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Complexity Digest 2003.18 May-04-2003

  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. Why Do Some Societies Make Disastrous Decisions?, Edge.org
     2. Searching For Certainty In An Uncertain World, J. Behav.
         Decision Making
          2.1. Religious Participation And Income, J. Econ. Behav. & Org.
          2.2  Moral Hazard And Legal Regulation In The Financial Market:
                Japan, East Europe And China, J. Asian Econ.
     3. Six Technologies That Will Change the World, Business2.0
          3.1. Artificial Intellect Really Thinking?, The Washington
                 Times
          3.2. A Sensor Model Language: Moving Sensor Data onto the
                 Internet, Sensors Online
          3.3  Technology: Making Intelligence a Bit Less Artificial,
                 NYTimes
     4. Stability, Chaos And Multiple Attractors: A Single Agent Makes
         A Difference, J. Econ. Dynamics & Control
     5. Experimental Synchronization of Spatiotemporal Chaos, arXiv
     6. Evolution of Self-Diagnosing Hardware, 5th Int. Conf. on
         Evolvable Systems
     7. Merger As Marriage: Communication Issues In Post-Merger
         Integration, Health Care Mgmnt Rev
          7.1. The Role Of Social Norms In A Model Of Marriage And
                 Divorce, J. Econ. Behav. & Org.
     8. Context-Dependent Decisions In Rufous Hummingbirds,
         Alphagalileo & Proc. B
     9. The Effect Of Helping Behaviour On The Survival Of Juvenile
         And Adult Long-Tailed Tits, J. Animal Ecol.
    10. One Fig, One Wasp? Not Always!, ScienceDaily
    11. Meal Skipping Helps Rodents Resist Diabetes, Brain Damage,
         ScienceDaily
    12. MIT Lab Works To Mimic Spider Silk, ScienceDaily
    13. Between The Wolf And The Dog, Alphagalileo
    14. The Roads To And From The RNA World, J. Theor. Biol.
    15. Stem Cells Grow Into Eggs in Lab, ContraCostaTimes.com
    16. Mouse Research Sheds New Light On Human Genetic Diseases,
         ScienceDaily
    17. World's Oldest Monkeys May Explain Age-related Mental Decline,
         AAAS
    18. Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation, ScienceDaily
    19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
          19.1. American Forces Reach Cease-Fire With Terror Group,
                  NYTimes
          19.2. The Fall of the House of Saud, The Atlantic Monthly
          19.3. Mapping Opaque Networks, Business Times
    20. Links & Snippets
          20.1. Links
          20.2. Other Publications
          20.3. Webcast Announcements
          20.4. Conference & Call for Papers Announcements
               20.4.1. Public Conference  Calls
          20.5. ComDig Announcement: New ComDig Archive in Beta Test


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1. Why Do Some Societies Make Disastrous Decisions?, Edge.org

Excerpts: First of all, a group may fail to anticipate a problem before the
problem actually arrives. Secondly, when the problem arrives, the group may
fail to perceive the problem. Then, after they perceive the problem, they
may fail even to try to solve the problem. Finally, they may try to solve
it but may fail in their attempts to do so. (¡K). Perhaps if we understand
the reasons why groups make bad decisions, we can use that knowledge as a
check list to help groups make good decisions.
Why Do Some Societies Make Disastrous Decisions?, Jared Diamond, Edge.org,
03/04/28, EdgeVideo DSL, Modem, 03/04/28


2. Searching For Certainty In An Uncertain World, J. Behav. Decision Making

Abstract: Our research explores predictions that people make in a simple
environment consisting of sequences of a binary signal followed by two
possible outcomes. In order to optimize their prediction success,
respondents should use a very simple decision rule, called maximization,
whereby they consistently predict according to the signal. In line with
past research, our findings show that even respondents who realized after
the experiment that maximization is optimal failed to use it during the
experiment itself. We discuss conditions that weaken or reinforce behaving
according to the optimal rule in a repeated choice situation.
Searching For Certainty In An Uncertain World: The Difficulty Of Giving Up
The Experiential For The Rational Mode Of Thinking, Y. Schul, R. Mayo, J.
Behav. Decision Making, Vol. 16, Issue 2, pp:93-106, 2003/02/19
Contributed by Pritha Das

Abstract: The relationship between religion and income has been explored in
several studies. In this paper, we extend this inquiry by arguing that
religious participation, through its effects on preferences and net
earnings potential, reduces participants' incomes. Similarly, we argue that
high incomes discourage religious participation by encouraging individuals
to substitute market work for religious activities. In an empirical model,
we simultaneously estimate the effects of religious participation on income
and income on religious participation, using US state data on per capita
personal income and church membership. The results strongly support our
hypotheses.

Religious Participation And Income, J. W. Lipford & R. D. Tollison, J.
Econ. Behav. & Org., Vol. 51, Issue 2, pp:249-260, Jun. 2003,
doi:10.1016/S0167-2681(02)00096-3
Contributed by Pritha Das

Abstract: This paper analyses the moral hazard occurred in most countries
during the transition to more deregulated financial markets. An
international comparison of the fiscal cost of financial crises is made.
Japan stands by far on the top of the list in terms of the amount of the
money involved. An empirical research is made for the case of mega-bank
mergers in Japan. Moral hazard is common for all economies with a rapid
change in the financial system, both in developed and developing countries.
A greater reliance on the market discipline backed by full disclosure is
the key to control the problem.

Moral Hazard And Legal Regulation In The Financial Market: Japan, East
Europe And China, Y. Shimizu, J. Asian Econ., Vol. 14, Issue 1, pp:23-33 ,
Feb. 2003, doi:10.1016/S1049-0078(02)00238-5
Contributed by Pritha Das


3. Six Technologies That Will Change the World, Business2.0

Excerpts: Six Technologies That Will Change the World
God's Ink Jet (...) A device that builds human organs and tissues from
scratch.
Robots You Can Relate To (...) Machines that interact with people the way
people do.
The Plane That Does Hong Kong and Back in a Day (...) A supersonic business
jet.
All-Day Portable Power (...) A fuel cell the size of a marble.
Electronic Paper (...) Computer display screens as thin and flexible as a
piece of paper.
A Swarm of Sensors (...) Networks of cheap, aspirin-size sensor robots
everywhere.
Six Technologies That Will Change the World, David Pescovitz, Business2.0,
May 2003 Issue


Excerpt: Where is it leading? AIBO, the robotic dog from Sony, is a toy
that acts like a real dog. It knows its name, obeys commands, and so on.
Arguably it begins to approach the intelligence of a real dog. But Sony
makes it sound as if it is intended as a pet, i.e., intended to evoke an
emotional response. Before long, someone may ask the question: Can machines
feel?

Maybe it won't matter, if they seem to.

Artificial Intellect Really Thinking?, Fred Reed, The Washington Times,
03/05/01


Excerpts: A new XML encoding scheme may make it possible for you to
remotely discover, access, and use real-time data obtained directly from
Web-resident sensors, instruments, and imaging devices.

(¡K), it's becoming increasingly practical to provide virtually any sensor
with a wired or wireless connection that enables remote access to the
devices' control inputs and data outputs. Through a variety of location
technologies (e.g., GPS, Cell-ID, and Cell-ID with triangulation), both
fixed and mobile sensing devices can report their geographic location along
with the data they have collected.

A Sensor Model Language: Moving Sensor Data onto the Internet, Mike Botts,
Lance McKee, Sensors Online , 03/04


Excerpts: Shoppers at some Web stores get unsolicited buying
recommendations, ostensibly matching their tastes. It doesn't always work. (¡K)

"We can recommend very well. Knowing when not to bother someone is much
harder." (¡K)

In the mid-1990's, much attention was drawn to collaborative filtering, a
technique that matches a user to a group of others who have purchased or
praised similar products, then analyzes the group's data to predict what
else the user might like. (¡K)Collaborative filtering is only a piece of
today's recommendation technology.

Technology: Making Intelligence a Bit Less Artificial, Lisa Guernsey
NYTimes, 03/05/01


4. Stability, Chaos And Multiple Attractors: A Single Agent Makes A
Difference, J. Econ. Dynamics & Control

Abstract: This paper provides an example in which a slight behavioral
heterogeneity may fundamentally change the dynamical properties of a
nonlinear cobweb market with a quadratic cost function and an isoelastic
demand function. We consider two types of producers; cautious adapters and
naive optimizers. In a market of naive optimizers a single cautious adapter
stabilizes the otherwise exploding market. In a market of cautious adapters
a single naive optimizer may destabilize the market; without him there
exists at most one periodic attractor in the market but with him there may
appear many (and even infinitely many) coexisting periodic attractors.
Stability, Chaos And Multiple Attractors: A Single Agent Makes A
Difference, T. Onozaki, G. Sieg & M. Yokoo, J. Econ. Dynamics & Control,
Vol. 27, Issue 10, pp:1917-1938, Aug. 2003, doi:10.1016/S0165-1889(02)00090-8
Contributed by Pritha Das


5. Experimental Synchronization of Spatiotemporal Chaos , arXiv

Abstract: We report the first experimental evidence of a successful
synchronization of spatiotemporal chaos. The experiments were performed on
two unidirectionally coupled, nonlinear-optical systems of single-feedback
type. The synchronization was investigated for different degrees of
complexity of the spontaneous structures. In all cases, the
cross-correlation between the two system states was found to increase with
the strength of the coupling. Numerical simulations yield comparable
results and throw a light on the role of spatial inhomogeneities, which
hamper a perfect synchronization.
Experimental Synchronization of Spatiotemporal Chaos, R. Neubecker, B.
Guetlich, 2003-04-25, DOI: nlin.PS/0304052, arXiv
Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


6. Evolution of Self-Diagnosing Hardware , 5th Int. Conf. on Evolvable Systems

Abstract: The evolution of digital circuits performing built-in self-test
behaviour is attempted in sumulation for a one bit adder and a two bit
multiplier. Promising results show evolved designs can perform a better
diagnosis using less resources thatn hand-designed equivalents. Future
extensions of the approach could allow the self-diagnosis of analog
circuits under failure and abnormal operating conditions.
Evolution of Self-Diagnosing Hardware, Miguel Garvie, Adrian Thompson,
2003, 5th Int. Conf. on Evolvable Systems
Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


7. Merger As Marriage: Communication Issues In Post-Merger Integration,
Health Care Mgmnt Rev

Excerpts: Mergers, like marriages, are less of an event than a "chronic"
condition. (¡K)
Mergers need to be treated as other long-term relationships with an
emphasis on thecommunication patterns that evolve in healthy or destructive
manners. The paradox in a marriage and a merger is that seemingly
insignificant patterns in conversations between individuals are crucial in
the longevity and health of the relationship. In this paper we examine
three levels of communication issues that interact with one another and
impact the likelihood of successful post-merger integration: affect,
discursive frame and negotiating position.

Merger As Marriage: Communication Issues In Post-Merger Integration,
Dooley, K, B. Zimmerman, Health Care Management Review, 28(1): 57-69 (2003)

Abstract: In the US, the rate of divorce has increased at an alarming rate
since the 1960s. This paper presents a mechanism which gives rise to the
emergence of multiple equilibria and a discrete jump in the rate of divorce
in a simple search environment. In a low-divorce equilibrium, agents are
willing to spend more cost in the search process. In the light of this
logic, the rapid increase in the rate of divorce can be seen as a movement
from a low-divorce to a high-divorce equilibrium, possibly triggered by a
temporary shock.

The Role Of Social Norms In A Model Of Marriage And Divorce, J. Ishida, J.
Econ. Behav. & Org., Vol. 51, Issue 1, pp:131-142, May 2003,
doi:10.1016/S0167-2681(02)00135-X
Contributed by Pritha Das


8. Context-Dependent Decisions In Rufous Hummingbirds, Alphagalileo & Proc. B

Abstract: Marketers sometimes use unattractive, so-called decoy products to
increase the attractiveness of other products they want to sell. The
success of this ploy depends on shoppers assessing the value of products
relative to the range of products on offer(¡K). We studied foraging choices
in wild, rufous hummingbirds faced with sets of artificial flowers
differing in the volume and concentration of nectar contained. We present
evidence that foraging hummingbirds respond in a similar way to human
shoppers to the addition of decoys. Our results suggest that birds and
humans may use similar mechanisms when making complex consumer decisions.
Context-Dependent Decisions In Rufous Hummingbirds, M. Bateson, S. D. Healy
& T. A. Hurly, Alphagalileo & Proc. B, 2003/04/28
Contributed by Atin Das


9. The Effect Of Helping Behaviour On The Survival Of Juvenile And Adult
Long-Tailed Tits, J. Animal Ecol.

Abstract: In the cooperative breeding system of the long-tailed tit
Aegithalos caudatus failed breeders may become helpers at the nest of
another pair to whom they are usually related. We used (¡K) program to
analyse survival of 482 birds ringed as fledglings and 155 birds ringed as
adults. We conclude that helpers gain kin-selected fitness benefits through
the increased survival of related offspring but not through the increased
survival of related breeders. Furthermore, helpers gain direct fitness
benefits through increased personal survival, but at a cost of reduced
probability of successful future personal reproduction.
The Effect Of Helping Behaviour On The Survival Of Juvenile And Adult
Long-Tailed Tits Aegithalos Caudatus, McGowan A., Hatchwell B. J. &
Woodburn R. J. W., J. Animal Ecol., Vol. 72, No. 3, pp:491-499(9), May 2003
Contributed by Atin Das


10. One Fig, One Wasp? Not Always!, ScienceDaily

Excerpts: (¡K) not every fig species is pollinated by its own unique wasp
species. (¡K) two genetically distinct species of wasps are present in at
least half of the fig species surveyed. In one stroke, the findings
undermine many current ideas concerning the stability and evolution of
mutualisms, while simultaneously strengthening other critical parts of
modern evolutionary theory. (sex allocation and local mate competition
theory). The diversity and ability to measure costs and benefits that each
partner provides the other means that the fig-wasp system provides an ideal
model for understanding what each partner stands to gain from a mutualistic
relationship.
One Fig, One Wasp? Not Always! ScienceDaily & Smithsonian Institution,
2003/04/29
Contributed by Atin Das


11. Meal Skipping Helps Rodents Resist Diabetes, Brain Damage, ScienceDaily

Excerpts: A new mouse study suggests fasting every other day can help fend
off diabetes and protect brain neurons as well as or better than either
vigorous exercise or caloric restriction. The findings also suggest that
reduced meal frequency can produce these beneficial effects even if the
animals gorged when they did eat, according the investigators at the
National Institute on Aging (NIA).
"The implication of the new findings on the beneficial effects of regular
fasting in laboratory animals is that their health may actually improve if
the frequency of their meals is reduced."
Meal Skipping Helps Rodents Resist Diabetes, Brain Damage, ScienceDaily &
NIH/National Institute On Aging, 2003/04/29
Contributed by Atin Das


12. MIT Lab Works To Mimic Spider Silk, ScienceDaily

Excerpts: Spider silk is known to be a polymer with two distinct
alternating regions. One region is soft and elastic; the other forms small,
hard crystallites. It is assumed that this unusual structure is largely
responsible for spider silk's remarkable properties. MIT researchers want
to make a series of different synthetic polymers and study how changes in
the chemical structures of the polymers affect the physical properties.
Scientists (¡K) have been able to harvest spider silk from the milk of
genetically altered goats, but as Pollock explained, that type of solution
does not solve the problem entirely.
MIT Lab Works To Mimic Spider Silk, ScienceDaily & MIT, 2003/04/30
Contributed by Atin Das


13. Between The Wolf And The Dog, Alphagalileo

Excerpts: The dog was the first animal domesticated by human beings. (¡K)
people and dogs used to adjust to each other within numerous generations of
coexistence. Biochemical and genetic researches have proved quite
definitely that the dog¡¦s ancestor was the big predatory wolf, but not its
smaller relative - the omnivorous jackal. However, it is impossible to
determine when human beings first domesticated the wolves, as their
domestication could not be recorded in archeological materials. Only when
primitive dogs started to reliably differ from their wild ancestors, it
became possible to distinguish their bones from wolf¡¦s remains.
Between The Wolf And The Dog, A. Oskolsky, Alphagalileo, 2003/04/25
Contributed by Atin Das


14. The Roads To And From The RNA World, J. Theor. Biol.

Abstract: (¡K) there has been little discussion of whether protein
synthesis arose before DNA or what preceded the RNA world. We outline
arguments of what route life may have taken out of the RNA world: whether
DNA or protein followed. Metabolic arguments favor the possibility that RNA
genomes preceded the use of DNA as the informational macromolecule.
However, the opposite can also be argued based on the enhanced stability,
reactivity, and solubility of 2-deoxyribose as compared to ribose. The
possibility that DNA may have come before RNA is discussed, although it is
a less parsimonious explanation than DNA following RNA.
The Roads To And From The RNA World, J. P. Dworkin, A. Lazcano & S. L.
Miller, J. Theor. Biol., Vol. 222, Issue 1, pp:127-134, 2003/05/07,
doi:10.1016/S0022-5193(03)00020-1
Contributed by Atin Das


15. Stem Cells Grow Into Eggs in Lab, ContraCostaTimes.com

Excerpts: For the first time, researchers have grown eggs from embryonic
stem cells, showing a potential new way to treat diseases and challenging
notions of how life begins. The research was in mice but has implications
to radically change the debate over using human stem cells. Embryonic stem
cells are considered to be the primordial ooze from which virtually all
organs, cells and body parts arise. With the right coaxing and conditions,
they can be made to transform into heart, nerve, pancreatic and other
cells. However, it had never been demonstrated that they could create
gametes -- eggs or sperm -- until now. Scientists from France and the
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia showed that mouse stem cells
without any coaxing could form eggs, and that those eggs could
spontaneously form primitive embryos.
Stem Cells Grow Into Eggs in Lab, 2003-05-02, ContraCostaTimes.com
Contributed by Nadia Gershenson


16. Mouse Research Sheds New Light On Human Genetic Diseases, ScienceDaily

Excerpts: (¡K) announced important findings about the causes of three human
diseases (¡K) a rare condition whose sufferers exhibit a combination of
diabetes, retarded growth, and skeletal abnormalities. (¡K) developed and
investigated a particular strain of "knockout" mice that are genetically
unable to produce the enzyme PERK (pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum
kinase). (¡K) hypothesize that the PERK enzyme is a specific or global
regulator of protein synthesis, which means that the knockout mice are
especially useful in unraveling complex physiological and developmental
processes.
"We are now able to investigate what happens when a particular gene is
missing, to see what functions go wrong."
Mouse Research Sheds New Light On Human Genetic Diseases, ScienceDaily &
Penn State, 2003/04/28
Contributed by Atin Das


17. World's Oldest Monkeys May Explain Age-related Mental Decline, AAAS

Contibutor Editor's Note: Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid
which is found in the central nervous system. Its function is to block the
transmotion of impulses between neurons, e.g. it is an inhibitory
neurotransmitter. Due to its calming effect GABA was used in therapy for
such disorders as anxiety, epilepsy, hypertension and sleep disorders. In
this article researchers believe that there is a positive effect of GABA on
aging neurons.
Excerpts: Scientists may have discovered why the brain's higher
information-processing center slows down in old age, affecting everything
from language, to vision, to motor skills. The findings may also point
toward drugs for reversing the process. A brain chemical called GABA helps
neurons stay finicky about which signals they respond to - a must for the
brain to function at its peak. Certain neurons in very old macaque monkeys
lose their pickiness, researchers have found, seemingly because they don't
get enough GABA. These results appear in the journal Science, published by
the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). If a lack
of GABA is indeed responsible for the old neurons' indiscriminate firing,
this problem may be simple enough to treat. Existing drugs, such as Xanax,
increase GABA production, according to author Audie Leventhal of the
University of Utah School of Medicine. These drugs haven't been carefully
tested on the elderly, though. "The good news is there are a lot of drugs
around that can facilitate GABA-ergic function and maybe some of them will
help," said Leventhal.

World's Oldest Monkeys May Explain Age-related Mental Decline Science Study
Says, 2003-05-01, AAAS
Contributed by Nadia Gershenson


18. Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation, ScienceDaily

Excerpts: Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is
yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and
wounds. (¡K) has uncovered a wealth of information about green tea in the
last few years. Most importantly, he helped determine that compounds in
green tea called polyphenols help eliminate free radicals, which can cause
cancer by altering DNA. He also found that polyphenols safeguard healthy
cells while ushering cancer cells to their death.
"If we can spur the skin cells to differentiate and proliferate, we can
potentially accelerate the wound-healing process and prevent scarring."
Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation, ScienceDaily & Medical College
Of Georgia, 2003/04/25
Contributed by Atin Das


19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks

Excerpts: American forces in Iraq have signed a cease-fire with an Iranian
opposition group the United States has designated a terrorist organization,
(¡K).
Under the deal, (¡K) confirmed by the United States Central Command only
today, United States forces agreed not to damage any of the group's
vehicles, equipment or any of its property in its camps in Iraq, (¡K).

In return, the group, the People's Mujahedeen, which will be allowed to
keep its weapons for now, agreed not to fire on or commit other hostile
acts against American forces (¡K).

American Forces Reach Cease-Fire With Terror Group, Douglas Jehl, Michael
R. Gordon, Washington, April 28


Excerpts: (¡K)despite our stance of friendly relations with the Saudi
ruling family, Saudi Arabia poses a grave threat to the United States. U.S.
leaders, (¡K), have sought to cultivate a friendly relationship with Saudi
leaders because we are so dependent on Saudi oil.

And Saudi leaders have pumped so much money into the coffers of U.S. movers
and shakers that most of our leaders have ended up very much beholden to
the Saudi Ruling family. (¡K) very difficult for our government to take an
honest and objective look at Saudi Arabia.

The Fall of the House of Saud, Robert Baer, The Atlantic Monthly, May 2003,
See also: Robert Baer, Fmr. CIA Field Officer Baer discusses his article in
the current issue of The Atlantic Monthly on Saudi Arabia's
counter-terrorism efforts, c-span, 4/30/2003, 1 hr., (Video clip13399)


Excerpts: Excerpts: Terrorist networks are very secretive, and so they
operate in small cells that interconnect only intermittently, and through
limited numbers of people. Interestingly, our response to an epidemic is to
do something very similar (¡K). Infectious disease teaches us the tactics
that terrorists use.

It follows that if you can identify key connectors in the terrorist
network, and take them out of commission, you can do much more harm to the
covert network than if it were more densely interconnected.

Mapping Opaque Networks, Patrick Lambe, Business Times, 03/04/29


20. Links & Snippets

20.1 Other Publications

SFI Working Papers
Phase Transitions in Unstable Cancer Cell Populations, Ricard V. Sole, DOI:
SFI-WP 03-04-028
The Thermodynamic Approach to the Market Equilibrium, Victor Sergeev, DOI:
SFI-WP 03-04-027
Does Market Theory Apply to Biology?, Samuel Bowles , Peter Hammerstein,
DOI: SFI-WP 03-04-026
Aggregation of Variables and System Decomposition, Max Shpak, Peter F.
Stadler, Gunter P. Wagner, Joachim Hermisson, DOI: SFI-WP 03-04-025
Network Structure and Robustness of Marine Food Webs, Jennifer A. Dunne,
Richard J. Williams, Neo D. Martinez, DOI: SFI-WP 03-04-024
HLA and HIV Infection Progression: Application of the Minimum Description
Length Principle to Statistical Genetics, Peter T. Hraber, Bette T. Korber,
Steven Wolinsky, Henry Erlich, Elizabeth Trachtenberg, Thomas B. Kepler,
DOI: SFI-WP 03-04-023
Comorbidity: 1. Autocognitive Developmental Disorders of Structured
Psychosocial Stress, Wallace, Rodrick, 2003-04-24, CogPrints
Basin Bifurcations in a Two-Dimensional Logistic Map, Daniele
Fournier-Prunaret, Ricardo Lopez-Ruiz, 2003-04-29, arXiv
Generalized Dynamical Entropies in Weakly Chaotic Systems, Henk van
Beijeren, 2003-04-28, arXiv
On Limits On The Computational Power Of Data-Accumulating Algorithms, S. D.
Brud & S. G. Akl, Info. Processing Lett., Vol. 86(4), pp. 221-227, 2003
Mechanical Model For Theoretical Determination Of Maximum Running Speed In
Mammals, R. E. Blanco, R. Gambini & R. A. Farina, J. Theor. Biol., Vol.
222, Issue 1, pp: 117-125, 2003/05/07
Cell Volume Changes During Rapid Temperature Shifts, P. Gervais, I. M. de
Maranon, C. Evrard, E. Ferret & S. Moundanga, J. of Biotech., Vol. 102,
Issue 3, pp:269-279, 2003/05/08, doi:10.1016/S0168-1656(03)00031-2
Fea tures Of Neuronal Synchrony In Mouse Visual Cortex, G. Nase, W. Singer,
H. Monyer & A. K. Engel, J. Neurophysiol, 2003/04/17,
DOI:10.1152/jn.00480.2002
Italian Study Finds Traffic Pollution Affects Male Fertility, M. Willson,
Alphagalileo, 2003/04/26
Iraq War: Impact On May Elections, K. Cleveland, Alphagalileo, 2003/04/29
90% Of The Universe Is Missing! - The Search For The Missing Mass Of The
Universe, P. Barratt, Alphagalileo, 2003/04/29
A Bit of Ingenuity in Your Ear Makes Phone Dialing Effortless, Peter
Meyers, 2003/04/24
Sustained Microtubule Treadmilling in Arabidopsis Cortical Arrays, Sidney
L. Shaw, Roheena Kamyar, David W. Ehrhardt, Science Express
International: U.S. Seeks Solid Core to Fix Iraq's Broken Legal System,
NYT, Bernard Weinraub, Rebuilding the legal and justice apparatus that had
brutalized the nation for decades remains a challenging and complex task.
2003/04/27
Getting It All Mapped Out, Maps are useful in managing information, but
they have their pitfalls, Patrick Lambe, Business Times, 2003/04/22
Mapping the Spread of Contagions via Contact Tracing, Valdis Krebs, There
is this interesting project I worked on last year [mapping a TB outbreak]
that is *very* similar in network dynamics to the current SARS outbreak!, 2003
Lessons From SARS, Barry R. Bloom, Science 300, 701, 03/04/25
ClusterWorld Conference & Expo, San Jose, Ca, USA, 2003/06/23-26
The Grammar of Sound, John Harney, New software lets you index and search
audio much faster than in the past, 2003/4/30
20.3 Coming and Ongoing Webcasts

Robert Baer, Fmr. CIA Field Officer Baer discusses his article in the
current issue of The Atlantic Monthly on Saudi Arabia's counter-terrorism
efforts, c-span, 4/30/2003, 1 hr., (Video clip13399)
Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with the Unexpected and
Unknowable, The University of Texas Austin, Texas USA, 03/04/10-12
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


20.4 Conference Announcements & Call for Papers

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
Innovating Strategy Processes: Concepts, Experiences And Experiments,
Storrs, Connecticut U.S.A. 03/05/25-28
SPIE's 1st Intl Symp on Fluctuations and Noise, Santa Fe, NM, 03/06/01-04
The First International Workshop on "Socio-Cognitive Grids: The Net as a
Universal Human Resource", Santorini, Greece, 03/06/01-04
21st ICDE World Conf on Open Learning and Distance Education, Hong Kong,
03/06/01-05
The Co-Revolutionary Competition An Alternative War Game Inspired By The
New Sciences, Newport, RI, 03/06/03-05
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
UQAM Summer Institute in Cognitive Sciences 2003: Categorization In
Cognitive Sciences, Montreal, 03/06/30-07/11
9th International Conference on Auditory Display, Boston, MA, 03/07/07-09,
Wkshp on Assistive Technologies for the Blind, 03/07/06
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
2nd International School Topics In Nonlinear Dynamics, Siena (Italy), July
9-11, 2003
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
Trends And Perspectives In Extensive And Non-Extensive Statistical
Mechanics, In Honour Of The 60th Birthday Of Constantino Tsallis, Angra Dos
Reis, Brazil, 03/11/19-21
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


20.4.1 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


20.5 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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