复杂性文摘 NO：2003.15
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Complexity Digest 2003.15 April-14-2003
Archive: http://www.comdig.org,
European Mirror: http://www.comdig.de
Asian Mirror: http://www.phil.pku.edu.cn/resguide/comdig/
(Chinese GB-Code)
"I think the next century will be the century of complexity." Stephen
Hawking, 2000
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1. Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with
the
Unexpected and Unknowable,
Conference Webcast
1.1 Smart Heuristics,
edge.com
2. Predator Or Prey? Parasitic Enterprises In Economic
Development, Euro. Econ. Rev.
3. New Fusion Method Offers Hope of New Energy Source,
NYTimes
4. A Brief History of the Multiverse, NYTimes
4.1. The Dark Side,
Nature
5. Genetics To Unlock Secrets Of Our African Past,
Nature
6. Play-by-Play Imaging Rewrites Cells' Rules, Science
6.1. Cell Motility:
Making Streams, Nature
7. Shyness Gene Discovered, Health-News.co.uk
8. Spying on the Brain, One Neuron at a Timer, Science
8.1. Emergence Of
Synchronous Oscillations In Neural Networks
Excited By Noise, Physica D
9. What Does It Take To Evolve Behaviorally Complex
Organisms?,
Biosystems
9.1. A Wish List for
Learning About Learning, Science
10. Coot Birds Can Count, Study Says, National Geographic
News
11. That Bug Is No Insect: A New Branch On The Tree Of Life,
ScienceDaily
12. Ants and Floods, NYTimes
12.1. Genetic Evidence
For Intra- And Interspecific Slavery In
Honey Ants, Proc. Biol. Sc.
12.2. Texans Call In a
Monster Fish to Tame a Monster Weed,
NYTimes
13. Song As An Honest Signal Of Past Developmental Stress,
Alphagalileo & Proc. Biol.
Sc.
14. How Can The Senses Project And Receive Information At The
Same
Time?, ScienceDaily
15. Biomechanics: Are Fast-Moving Elephants Really Running?,
Nature
16. Unifying Principles in Complex Systems, Converging
Technology
for Improving Human
Performance
17. Conservation: Dynamic Diversity, Nature
18. Seeking Calm in the Chaos, NYTimes
18.1. Speed and
Flexibility, NYTimes
18.2. In Baghdad, Free of
Hussein, a Day of Mayhem, NYTimes
18.3. Risk of Being
Killed by Own Side Increases, NYTimes
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
19.1. Digging Through
Data For Omens, usnews.com
20. Links & Snippets
20.1. Other Publications
20.2. Webcast
Announcements
20.3. Conference &
Call for Papers Announcements
20.3.1. Public Conference Calls
20.4. ComDig
Announcement: New ComDig Archive in Beta Test
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1. Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with the Unexpected and
Unknowable, Conference Webcast
Fundamental Unknowability In Science And Social Science
Peter Allen, Understanding Social And Economic Systems As Evolutionary
Complex Systems, (mp3 audio, visuals)
Linda Reichl, Fundamental Uncertainty in Science, (mp3 audio)
Scott Kelso, Brain Synchronization, (mp3 audio (part1, part2))
Bruce West, Under the Tyranny of Many Dimensionless Constants, (mp3 audio)
Panel Discussion, (mp3 audio)
Organizational Issues of Uncertainty
Karl Weick, Managing the Unexpected, (mp3 audio)
Larry Liebovitch, Chaos, (mp3 audio)
Erich Baier, View from the Inside, Task of Managing Uncertainty and
Surprise, (mp3 audio)
Jim Begun, The Social Construction of Uncertainty in Healthcare Delivery,
(mp3 audio)
Panel Discussion, (mp3 audio)
Ilya Prigogine - Uncertainty and the Arrow of Time, (mp3 audio (part1 ,
part2 ))
Fundamental Uncertainty And The Delivery Of Health Care
Benjamin Crabtree, Primary Care Practice: Surprise & Uncertainty, (mp3
audio, vis uals)
John Pierce, Medical Errors and Micro-Systems "The Best Things Cannot be
Told", (mp3 audio, visuals)
James Taylor, Organization and Leadership in Hospitals , (mp3 audio)
Fundamental Uncertainty In Business And Business Decision-Making
James Dyer, Fundamental Uncertainty in Business: Real Options, (mp3 audio)
June Holley, Approaching the Unknown in Appalachia, (mp3 audio)
Tom Petzinger, Uncertainty as Certainty (mp3 audio)
Full Group Exploration, (mp3 audio)
Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with the Unexpected and
Unknowable, The University of Texas Austin, Texas USA, , 03/04/10-12
Excerpts: What interests me is the question of how humans learn to live
with uncertainty. Before the scientific revolution determinism was a strong
ideal. (...) How do we avoid the illusion of certainty to produce the
understanding that everything, whether it be a medical test or deciding on
the best cure for a particular kind of cancer, has a fundamental element of
uncertainty? (...)
"If we want to have an educated citizenship in a modern technological
society, we need to teach them three things: reading, writing, and
statistical thinking."
Smart Heuristics, Gerd Gigerenzer, edge.org,03/03/31, EdgeVideo DSL, + | Modem
2. Predator Or Prey? Parasitic Enterprises In Economic Development, Euro.
Econ. Rev.
Abstract: In many developing and transition economies Mafia-like activities
are rampant. Extortion and other forms of predation lower profitability in
private businesses and distort investment incentives. Incorporated in a
model of industrialization, bimodal club convergence may result. Economies
may get stuck in a Predators' Club characterized by a vicious cycle of
poverty and predation. Societies with a low flow of new entrepreneurs are
especially vulnerable to predation and never get out of this club. Poor
societies with a high flow of new entrepreneurs, however, may grow out of
the trap and join the rich Producers' Club.
Predator Or Prey? Parasitic Enterprises In Economic Development, H. Mehlum,
K. Moene, R. Torvik, Euro. Econ. Rev., Vol. 47, Issue 2, pp:275-294, Apr.
2003, doi:10.1016/S0014-2921(01)00194-5
Contributed by Pritha Das
3. New Fusion Method Offers Hope of New Energy Source, NYTimes
Excerpts: With a blast of X-rays compressing a capsule of hydrogen to
conditions approaching those at the center of the Sun, scientists from
Sandia National Laboratories reported today that they had achieved
thermonuclear fusion, (...).
Such controlled explosions would not be large enough to be dangerous and
might offer an alternative way of generating electricity by harnessing
fusion, the process that powers the Sun. Fusion combines hydrogen atoms
into helium, producing bountiful energy as a byproduct.
"It's the first observation of fusion for a pulsed power source,"
New Fusion Method Offers Hope of New Energy Source, Kenneth Chang, NYTimes,
03/04/08
4. A Brief History of the Multiverse, NYTimes
Excerpts: Among the myriad universes similar to ours will be some in which
technological civilizations advance to the point of being able to simulate
consciousness. Eventually, entire virtual worlds will be created inside
computers, their conscious inhabitants unaware that they are the simulated
products of somebody else's technology. For every original world, there
will be a stupendous number of available virtual worlds - some of which
would even include machines simulating virtual worlds of their own, and so
on ad infinitum.
A Brief History of the Multiverse, Paul Davies, NYTimes, 03/04/12
Excerpt: We have reached a basic understanding of the evolution of the
Universe, and of the formation of large-scale structure within it, that
relies on the presence of cold dark matter, as well as dark energy. In
fairness, there are a few aspects of astrophysics that the cold-dark-matter
hypothesis struggles to explain - such as small-scale structure and galaxy
formation. The challenge now is to solve these problems and, once the true
nature of dark matter is discovered, to complete the cosmological picture
of our Universe.
The Dark Side, Masataka Fukugita, Nature 422, 489 - 491 (2003);
doi:10.1038/422489a
5. Genetics To Unlock Secrets Of Our African Past, Nature
Excerpt: It is widely accepted that humans evolved from hominids that left
Africa during the past 200,000 years - but little is known about the
location or genetic diversity of the African groups.
African fossil hominids have very diverse morphology compared with those
from Europe, where only two distinct groups - the Neanderthals and
Cro-Magnons (the progenitors of modern humans) - have been found. "The
sheer size of Africa may mean that it could conserve diversity in genetic
material, and innovations in human behaviour, better than other areas,"
Stringer says.
Genetics To Unlock Secrets Of Our African Past, Michael Cherry, Nature 422,
460 (2003); doi:10.1038/422460a
6. Play-by-Play Imaging Rewrites Cells' Rules, Science
Excerpt: Time-lapse movies show a wave of brilliant, differently colored
axons crashing into the muscle, then all filaments but one withering away.
Lichtman found it impossible to predict which neuron would win control of
the muscle piece in the end. Some axons waned a bit but came back full
force to overwhelm a rival. And axons thinned not just before receding but
also when losing the fight. The monumental amount of activity surprised the
researchers. "We had no sense of the dynamism," Lichtman says, before
seeing the neurons in action.
Play-by-Play Imaging Rewrites Cells' Rules, Mary Beckman, Science 2003 300:
76-77.
Excerpt: (...) mechanism by which cells can increase the efficiency of
chemotaxis. Presumably, the close contact between the adenylyl cyclase in
the rear of one cell and the front of the cell behind provides some of the
advantages of a neurological synapse, restricting the signal and keeping
the amoebae heading in the right direction as quickly as possible. Perhaps
mammalian cells can do the same, whether they are white blood cells moving
to sites of inflammation, skin cells participating in wound healing, or
embryonic cells during the heroic voyages of development.
Cell Motility: Making Streams, Richard H. Kessin, Nature 422, 481 - 482
(2003); doi:10.1038/422481a
7. Shyness Gene Discovered, Health-News.co.uk
Contributing Editor's Note:: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) - is a
neurotrasmitter which is involved in many behavioural processes:
depression, feeling of hunger as well as human violence, aggressive
behaviors, and suicide have all been associated with reduced levels of
serotonin in the brain. Some drugs which distort perception (e.g. LSD) bind
to one type of serotonin receptor(5-HT2). Serotonin synapses are abundant
in the cerebral cortex making it likely that they are involved in the
processes of perception in some way. In this article researchers are
showing that there is a link between a gene polymorphism (serotonin
transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR)) and shyness among children.
Excerpts: Israeli scientists say they have identified a gene that appears
to confer shyness in young children. (...) Previous studies have shown that
polymorphisms in the 5-HTTLPR gene are related to anxiety-related
personality traits. Because it has been suggested that shyness is an
antecedent of later anxiety disorders (especially social phobia) in
adolescents and adults, researchers examined whether the 5-HTTLPR
polymorphism also had a role in shyness in young children.
Shyness Gene Discovered, Nick Lamb, 2003-04-08, Health-News.co.uk
Contributed by Nadia Gershenson
8. Spying on the Brain, One Neuron at a Timer, Science
Excerpt: "The prevailing idea in [adult] cortex would have been that things
are quite stable," he says. "If it's really true that synapses are
turning
over at the rate they suspect, it's remarkable."
Svoboda's group suggests that synaptic turnover serves an important
purpose. When the researchers trimmed every other whisker on some mice--a
manipulation shown previously to change which neurons in the barrel cortex
respond to which whiskers--the daily turnover rate jumped to about 30%,
which suggests that spine turnover is important for this rewiring.
Spying on the Brain, One Neuron at a Time, Greg Miller, Science 2003 300: 78
Abstract: The presence of noise in nonlinear dynamical systems can play a
constructive role, increasing the degree of order and coherence or evoking
improvements in the performance of the system. An example of this positive
influence in a biological system is the impulse transmission in neurons and
the synchronization of a neural network. Integrating numerically the
Fokker¡VPlanck (FP) equation we show a self-induced synchronized
oscillation. Such an oscillatory state appears in a neural network coupled
with a feedback term, when this system is excited by noise and the noise
strength is within a certain range.
Emergence Of Synchronous Oscillations In Neural Networks Excited By Noise,
M. P. Zorzano, L. Vazqueza, Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, Vol. 179,
Issues 1-2, pp:105-114, 2003/05/01, doi:10.1016/S0167-2789(03)00007-1
Contributed by Atin Das
9. What Does It Take To Evolve Behaviorally Complex Organisms?, Biosystems
Abstract: The genotype of behaviorally complex organisms may be more likely
to encode modular neural architectures because neural modules dedicated to
distinct tasks avoid neural interference, i.e. the arrival of conflicting
messages for changing the value of connection weights during learning.
However, if the connection weights for the various modules are genetically
inherited, this raises the problem of genetic linkage: favorable mutations
may fall on one portion of the genotype encoding one neural module and
unfavorable mutations on another portion encoding another module. We show
that this can prevent the genotype from reaching an adaptive optimum.
What Does It Take To Evolve Behaviorally Complex Organisms?, R. Calabretta,
A. Di Ferdinando, G. P. Wagner, D. Parisi, Biosystems, Vol. 69, Issues 2-3,
pp:245-262, May 2003, doi:10.1016/S0303-2647(02)00140-5
Contributed by Pritha Das
Excerpts: The degree to which learning in the mature brain depends on
physically remodeling the contact points, or synapses, between neurons is a
major question in neuroscience (see main text). Researchers have recently
found anatomical signs of synapse formation in live mice, but it's
difficult to tell whether these correspond to working synapses. (¡K)
"We'd
like to see synapses come online as they're made and see the synaptic
strength," he says. The biggest obstacle is that many of the currently used
dyes are toxic or work best at cool temperatures, (¡K).
A Wish List for Learning About Learning, Greg Miller, Science 2003 300: 79
10. Coot Birds Can Count, Study Says, National Geographic News
Excerpt: Females usually stop laying when their overall clutch reaches a
certain size, but those that discriminate against parasitic eggs keep on
going. This suggests they can tell how many eggs they have laid themselves.
"I found that birds that are unable to distinguish parasitic eggs lay one
fewer egg for each parasitic egg received," Lyon explained. "In
contrast,
birds that ultimately reject parasitic eggs do not reduce their clutch
sizes. It's the comparison of these two different responses that really
indicates counting."
Coot Birds Can Count, Study Says, James Owen, National Geographic News,
03/04/02
11. That Bug Is No Insect: A New Branch On The Tree Of Life, ScienceDaily
Excerpts: Genetic studies comparing mitochondrial DNA have revealed that
what has long been thought to be the group from which insects arose, the
Collembola - wingless hexapods (or "six legs") commonly called
springtails
- turns out not to be closely related to insects after all. Instead, these
creatures belong to a separate evolutionary lineage that predates even the
separation of insects and crustaceans
"Our study shows that they evolved separately from insects and
independently adapted to life on land. The collembolan appear to branch off
the evolutionary line leading to the insects at a much earlier stage than
previously thought (¡K)."
That Bug Is No Insect: A New Branch On The Tree Of Life, ScienceDaily,
2003/04/07
Contributed by Atin Das
12. Ants and Floods, NYTimes
Excerpts: Not all ants nest in the ground, so they are not equally
vulnerable to downpours. Burrowing species have a large variety of nest
designs that may limit damage and mortality. Some dig complex, well-drained
tunnels. Some build mounds with waterproof roofs. (¡K)
An even more remarkable system is used by the Solenopsis invicta, in the
American Southwest, and Solenopsis saevissima, (¡K). These fire ants move
up through the nests to ground level, form large masses that include
adults, the queen and her brood, and float on the rising waters.
Ants and Floods, C. Claiborne Ray, NYTimes, 03/04/08, This week's question:
How do ants survive a deluge of rain?
Abstract: The New World honey ant species Myrmecocystus mimicus is well
known for its highly stereotyped territorial tournaments, and for the raids
on conspecific nests that can lead to intraspecific slavery. (¡K) the
raided brood emerges in the raiding colony and is subsequently incorporated
into the colony's worker force. We also found enslaved conspecifics in a
second honey ant species (¡K). Slavery in ants has evolved repeatedly and
supposedly by different means. We propose that, in honey ants, secondary
contact between two closely related species that both exhibit intraspecific
slavery gave rise to an early form of facultative interspecific slavery.
Genetic Evidence For Intra- And Interspecific Slavery In Honey Ants (Genus
Myrmecocystus), D. J. C. Kronauer, J. Gadau & B. Holldobler, Proc. Biol.
Sc., Vol. 270, No 1517, pp: 805-810, 2003/04/22, DOI:10.1098/rspb.2002.2299
Contributed by Atin Das
Excerpts: The 1,600 grass carp released into Lake Austin in February could
become an even bigger environmental problem than the one they were supposed
to solve.(...)
Growing in long strands upward from its roots in the sediment and branching
out profusely at the surface,(¡K).
Twenty years ago though, nearly 300,000 fertile grass carp were released in
Lake Conroe, Tex.
"Lake Conroe went from being a world-class bass fishery to a big
mudhole,"
said Mr. Anderson, describing the lake as an unmitigated disaster, stripped
of vegetation, foreign and native.
Texans Call In a Monster Fish to Tame a Monster Weed, Carol Kaesuk Yoon,
NYTimes, 03/04/08
13. Song As An Honest Signal Of Past Developmental Stress, Alphagalileo &
Proc. Biol. Sc.
Abstract: Complex song repertoires are known to be used in mate choice
decisions by females in many bird species. It has recently been proposed
that song complexity may indicate early developmental stress, through
effects on neural development. We tested this hypothesis by keeping
juvenile starlings on predictable and unpredictable food supplies during
the autumn and testing their song output the following spring. We found
that male starlings kept on unpredictable food supplies produced less song
and in shorter song bouts. Our results suggest that female choice for song
complexity occurs because complex song repertoires act as indicators of
past developmental stress.
Song As An Honest Signal Of Past Developmental Stress In The European
Starling (Sturnus Vulgaris), K. L. Buchanan, K. A. Spencer, A. R.
Goldsmith, C. K. Catchpole, Alphagalileo & Proc. Biol. Sc., 2003/04/07
Contributed by Atin Das
14. How Can The Senses Project And Receive Information At The Same Time?,
ScienceDaily
Excerpts: How do we hear when some of us chatter all day? The answer to
these questions may be found in the simple male cricket, which sing for
hours at over 100 decibels sound pressure levels in order to attract
females. The songs¡¨ of crickets are generated by rhythmically rubbing
the
fore wings together resulting in a form of sound production called
stridulation. As crickets¡¦ ears are located on the forelegs, they
are
fully exposed to the self-generated sounds. This strongly suggests that the
inhibition of the auditory pathway is the result of a corollary discharge
from the stridulation motor network.
In A Noisy World, How Can The Senses Project And Receive Information At The
Same Time?, ScienceDaily, 2003/04/04
Contributed by Atin Das
15. Biomechanics: Are Fast-Moving Elephants Really Running?, Nature
Excerpt: It is generally thought that elephants do not run1-5, but there is
confusion about how fast they can move across open terrain and what gait
they use at top speed. Here we use video analysis to show that Asian
elephants (Elephas maximus L.) can move at surprisingly high speeds of up
to 6.8 m s-1 (25 km h-1) and that, although their gait might seem to be a
walk even at this speed, some features of their locomotion conform to
definitions of running.
Biomechanics: Are Fast-Moving Elephants Really Running?, John R.
Hutchinson, Dan Famini, Richard Lair, Rodger Kram, Nature 422, 493 - 494
(2003); doi:10.1038/422493a
16. Unifying Principles in Complex Systems, Converging Technology for
Improving Human Performance
Excerpt: The ability of science and technology to augment human performance
depends on an understanding of systems, not just components. The
convergence of technologies is an essential aspect of the effort to enable
functioning systems that include human beings and technology; and serve the
human beings to enhance their well-being directly and indirectly through
what they do, and what they do for other human beings. The recognition
today that human beings function in teams, rather than as individuals,
implies that technological efforts that integrate human beings across
scales of tools, communication, biological and cognitive function are
essential. Understanding the role of complex systems concepts in technology
integration requires a perspective on how the concept of complexity is
affecting science, engineering, and finally, technology integration.
Unifying Principles in Complex Systems, Y. Bar-Yam, In press, Converging
Technology (NBIC) for Improving Human Performance, M. C. Roco and W. S.
Bainbridge, eds
Contributed by Carlos Gershenson
17. Conservation: Dynamic Diversity, Nature
Excerpt: Effective conservation of both resilience and interconnectivity
will require the input of science. Without an understanding of which
species live in which habitats, how they interact, their relationships
through both ecological and evolutionary time and how they are affected by
human activities, how can we possibly do anything other than fence off
great portions of the globe and hope for the best? Conservation of a
dynamic, resilient natural world will require a great deal of cooperation
and an immense synthesis of existing information.
Conservation: Dynamic Diversity, Sandra Knapp, Nature 422, 475 (2003);
doi:10.1038/422475a
18. Seeking Calm in the Chaos, NYTimes
Excerpts: American troops are attempting to restore order while continuing
the push toward unconquered territory. (...)
But soon after the column rolled past a cheering crowd, it came under
small-arms fire. The soldiers decided to turn back, only to run into an
ambush by two men who were armed with rocket-propelled grenades and hiding
near a traffic circle.
Seeking Calm in the Chaos, Michael R. Gordon, NYTimes, 03/04/12
Excerpts: As they neared Baghdad, the American forces adapted their
tactics. Their initial plan called for patiently gathering intelligence and
carrying out probes before conducting raids in the city.
American commanders, however, concluded that the Iraqi command and control
was weakening and pressed their advantage. (¡K)
For the first time since the war began, planes from the Third Marine Air
Wing returned to base with some of their bombs. With most of the Iraqi
force routed, the Marines could not find enough targets to strike.
Speed and Flexibility, Michael R. Gordon, NYTimes, 03/04/10
Excerpts: U.S. troops cleared wide swathes of Baghdad from enemy forces,
but seemed powerless before a fresh wave of looting. (...)
The Bush administration appeared to have little prepared in the way of a
quick response. (¡K) Rumsfeld (¡K)"It's untidy. And freedom's
untidy. And
free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes." (¡K)
But the widespread anarchy that followed the first moments of liberty here
this week has become a central problem for American soldiers and marines,
who constitute the only visible presence of any form of order.
In Baghdad, Free of Hussein, a Day of Mayhem, Dexter Filkins, NYTimes,
03/04/12
Excerpts: The Pentagon has developed technology to discern friend from foe,
and American forces train with an arsenal of devices including infrared
goggles, adhesive thermal identification strips, specialized radios and
digital maps to separate blue forces, or allies, from red, the enemy.
Old-fashioned technology is still used on the battlefield - splashes of an
unusual color of paint or even national flags - but a clever adversary
quickly notices these markings and can copy them. (¡K)
Initial inquiries indicate some of these deaths appear to have been error
or oversight:
Risk of Being Killed by Own Side Increases, Thom Shanker, NYTimes, 03/04/08
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
Abstract: Identification of terrorism suspects by their suspicious
purchasing patterns, phone use, and travel arrangements is being
facilitated by the coordination of multiple government and commercial
databases using a technique called data mining.
Digging Through Data For Omens, The government begins sifting databases to
find clues to terrorism in the making, Dana Hawkins, usnews.com, 03/04/07
20. Links & Snippets
20.1 Other Publications
Cell Biology: Developmental Predisposition To Cancer, Steven A. Frank,
Martin A. Nowak, Nature 422, 494 (2003); doi:10.1038/422494a
Visualizing Signals Moving in Cells, Cornelis J. Weijer, Science 2003 300:
96-100
Quantum Dots Get Wet, Caroline Seydel, Science 2003 300: 80
Conservation Of Total Synaptic Weight Through Balanced Synaptic Depression
And Potentiation, Sebastien Royer And Denis Pare, Nature 422, 518 - 522
(2003); doi:10.1038/nature01530
Event-Driven Simulation of Spiking Neurons with Stochastic Dynamics, Jan
Reutimann, Michele Giugliano, , Stefano Fusi, Neural Comp. 2003 April 1;
15(4): p. 811-830
Business: Details Given on Contract Halliburton Was Awarded, Elizabeth
Becker, NYTimes, 03/04/11, The Pentagon contract to fight oil well fires in
Iraq was given without competition and is worth as much as $7 billion.
Autism Advance: Mutated Genes Disrupt Nerve Cell Proteins, Two gene
mutations that cause autism suggest that nerve cell connections called
synapses are key to the disorder.
Wrong Number: Plastic Ingredient Spurs Chromosomal Defects, The primary
chemical in some plastics causes female mice to produce eggs with abnormal
numbers of chromosomes.
Cosmic Blowout: Black Holes Spew As Much As They Consume, Ron Cowen,
Science News, Vol. 163, No. 14, April 5, 2003, p. 214., Supermassive black
holes at the cores of galaxies can blow out as much material as they
swallow, creating high-speed winds that may seed the universe with oxygen,
carbon, iron, and other elements essential for life.
The Vaccinia Dilemma, To inform the current debate on who should be
vaccinated for smallpox given the possibility of-or in the event of-a
bioterrorism attack, researchers are using mathematical models and data
from vaccination campaigns and past smallpox outbreaks.
Sleep Debt Exacts Deceptive Cost, Moderate but sustained sleep deficits
undermine alertness and other mental faculties to a potentially dangerous
extent, although people who experience this level of sleep loss usually
don't feel particularly drowsy.
An Aggregate Model For The European Union, A. Bagnai & F. Carlucci, Econ.
Modelling, Vol. 20, Issue 3, pp:623-649, May 2003,
doi:10.1016/S0264-9993(01)00104-3
Allometry Of Human Fertility And Energy Use, M. E. Moses & J. H. Brown,
Ecol. Lett., Vol. 6, Issue 4, pp:295, Apr. 2003
Good Housekeeping: Why Do Shelter-Dwelling Caterpillars Fling Their Frass?,
M. R. Weiss, Ecol. Lett., Vol. 6, Issue 4, pp:361, Apr. 2003
Lead Exposure Potentiates Predatory Attack Behavior In The Cat, W. Li, S.
Han, T. R. Gregg, F. W. Kemp, A. L. Davidow, D. B. Louria, A. Siegel & J.
D. Bogden, Environ. Research, In Press, 2003/03/29,
doi:10.1016/S0013-9351(02)00083-X
Autonomous Recovery from Hostile Code Insertion Using Distributed
Reflection, Catriona M. Kennedy, Aaron Sloman, 2003-06, DOI:
10.1016/S1389-0417(02)00096-7, Cognitive Systems Research 4(2):89-117
Does Mental Simulation of Following a Path Improve Navigation Performance
Without Vision?, Stephane Vieilledent, Stephen M. Kosslyn, Alain Berthoz,
Marie Dominique Giraudo, 2003-04, DOI: 10.1016/S0926-6410(02)00279-3,
Cognitive Brain Research 16(2):238-249
Evolution of Evolvability via Adaptation of Mutation Rates, Mark A. Bedau,
Norman H. Packard, 2003-05, DOI: 10.1016/S0303-2647(02)00137-5, Biosystems
69(2-3):143-162
Modelling the Dynamics of Reasoning Processes: Reasoning by Assumption,
Catholijn M. Jonker, Jan Treur, 2003-06, Cognitive Systems Research
A Temporal-Interactivist Perspective on the Dynamics of Mental States,
Catholijn M. Jonker, Jan Treur, 2003-06, Cognitive Systems Research
Recent Results on No-Free-Lunch Theorems for Optimization, Christian Igel,
Marc Toussaint, 2003-03-31, arXiv
Individual Communication Complexity, Harry Buhrman, Hartmut Klauck, Nikolai
Vereshchagin, Paul Vitanyi, 2003-04-8, arXiv
The Cellular Automaton Model of Investment Behavior in the Stock Market,
Yi-ming Wei, Shang-jun Ying, Ying Fan, Bing-Hong Wang, In Press, Physica A
Critical Market Crashes, D. Sornette, 2003-04, Physics Reports Volume 378,
Issue 1, Pages 1-98
Wrinkle-free Mice Provide Clues About Obesity, Wrinkles And Hair Growth,
2003-04-09, Washington University School Of Medicine
Self-Similarity Limits Of Genomic Signatures, Z. B. Wu, Fractals, Vol. 11,
No. 1, pp:19-25, Mar. 2003, doi:10.1142/S0218348X03001574
The Golden Mean, Scale Free Extension Of Real Number System, Fuzzy Sets And
1/f Spectrum In Physics And Biology, D. P. Datta , Chaos, Solitons &
Fractals, Vol. 17, Issue 4, pp:781-788, Aug.
2003, doi:10.1016/S0960-0779(02)00531-3
A ge-Related Changes In The Neural Correlates Of Motor Performance, N. S.
Ward & R. S. J. Frackowiak, Brain, Vol. 126, No. 4, pp:873-888, Apr.
2003,
doi: 10.1093/brain/awg071
Signs Of REM Sleep Dependent Enhancement Of Implicit Face Memory: A
Repetition Priming Study, U. Wagner, M. Hallschmid, R. Verleger & J.
Born,
Biol. Psychology, Vol. 62, Issue 3, pp:197-210, Mar. 2003,
doi:10.1016/S0301-0511(02)00125-4
Helping Plants Avoid The Price Of War, S. Blackford, Alphagalileo, 2003/04/03
Conspicuous, Ultraviolet-Rich Mouth Colours In Begging Chicks, S. Hunt, R.
M. Kilner, N. E. Langmore & A. T. D. Bennett, Alphagalileo & Biol.
Lett.,
2003/04/07
Does Information Sharing Promote Group Foraging?, E. Sernland & N.
Holmgren, Alphagalileo & Proc. Biol. Sc., 2003/04/07
Think Small When Powering Today's Electronic Soldier, ScienceDaily, 2003/04/04
UCLA Imaging Study Reveals How Active Empathy Charges Emotions; Physical
Mimicry Of Others Jump-starts Key Brain Activity, ScienceDaily, 2003/04/08
Understanding Obesity: New Research Examines How Hunger Signals Work In The
Brain, ScienceDaily, 2003/04/10
20.2 Coming and Ongoing Webcasts
Autonomous Agents, Stuart Kauffman, FRIAM Group sponsored Applied
Complexity Lecture Series at the Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, 03/03/13
New Trends In Industrial Partnership And Innovation Management At European
Research Laboratories, CERN, Geneva, 03/03/19 (with webcast)
CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
"New Frontiers of Neuroscience" Symposium, Taipei, Taiwan, 03/03/07
Television & Children's Media Policy: Where Do We Go From Here?,
Washinghton, DC, 03/02/28, c-span, (clip12657), 1:35
INSC 2003, International Nonlinear Sciences Conference, Vienna, Austria,
03/02/07-09
World Economic Forum Meeting "Building Trust", Davos, Switzerland,
03/01/23-28
2002 Financial Management Conference, 02/10/16-19
Artificial Life Conference (A-Life 8), Sydney, Australia, 02/12/09-13
Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
20.3 Conference Announcements & Call for Papers
7th Annual Swarm Researchers and Users Meeting (SwarmFest2003), Notre Dame,
IN, 03/04/13-14
Agent-Based Simulation 4, Montpellier, France, 03/04/28-30
2003 O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference, Santa Clara, CA, 03/04/22-25
Managing Complex Organizations in a Complex World, Cambridge, MA, 03/05/01-02
NAS Sackler Colloquium on Mapping Knowledge Domains, The Beckman Center,
Irvine, CA, 03/05/09-11
Understanding Complex Systems Symposium, UIUC, Urbana-Champaign, Il,
03/05/19-21
The Opening of Systems Theory, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, DK,
03/05/23-25
SPIE's 1st Intl Symp on Fluctuations and Noise, Santa Fe, NM, 03/06/01-04
21st ICDE World Conf on Open Learning and Distance Education, Hong Kong,
03/06/01-05
Summer School on Nonlinear Phenomena In Computational Chemical Physics,
Barcelona, Spain, 03/06/09-14
17th Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Simulation (PADS 2003), San
Diego, California, 03/06/10-13
One-Week Intensive Course: Complex Physical, Biological and Social Systems,
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 03/06/16-20
2003 Summer Computer Simulation Conference (SCSC '03), Montreal, Canada,
03/06/20-24
5th Intl Conf "Symmetry in Nonlinear Mathematical Physics", Kiev,
Ukraine,
03/06/23-29, Mirror
Workshops of Dynamical Systems with Applications to Biology, Hsinchu,
Taiwan, 03/06/24-28
47th Meeting of the Intl Soc for the System Sciences: Conscious Evolution
Of Humanity: Using Systems Thinking To Construct Agoras Of The Global
Village, Iraklion, Crete, Greec, 03/07/07-11
9th International Conference on Auditory Display, Boston, MA, 03/07/07-09,
Wkshp on Assistive Technologies for the Blind, 03/07/06
2003 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO-2003), Chicago,
IL,03/07/12-16
2nd Intl Joint Conf on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems
(AAMAS-2003), Melbourne, Australia, 03/07/14-18
7th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI
2003), Orlando, Florida, 03/07/27-30
Intl Conf on Socio Political Informatics and Cybernetics: SPIC '03,
Orlando, Fl, USA, 03/07/31-08/02
13th Annual International Conference, Soc f Chaos Theory in Psych & Life
Sciences,Boston, MA, USA, 03/08/08-10
Call for Papers on Dynamical Hierarchies, Special Issue of Artificial Life,
Deadline: 03/09/05
1st German Conference on Multiagent System Technologies (MATES'03), Erfurt,
Germany, 03/09/22-25
7th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL-2003), Dortmund, Germany,
03/09/14-17
2003 IEEE/WIC Intl Joint Conf. Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent
Technology, Beijing, China, 03/10/13-17
ICDM '03: The Third IEEE International Conference on Data Mining,
Melbourne, Florida, USA, 03/11/19-22
3rd International Workshop on Meta-Synthesis and Complex System, Guangzhou,
China, 03/11/29-30
2nd International Workshop on the Mathematics and Algorithms of Social
Insects, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 03/12/15-17
Fractal 2004, "Complexity and Fractals in Nature", 8th Intl
Multidisciplinary Conf , Vancouver, Canada, 04/04/04-07
Fifth International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS2004), Boston, MA,
USA, 04/05/16-21
20.3.1 Public Conference Calls
PlexusCalls: "Surprise! Surprise!", McDaniel, Reuben, Audio File
Available
Now, mp3
Complexity And Medical Practice, Pat Rush & Bob Lindberg, PlexusCalls,
03/01/10, Audio File Available Now, mp3
John Holland in Conversation, PlexusCalls, - Audio File Available Now, mp3
Are Disease and Aging Information/Complexity Loss Syndromes?, PlexusCalls,
02/11/08, 1 - 2 pm EST (To learn more about Ary Goldberger¡¦s work
and
HeartSongs, Music of the Heart.) Audio File Available Now, mp3
Brenda Zimmerman in Conversation, PlexusCalls, Audio File Available Now, mp3
The Complexity of Entrepreneurship: A Launchcyte Story, Tom Petzinger,
PlexusCalls, 02/11/22, Audio File Available Now, mp3
A Practical and Appreciative Approach to Complex and Chronic Challenges,
Keith McCandless, PlexusCalls, Jan 2003, Audio File Available Now, mp3
20.4 ComDig Announcement: New ComDig Archive in Beta Test
We are in the process of upgrading the Complexity Digest archives to a
format with improved search capabilities. Also, we will finally be able to
adequately publish the valuable feedback and comments from our knowledgable
readers. You are cordially invited to become a beta tester of our new
ComDig2 archive.
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