • POSITION AVAILABLE
        One PhD or PostDoctoral position is available starting October 1 (or later) in Collegium Budapest, The Institute for Advanced Study in Hungary (www.colbud.hu), in the newly formed project group researching dynamic networks.
        We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic research assistant or research fellow with a PhD plan or a PhD awarded in physics, mathematics, engineering, biology or computer science. Prior experience in computational science and network science is desirable but not necessary. Our project links network features of natural systems with dynamics and information propagation in systems, including epidemiological and ecological networks. The position will involve the analysis of experimental data, large-scale simulations of real and abstract networks, and related software development. Familiarity with Java is an asset.
        The project is generously funded by an FP7 FET Open grant of the European Commission, featuring 6 research groups across Europe. ColBud faculty and workspace are housed in a 400-years old building at the heart of the historic city center in Budapest, atop Castle Hill. ColBud is an international and interdisciplinary organization hosting leading researchers from all around the world on a temporary basis.
        Applications, including CV, list of publications, recommendations (if any), and statement of interests should be sent via email to George Kampis (gkampis@colbud.hu) or Laszlo Gulyas (lgulyas@colbud.hu). The search begins today and closes when the position is filled.
      • European Conference on Complex Systems, 21-25 September 2009, University of Warwick, UK
        The principal annual international conference in Complexity Science.
        For up to date information and to register, see http://eccs09.info .
        Key dates:
        13 July: Reduced registration ends
        1 September: Poster submission deadline, but apply early to be sure your submission is considered in time to get your abstract published in the programme.
        1 September: Last assured registrations

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