复杂性文摘 NO：2004.14

Complexity Digest 2004.14

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

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Content:

01. Braving Bullying Hecklers, Simulants Run for President, NY Times
02. Modelling Learning and R&D in Innovative Environments: a Cognitive
Multi-Agent Approach, JASSS
02.01. Knowledge Creation Facing Hierarchy: the Dynamics of groups inside the
Firm, JASSS
02.02. Small World Dynamics and The Process of Knowledge Diffusion: The Case of
The Metropolitan Area of Greater Santiago De Chile, JASSS
03. Pricing Less Competitive Online, NPR Audio
04. Phase Shifts, J Investment Management
05. Human Evolution: The Primate Bite: Brawn Versus Brain?, Science
05.01. Evolution's Lost Bite: Gene Change Tied To Ancestral Brain Gains,
Science News
06. Learning Theory: Past Performance And Future Results, Nature
06.01. General Conditions For Predictivity In Learning Theory, Nature
07. Neuroscience: The Sweet Smell Of Success, Nature
07.01. It's Time! Fetal Lungs Tell Mom When To Deliver Baby, Science News
08. Cell Bodies In A Cage, Nature
09. Mathematicians Predict Patterns In Fingerprints And Cacti, ScienceDaily
10. Signal Processing: Neural Coding By Correlation?, Nature
11. Quantum Optimally Controlled Transition Landscapes, Science
12. The Perfect Pitch of Blue Whales, NPR Audio
12.01. The Social Lives of Snakes, Science News
12.02. A Conceptual Framework For Nonkin Food Sharing: Timing And Currency Of
Benefits, Animal Behaviour
12.03. Complexity Of Behavioural Sequences And Their Relation To Stress
Conditions In Chickens, Appl. Animal Behav. Sc.
13. Ferns Younger, 'Smarter' Than Believed, NPR Audio
14. Fossil Illuminates Evolution of Limbs from Fins, Scientific American
15. New Ways to Control Malaria, Science
16. Mimicking Viruses May Provide New Way To Defeat Them, ScienceDaily
17. Unravelling Migrations In The Steppe: Mitochondrial DNA Sequences From
Ancient Central Asians, Alphagalileo & Proc. Biol. Sc.
18. The 'Snowball Effect' and Intel on Iraq's WMDs, NPR ATC
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
19.01. Simulation of The Dynamic Interactions Between Terror and Anti-Terror
Organizational Structures, JASSS
19.02. Top Focus Before 9/11 Wasn't on Terrorism, Washington Post
19.03. The Iraq War and Global Terrorism, NPR Audio
20. Links & Snippets
20.01. Other Publications
20.02. Webcast Announcements
20.03. Conference & Call for Papers Announcements

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01. Braving Bullying Hecklers, Simulants Run for President , NY Times

Excerpts: In this election, the central issue of each candidate's campaign is
how to cope with a belligerent group of players called grievers or scammers,
who bully newcomers by locking them into boring story lines, stealing their
money or even beating them up for the sake of humiliation. The scammers are
elusive and their motives are unclear, but their behavior is thought to
undercut new players' enthusiasm and diminish the popularity of the game.(...)
"Some Sims can be vicious. It's just like real life, sort of."

* Braving Bullying Hecklers, Simulants Run for President, Mark Glassman  ,
04/04/01, NYTimes


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02. Modelling Learning and R&D in Innovative Environments: a Cognitive
Multi-Agent Approach , JASSS

Abstract: Evolutionary arguments are an appropriate approach to the analysis of
industry dynamics in a knowledge-based economy, because they can deal properly
with innovation processes, technological change, path-dependence and knowledge.
But in order to formalise all of this verbal accounting, researchers need
methodological tools which support their theoretical analysis. In this paper we
suggest some of the main requirements for computer simulation to have the same
standing as the traditional tools used by neoclassical economists. Among
others, aggregated behaviour should emerge from micro-foundations, economic
agents should exhibit bounded rational behaviour, learning must be endogenous
and human learning should be in agreement with some stylised facts from
cognitive science and psychology. We argue that multi-agent systems is a
methodology which fulfills some of the requirements above. We also propose an
alternative way for modelling cognitive learning in evolutionary environments,
which is in agreement with some basic concepts from cognitive science. Agents
are endowed with both declarative and procedural knowledge. We have used our
approach to build evolutionary models of innovative industries, where firms
learn how to change their decisions about R&D budget, production, technology,
etc. We refer as well to some applications using the same framework to model
behavioural financial markets, economic geography and water resource
management.

* Modelling Learning and R&D in Innovative Environments: a Cognitive
Multi-Agent Approach, Javier Pajares , Ces eo Hern dez-Iglesias , Adolfo
L ez-Paredes , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
* Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


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02.01. Knowledge Creation Facing Hierarchy: the Dynamics of groups inside the
Firm , JASSS

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to analyze the selection of routines within
organizational structures characterized by different cognitive representations.
Following a brief discussion on the role of hierarchy and the related problem
of organizational practice selection in the evolutionary literature, we model
the interactions between different groups within a firm trying to interfere
with its coordination mechanisms in order to support their own idiosyncratic
practices. Numerical simulations highlight differences in the ability to learn
in different organizational set-ups with diverse patterns of knowledge
distribution, also reproducing configurations analysed in the empirical
literature. It is shown that networking schemes are the more profitable
organizational configurations because of their dynamics of learning, although
they are very sensitive to the truce problem.

* Knowledge Creation Facing Hierarchy: the Dynamics of groups inside the Firm,
Nathalie Lazaric , Alain Raybaut , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
* Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


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02.02. Small World Dynamics and The Process of Knowledge Diffusion: The Case of
The Metropolitan Area of Greater Santiago De Chile , JASSS

Abstract: This paper aims to understand some of the mechanisms which dominate
the phenomenon of knowledge diffusion in the process that is called
'interactive learning'. We examine how knowledge spreads in a network in which
agents have 'face-to-face' learning interactions. We define a social network
structured as a graph consisting of agents (vertices) and connections (edges)
and situated on a grid which resembles the geographical characteristics of the
metropolitan area of Greater Santiago de Chile. The target of this simulation
is to test whether knowledge diffuses homogeneously or whether it follows some
biased path generating geographical divergence between a core area and a
periphery. We also investigate the efficiency of our 'preference' model of
agent decision-making and show that this system evolves towards a small-world
type network.

* Small World Dynamics and The Process of Knowledge Diffusion: The Case of The
Metropolitan Area of Greater Santiago De Chile, Piergiuseppe Morone , Richard
Taylor , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
* Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


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03. Pricing Less Competitive Online , NPR Audio

Excerpts: A study by MIT finds that the Internet, where customers can easily
comparison shop, is actually less price competitive than traditional store
retailers. The researchers spent 15 months gathering 8,000 online price
comparisons of books and music CDs.

* Pricing Less Competitive Online, Barbara Mantel  , 04/04/01, NPR Audio


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04. Phase Shifts , J Investment Management

Abstract: The physical world is composed of phase shifts, and we generally
accept and understand the implications. The failure to recognize a phase shift
that has taken place is exemplified by the perception of investment people
about where they stand in the world . . . even what they stand for.

I was part of the first AIMR group to embrace performance standards that
implies phase shifts do not take place. We complain about fair disclosure
thinking it might inhibit access, but access comes at the price of
acquiescence, a coin of our clients that we have been willing to pay for them.


We should be willing to adopt high standards of personal behavior, such as
classifying ourselves as insiders with respect to our personal investment
accounts. ( Full text )

* Phase Shifts, DEAN LEBARON,  , J Investment Management, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2003


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05. Human Evolution: The Primate Bite: Brawn Versus Brain? , Science

A change in a single muscle protein may have been a key step in the evolution
of modern humans, according to a new theory. A mutation in a myosin gene 2.4
million years ago made the protein less effective. Because of this change,
primates' massive jaw muscles shrank, (...), making possible a threefold
expansion of the brain.
(...)But some experts in human origins scoff at it. "To suggest that the brain
is constrained by chewing muscles is just rubbish,"(...).

* Human Evolution: The Primate Bite: Brawn Versus Brain?, Elizabeth Pennisi ,
04/03/26, Science : 1957.


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05.01. Evolution's Lost Bite: Gene Change Tied To Ancestral Brain Gains ,
Science News

Excerpts: In a controversial new report, a research team proposes that an
inactivating gene mutation unique to people emerged around 2.4 million years
ago and, by decreasing the size of jaw muscles, set the stage for brain
expansion in our direct ancestors.

* Evolution's Lost Bite: Gene Change Tied To Ancestral Brain Gains, 04/03/27,
Science News, Vol. 165, No. 13, , Also available in Audible format .


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06. Learning Theory: Past Performance And Future Results , Nature

Excerpts: Learning from experience is hard, and predicting how well what we
have learned will serve us in the future is even harder. The most useful
lessons turn out to be those that are insensitive to small changes in our
experience.

A hallmark of intelligent learning is that we can apply what we have learned to
new situations. In the mathematical theory of learning, this ability is called
generalization. On page 419  of this issue, Poggio et al. formulate an elegant
condition for a learning system to generalize well.

* Learning Theory: Past Performance And Future Results, Carlo Tomasi  ,
04/03/25, DOI: 10.1038/428378a, Nature 428, 378


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06.01. General Conditions For Predictivity In Learning Theory , Nature

Excerpts: A milestone in learning theory1-5 was a characterization of
conditions on the hypothesis space that ensure generalization for the natural
class of empirical risk minimization (ERM) learning algorithms that are based
on minimizing the error on the training set. Here we provide conditions for
generalization in terms of a precise stability property of the learning
process: when the training set is perturbed by deleting one example, the
learned hypothesis does not change much. This stability property stipulates
conditions on the learning map rather than on the hypothesis space, (...).

* General Conditions For Predictivity In Learning Theory, Tomaso Poggio , Ryan
Rifkin , Sayan Mukherjee1 , Partha Niyogi , 04/03/25, DOI: 10.1038/nature02341,
Nature 428, 419 - 422


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07. Neuroscience: The Sweet Smell Of Success , Nature

Excerpts: Such individual differences in sensitivity to smells are thought to
be the result of variations between olfactory receptors ?(...). We have
hundreds of distinct receptors, which between them can distinguish thousands of
different chemicals. But without a clear understanding of how this information
is encoded by olfactory receptors, scientists have made little progress in
determining how our brain perceives complex fragrances such as 'chocolate' or
'freshly baked bread'.

"The mammalian nose is the best chemical detector in the world, yet we still
don't understand how it codes," (...).

* Neuroscience: The Sweet Smell Of Success, Carina Dennis  , 04/03/25, DOI:
10.1038/428362a, Nature 428, 362 - 364


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07.01. It's Time! Fetal Lungs Tell Mom When To Deliver Baby , Science News

Excerpts: One of the central unresolved questions in mammalian biology is how a
mother knows when to give birth. Scientists studying mice have now found
evidence that the maturing lungs of a fetus release a protein that initiates
the process.

If also true in women, the finding could provide insight into the causes of
premature births and suggest ways of preventing them. About 6 to 10 percent of
all pregnancies end with prematurely born babies, who frequently struggle to
survive even with intensive medical care.

* It's Time! Fetal Lungs Tell Mom When To Deliver Baby, 04/03/27, Science News,
Vol. 165, No. 13, Also available in Audible format .


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08. Cell Bodies In A Cage , Nature

Excerpts: To harmonize all these diverse cytological observations of eukaryotic
forms, a discrete subcellular element is required that will take over from the
cell as the fundamental unit, not only of eukaryotic structure, but as a
propagule of life itself. One possible candidate is the 'cell body' which was
proposed for animal cells by the late Daniel Mazia in 1993. The 'cell body'
comprises the nucleus and a set of perinuclear radiating microtubules, and can
be regarded as the basic unit of eukaryotic life, being both autonomous and
self-reproducing.

* Cell Bodies In A Cage, Frantiek Baluka , Dieter Volkmann , Peter W. Barlow ,
04/03/25, DOI: 10.1038/428371a, Nature 428, 371


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09. Mathematicians Predict Patterns In Fingerprints And Cacti , ScienceDaily

Excerpts: Patterns in nature can be seen every day, yet in many cases, little
is understood about how and why they form. (...) developed a mathematical model
that can reproduce fingerprint patterns, while (...) created a mathematical
model to explain the arrangement of repeated units in various plants. Even
though the use of fingerprints for identification began more than 2000 years
ago in China and they have been studied experimentally for over two hundred
years, there is no widely accepted explanation for their occurrence. Likewise,
the reasons behind nature's choice of patterns in plants have been difficult
for mathematicians to explain, (...).

* Mathematicians Predict Patterns In Fingerprints And Cacti, 2004/04/02,
ScienceDaily & University Of Arizona
* Contributed by Atin Das


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10. Signal Processing: Neural Coding By Correlation? , Nature

Excerpts: A spike train can be represented by the sequence of intervals between
spikes; this is characterized by the interval statistics (in the time domain by
probability distributions and correlations, and in the frequency domain by
spectral densities). Chacron et al.1 consider two schemes of spike generation.
The first produces a 'renewal process' that has no memory of the excitation
because the system resets itself each time a spike is generated. (...)

* Signal Processing: Neural Coding By Correlation?, Arun V. Holden  , 04/03/25,
DOI: 10.1038/428382a, Nature 428, 382


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11. Quantum Optimally Controlled Transition Landscapes , Science

Excerpts: A large number of experimental studies and simulations show that it
is surprisingly easy to find excellent quality control over broad classes of
quantum systems. We now prove that for controllable quantum systems with no
constraints placed on the controls, the only allowed extrema of the transition
probability landscape correspond to perfect control or no control. Under these
conditions, no suboptimal local extrema exist as traps that would impede the
search for an optimal control. The identified landscape structure is universal
(...).

* Quantum Optimally Controlled Transition Landscapes, Herschel A. Rabitz ,
Michael M. Hsieh , Carey M. Rosenthal
  , 04/03/26, Science : 1998-2001.


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12. The Perfect Pitch of Blue Whales , NPR Audio

Excerpts: NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to Jim Metzner, host and producer of the
radio program Pulse of the Planet about the various sounds blue whales make,
and how they all "sing" on the exact same pitch, four octaves below middle C.

* The Perfect Pitch of Blue Whales, Linda Wertheimer  , Jim Metzner , 04/04/03,
NPR Audio


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12.01. The Social Lives of Snakes , Science News

Excerpts:


BABY RATTLER. A newborn pygmy rattlesnake isn't very big, so the continued
presence of its mother during the first days of its life may offer protection.

eter May



Does the mother's presence help the newborns? Because the little snakes don't
see well through their soon-to-be-shed skin and can't muster the striking force
of a grown-up, the lingering mother might be deterring predators. Also, her
large body might keep the young ones warm.

Despite the plausibility of such benefits, Greene doesn't use the term
"parental care" for the mother snake's apparent solicitude; she calls it
"maternal attendance." Also, the benefits of the mother's vigilance haven't
been tested, he points out.

* The Social Lives of Snakes, 04/03/27, Science News, Vol. 165, No. 13, Also
available in Audible format .


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12.02. A Conceptual Framework For Nonkin Food Sharing: Timing And Currency Of
Benefits , Animal Behaviour

Abstract: Many animal species, from arthropods to apes, share food. This paper
presents a new framework that categorizes nonkin food sharing according to two
axes: (1) the interval between sharing and receiving the benefits of sharing,
and (2) the currency units in which benefits accrue to the sharer (especially
food versus nonfood). Sharers can obtain immediate benefits from increased
foraging efficiency, (...). When benefits are delayed or when food is exchanged
for nonfood benefits, maintaining sharing can become more difficult because
animals face discounting and currency conversion problems. The immediate,
selfish fitness benefits that a sharer may gain through by-product or
manipulative mutualism, (...).

* A Conceptual Framework For Nonkin Food Sharing: Timing And Currency Of
Benefits, J. R. Stevens jstevens@wjh.harvard.edu , I. C. Gilby , 2004/02/20,
DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.08.012, Animal Behaviour
* Contributed by Pritha Das


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12.03. Complexity Of Behavioural Sequences And Their Relation To Stress
Conditions In Chickens , Appl. Animal Behav. Sc.

Abstract: A complexity analysis was performed on the behaviour time series of
four groups of seven chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) using (...) quantifies
the fractal-like correlation properties of behaviour sequences on short time
scales (seconds) over active periods of approximately 0.5 h (2050 s). In this
study the level of randomization of locomotor and resting sequences was related
to the rearing conditions of chickens. The complexity of locomotor sequences
decreased with high stress (food limitation). Adding a sand substrate increased
the complexity of other activities (...). Under stress it appeared that there
was not enough energy to perform complex adult behaviour.

* Complexity Of Behavioural Sequences And Their Relation To Stress Conditions
In Chickens (Gallus Gallus Domesticus): A Non-Invasive Technique To Evaluate
Animal Welfare, G. A. Mar  levrino@unizar.es , J. Esc   , C. L. Alados ,
online 2004/02/06 Applied Animal Behaviour Science, DOI:
10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.012
* Contributed by Pritha Das


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13. Ferns Younger, 'Smarter' Than Believed , NPR Audio

Excerpts: Scientists have long believed ferns evolved way before flowering
plants appeared, and have been evolutionary dead ends ever since. But new
findings in the journal Nature suggest the arrival of flowering plants actually
stimulated ferns to evolve and thrive.

* Ferns Younger, 'Smarter' Than Believed, Christopher Joyce  , 04/04/01, NPR
Audio


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14. Fossil Illuminates Evolution of Limbs from Fins , Scientific American

Excerpts:


  Image: COURTESY OF KALLIOPI MONOYIOS



For example, compared with the anatomy of other tetrapods of the same age there
is a large space for chest muscle attachment, the scientists report. This added
brawn would have enabled a motion similar to a benchpress or push-up. Based on
the apparent size and extent of the muscles, the authors posit that the humerus
played a significant role in the support and movement of the animal.
The findings indicate that the ability to prop up the body is more ancient than
previously believed.

* Fossil Illuminates Evolution of Limbs from Fins, 04/04/02, Scientific
American


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15. New Ways to Control Malaria , Science

Excerpts: The report by Osta et al. [ HN6] on page  2030 of this issue (  1])
advances the quest for new methods to control the mosquito vector, an
imperative if we are to sustain our position, let alone win the war, against
malaria. These authors identify three mosquito genes that control the immune
response of Anopheles gambiae [ HN7]], the principal vector of the malaria
parasite in Africa. They show that these three genes directly affect
development of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei [ HN8]], within
the insect gut.

* New Ways to Control Malaria, Janet Hemingway  , Alister Craig , 04/03/26,
Science : 1984-1985


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16. Mimicking Viruses May Provide New Way To Defeat Them , ScienceDaily

Excerpts: Viruses, often able to outsmart many of the drugs designed to defeat
them, may have met their match, according to new research (...). The findings
show that the introduction of a harmless molecule that uses the same machinery
a virus needs to grow may be a potent way to shut down the virus before it
infects other cells or becomes resistant to drugs. "When a virus encounters a
susceptible cell, it enters and says, 'I'm now the boss.' It pirates the cell's
resources to produce virus progeny that, following release from the host cell,
can infect other cells."

* Mimicking Viruses May Provide New Way To Defeat Them, 2004/03/29,
ScienceDaily & University Of Wisconsin-Madison
* Contributed by Atin Das


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17. Unravelling Migrations In The Steppe: Mitochondrial DNA Sequences From
Ancient Central Asians , Alphagalileo & Proc. Biol. Sc.

Abstract: The vast steppes of Central Asia have been the scene of complex human
migrations throughout history. Using ancient DNA techniques, we analysed the
mtDNA lineages of human remains from archaeological sites in Kazakhstan dating
from the 15th century BC to the 5th century AD. Our results indicated that all
mtDNA sequences from individuals dating before 7th-8th century BC had a West
Eurasian origin, whereas, after this period, sequences from East Eurasian
origin began to appear in ancient Kazakh populations. This supports an ancient
West Eurasian origin for Central Asia human populations (...) that was later
erased by East Asian migrations to the West.

* Unravelling Migrations In The Steppe: Mitochondrial DNA Sequences From
Ancient Central Asians, C. L.-Fox  , M. L. Sampietro  , M. T. P. Gilbert  , L.
Castri  , F. Facchini  , D. Pettener  , J. Bertranpetit , 2004/03/29,
Alphagalileo & Proceedings Biological Sciences
* Contributed by Atin Das


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18. The 'Snowball Effect' and Intel on Iraq's WMDs , NPR ATC

Excerpts: The "echo effect," the "snowball effect" and false assumptions --
these were some of the reasons why intelligence agencies around the world were,
to use former chief weapons inspector David Kay's phrase, "all wrong" about
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. European intelligence is often derivative
of U.S. intelligence, and vice versa, creating trans-Atlantic echoes that seem
to corroborate each other. Israeli assessments got analyzed by U.S.
intelligence, which tended to bolster the assessment as they were passed on to
other governments, creating the snowball effect. And governments around the
world assumed that because they could not prove that Iraq destroyed its weapons
of mass destruction, Iraq must still have them.

* The 'Snowball Effect' and Intel on Iraq's WMDs, Mary Louise Kelly  ,
04/04/02, NPR ATC


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19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks





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19.01. Simulation of The Dynamic Interactions Between Terror and Anti-Terror
Organizational Structures , JASSS

Abstract: A discrete-event model of the dynamics of certain social structures
is presented. The structures include terrorist organizations, anti-terrorism
and terrorism-supporting structures. The simulation shows the process of
creating the structures and their interactions. As a result, we can see how the
structure size changes and how the interactions work, and the process of
destroying terrorist organization links by the anti-terrorist agents. The
simulation is agent-oriented and uses the PASION simulation system.

* Simulation of The Dynamic Interactions Between Terror and Anti-Terror
Organizational Structures, Stanislaw Raczynski , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
* Contributed by Carlos Gershenson


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19.02. Top Focus Before 9/11 Wasn't on Terrorism , Washington Post

Excerpts: On Sept. 11, 2001, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice was
scheduled to outline a Bush administration policy that would address "the
threats and problems of today and the day after, not the world of yesterday" --
but the focus was largely on missile defense, not terrorism from Islamic
radicals.
The speech provides telling insight into the administration's thinking (...).
The address was designed to promote missile defense as the cornerstone of a new
national security strategy, and contained no mention of al Qaeda, Osama bin
Laden (...).
Editor's Note: In Complexity Digest 2001.37  we point out: "Choosing to use
knives -weapons not of the 21st century but of biblical times -to gain control
over civilian airplanes the terrorists preempted the high-tech multi-billion
dollar NMD program." It is amazing that even today the same government still
wants to sell the same NMD program.

* Top Focus Before 9/11 Wasn't on Terrorism, Robin Wright , 04/04/01,
Washington Post, Page A01


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19.03. The Iraq War and Global Terrorism , NPR Audio

Excerpts: NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with Rami Khouri, executive editor of
Lebanon's Daily Star, about the effect the U.S.-led war against Iraq has had on
terrorism worldwide.

* The Iraq War and Global Terrorism, 04/04/03, NPR Audio


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20. Links & Snippets





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20.01. Other Publications



- When and Why Does Haggling Occur? Some Suggestions from a Qualitative but
Computational Simulation of Negotiation, Bruce Edmonds , David Hales ,
2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
- Seeking Equilibrium Leads to Chaos: Multiple Equilibria Regulation Model,
Ioannis D Katerelos , Andreas Koulouris , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
- Applied Evolutionary Economics and Social Simulation, Andreas Pyka , Petra
Ahrweiler , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
- Adoption and Use of Electronic Markets: Individual and Collective Learning,
Eric Darmon , Dominique Torre , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
- Micro Behavioural Attitudes and Macro Technological Adaptation in Industrial
Districts: an Agent-Based Prototype, Riccardo Boero , Marco Castellani ,
Flaminio Squazzoni , 2004-03-31, JASSS 7(2)
- Formation and Destruction of Autocatalytic Sets in an Evolving Network Model,
Sandeep Krishna , 2004-03-28, arXiv, DOI: nlin.AO/0403050
- Evolutionary Ecology in-silico: Evolving Foodwebs, Migrating Population and
Speciation, Jose J. Ramasco , S. N. Dorogovtsev , Romualdo Pastor-Satorras ,
2004-03-27, arXiv, DOI: q-bio.PE/0403040
- A Biological Coevolution Model with Correlated Individual-Based Dynamics,
Volkan Sevim , Per Arne Rikvold , 2004-03-30, arXiv, DOI: q-bio.PE/0403042
- Network Structure and the Diffusion of Knowledge, Robin Cowan , Nicolas
Jonard , 2004-06, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 28(8):1557-1575,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2003.04.002
- Complexity: An Energetics Agenda: Energy As The Motor Of Evolution, E. J.
Chaisson eric.chaisson@tufts.edu , Online:2004/03/23, Complexity, DOI:
10.1002/cplx.20009
- Investigation Of Possible Neural Architectures Underlying
Information-Geometric Measures, Tatsuno M.  , Okada M. , Apr. 2004, Neural
Computation, DOI: 10.1162/089976604322860686
- Estimating The Entropy Rate Of Spike Trains Via Lempel-Ziv Complexity,
Amig?J. M.  ,  Szczepaski J.  , Wajnryb E.  , Sanchez-V. M. V. , Apr. 2004,
Neural
Computation, DOI: 10.1162/089976604322860677
- The Shape Of Neural Dependence, Jenison R. L.  , Reale R.A. , Apr. 2004,
Neural Computation, DOI: 10.1162/089976604322860659
- Do Multinationals Standardise Or Localise? The Cross-Cultural Dimensionality
Of Product-Based Web Sites, Okazaki S. , Feb. 2004, Internet Research:
Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, DOI: 10.1108/10662240410516336
- Personal Factors Affecting Users' Web Session Lengths, S chez-F. M. J.  ,
Rey J. R-B. , Feb. 2004, Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications
and Policy, DOI: 10.1108/10662240410516327
- Assisting The Searcher: Utilizing Software Agents For Web Search Systems,
Jansen B. J.  , Pooch U. , Feb. 2004, Internet Research: Electronic Networking
Applications and Policy, DOI: 10.1108/10662240410516291
- Correlations Between Adult Mimicry And Larval Hostplants In Ithomiine
Butterflies, K. R. Willmott  , J. L. B. Mallet , 2004/03/29, Alphagalileo &
Biology Letters
- Breathing With A Mouth Full Of Eggs: Respiratory Consequences Of
Mouthbrooding In Cardinalfish, S. O.-Nilsson  , G. E. Nilsson , 2004/03/29,
Alphagalileo & Proceedings Biological Sciences
- Tropical Medicine: A Brittle Tool Of The New Imperialism, R. Lane
richard.lane@lancet.com , 2004/03/31, Alphagalileo & Lancet
- Web-Based Education Limited By Publishers' Restrictions, G. Bradley
press@biomedcentral.com , 2004/04/01, Alphagalileo & BioMed Central
- Self-assembling Proteins Could Help Repair Human Tissue, 2004/03/29,
ScienceDaily & Johns Hopkins University
- 'Nano-Lightning' Could Be Harnessed To Cool Future Computers, 2004/03/31,
ScienceDaily & Purdue University
- Public Investment And Regional Inequality In Rural China, X. Zhang
x.zhang@cgiar.org , S. Fan , online 2004/01/05, Agricultural Economics, DOI:
10.1016/j.agecon.2002.09.003
- Sociability And The Willingness Of Individual Sheep To Move Away From Their
Companions In Order To Graze, Angela M. S angela.sibbald@macaulay.ac.uk ,
Russell J. H. , online 2004/01/16 Applied Animal Behaviour Science, DOI:
10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.010
- Do House Mice Modify Their Foraging Behaviour In Response To Predator Odours
And Habitat?, F. Powell f.powell@student.unsw.edu.au , P. B. Banks ,
2004/02/11, Animal Behaviour, DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.08.016
- MPEG Digital Compression And Analogue Videotape: A Comparison Of Moving
Images And Electroencephalogram Data In Epileptic Patients, Akazawa K.  ,
Kameyama S.  , Mase R.  , Yamayaka T.  , Hashiba M. , Mar. 2004, Medical
Informatics and the Internet in Medicine, DOI: 10.1080/14639230410001662110
- A Techno-Geek's New Car, David Pogue  , 04/04/01, NYTimes
- Calif. Mob Tries to Create Supercomputer, Terence Chea  , 04/04/03, San Jose
Mercury News
- Signs of Water Flow: Oceans of data point to ancient Martian sea, 04/03/27,
Science News, Vol. 165, No. 13, Also available in Audible format .
A robotic rover on Mars has found strong evidence that some rocks near the
Martian equator were laid down by a shallow, ancient ocean, indicating one of
the most likely places to look for remains of life on the Red Planet.
- Miniaturized 3-D Printing: New polymer ink writes tiny structures, 04/03/27,
Science News, Vol. 165, No. 13, Also available in Audible format .
A new 3-D printer can build up complex polymer microstructures with features
small enough for creating photonic crystals or scaffolds for tissue
engineering.
- Wolf vs. Raven? Thieving birds may drive canines to form big packs, 04/03/27,
Science News, Vol. 165, No. 13, Also available in Audible format .
A previously underappreciated reason why wolf packs get so big could be the
relentless food snitching of ravens.
- Fish guts reveal microbial alliance, 04/03/27, Science News, Vol. 165, No.
13, Also available in Audible format .
Scientists are studying germfree zebra fish to better understand how microbes
influence gut development.
- Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education , publishes
scholarly and original research linking complexity and related theories to the
field of education at all levels.



_________________________________________________________________

20.02. Webcast Announcements

   Voices of Public Intellectuals Lecture Series: Democracy's Response to the
Terrorist Threat Now in its fifth year, the Radcliffe Institute Voices of
Public Intellectuals lecture series brings issues affecting civic life to a
public forum. This year's series of three lectures features experts in the
study of terrorism and the prosecution of terrorists to explore the effects of
terrorism on democracy. These lectures take place in Cambridge on February 26,
March 4, and March 11 at 4 p.m.  World Economic Forum 2004, Davos, Switzerland
  Riding the Next Democratic Wave, Al-Thani, Khan, Vike-Freiberga, Wade, Soros,
Zakaria, World Economic Forum, 04/01/25  The Future of Global Interdependence,
Kharrazi, Held, Owens, Shourie, Annan, Martin, Schwab, World Economic Forum,
04/01/25  Why Victory Against Terrorism Demands Shared Values  The Process of
Curricular Review: Redefining a World-Class Education, Benedict Gross, Thomas
Bender, Harvard@home, 04/01/21, Dean of Harvard College Benedict Gross
discusses Harvard's first comprehensive review of the undergraduate curriculum
in almost 3 decades. This program introduces the process of curricular review
by presenting two segmented lectures. The first, by Dean Gross, outlines the
approach and considerations in undertaking the current review. The second
lecture, presented by NYU Professor Thomas Bender, presents a historical
perspective on academic culture.   Cancer Biology , NPR Talk of the Nation,
04/01/16, How the spread of cancer is like wound healing gone awry.   Tracking
Ebola , NPR Talk of the Nation, 04/01/16, A new study might help scientists
predict where Ebola may! strike next.   Animal Thought and Communication, NPR
Talk of the Nation, 04/01/16, How do animals think and communicate with each
other? And what can studying animals tell us about the evolution of language in
humans? In this hour, NPR's Ira Flatow and guests look at thought and
communication in apes, gorillas and monkeys. What can non-human primates tell
us about communication in humans?  CODIS 2004, International Conference On
Communications, Devices And Intelligent Systems, 2004 Calcutta, India,
04/01/09-10 EVOLVABILITY & INTERACTION: Evolutionary Substrates of
Communication, Signaling, and Perception in the Dynamics of Social Complexity,
London, UK, 03/10/08-10 The Semantic Web and Language Technology - Its Po
tential and Practicalities, Bucharest, Romania, 03/07/28-08/08 ECAL 2003, 7th
European Conference on Artificial Life, Dortmund, Germany, 03/09/14-17 New
Santa Fe Institute President About His Vision for SFI's Future Role, (Video,
Santa Fe, NM, 03/06/04) SPIE's 1st Intl Symp on Fluctuations and Noise, Santa
Fe, NM, 2003/06/01-04 NAS Sackler Colloquium on Mapping Knowledge Domains,
Video/Audio Report, 03/05/11 13th Ann Intl Conf, Soc f Chaos Theory in Psych
& Life Sciences, Boston, MA, USA, 2003/08/08-10 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




_________________________________________________________________

20.03. Conference & Call for Papers Announcements



  Fractal 2004,
  "Complexity and Fractals in Nature", 8th Intl
  Multidisciplinary Conf, Vancouver, Canada, 04/04/04-07

  6th German Workshop on Artificial Life 2004 (GWAL-6), Bamberg, Germany,
04/04/14-16

  The
  9th IEEE Intl Conf on Engineering of Complex Computer
  Systems, Florence, Italy, 04/04/14-16

  Complexity Science and the Exploration of the Emerging World, Austin, TX,
04/04/17

  2004
  Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference (ASTC'04),
  Arlington, VA., USA, 04/04/18-22

  NKS
  (New Kind of Science) 2004 Conference and Minicourse,
  Boston, Massachusetts, 04/04/22-25


IDS'04 - Intentional Dynamic Systems Symposium, Memphis, TN, USA,  04/04/24-26


  New Horizons In Search Theory
, Newport, RI, 04/04/26-28


Human Systems Dynamics at Work: Complexity Tools for Today, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, 04/04/27-28


Life, a Nobel Story , Brussels, BE, 04/04/28

  Urban
  Vulnerability and Network Failure: Constructions and Experiences
  of Emergencies, Crises and Collapse,  Manchester, UK,
  04/04/29-30

  Strategic Thinking in a Complex World, Smithsonian Resident Associates
Program, 04/05/01-22


What Really Matters ?The Global Forum 2004, Santa Fe, NM, 04/05/02-04

   International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 04/05/11-14

  5th
  International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS2004),
  Boston, MA, USA, 04/05/16-21

  3rd Intl Conf on
  Systems Thinking in Management (ICSTM 2004) "Transforming
  Organizations to Achieve Sustainable Success",
  Philadelphia, Pa, USA, 04/05/19-21

4th Intl Conf on
Fractals And Dynamic Systems In Geoscience, München, Germany, 04/05/19-22

  9th
  Annual Workshop on Economics and Heterogeneous Interaction Agents
  (WEHIA04), Kyoto, Japan, 2004/05/27-29

  13th
  International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious
  Diseases, Toulon, France, 04/06/03-05!


  ECC8
  Experimental Chaos Conference, Florence, Italy,
  04/06/14-17

  An Intl Tribute to Francisco Varela, Paris,04/06/18-20

  7th
Intl Conf on Linking Systems Thinking, Innovation,Quality, Entrepreneurship and
Environment (STIQE),
MARIBOR, SLOVENIA, 04/06/24-26


Biannual Meeting Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, Whistler, BC,
04/06/24-26


NAACSOS 2004, North American Association for Computational Social and
Organizational Science, Pittsburgh PA, 04/06/27-29


Statphys - Kolkata V An International Conference on Complex Networks:
Structure, Function and Processes , Kolkata, India, 04/06/27-30


ICAD 2004 10th International Conference on Auditory Display, Sydney, Australia,
04/07/06-09


3rd Intl School Topics in Nonlinear Dynamics Discrete Dynamical Systems and
Applications , Urbino (Italy), 04/07/07-09

  `Perspectives on Nonlinear Dynamics 2004 (PNLD-2004), Chen!
nai, India, 04/07/12-15

  From Animals To Animats
  8, 8th Intl Conf On The Simulation Of Adaptive Behavior
  (SAB'04), Los Angeles, USA, 04/07/13-17

  14th Annual International Conference The Society for Chaos Theory in
Psychology & Life Sciences , Milwaukee, WI, USA, 04/07/15-18


Facing Complexity, Wellington, NZ, 04/07/15-17


  Interdisciplinary Colloquium, Security Bytes, Security/Life/Terror
, Lancaster, 04/07/17-19

  Gordon Research Conference on "Oscillations & Dynamic Instabilities In
Chemical Systems", Lewiston, ME, 04/07/18-23

  3rd
Intl Conf Autonomous Agents & Multi-Agent Systems Conference (AAMAS 2004), New
York City, 04/07/19-23

7th
Intl Workshop on: Trust in Agent Societies , New York City, 04/07/19-20

  8th
  World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and
  Informatics, Orlando, Florida, USA, 04/07/18-21

  2004
  Summer Simulation MultiConference (SummerSim'04), San Jose
  Hyatt, San Jose, California, 04/07/25-29

  SME 2004 Symposium on Modeling
  and Control of Economic Systems , University in Redlands, CA, 04/01/28-31

  6th
  International Mathematica Symposium (IMS 2004), Banff,
  Canada, 04/08/02-06

   Fractals and Natural Hazards at
32nd Intl Geological Congress (IGC), Florence, Italy, 04/08/20-28


ICCC 2004, IEEE International Conference on Computational Cybernetics, ,
Vienna, Austria, 04/08/30-09/01

  ANTS
  2004, 4th International Workshop on Ant Colony
  Optimization and Swarm Intelligence, Brussels, Belgium,
  04/09/05-08

  Dynamic
  Ontology,
An Inquiry into Systems, Emergence, Levels of Reality,
  and Forms of Causality, Trento, Italy,
  04/09/08-11

  9th
  Intl Conf on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems
  (ALIFE9), Boston, Massachusetts, 04/09/12-15

  The
Verhulst 200 on Chaos, Brussels, BELGIUM, 04/09/16-18

  The
  8th Intl Conf on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature
  (PPSN VIII), Birmingham, UK, 04/09/18-22

  XVII Brazilian
  Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Sao Luis, Maranhao -
  Brazil, 04/09/22-24

   TEDMED Conference ,
Charleston SC, 04/10/12-15

  Wolfram
  Technology Conference, Champaign, Illinois,
  04/10/21-23

  6th Intl Conf on Electronic Commerce
ICEC'2004: Towards A New Services Landscape,  Delft, The Netherlands,
04/10/25-27

   Complexity and Philosophy Workshop - 2-Day Conference ,  Rio de Janeiro,
04/11


_________________________________________________________________
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