[tt] Complexity Digest 2007.43 (text version -1)
Eugen Leitl
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Fri Nov 9 12:31:23 UTC 2007
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Subject: Complexity Digest 2007.43 (text version -1)
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Complexity Digest 2007.43 08-Nov-2007
Archive: [1]http://www.comdig.org, European Mirror: [2]http://www.comdig.de
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"I think the next century will be the century of complexity." Stephen
Hawking, 2000
_________________________________________________________________
PDF files of our annual editions are available at
www.comdig.de/AnnualEditions.html
A letter from Gottfried Mayer to our readers and friends is at
www.comdig.de/GMLetter.html
_________________________________________________________________
01. Why Google Turned Into a Social Butterfly, NY Times
02. Model Behaviour, Nature
03. Neural Mechanisms Mediating Optimism Bias, Nature
03.01. Mutual Optimism And War, Ameri.J. Poli. Sc.
04. Mathematical Physics: First Encounters, Nature
04.01. First-Passage Times In Complex Scale-Invariant Media, Nature
04.02. Ecology: Do Wandering Albatrosses Care About Math?, Science
05. What Makes Cultural Heredity Unique? On Action-Types, Intentionality And
Cooperation In Imitation, Mind & Lang.
06. Ecological Intervention: Prospects And Limits, Ethics & Int. Affairs
07. Adaptive Coevolutionary Networks: A Review, Interface
07.01. Robustness And Evolvability: A Paradox Resolved, Proc. Biol. Sc.
07.02. Sony's Folding at Home Project Gets Guinness Record, n-net News.com
08. Hearing: A Fantasia On Koelliker's Organ, Nature
08.01. The Origin Of Spontaneous Activity In The Developing Auditory System,
Nature
08.02. New Brain Cells Listen Before They Talk, ScienceDaily
09. Molecular Basis for the Nerve Dependence of Limb Regeneration in an Adult
Vertebrate, Science
10. A High-Resolution Root Spatiotemporal Map Reveals Dominant Expression
Patterns, Science
10.01. Smell: The Worm Turns, Nature
11. The PIN Codes Of The Immune System Can Be Hacked, Innovations-report
11.01. Systems Biology: A Clock with a Flip Switch, Science
12. Genetically Engineered 'Mighty Mouse' Can Run 6 Kilometers Without
Stopping, Science Daily
13. Crops That Shut Down Pests' Genes, MIT Technology Review
14. Fossil Sparks - New Finds Ignite Controversy Over Ape And Human Evolution,
Science News
15. Molecular And Genomic Data Identify The Closest Living Relative Of
Primates, Science
16. Engineers Teach Nature to 'Grow' Computer Components, PhysOrg.com
16.01. Nano-assembly Mimics Origin Of Life? Molecules Organize Themselves Into
Patterns, ScienceDaily
16.02. Self-Organizing Nanoparticles: A Model For Tomorrow's Nanofactories,
Innovations-report
16.03. The Charge of the Ultra - Capacitors, IEEE Spectrum
17. Crashes and Traffic Jams in Military Test of Robotic Vehicles, NY Times
17.01. 'Aggressive But Safe' SUV Wins Robotic Street Race, New Scientist
18. It All Began with an End - New Theory on Origin and Future of the Universe,
New Wise
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
19.01. Analysis: Young, British And Part Of Terror Plot, Telegraph.co.uk
20. Links & Snippets
20.01. Other Publications
20.02. Webcast Announcements
20.03. Conference Announcements
20.04. Other Announcements
_________________________________________________________________
01. Why Google Turned Into a Social Butterfly , NY Times
Excerpts: James Yang Suppose, however, that you could leave the island
compound of a social networking site and take your network of friends, and
friends of friends, anywhere on the Web? This is what makes Google's
announcement last week of a new alliance of companies so enticing - the
possibility that social networking will become ubiquitous. Google's vision -
"Social Will Be Everywhere" - is more compelling than anything Facebook could
possibly devise. Who wouldn't prefer the unlimited freedom to take one's own
trusted circle anywhere on the Web, as opposed to the cramped confines of
island life?
* [4] Why Google Turned Into a Social Butterfly, Randall Stross, 07/11/04,
NYTimes
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04digi.html
_________________________________________________________________
02. Model Behaviour , Nature
Excerpts: The brain is no longer the black box it used to be, and
neuroscientists are starting to put new knowledge to good use, developing
better animal models for psychiatric disorders.
* [5] Model Behaviour, Alison Abbott, DOI: 10.1038/450006a, Nature 450, 6-7
(2007)
[5] http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071031/full/450006a.html
_________________________________________________________________
03. Neural Mechanisms Mediating Optimism Bias , Nature
Excerpts: Humans expect positive events in the future even when there is no
evidence to support such expectations. For example, people expect to live
longer and be healthier than average1, they underestimate their likelihood of
getting a divorce, and overestimate their prospects for success on the job
market. We examined how the brain generates this pervasive optimism bias. Here
we report that this tendency was related specifically to enhanced activation in
the amygdala and in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex when imagining
positive future events relative to negative ones, suggesting a key role for
areas involved in monitoring emotional salience in mediating the optimism bias.
* [6] Neural Mechanisms Mediating Optimism Bias, Tali Sharot, Alison M.
Riccardi, Candace M. Raio , Elizabeth A. Phelps, 07/11/01, DOI:
10.1038/nature06280, Nature 450, 102-105
[6] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/nature06280.html
_________________________________________________________________
03.01. Mutual Optimism And War , Ameri.J. Poli. Sc.
Excerpt: Working with the definition of mutual optimism as war due to
inconsistent beliefs, we formalize the mutual optimism argument to test the
theory's logical validity. We find that in the class of strategic situations
where mutual optimism is a necessary condition for war-i.e., where war is known
to be inefficient, war only occurs if both sides prefer it to a negotiated
settlement, and on the eve of conflict war is self-evident-then there is no
Bayesian-Nash equilibrium where wars are fought because of mutual optimism.
(...)
* [7] Mutual Optimism And War, [8] M. Fey, [9] K. W. Ramsay, Oct. 2007, online
2007/10/02, DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00278.x, American Journal of
Political Science
* Contributed by [10] Pritha Das
[7] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2007.00278.x
[8] mailto:mark.fey at rochester.edu
[9] mailto:kramsay at Princeton.edu
[10] mailto:prithadas01 at yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
04. Mathematical Physics: First Encounters , Nature
Excerpts: The idea of 'random walks' pops up in areas from biochemical reaction
pathways to animals' foraging strategies. A central question - how likely is it
that a walker is somewhere for the first time? - now has a simpler answer.
* [11] Mathematical Physics: First Encounters, Michael F. Shlesinger, 07/11/01,
DOI: 10.1038/450040a, Nature 450, 40-41
[11] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/450040a.html
_________________________________________________________________
04.01. First-Passage Times In Complex Scale-Invariant Media , Nature
Excerpts: How long does it take a random walker to reach a given target point?
This quantity, known as a first-passage time (FPT), has led to a growing number
of theoretical investigations over the past decade. The importance of FPTs
originates from the crucial role played by first encounter properties in
various real situations, including transport in disordered media, neuron firing
dynamics, spreading of diseases or target search processes. Most methods of
determining FPT properties in confining domains have been limited to
effectively one-dimensional geometries, or to higher spatial dimensions only in
homogeneous media.
* [12] First-Passage Times In Complex Scale-Invariant Media, S. Condamin, O.
Benichou, V. Tejedor, R. Voituriez, J. Klafter, 07/11/01, DOI:
10.1038/nature06201, Nature 450, 77-80
[12] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/nature06201.html
_________________________________________________________________
04.02. Ecology: Do Wandering Albatrosses Care About Math? , Science
Excerpts: One of the first studies in which recording devices tracked animal
movements, the work also brought a little-known mathematical tool to bear on
the study of animal foraging. It showed ecologists that a model of random
motion called a Levy flight described the way albatrosses searched for food.
Inspired by the work of French mathematician Paul Levy, Levy flights are
characterized by many short hops, with much longer jumps on rare occasions.
Physicists have long used the mathematics behind Levy flights to predict how
particles move in liquids and how matter spreads in the universe, for example.
* [13] Ecology: Do Wandering Albatrosses Care About Math?, John Travis,
07/11/02, Science : 742-743.
[13] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/742
_________________________________________________________________
05. What Makes Cultural Heredity Unique? On Action-Types, Intentionality And
Cooperation In Imitation , Mind & Lang.
Excerpt: The exploration of the mechanisms of cultural heredity has often been
regarded as the key to explicating human uniqueness. Particularly early
imitative learning, which is explained as a kind of simulation that rests on
the infant's identification with other persons as intentional agents, has been
stressed as the foundation of cumulative cultural transmission. But the
question of what are the objects of this mechanism has not been given much
attention. Although this is a pivotal point, it still remains obscure. I will
characterize the notion of action-types and show why they are the genuine
objects of cultural heredity. (...)
* [14] What Makes Cultural Heredity Unique? On Action-Types, Intentionality And
Cooperation In Imitation, [15] F. Kannetzky, Nov. 2007, online 2007/10/29, DOI:
10.1111/j.1468-0017.2007.00322.x, Mind & Language
* Contributed by [16] Pritha Das
[14] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-0017.2007.00322.x
[15] mailto:kannetzk at rz.uni-leipzig.de
[16] mailto:prithadas01 at yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
06. Ecological Intervention: Prospects And Limits , Ethics & Int. Affairs
Excerpt: This essay seeks to extend the already controversial debate about
humanitarian intervention by exploring the morality, legality, and legitimacy
of ecological intervention and its corollary, ecological defense. If the legacy
of the Holocaust was acceptance of a new category of "crimes against humanity"
and an emerging norm of humanitarian intervention, then should the willful or
reckless perpetration of mass extinctions and massive ecosystem destruction be
regarded as "crimes against nature" or "ecocide" such as to ground a new norm
of ecological intervention or ecological defense? The essay shows that the
minimalist argument for ecological intervention (...).
* [17] Ecological Intervention: Prospects And Limits, R. Eckersley, Fall 2007,
online 2007/10/18, DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-7093.2007.00101.x, Ethics &
International Affairs
* Contributed by [18] Pritha Das
[17] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1747-7093.2007.00101.x
[18] mailto:prithadas01 at yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
07. Adaptive Coevolutionary Networks: A Review , Interface
Abstract: Adaptive networks appear in many biological applications. They
combine topological evolution of the network with dynamics in the network
nodes. Recently, the dynamics of adaptive networks has been investigated in a
number of parallel studies from different fields, ranging from genomics to game
theory. Here we review these recent developments and show that they can be
viewed from a unique angle. We demonstrate that all these studies are
characterized by common themes, most prominently: complex dynamics and robust
topological self-organization based on simple local rules.
* [19] Adaptive Coevolutionary Networks: A Review, T. Gross , B. Blasius,
2007/10/30, DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2007.1229, Interface
* Contributed by [20] Atin Das
[19]
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/1824gq6103378448/?p=0b5d1c483a94451c
a9db4c4fec7b6efa&pi=3
[20] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
07.01. Robustness And Evolvability: A Paradox Resolved , Proc. Biol. Sc.
Excerpt: Understanding the relationship between robustness and evolvability is
key to understand how living things can withstand mutations, while producing
ample variation that leads to evolutionary innovations. Mutational robustness
and evolvability, a system's ability to produce heritable variation, harbour a
paradoxical tension. On one hand, high robustness implies low production of
heritable phenotypic variation. On the other hand, both experimental and
computational analyses of neutral networks indicate that robustness enhances
evolvability. I here resolve this tension using RNA genotypes and their
secondary structure phenotypes as a study system. (...)
* [21] Robustness And Evolvability: A Paradox Resolved, A. Wagner, 2007/10/30,
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1137, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences
* Contributed by [22] Atin Das
[21]
http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/k8n04n024q2nh243/?p=e9ed02449fd6478d
b27737027c012924&pi=5
[22] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
07.02. Sony's Folding at Home Project Gets Guinness Record , n-net News.com
Excerpts: PlayStation 3 users have been able to connect their consoles
online to Stanford University's Folding at home project, allowing researchers to
tap into the machines' substantial processing power as they study the effects
of a process called protein folding on a series of serious diseases. (Credit:
Folding at home) The record was set by Stanford University's Folding at home
project, a distributed computing system utilizing PS3s among other computers,
to help scientists study the effects of a process called "protein folding" on a
series of serious diseases. Well, Guinness has apparently certified the project
as the world's most powerful distributed computing system. According to a
release from Sony, Folding at home topped 1 petaflop last month, meaning that it
surpassed a thousand trillion floating point operations per second. By
comparison, the well-known SETI at home project has topped out, according to
Wikipedia, at around 265 teraflops, or 265 trillion floating point operations a
second.
* [23] Sony's Folding at Home Project Gets Guinness Record, Daniel Terdiman,
07/10/31, n-net News.com
[23] http://www.news.com/8301-13772_3-9808500-52.html
_________________________________________________________________
08. Hearing: A Fantasia On Koelliker's Organ , Nature
Excerpts: In the silence that precedes the onset of hearing in the developing
auditory system, it seems that the cells of a transient structure known as
Koelliker's organ are capable of generating their own 'virtual' music. >From a
physiological perspective, a developing organ requires a programme that allows
it to grow and adapt to internal and environmental constraints. In sensory
systems such as those involved in sight and hearing, the adaptable growth of
afferent (incoming) nerve fibres is involved in connecting the peripheral
sensory organ to the neurons of the central nervous system.
* [24] Hearing: A Fantasia On Koelliker's Organ, Ian D. Forsythe, 07/11/01,
DOI: 10.1038/450043a, Nature 450, 43-44
[24] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/450043a.html
_________________________________________________________________
08.01. The Origin Of Spontaneous Activity In The Developing Auditory System ,
Nature
Excerpts: Spontaneous activity in the developing auditory system is required
for neuronal survival as well as the refinement and maintenance of tonotopic
maps in the brain. However, the mechanisms responsible for initiating auditory
nerve firing in the absence of sound have not been determined. Here we show
that supporting cells in the developing rat cochlea spontaneously release ATP,
which causes nearby inner hair cells to depolarize and release glutamate,
triggering discrete bursts of action potentials in primary auditory neurons.
* [25] The Origin Of Spontaneous Activity In The Developing Auditory System,
Nicolas X. Tritsch, Eunyoung Yi, Jonathan E. Gale, Elisabeth Glowatzki ,
Dwight E. Bergles, 07/11/01, DOI: 10.1038/nature06233, Nature 450, 50-55
[25] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/nature06233.html
_________________________________________________________________
08.02. New Brain Cells Listen Before They Talk , ScienceDaily
Excerpts: Newly created neurons in adults rely on signals from distant brain
regions to regulate their maturation and survival before they can communicate
with existing neighboring cells--a finding that has important implications for
the use of adult neural stem cells (...). In fact, certain important synaptic
connections--the circuitry that allows the brain cells to talk to each
other--do not appear until 21 days after the birth of the new cells, according
(...). In the meantime, other areas of the brain provide information to the new
cells, preventing them from disturbing ongoing functions until the cells are
mature. (...)
* [26] New Brain Cells Listen Before They Talk, 2007/11/01, ScienceDaily
* Contributed by [27] Atin Das
[26] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030112108.htm
[27] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
09. Molecular Basis for the Nerve Dependence of Limb Regeneration in an Adult
Vertebrate , Science
Excerpts: Forelimb regeneration in newts requires concomitant regeneration of
the nerve, a necessity that can be circumvented by application of a single
protein, nAG. The limb blastemal cells of an adult salamander regenerate the
structures distal to the level of amputation, and the surface protein Prod 1 is
a critical determinant of their proximodistal identity. The anterior gradient
protein family member nAG is a secreted ligand for Prod 1 and a growth factor
for cultured newt blastemal cells. nAG is sequentially expressed after
amputation in the regenerating nerve and the wound epidermis¡Xthe key tissues
of the stem cell niche - and its expression in both locations is abrogated by
denervation.
* [28] Molecular Basis for the Nerve Dependence of Limb Regeneration in an
Adult Vertebrate, Anoop Kumar, James W. Godwin, Phillip B. Gates, A. Acely
Garza-Garcia, Jeremy P. Brockes, Science 2 November 2007: 772-777.
[28] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/772
_________________________________________________________________
10. A High-Resolution Root Spatiotemporal Map Reveals Dominant Expression
Patterns , Science
Excerpts: Transcriptional programs that regulate development are exquisitely
controlled in space and time. Elucidating these programs that underlie
development is essential to understanding the acquisition of cell and tissue
identity. We present microarray expression profiles of a high-resolution set of
developmental time points within a single Arabidopsis root and a comprehensive
map of nearly all root cell types. These cell type-specific transcriptional
signatures often predict previously unknown cellular functions.
* [29] A High-Resolution Root Spatiotemporal Map Reveals Dominant Expression
Patterns, Siobhan M. Brady, David A. Orlando, Ji-Young Lee, Jean Y. Wang,
Jeremy Koch, Jos? R. Dinneny, Daniel Mace, Uwe Ohler, [30] Philip N. Benfey,
Science : 801-806.
[29] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/801
[30] mailto:ref_date 07/11/02
_________________________________________________________________
10.01. Smell: The Worm Turns , Nature
Excerpts: The worm Caenorhabditis elegans has many advantages as an
experimental organism. These have been exploited to investigate how, at a
single-neuron level, neural circuits transform sensory signals into behaviour.
* [31] Smell: The Worm Turns, Piali Sengupta, 07/11/01, DOI: 10.1038/450035a,
Nature 450, 35-36
[31] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v450/n7166/full/450035a.html
_________________________________________________________________
11. The PIN Codes Of The Immune System Can Be Hacked , Innovations-report
Excerpts: There are several reasons why the world is still plagued by diseases
we cannot treat or vaccinate against, one of them being the vast complexity of
the human immune system. Danish researchers have now developed a method, which
can help expose a complicated but crucial part of the immune system's defence
mechanisms. This method can lead to entirely new vaccines and treatments.
Researchers (...) have combined the fields of Bioinformatics and
ImmunoChemistry and created models of neural networks, which can do what has
thus far been impossibe: Simulate how the immune system defends itsel from
disease. (...)
* [32] The PIN Codes Of The Immune System Can Be Hacked, 2007/11/02,
Innovations-report
* Contributed by [33] Atin Das
[32]
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-94649.html
[33] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
11.01. Systems Biology: A Clock with a Flip Switch , Science
Excerpts: The big remaining challenge was to determine how this clock works.
Two studies, reported by the Kondo group ( [34] 2) and by Rust et al. on page
809 of this issue ( [35] 3), now provide a satisfying answer to this question.
The oscillations arise from the slow, orderly addition and then subtraction of
two phosphates from the KaiC protein. This provides a fascinating example of
reductionistic systems biology, where the ability to pick apart a complex
system has yielded an understanding of how the whole system works.
* [36] Systems Biology: A Clock with a Flip Switch, Andy C. Poon , James E.
Ferrell Jr., 07/11/02, Science : 757-758.
[34] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/757#ref2
[35] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/757#ref3
[36] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/757
_________________________________________________________________
12. Genetically Engineered 'Mighty Mouse' Can Run 6 Kilometers Without Stopping
, Science Daily
Excerpts: Researchers have bred a line of "mighty mice" (PEPCK-Cmus mice)
that have the capability of running five to six kilometers at a speed of 20
meters per minute on a treadmill for up to six hours before stopping. (Credit:
Courtesy of Richard Hanson's Research Lab) The transgenic mice, which now
number nearly 500, were derived from six founder lines that contain a chimeric
gene in which a copy of the cDNA for PEPCK-C was linked to the skeletal actin
gene promoter, containing the 3'-end of the bovine growth hormone gene. The
skeletal actin gene promoter directs expression of PEPCK-C exclusively to
skeletal muscle. Various lines of PEPCK-Cmus mice expressed PEPCK-C at
different levels, but one very active line of PEPCK-Cmus mice had levels of
PEPCK-C activity of 9 units/gram skeletal muscle, compared to only 0.08
units/gram in the muscles of control animals.
* [37] Genetically Engineered 'Mighty Mouse' Can Run 6 Kilometers Without
Stopping, 07/11/02, ScienceDaily
[37] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101162739.htm
_________________________________________________________________
13. Crops That Shut Down Pests' Genes , MIT Technology Review
Excerpts: Corn that bites back: Genetically modified corn made by Monsanto
silences genes in the insects that eat its roots, slowing and eventually
killing them. The normal corn root system on the left has been nibbled by corn
rootworm; the hardy root system on the right is from a genetically modified
corn plant. Credit: Monsanto Monsanto is developing genetically modified
plants that use RNA interference to kill the insects that eat them. (...)
Because the new crops target particular genes in particular insects, some
researchers suggest that they will be safer and less likely to have unintended
effects than other genetically modified plants. Others warn that it is too
early to make such predictions and that the plants should be carefully tested
to ensure that they do not pose environmental problems. But most researchers
agree that it's unlikely that eating these plants would have adverse effects on
humans.
* [38] Crops That Shut Down Pests' Genes, Katherine Bourzac, 07/11/05, MIT
Technology Review
[38] http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19659/
_________________________________________________________________
14. Fossil Sparks - New Finds Ignite Controversy Over Ape And Human Evolution ,
Science News
Excerpts: DENTAL PLAN. Three Chororapithecus teeth (top) are shown aligned
with the corresponding teeth of a female gorilla. Suwa Scientific reactions
to the latest fossil finds and analyses underscore Le Gros Clark's point.
Consider a handful of 10-million-year-old teeth recently unearthed in Ethiopia
and attributed by their discoverers to a direct ancestor or close relative of
the gorilla. If the scientists are right, ancient gorillas initially diverged
from human ancestors more than 10 million years ago, several million years
before DNA-based analyses date the split. However, some researchers regard the
ancient teeth as remnants of an extinct ape that probably bore no relation at
all to gorillas.
* [39] Fossil Sparks - New Finds Ignite Controversy Over Ape And Human
Evolution, Bruce Bower, 07/11/03, Science News
[39] http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071103/bob9.asp
_________________________________________________________________
15. Molecular And Genomic Data Identify The Closest Living Relative Of Primates
, Science
Excerpts: A full understanding of primate morphological and genomic evolution
requires the identification of their closest living relative. In order to
resolve the ancestral relationships among primates and their closest relatives,
we searched multispecies genome alignments for phylogenetically informative rar
e
genomic changes within the superordinal group Euarchonta, which includes the
orders Primates, Dermoptera (colugos), and Scandentia (treeshrews). We also
constructed phylogenetic trees from 14 kilobases of nuclear genes for
representatives from most major primate lineages, both extant colugos, and
multiple treeshrews, including the pentail treeshrew, Ptilocercus lowii, the
only living member of the family Ptilocercidae.
* [40] Molecular And Genomic Data Identify The Closest Living Relative Of
Primates, Jan E. Janecka, Webb Miller, Thomas H. Pringle, Frank Wiens,
Annette Zitzmann, Kristofer M. Helgen, Mark S. Springer, William J. Murphy,
07/11/02, Science: 792-794.
[40] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/318/5851/792
_________________________________________________________________
16. Engineers Teach Nature to 'Grow' Computer Components , PhysOrg.com
Excerpts: At the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering,
Ray Phaneuf, associate professor of materials science and engineering, has
developed a template that nature can follow to produce "self-assembling"
structures. The template causes atoms to be arranged in a defined pattern that
can serve a variety of purposes - a semiconductor in a laptop, a component in a
cell phone or a sensor in a wearable device. Credit: Clark School of
Engineering Computers don't grow on trees, but with a little prodding from
engineers, nature can produce computer components.
* [41] Engineers Teach Nature to 'Grow' Computer Components, 07/11/05,
PhysOrg.com
[41] http://physorg.com/news113154615.html
_________________________________________________________________
16.01. Nano-assembly Mimics Origin Of Life? Molecules Organize Themselves Into
Patterns , ScienceDaily
Excerpt: The automatic molecular assembly and selection steps exhibited by the
molecules, which start as random mixtures, demonstrates a fundamental step in
the evolution of life. The organization is activated by instructions which are
built-in to the molecules. During assembly, molecules exhibit active selection:
those in incorrect positions move to make room for others which fit properly.
The molecular-level observation of such self-selection gives, for the first
time, direct insight into fundamental steps of the biological evolution from
inanimate molecules to living entities. The resulting nanostructures also hold
great promise as an efficient avenue to new catalysts, nanotechnologies, and
surface applications. (...)
* [42] Nano-assembly Mimics Origin Of Life? Molecules Organize Themselves Into
Patterns, 2007/11/01, ScienceDaily
* Contributed by [43] Atin Das
[42] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030105309.htm
[43] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
16.02. Self-Organizing Nanoparticles: A Model For Tomorrow's Nanofactories ,
Innovations-report
Excerpts: With inspiration from bacteria and butterflies, researchers at
Stockholm University have developed a new method that shows how nanomaterials
can be produced in the future.(...) shows how a glass bottle and a simple hobby
magnet can be used to produce and arrange extremely small cubes of iron oxide i
n
a perfectly checkered pattern. The new method can give magnetic films with
superior information storage capacity," says Lennart Bergström. To produce
nanoparticles with a defined form and size and at the same time organize them
in well-ordered structures is one of the few realistic ways of producing
tomorrow's nanomaterials on an industrial scale. (...)
* [44] Self-Organizing Nanoparticles: A Model For Tomorrow's Nanofactories,
2007/11/01, Innovations-report
* Contributed by [45] Atin Das
[44]
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/energy_engineering/report-93967.
html
[45] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
16.03. The Charge of the Ultra - Capacitors , IEEE Spectrum
Excerpts: ILLUSTRATION: BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN The innovation that my
colleagues John Kassakian and Riccardo Signorelli and I have pursued at MIT is
to replace the activated carbon with a dense, microscopic forest of carbon
nanotubes that is grown directly on the surface of the current collector. We
think - and our work so far supports our theory - that by doing so, we can
create a device that can hold up to 50 percent as much electrical energy as a
comparably sized battery. This feat would allow ultracapacitors to supplant
batteries in a number of mainstream applications.
* [46] The Charge of the Ultra - Capacitors, Joel Schindall, 07/11, IEEE
Spectrum
[46] http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/5636
_________________________________________________________________
17. Crashes and Traffic Jams in Military Test of Robotic Vehicles , NY Times
Excerpts: A Pentagon-sponsored robot race at a former Air Force base here on
Saturday revealed that computer-controlled vehicles, at least to date, have
failings that are all too human. The contest, called the Grand Challenge and
sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, featured
both robot collisions and robot traffic jams. Yet the event also demonstrated
that the state of the art in robotics has reached the point where the most
sophisticated autonomous vehicles can now drive comfortably and safely on a
city course while surrounded by traffic and other obstacles.
* [47] Crashes and Traffic Jams in Military Test of Robotic Vehicles, John
Markoff, 07/11/05, NYTimes
[47] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/technology/05robot.html
_________________________________________________________________
17.01. 'Aggressive But Safe' SUV Wins Robotic Street Race , New Scientist
Excerpts: The race's objective - for the vehicles to finish without a dent,
following California traffic rules precisely, within six hours - was daunting.
A minor fender bender, the worst accident on Saturday, drew a collective gasp
from hundreds of fans drawn to the abandoned base, situated about 80 miles (130
km) northeast of Los Angeles. Each robot vehicle appeared to have its own
personality. The Carnegie Mellon/General Motors SUV rushed out of the starting
gate, while Stanford's Volkswagen, named Junior, was more conservative.
* [48] 'Aggressive But Safe' SUV Wins Robotic Street Race, 07/11/05,
NewScientist
[48]
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn12874-aggressive-but-safe-suv-wins
-robotic-street-race.html
_________________________________________________________________
18. It All Began with an End - New Theory on Origin and Future of the Universe
, New Wise
Excerpts: The universe's clock has neither a start nor finish, yet time is
finite according to a New Zealand theorist. The theory, which tackles the
age-old mystery of the origin of the universe, along with several other
problems and paradoxes in cosmology, calls for a new take on our concept of
time - one that has more in common with the "cyclic?views of time held by
ancient thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle and Leonardo da Vinci, than the
Christian Calender and Bible-influenced belief in "linear" time now so deeply
imbedded in modern western thinking.
* [49] It All Began with an End - New Theory on Origin and Future of the
Universe, Peter Lynds, 07/10/24, NewsWise
[49] http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534609/?sc=dwhn
_________________________________________________________________
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
_________________________________________________________________
19.01. Analysis: Young, British And Part Of Terror Plot , Telegraph.co.uk
Excerpts: They are probably bright, politically interested and easily
susceptible to the ideology of victimhood and receive a daily diet of
anti-Western propaganda through TV stations and websites. Many will be of
Pakistani background, able to travel with ease, claiming to be visiting
relatives in the country where al-Qa'eda is based. Those who have signed up
are taken to training camps in the border areas where the Pakistani
government's writ does not run. Almost every terrorist convicted in Britain has
been through the same process.
* [50] Analysis: Young, British And Part Of Terror Plot, 07/11/07,
Telegraph.co.uk
[50]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/06/nterror306.xml
_________________________________________________________________
20. Links & Snippets
_________________________________________________________________
20.01. Other Publications
- Boffins Build Radio From Carbon Nanotube: Good Vibrations, 2007/11/01,
vnunet.com
- An Inverse Way For Engineering, 2007/11/01, Innovations-report
- Evolution Of Direct And Indirect Reciprocity, 2007/10/30, Proceedings B:
Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1134
- Neurons In Primate Cortex Associate Numerical Meaning With Visual Signs,
2007/11/02, ScienceDaily
- Human Decision-making Takes Multiple Brain Regions Performing Individual
Functions, 2007/11/01, ScienceDaily
- Evidence Of 'Memory' In Cells And Molecules, 2007/11/03, ScienceDaily
- Economic Modeling For Disaster Impact Analysis: Past, Present, And Future,
Jun. 2007, Economic Systems Research, DOI: 10.1080/09535310701328435
- Simple Quasispecies Models for the Survival-of-the-Flattest Effect: The Role
of Space, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 07-11-041
- Robustness of the European Power Grids under Intentional Attack, SFI Working
Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 07-11-040
- Correlations and Clustering in the Trading of Members of the London Stock
Exchange, SFI Working Papers, DOI: SFI-WP 07-10-039
_________________________________________________________________
20.02. Webcast Announcements
7th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 07/10/28-11/02
[51]
Reseau Nationale des Systemes Complexes , (in French), 2007
[52] World Economic Forum , Davos, Switzerland, 07/01/24-28
TED Talks, TED Conferences LLC , since 2006
Talking Robots: The PodCast on Robotics and AI, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de
Lausanne, Switzerland, 06/11/03
Potentials of Complexity Science for Business, Governments, and the Media 2006,
Budapest, Hungary, 06/08/03-05
6th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 06/06/25-30
Artificial Life X,
10th Intl Conf on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems, Bloomington,
IN, USA. 2006/06/03-07
6th Understanding Complex Systems Symposium, Urbana-Champaign, Il, 06/05/15-18
Ralph Abraham on Complexity Digest, , Calcutta, India, 05/12/27
[53] An Afternoon with Michael Crichton, Washington, 05/11/06
[54]
Illuminating the Shadow of the Future, Ann Arbor, Mi 05/09/23-25
[55]
Open Network of Centres of Excellence in Complex Systems - Brainstorming
Meeting, Paris, France 05/09/19-23
[56]
Complexity, Science & Society Conference 2005, U. Liverpool, UK 2005/09/11-14
[57]
ECAL 2005 - VIIIth European Conference on Artificial Life,
Canterbury, Kent, UK 2005/09/5-9
[58]
T. Irene Sanders, Executive Director and Founder, [59] The Washington Center
for Complexity & Public Policy, 05/08/27, QuickTime video (10:38 min), [60]
Podcast
[61] 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
[62] Understanding Complex Systems - Computational Complexity and
Bioinformatics, Virtual Conference Network, Urbana-Champaign, Il, UIUC,
05/05/16-19
[63] 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
[64]
1st European Conference on Complex Systems, Torino, Italy, 04/12/5-7
>From Autopoiesis to Neurophenomenology: A Tribute to Francisco Varela
(1946-2001), Paris, France, 2004/06/18-20
Evolutionary Epistemology, Language, and Culture, Brussels, Belgium,
04/05/26-28
International Conference on Complex Systems 2004, Boston, 04/05/16-21
Nonlinear Dynamics And Chaos: Lab Demonstrations, Strogatz, Steven H.,
Internet-First University Press, 1994
CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
Edge Videos
[51] http://webcast.in2p3.fr/RNSC/ target=new
[52]
http://gaia.world-television.com/wef/worldeconomicforum_annualmeeting2007/Targe
t=new
[53] http://www.complexsys.org/news.htm target=new
[54] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05ISF/index.html target=new
[55] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/ONCECS05/ target=new
[56] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/CSS05/ target=new
[57] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/ECAL2005/ target=new
[58] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/Sanders0508/Sanders0508.mov target=new
[59] http://www.complexsys.org/ target=new
[60] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/Sanders0508/Sanders.mp3
[61] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05NASPSA/ target=new
[62] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05UCS/ target=new
[63] http://www.comdig2.de/Conf/Nicolis05/Target=new
[64] http://www.comdig2.de/Conf/ECCS04/Target=new
_________________________________________________________________
20.03. Conference Announcements
NetLogo Workshop at Agent 2007 Conference,
Evanston, IL, USA, 07/11/12-14
Australia New Zealand Systems Conference 2007
Systemic development: Local solutions in a global environment? Auckland, New
Zealand, 07/12/02-05
Expanding Secondary Use of Health Data: An NSF Biomedical Informatics Workshop,
Corbett, Oregon, 07/12/04-05
The 3rd Indian Intl Conf on Artificial Intelligence
(IICAI-07), Pune, INDIA, 07/12/17-19
The 1st Conf on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-08), Memphis, Tennessee,
USA, 08/03/01-03
The 3rd International Nonlinear Sciences Conference (INSC), Tokyo, Japan,
08/03/13-15
19th European Meeting On Cybernetics And Systems Research, (EMCSR 2008),
Vienna, Austria, 08/03/25-28
2nd KES Intl Symp on Agent and Multi-Agent Systems : Technologies and
Applications, Incheon, Korea, 08/03/26-28
1st Intl Conf on Social Entrepreneurship & Complexity, Garden City, NY, USA,
08/04/10-12
The 12th World Multi-Conf on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics: WMSCI
2008, Orlando, Florida, USA, 08/06/29-07/02
>From Animals To Animats 10 - The 10th Intl Conf on the Simulation Of Adaptive
Behavior (SAB'08), Osaka, Japan, 08/07/07-12
Stochastic Resonance 2008, Perugia, Italy, 08/08/17-21
_________________________________________________________________
20.04. Other Announcements
"
Wolfram Research is Now the Official Math Brain
Trust for the Hit CBS Series NUMB3RS. 07/10/05
A short notice from Dean LeBaron
Dear ComDig Readers,
Our editor, Dr. Gottfried Mayer, is affectionately esteemed by many of you --
as readers, you know he devotes himself unselfishly to widening our knowledge
of complexity science. He was recently diagnosed with advanced colon cancer and
given a timetable of a very few years. Knowing Gottfried, you can imagine that,
in addition to the customary processes of chemotherapy, he would explore other
frontier therapies, especially those arising out of interdisciplinary
applications of complexity. These are expensive ... if he can find them.
Many of you have sent your good wishes and indicated your desire to assist.
With Gottfrieds permission, I am posting this note with information, below,
about how to send contributions to him. Please indicate the source since
Gottfried will want to express his warm gratitude.
I know that Gottfried, the good scientist that he is, will explain from time to
time what he is doing and what the results are ... and we will follow his
progress with great interest and hope.
Dean LeBaron
Publisher, Complexity Digest
Bank Information:
If your contribution is made by check:
Please mail the check, payable to Gottfried Mayer? to:
Manufacturers & Traders Trust
2080 Western Avenue
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Guilderland, NY 12084 USA
(on the back of the check, please write: For Deposit Only: Account # 983 338
3814?
If your contribution is made by wire:
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UID: 209 791
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Account # 983 338 3814
Ref. Gottfried Mayer
Intl Master of Science in Methods For Management Of Complex Systems - Academic
Year 2007-2008, Institute for Advanced Study, Pavia, Italy, 08/01/01
News notes on
Agent-based Computational Economics (ACE)
for July 2007 are now available on-line, 07/08/04
National Humanities Center Launches Humanities/Sciences Website, 07/04, As part
of its ongoing Autonomy, Singularity, Creativity: The Human & The Humanities?pr
oject (ASC), the National Humanities Center makes public a new website for
the initiative which significantly expands the potential pool of humanists and
scientists engaged in the exploration and examination of topics surrounding the
question of human being.
_________________________________________________________________
[65]Complexity Digest is an independent publication available to
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