[tt] Complexity Digest 2008.25 (text version -2)
Eugen Leitl
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Fri Jun 20 12:21:41 UTC 2008
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Subject: Complexity Digest 2008.25 (text version -2)
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Complexity Digest 2008.25 19-June-2008
Archive: [1]http://www.comdig.org, European Mirror: [2]http://www.comdig.de
[1] http://www.comdig.org/
[2] http://www.comdig.de/
Asian Mirror: [3]http://www.phil.pku.edu.cn/resguide/comdig/ (Chinese
GB-Code)
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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. Humour Is Shown To Be Fundamental To Our Success As A Species,
Innovations-report
02. Grids are to Clouds as Apples are to Oranges?, GridToday
03. Perception Of Musical Consonance And Dissonance: An Outcome Of Neural
Synchronization, Interface
03.01. Science & Music: Raising The Roof, Nature
04. Top Secret: CIA Explains Its Wikipedia-Like National Security Project,
Computerworld
05. Perceptual Accuracy And Conflicting Effects Of Certainty On Risk-Taking
Behaviour, Nature
05.01. Psychology: Not fair!, Nature
05.02. What's Mine Is Mine: Brain Scans Reveal What's Behind The Aversion To
Loss Of Possessions, ScienceDaily
06. Transfer of Learning After Updating Training Mediated by the Striatum,
Science
07. High School Grades And SAT: Still Best Predictor Of College Success, Study
Says, U.S. News & World Report
07.01. Study: The New SAT Is Not Much Better, Associated Press
08. Biochemistry: How Enzymes Work, Science
09. Change Lifestyle, Change Genes - 3 Months On Ornish Diet Changes 500 Genes,
Many With Anticancer Effects, WebMD Health News
09.01. Nanotechnology, Biomolecules And Light Unite To 'Cook' Cancer Cells,
EurekAlert
09.02. Computer Predicts Anti-Cancer Molecules, EurekAlert
09.03. Cancer-Killing Viruses Influence Tumor Blood-Vessel Growth,
Innovations-report
10. Bacteria Make Major Evolutionary Shift In The Lab, New Scientist
10.01. MIT Researchers Unravel Bacteria Communication Pathways, MIT News
11. Scientists Confirm That Parts Of Earliest Genetic Material May Have Come
>From The Stars, Innovations-report
11.01. Genetic Building Blocks May Have Formed In Space, NewScientist.com
12. Scientists Close to Reconstructing First Living Cell, Scientific American
12.01. Planetary Science: Enceladus--Oasis or Ice Ball?, Science
13. Researchers Create Molecule That Nudges Nerve Stem Cells To Mature,
PhysOrg.com
14. Ecosystems: Have Desert Researchers Discovered A Hidden Loop In The Carbon
Cycle?, Science
14.01. Why Do Mountains Support So Many Species Of Birds?, Ecography
15. Predictive Models of Forest Dynamics, Science
15.01. Forests and Climate Change: Forcings, Feedbacks, and the Climate
Benefits of Forests, Science
15.02. Computational Intelligence Approaches For Pattern Discovery In
Biological Systems, Brief. Bioinform.
16. Geophysics: Mysterious Mountains, Nature
17. Acoustic Cloak Designed - Objects Coated In A New Material Would Be
"Hidden" From Noise., Technology Review
18. Perfecting A Solar Cell By Adding Imperfections, EurekAlert
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
19.01. AP: Exams Prove Abuse, Torture In Iraq, Gitmo, Yahoo News
19.02. And War Crimes for All...., The Huffington Post
20. Links & Snippets
20.01. Other Publications
20.02. Webcast Announcements
20.03. Conference Announcements
20.04. Other Announcements
_________________________________________________________________
01. Humour Is Shown To Be Fundamental To Our Success As A Species ,
Innovations-report
Excerpts: (...) answers the centuries old question of what is humour. (...)
Humour cannot be explained in terms of content or subject matter. A group of
individuals can respond completely differently to the same content, and so to
understand humour we have to examine the structures underlying it and analyse
the process by which each individual responds to them. Pattern Recognition
Theory is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why an
individual finds something funny. Effectively it explains that humour occurs
when the brain recognizes a pattern that surprises it, and that this
recognition is rewarded with the experience of the humorous response.?says
(...).
* [4] Humour Is Shown To Be Fundamental To Our Success As A Species: First
Universal Theory Of Humour Answers How And Why We Find Things Funny,
2008/06/13, Innovations-report
* Contributed by [5] Atin Das
[4]
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-112267.html
[5] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
02. Grids are to Clouds as Apples are to Oranges? , GridToday
Excerpts: There has been a lot of talk about what differentiates grid computing
and cloud computing, and how, especially in the enterprise space, the latter
might be rapidly overtaking the former. But what about the scientific and
research arena, from whence grid computing emerged? Can ¡§the cloud¡¨ possibly
replace the ¡§the grid¡¨ as the high-performance vehicle of choice? According
to Wolfgang Gentzsch (...) it isn't a matter of one paradigm usurping the
other's throne, but rather a matter of one paradigm learning from the other.
* [6] Grids are to Clouds as Apples are to Oranges?, 08/06/16, GridToday
[6] http://www.gridtoday.com/grid/2386064.html
_________________________________________________________________
03. Perception Of Musical Consonance And Dissonance: An Outcome Of Neural
Synchronization , Interface
Abstract: While a number of theories have been advanced to account for why
musical consonance is related to simple frequency ratios, as yet there is no
completely satisfying explanation. Here, we explore the theory of
synchronization properties of ensembles of coupled neural oscillators to
demonstrate why simple frequency ratios may have achieved a special status and
why they are important for auditory perception. The analysis shows that the
mode-locked states ordering give precisely the standard ordering of consonance
as often listed in Western music theory. Our results thus indicate the
importance of neural synchrony in musical perception.
* [7] Perception Of Musical Consonance And Dissonance: An Outcome Of Neural
Synchronization, I. S. Lots , L. Stone, 2008/06/11, DOI:
10.1098/rsif.2008.0143, Interface
* Contributed by [8] Atin Das
[7]
http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/k5256595202655r0/?p=eb3617c2e83c42ef87
4c401306b258be&pi=0
[8] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
03.01. Science & Music: Raising The Roof , Nature
Excerpts: A concert hall is a hall of mirrors - acoustic mirrors. When sound
hits a hard surface, it is reflected just as light is. Masonry, plaster, timber
and glass all reflect sound with very little energy loss. Sound in rooms is
predominantly a question of thousands of reflections. In a typical concert
hall, only the audience and the seating absorb sound as a black surface absorbs
light.
* [9] Science & Music: Raising The Roof, Michael Barron, 08/06/12, DOI:
10.1038/453859a, Nature 453, 859-860
[9] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7197/full/453859a.html
_________________________________________________________________
04. Top Secret: CIA Explains Its Wikipedia-Like National Security Project ,
Computerworld
Excerpts: Intellipedia lets spies post and edit content wiki-style, and
includes YouTube and Flickr versions (...) For example, Dennehy added that
Intellipedia allows analysts to post ideas and documents that can be edited by
others. Like Wikipedia, these edits can be tracked. "In the intelligence
community, we're often asked 'What did you know and when did you know it?'"
Dennehy quipped. Intellipedia is built with the same open-source software as
Wikipedia, and anyone with access on the various networks can read the posts.
Only those users verified as authentic users can edit the content.
* [10] Top Secret: CIA Explains Its Wikipedia-Like National Security Project,
Heather Havenstein, 08/06/10, Computerworld
[10]
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonom
yId=13&articleId=9095638&intsrc=hm_topic
_________________________________________________________________
05. Perceptual Accuracy And Conflicting Effects Of Certainty On Risk-Taking
Behaviour , Nature
Excerpts: Using complementary experiments in humans and honeybees (Apis
mellifera), we show that by manipulating perceptual accuracy in
experience-based tasks, both the certainty and the reversed certainty effects
can be exhibited by humans and other animals: the certainty effect emerges when
it is difficult to discriminate between the different rewards, whereas the
reversed certainty effect emerges when discrimination is easy.
* [11] Perceptual Accuracy And Conflicting Effects Of Certainty On Risk-Taking
Behaviour, Sharoni Shafir, Taly Reich, Erez Tsur, Ido Erev, Arnon Lotem,
08/06/12, DOI: 10.1038/nature06841, Nature 453, 917-920
[11] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7197/full/nature06841.html
_________________________________________________________________
05.01. Psychology: Not fair! , Nature
Excerpts: If someone treats you badly and you retaliate, blame serotonin. Lower
levels of this neurotransmitter make people more likely to retaliate when they
perceive others to have breached the maxim 'treat others as you wish to be
treated', find Molly Crockett at the University of Cambridge, UK, and her
co-workers.
* [12] Psychology: Not fair!, 08/06/12, DOI: 10.1038/453827d, Nature 453, 827
[12] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7197/full/453827d.html
_________________________________________________________________
05.02. What's Mine Is Mine: Brain Scans Reveal What's Behind The Aversion To
Loss Of Possessions , ScienceDaily
Excerpts: Did you ever wonder why it is so difficult to part with your stuff? A
new study reveals fascinating insights into the specific neuropsychological
mechanisms that are linked with the potential loss of possessions. The
research, (...), has important implications for both neuroscience and economics
and may even explain why you are reluctant to sell your iPod. People tend to
prefer the items they own when compared to similar items that they do not own.
This phenomenon, known as the "endowment effect," violates rational choice
theory which states that ownership should not influence preferences. (...)
* [13] What's Mine Is Mine: Brain Scans Reveal What's Behind The Aversion To
Loss Of Possessions, 2008/06/12, ScienceDaily & Cell Press
* Contributed by [14] Atin Das
[13] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135128.htm
[14] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
06. Transfer of Learning After Updating Training Mediated by the Striatum ,
Science
Excerpts: Process-specific training can improve performance on untrained tasks,
but the magnitude of gain is variable and often there is no transfer at all. We
demonstrate transfer to a 3-back test of working memory after 5 weeks of
training in updating. The transfer effect was based on a joint training-related
activity increase for the criterion (letter memory) and transfer tasks in a
striatal region that also was recruited pretraining. No transfer was observed
to a task that did not engage updating and striatal regions, and age-related
striatal changes imposed constraints on transfer.
* [15] Transfer of Learning After Updating Training Mediated by the Striatum,
Erika Dahlin, Anna Stigsdotter Neely, Anne Larsson, Lars B?ckman, Lars
Nyberg, 08/06/13, Science : 1510-1512.
[15] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1510
_________________________________________________________________
07. High School Grades And SAT: Still Best Predictor Of College Success, Study
Says , U.S. News & World Report
Excerpts: Changes made to the SAT - mainly a writing section added in 2005 -
"did not substantially change how well the test predicts first-year college
performance." That was one of the key findings contained in a study released
this week by the College Board, which owns the SAT. The study says high school
grades continue to be a slightly more accurate predictor of college success
than SAT scores. If there was reason to be disappointed by those findings,
College Board officials did not give any hint while announcing them to
reporters.
* [16] High School Grades And SAT: Still Best Predictor Of College Success,
Study Says, Eddy Ram?rez, 08/06/18, U.S. News & World Report
[16]
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2008/6/18/high-school-grades-and-sat-s
till-best-predictor-of-college-success-study-says.html
_________________________________________________________________
07.01. Study: The New SAT Is Not Much Better , Associated Press
Excerpts: The writing section added to the SAT has done very little to improve
the exam's overall ability to predict how students will do in college,
according to research released Tuesday by the test's owner. Critics of the SAT
seized on the College Board's findings, which came three years after the
revamped, nearly four-hour exam made its debut.
* [17] Study: The New SAT Is Not Much Better, Justin Pope, 08/06/18, Associated
Press
[17] http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jL_ea6bkOBo7AnSU0CHWxLvAKOmAD91C1DC81
_________________________________________________________________
08. Biochemistry: How Enzymes Work , Science
Excerpts: Studies of enzyme mechanisms were driven by a wish to understand the
ability of enzymes to accelerate the rate of a chemical reaction by staggering
amounts--up to 1020 times the rate of the uncatalyzed reaction in water
(3)--while displaying a specificity so tight that some enzymes can discriminate
between sulfate and phosphate. As we celebrate not only the 50th anniversary of
Koshland's "induced fit" hypothesis but also ~50 years of high-resolution
protein structure determination by x-ray crystallography, it is instructive to
look back on the history of attempts to explain enzymatic catalysis and to
summarize what we understand today about how these remarkable macromolecules
function.
* [18] Biochemistry: How Enzymes Work, Dagmar Ringe , Gregory A. Petsko,
08/06/13, Science : 1428-1429.
[18] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1428
_________________________________________________________________
09. Change Lifestyle, Change Genes - 3 Months On Ornish Diet Changes 500 Genes,
Many With Anticancer Effects , WebMD Health News
Excerpts: WebMD Health News More than 500 genes changed the way they worked.
Genes with beneficial effects, including some tumor-suppression genes, became
more active. Genes with deleterious effects, including some cancer-promoting
genes, were switched off.
* [19] Change Lifestyle, Change Genes - 3 Months On Ornish Diet Changes 500
Genes, Many With Anticancer Effects, Daniel J. DeNoon, 08/06/16, WebMD Health
News
[19]
http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20080616/change-lifestyle-change-gene
s?src=RSS_PUBLIC
_________________________________________________________________
09.01. Nanotechnology, Biomolecules And Light Unite To 'Cook' Cancer Cells ,
EurekAlert
Excerpts: In this study, the researchers used monoclonal antibodies that
targeted specific sites on lymphoma cells to coat tiny structures called carbon
nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are very small cylinders of graphite carbon that
heat up when exposed to near-infrared light. This type of light, invisible to
the human eye, is used in TV remote controls to switch channels and is detected
by night-vision goggles. Near-infrared light can penetrate human tissue up to
about 1.5 inches.
* [20] Nanotechnology, Biomolecules And Light Unite To 'Cook' Cancer Cells,
08/06/16, EurekAlert
[20] http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/usmc-nba061208.php
_________________________________________________________________
09.02. Computer Predicts Anti-Cancer Molecules , EurekAlert
Excerpts: A new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity has
correctly predicted the anti-tumour activity of several molecules. (...)
'CoMet' - a tool that studies the integrated machinery of the cell and predicts
those components that will have an effect on cancer. (...) "By comparing the
gene expression levels of cancer cells relative to normal cells and converting
that information into the enzymes that produce metabolites, CoMet predicts
metabolites that have lower concentrations in cancer relative to normal cells".
* [21] Computer Predicts Anti-Cancer Molecules, 08/06/16, EurekAlert
[21] http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/bc-cpa061308.php
_________________________________________________________________
09.03. Cancer-Killing Viruses Influence Tumor Blood-Vessel Growth ,
Innovations-report
Excerpts: Viruses genetically designed to kill cancer cells offer a promising
strategy for treating incurable brain tumors such as glioblastoma, but the
body's natural defenses often eliminate the viruses before they can eliminate
the tumor. The findings of an animal study (...) help explain why this happens
and could improve this therapy for brain cancer patients. The research, (...)
shows that as the viruses destroy the tumor cells, they cause the cells to make
proteins that stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to the tumor. These
vessels transport immune cells that eradicate the viruses and actually
stimulate regrowth of the tumor. (...)
* [22] Cancer-Killing Viruses Influence Tumor Blood-Vessel Growth, 2008/06/12,
Innovations-report
* Contributed by [23] Atin Das
[22]
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-112189.html
[23] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
10. Bacteria Make Major Evolutionary Shift In The Lab , New Scientist
Excerpts: But sometime around the 31,500th generation, something
dramatic happened in just one of the populations - the bacteria suddenly
acquired the ability to metabolise citrate, a second nutrient in their culture
medium that E. coli normally cannot use. Indeed, the inability to use citrate
is one of the traits by which bacteriologists distinguish E. coli from other
species. The citrate-using mutants increased in population size and diversity.
"It's the most profound change we have seen during the experiment.(...)".
* [24] Bacteria Make Major Evolutionary Shift In The Lab, Bob Holmes, 08/06/09,
NewScientist.com
[24]
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14094-bacteria-make-major-evolutionary-sh
ift-in-the-lab.html
_________________________________________________________________
10.01. MIT Researchers Unravel Bacteria Communication Pathways , MIT News
Excerpts: Image / Protein Data Bank, Michael Laub and Jeffrey Skerker
Diagram shows the structure of a histidine kinase (blue ribbons) and its
target response regulator (green ribbons). The specificity of the interaction
between the two proteins is primarily determined by the orange and red amino
acid residues. MIT researchers have figured out how bacteria ensure that
they respond correctly to hundreds of incoming signals from their environment.
The researchers also successfully rewired the cellular communications pathways
that control those responses, raising the possibility of engineering bacteria
that can serve as biosensors to detect chemical pollutants.
* [25] MIT Researchers Unravel Bacteria Communication Pathways, Anne Trafton,
08/06/12, MIT news
[25] http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/cell-rewire-0612.html
_________________________________________________________________
11. Scientists Confirm That Parts Of Earliest Genetic Material May Have Come
>From The Stars , Innovations-report
Excerpts: Scientists have confirmed for the first time that an important
component of early genetic material which has been found in meteorite fragments
is extraterrestrial in origin, in a paper (...). The finding suggests that part
s
of the raw materials to make the first molecules of DNA and RNA may have come
from the stars. The scientists, (...) provides evidence that lifes raw
materials came from sources beyond the Earth. The materials they have found
include the molecules uracil and xanthine, which are precursors to the
molecules that make up DNA and RNA, and are known as nucleobases. (...)
* [26] Scientists Confirm That Parts Of Earliest Genetic Material May Have Come
>From The Stars, 2008/06/13, Innovations-report
* Contributed by [27] Atin Das
[26]
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/earth_sciences/report-112279.htm
l
[27] mailto:dasatin at yahoo.co.in
_________________________________________________________________
11.01. Genetic Building Blocks May Have Formed In Space , NewScientist.com
Excerpts: Some fundamental building blocks of our genetic code might have come
from outer space, according to a controversial new meteorite study. The study
suggests that some organic compounds associated with genetic material might
have formed in a meteorite called Murchison before it landed in Australia in
1969. The chemicals are two kinds of nucleobases, ring-like carbon molecules
that are essential for the creation of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.
* [28] Genetic Building Blocks May Have Formed In Space, Rachel Courtland,
08/06/13, NewScientist.com
[28]
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14142-genetic-building-blocks-may-have-
formed-in-space.html
_________________________________________________________________
12. Scientists Close to Reconstructing First Living Cell , Scientific American
Excerpts: THE FIRST CELL?: Scientists at Harvard Medical School have
designed what they think is a reasonable model for the first cell on Earth,
some 3.5 to four billion years ago.
? JANET IWASA Researchers get genetic material to copy itself in a
recreation of a simple protocell that could have existed eons ago Harvard
Medical School researchers report in Nature that they have built a model of
what they believe the very first living cell may have looked like, which
contains a strip of genetic material surrounded by a fatty membrane. The
membranes of modern cells consist of a double layer of fatty acids known as
phospholipids.
* [29] Scientists Close to Reconstructing First Living Cell, Nikhil
Swaminathan, 08/06/10, Scientific American
[29] http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-close-to-recon
_________________________________________________________________
12.01. Planetary Science: Enceladus--Oasis or Ice Ball? , Science
Excerpts: The case has not yet been made that Saturn's satellite Enceladus
meets the environmental conditions needed to support life. (...) The Cassini
mission found giant gaseous plumes erupting from a tectonically active and warm
south polar region. One highly publicized interpretation is that liquid water i
s
present, possibly within tens of meters of the surface ( [30] 1), or possibly
only at depths of tens of kilometers [for example, see ( [31] 2)]. An
antithetical interpretation is that Enceladus is frigid, stiff, thoroughly
solid and composed of ice with interstitial gases to great depths ( [32] 3,
[33] 4).
* [34] Planetary Science: Enceladus--Oasis or Ice Ball?, Susan W. Kieffer ,
Bruce M. Jakosky, 08/06/13, Science: 1432-1433.
[30] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1432#ref1
[31] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1432#ref2
[32] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1432#ref3
[33] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1432#ref4
[34] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1432
_________________________________________________________________
13. Researchers Create Molecule That Nudges Nerve Stem Cells To Mature ,
PhysOrg.com
Excerpts: Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers
at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates
nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture. This finding
might someday allow a person's own nerve stem cells to be grown outside the
body, stimulated into maturity, and then re-implanted as working nerve cells to
treat various diseases, the researchers said. "This provides a critical startin
g
point for neuro-regenerative medicine and brain cancer chemotherapy," (...).
* [35] Researchers Create Molecule That Nudges Nerve Stem Cells To Mature,
08/06/15, PhysOrg.com
[35] http://physorg.com/news132757055.html
_________________________________________________________________
14. Ecosystems: Have Desert Researchers Discovered A Hidden Loop In The Carbon
Cycle? , Science
Excerpts: Findings in two deserts on opposite sides of the world suggest that
deserts are a larger sink for carbon dioxide than scientists had assumed.
(...) he realized that deserts are "like a dry ocean." The pH of oceans is
falling gradually as they absorb CO2, forming carbonic acid. "I thought, 'Why
wouldn't this also happen in the soil?' " Whereas the ocean has a single
surface for gas exchange, Li says, soil is a porous medium with a huge reactive
surface area.
* [36] Ecosystems: Have Desert Researchers Discovered A Hidden Loop In The
Carbon Cycle?, Richard Stone, 08/06/13, Science : 1409-1410.
[36] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1409
_________________________________________________________________
14.01. Why Do Mountains Support So Many Species Of Birds? , Ecography
Excerpt: Although topographic complexity is often associated with high bird
diversity at broad geographic scales, little is known about the relative
contributions of geomorphologic heterogeneity and altitudinal climatic
gradients found in mountains. We analysed the birds in the western mountains of
the New World to examine the two-fold effect of topography on species richness
patterns, (...).We conclude that bird diversity gradients in mountains
primarily reflect local climatic gradients. Widespread (lowland) species and
narrow-ranged (montane) species respond similarly to changes in the
environment, differing only in that the richness of lowland species correlates
better with broad-scale climatic effects (...).
* [37] Why Do Mountains Support So Many Species Of Birds?, [38] A. Ruggiero,
B. A. Hawkins, Jun. 2008, online 2008/05/05, DOI:
10.1111/j.0906-7590.2008.05333.x, Ecography
* Contributed by [39] Pritha Das
[37] http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2008.05333.x
[38] mailto:aruggier at crub.uncoma.edu.ar
[39] mailto:prithadas01 at yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
15. Predictive Models of Forest Dynamics , Science
Excerpts: Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) have shown that forest
dynamics could dramatically alter the response of the global climate system to
increased atmospheric carbon dioxide over the next century. But there is little
agreement between different DGVMs, making forest dynamics one of the greatest
sources of uncertainty in predicting future climate. DGVM predictions could be
strengthened by integrating the ecological realities of biodiversity and
height-structured competition for light, facilitated by recent advances in the
mathematics of forest modeling, ecological understanding of diverse forest
communities, and the availability of forest inventory data.
* [40] Predictive Models of Forest Dynamics, Drew Purves , Stephen Pacala,
08/06/13, Science : 1452-1453.
[40] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1452
_________________________________________________________________
15.01. Forests and Climate Change: Forcings, Feedbacks, and the Climate
Benefits of Forests , Science
Excerpts: The world's forests influence climate through physical, chemical, and
biological processes that affect planetary energetics, the hydrologic cycle, an
d
atmospheric composition. These complex and nonlinear forest-atmosphere
interactions can dampen or amplify anthropogenic climate change. Tropical,
temperate, and boreal reforestation and afforestation attenuate global warming
through carbon sequestration. Biogeophysical feedbacks can enhance or diminish
this negative climate forcing. Tropical forests mitigate warming through
evaporative cooling, but the low albedo of boreal forests is a positive climate
forcing. The evaporative effect of temperate forests is unclear.
* [41] Forests and Climate Change: Forcings, Feedbacks, and the Climate
Benefits of Forests, Gordon B. Bonan, 08/06/13, Science: 1444-1449.
[41] http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5882/1444
_________________________________________________________________
15.02. Computational Intelligence Approaches For Pattern Discovery In
Biological Systems , Brief. Bioinform.
Excerpt: Biology, chemistry and medicine are faced by tremendous challenges
caused by an overwhelming amount of data and the need for rapid interpretation.
Computational intelligence (CI) approaches such as artificial neural networks,
fuzzy systems and evolutionary computation are being used with increasing
frequency to contend with this problem, in light of noise, non-linearity and
temporal dynamics in the data. Such methods can be used to develop robust
models of processes either on their own or in combination with standard
statistical approaches. (...)
* [42] Computational Intelligence Approaches For Pattern Discovery In
Biological Systems, [43] G. B. Fogel, Jul. 2008, online 2008/05/05, DOI:
10.1093/bib/bbn021, Briefings in Bioinformatics
* Contributed by [44] Pritha Das
[42] http://bib.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/9/4/307
[43] mailto:gfogel at natural-selection.com
[44] mailto:prithadas01 at yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________
16. Geophysics: Mysterious Mountains , Nature
Excerpts: D. WALL/ALAMY Why do mountains arise in the interior of
continents, far from the edges of tectonic plates where deformation - and thus
mountain building - is expected? (...) They concluded that the plate interior
can be affected by forces at the plate edges thousands of kilometres away - a
finding that could help explain deformation in the middle of other tectonic
plates.
* [45] Geophysics: Mysterious Mountains, 08/06/12, DOI: 10.1038/453827c, Nature
453, 827
[45] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7197/full/453827c.html
_________________________________________________________________
17. Acoustic Cloak Designed - Objects Coated In A New Material Would Be
"Hidden" From Noise. , Technology Review
Excerpts: Sound shield: An acoustic cloak comprising alternating layers of
sound-scattering materials should make objects invisible to sonar--and
insulated from sound. In this computer-generated image, a cylinder (green
circle) is coated with 200 layers of such a material, which was found to be the
optimal design. Sound waves moving from left to right (their peaks and troughs
are represented by red and blue lines) flow past the object and reform on the
other side with no distortion. Credit: New Journal of Physics Acoustic
cloaking materials, which direct sound waves around an object so that they
re-form on the other side with no distortion, do not exist in nature. But
engineers (...), have created a plan for making them, using alternating layers
of two different materials. These materials would comprise arrays of sonic
crystals--patterns of small rods made of aluminum or other materials that allow
some sound waves to pass while blocking the passage of others.
* [46] Acoustic Cloak Designed - Objects Coated In A New Material Would Be
"Hidden" From Noise., Katherine Bourzac, 08/06/17, Technology Review
[46] http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/20912/
_________________________________________________________________
18. Perfecting A Solar Cell By Adding Imperfections , EurekAlert
Excerpts: Nanotechnology is paving the way toward improved solar cells. New
research shows that a film of carbon nanotubes may be able to replace two of
the layers normally used in a solar cell, with improved performance at a lower
cost. Researchers have found a surprising way to give the nanotubes the
properties they need: add defects. (...) Jessika Trancik of the Santa Fe
Institute, Scott Calabrese Barton of Michigan State University and James Hone
of Columbia University decided to use carbon nanotubes to create a single layer
that could perform the functions of both the oxide and platinum layers.
* [47] Perfecting A Solar Cell By Adding Imperfections, 08/06/16, EurekAlert
[47] http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/sfi-pas061608.php
_________________________________________________________________
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
_________________________________________________________________
19.01. AP: Exams Prove Abuse, Torture In Iraq, Gitmo , Yahoo News
Excerpts: For the most extensive medical study of former U.S. detainees
published so far, Physicians for Human Rights had doctors and mental health
professionals examine 11 former prisoners. The group alleges finding evidence
of U.S. torture and war crimes and accuses U.S. military health professionals
of allowing the abuse of detainees, denying them medical care and providing
confidential medical information to interrogators that they then exploited.
(...) The patients underwent intensive, two-day long exams following standards
and methods used worldwide to document torture.
* [48] AP: Exams Prove Abuse, Torture In Iraq, Gitmo, Pamela Hess, 08/06/18,
Associated Press/Yahoo News
[48]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080618/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/detainees_rights_report
_________________________________________________________________
19.02. And War Crimes for All.... , The Huffington Post
Excerpts: Moreover, we now know that Bush administration proxies essentially
held mostly innocent people, whom they tortured and who subsequently after
their release became radicalized. In other words, they built Manchurian
candidates- terrorists- either knowingly or as a symptom of their illegal
torture program. However you choose to view this staggering revelation it does
not change the reality we are now faced with. Namely, the Bush administration
has created the very monsters they claimed to be fighting against. They created
an enemy, a global enemy, that did not exist in such numbers and across so many
geographical boundaries.
* [49] And War Crimes for All...., Larisa Alexandrovna, 08/06/17, The
Huffington Post
[49]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/and-war-crimes-for-all_b_1077
17.html
_________________________________________________________________
20. Links & Snippets
_________________________________________________________________
20.01. Other Publications
- US Remains Science And Tech Superpower: Government-Backed Study Says Nation
Not Losing Its Lead, 2008/06/12, vnunet.com
- Toothpaste Too Pricey For The Poor, 2008/06/13, Innovations-report
- Kin Recognition In Zebrafish: A 24-Hour Window For Olfactory Imprinting,
2008/06/10, Proceedings B: Biological Sciences, DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0647
- Reverse Engineering The Brain To Model Mind-body Interactions, 2008/06/12,
ScienceDaily & University of British Columbia
- How The Brain Separates Audio Signals From Noise, 2008/06/14, ScienceDaily &
Public Library of Science
- Pigeons Show Superior Self-recognition Abilities To Three Year Old Humans,
2008/06/14, ScienceDaily & Keio University
- Radical Reform Is Needed To Stop The 'Inhumane' Practice Of Transplant
Tourism, Experts Urge, 2008/06/16, ScienceDaily & BMJ-British Medical Journal
- The Impact Of Natural Odors On Affective States In Humans, Jun. 2008, online
2008/03/18, Chemical Senses, DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjn011
- A Direct Comparison Of The Taste Of Electrical And Chemical Stimuli, Jun.
2008, online 2008/03/18, Chemical Senses, DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjn002
- Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says, 08/06/14, NYTimes, The
rate of deaths caused by prescription drugs was found to be three times the
rate of deaths caused by all illicit drugs combined.
- Identification of Functional Information Subgraphs in Complex Networks,
08/06/13, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 238701.We apply this methodology to
electrophysiological recordings of cortical neuronal networks grown in vitro.
Each cell's firing is generally explained by the activity of a few neurons.
- Translational Research: Crossing The Valley Of Death, 2008, Nature 453,
840-842 A chasm has opened up between biomedical researchers and the patients
who need their discoveries., DOI: 10.1038/453840a
- Direct observation of Anderson localization of matter waves in a controlled
disorder, 08/06/12, Nature 453, 891-894. We directly image the atomic density
profiles as a function of time, and find that weak disorder can stop the
expansion and lead to the formation of a stationary, exponentially localized
wavefunction¡Xa direct signature of Anderson localization., DOI:
10.1038/nature07000
- Biochemistry: How Do Proteins Interact?, 08/06/13, Science : 1429-1430. New
results provide support for the hypothesis that interactions between proteins
involve selection from an ensemble of different conformations.
_________________________________________________________________
20.02. Webcast Announcements
7th Intl Conf on Complex Systems (ICCS), Boston, MA, 07/10/28-11/02
[50]
Reseau Nationale des Systemes Complexes , (in French), 2007
[51] World Economic Forum , Davos, Switzerland, 08/01/22-27
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
[52] An Afternoon with Michael Crichton, Washington, 05/11/06
[53]
Illuminating the Shadow of the Future, Ann Arbor, Mi 05/09/23-25
[54]
Open Network of Centres of Excellence in Complex Systems - Brainstorming
Meeting, Paris, France 05/09/19-23
[55]
Complexity, Science & Society Conference 2005, U. Liverpool, UK 2005/09/11-14
[56]
ECAL 2005 - VIIIth European Conference on Artificial Life,
Canterbury, Kent, UK 2005/09/5-9
[57]
T. Irene Sanders, Executive Director and Founder, [58] The Washington Center
for Complexity & Public Policy, 05/08/27, QuickTime video (10:38 min), [59]
Podcast
[60] 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
[61] Understanding Complex Systems - Computational Complexity and
Bioinformatics, Virtual Conference Network, Urbana-Champaign, Il, UIUC,
05/05/16-19
[62] 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
[63]
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
[50] http://webcast.in2p3.fr/RNSC/ target=new
[51]
http://gaia.world-television.com/wef/worldeconomicforum_annualmeeting2008/Targe
t=new
[52] http://www.complexsys.org/news.htm target=new
[53] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05ISF/index.html target=new
[54] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/ONCECS05/ target=new
[55] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/CSS05/ target=new
[56] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/ECAL2005/ target=new
[57] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/Sanders0508/Sanders0508.mov target=new
[58] http://www.complexsys.org/ target=new
[59] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/Sanders0508/Sanders.mp3
[60] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05NASPSA/ target=new
[61] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/05UCS/ target=new
[62] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/Nicolis05/Target=new
[63] http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/ECCS04/Target=new
_________________________________________________________________
20.03. Conference Announcements
Intl Summer School on
"Modelling and Optimization in Micro- and Nano- Electronics" - MOMINE 2008,
Ragusa, Sicily, Italy, 08/06/14-28
NECSI Summer School, Cambridge, MA, 08/06/16-07/04,
[64]
9th Intl Mathematica Symposium, Maastricht, The Netherlands, 08/06/20-24
[65]
The 14th Intl Conf on Auditory Display (ICAD), Paris, France, 08/06/24-27
8th Intl Conf of Sociocybernetics - Complex Social Systems, Interdisciplinarity
And World Futures, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico, 08/06/24-28
"Is complexity the new framework for management and public policy in the 21st
century?"
Complexity Society Workshop, Manchester, UK, 08/06/26
The 3rd Intl Symp on Knowledge Communication and Peer Reviewing: KCPR 2008,
Orlando, Florida, USA, 08/06/29-07/02
The 3rd Intl Symp on Knowledge Communication and Conferences: KCC 2008,
Orlando, Florida, USA, 08/06/29-07/02
[66]
7th Intl Summer School and Conf "Let's Face Chaos through Nonlinear Dynamics",
Maribor, Slovenia, 08/06/29-07/13
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
[67]
Complex Systems and Social Simulations, CEU Summer University, Budapest,
Hungary, 08/07/07-18
2008 Gordon Research Conf on Oscillations & Dynamic Instabilities
in Chemical Systems, Waterville, ME, 08/07/13-18
Nonlinear Fracture Mechanics Models, Udine, Italy, 08/07/14-18
[68]
1st Intl Workshop on Nonlinear Dynamics and Synchronization
(INDS?8), Klagenfurt, Austria, 08/07/18-19
[69]
Scratch at MIT,Cambridge, MA, 08/07/24-26
[70]
8th Intl Conf on Epigenetic Robotics:
Modeling Cognitive Development in Robotic Systems, Brighton, UK,
08/07/31-08/02
On the Edge: Healthcare in the Age of Complexity,
Kansas City, MO, 08/08/03-05
Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Sciences
18th Annl Intl Conf, Richmond, Virginia, USA, 08/08/08-10
Stochastic Resonance 2008, Perugia, Italy, 08/08/17-21
4th Intl Conf on Natural Computation (ICNC'08) - 5th Intl Conf on Fuzzy Systems
and Knowledge Discovery (FSKD'08),
Jinan, China, 08/08/25-27
Intl Conf DEscribing COmplex Systems (DECOS), Zadar,
Croatia, 08/09/03-07
BICS Conference - Emergence in Complex Systems,
Bath, UK, 08/09/09-11
5th European
Conference on Complex Systems, Jerusalem, Israel, 08/09/14-19
EPOS 2008, III Edition of Epistemological Perspectives on Simulation, Lisbon,
Portugal, 08/10/02-03
The 1st Intl Conf on the Evolution and Development of the Universe., Paris,
France, 08/10/08-09
International Congress on Complex Thought, Hermosillo , Sonora , Mexico,
08/10/21-24
2nd Intl Congress of Complex Systems in Sport (2nd ICCSS) and 10th European
Workshop of Ecological Psychology. (10th EWEP), Funchal, in Madeira Island,
Portugal, 08/11/05-08
2008 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on
Web Intelligence (WI-08), Sydney, Australia, 08/12/09-12
COMPLEX'2009, First Intl Conf on Complex Systems: Theory and Applications,
Shanghai, China, 09/02/23-25
[64] http://www.ims08.org/ TARGET=new
[65] http://http://icad08.ircam.fr TARGET=new
[66] http://www.camtp.uni-mb.si/chaos/2008/ TARGET=new
[67] http://www.sun.ceu.hu/complex-systems/ TARGET=new
[68] http://inds08.uni-klu.ac.at/ TARGET=new
[69] http://scratch.mit.edu/conference/ TARGET=new
[70] http://www.epigenetic-robotics.org TARGET=new
_________________________________________________________________
20.04. Other Announcements
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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2080 Western Avenue
20 Mall
Guilderland, NY 12084 USA
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UID: 209 791
ABA routing # 022 00 00 46 [for US wire transfers]
Account # 983 338 3814
Ref. Gottfried Mayer
_________________________________________________________________
[71]Complexity Digest is an independent publication available to
organizations that may wish to repost [72]ComDig to their own mailing
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[75]Gottfried J. Mayer.
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a note to
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[71] http://www.comdig.org/
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[75] http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/x/gxm21/
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