
The reasons why sleep is so vital often hide in unexpected parts of the body, as host Steven Strogatz discovers in conversations with researchers Dragana Rogulja and Alex Keene.
Read the full article at: www.quantamagazine.org
Networking the complexity community since 1999
Month: March 2022

The reasons why sleep is so vital often hide in unexpected parts of the body, as host Steven Strogatz discovers in conversations with researchers Dragana Rogulja and Alex Keene.
Read the full article at: www.quantamagazine.org
Forrest Webler and Marilyne Andersen
Information 2022, 13(3), 111
Information is the resolution of uncertainty and manifests itself as patterns. Although complex, most observable phenomena are not random and instead are associated with deterministic, chaotic systems. The underlying patterns and symmetries expressed from these phenomena determine their information content and compressibility. While some patterns, such as the existence of Fourier modes, are easy to extract, advances in machine learning have enabled more comprehensive methods in feature extraction, most notably in their ability to elicit non-linear relationships. Herein we review methods concerned with the encoding and reconstruction of natural signals and how they might inform the discovery of useful transform bases. Additionally, we illustrate the efficacy of data-driven bases over generic ones in encoding information whilst discussing these developments in the context of “fourth paradigm” metrology. Toward this end, we propose that existing metrological standards and norms may need to be redefined within the context of a data-rich world.
Read the full article at: www.mdpi.com
Yoshio Martinez, Katya Rodriguez, Carlos Gershenson
Genetic algorithms have been used in recent decades to solve a broad variety of search problems. These algorithms simulate natural selection to explore a parameter space in search of solutions for a broad variety of problems. In this paper, we explore the effects of introducing temporal heterogeneity in genetic algorithms. In particular, we set the crossover probability to be inversely proportional to the individual’s fitness, i.e., better solutions change slower than those with a lower fitness. As case studies, we apply heterogeneity to solve the N-Queens and Traveling Salesperson problems. We find that temporal heterogeneity consistently improves search without having prior knowledge of the parameter space.
Read the full article at: arxiv.org
In this my first interview I had the honour to chat with Dr. Eva Noyola observational astronomer.
Some of the topics we cover:
How the Universe changes, and how we can get to know of those changes, how light is the magic tool for it.
The expansion of the Universe and its curvature and how we are not in any special part of the universe, there is no centre of the universe.
Knowledge as one of the most fast changing things in human life.
Dark energy, which we have no idea what it is, but we know is the force that is making the universe expand and accelerate.
Dark matter creates a gravitational field that pulls objects together, and the work of Vera Rubin.
The possible fates of the Universe.
Exoplanets and the continuous discovery of more in nearby stars. Until now we know of 4,000 or so and how only a few could be Earth-like.
What an Earth-like exoplanet is and why is this important, rocky, not too far or to close to its star, and how much we still need to understand.
The scale of our solar system and how hard is to comprehend the vastness and emptiness of space.
Space exploration the need for a base on the moon, as well as a cautionary approach to the idea of space “colonization”, the ethics of space exploration.
Dyson spheres and the energetic problem of space travel.
The interesting possibility that we might be the most advanced civilisation, at least in our galaxy, and what could it mean for life on Earth.
Planet B and the danger of giving up on Earth.
You can also listen to this episode and others in our podcast:
https://anchor.fm/futurexplorations
Watch at: www.youtube.com
This workshop embraces the urgency of reflecting upon the possibilities and limitations afforded by different modes of thinking (in) Complexity and of building more complex and adaptive modes. It adopts a collaborative and dialogical format, based on a methodology specifically designed to support complex relational dialogues and facilitate emergence (e.g. of new ideas; approaches; levels of understanding; solutions or approaches). This workshop aims at identifying key theoretical, empirical methodological and pragmatic challenges and questions pertaining to how we think, build, coordinate and practice different Modes of Thinking (in) Complexity.
Workshop II | 6 May 2022 | This event has different time blocks, to cover working hours in different time zones and will span from the 5th to 7th of May 2022, depending on the time Zone, Online
More at: ces.uc.pt