Author: cxdig

ICTP – SAIFR » School on the Origins of Life, Behavior and Cognition

School on Origins is an interdisciplinary school that tackles the foundational questions concerning the origins of biophysical systems which include but are not limited to : molecular, cellular, neural and behavioral systems. We aim to find principles shared across systems using tools from statistical physics, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations to explore these questions. We have invited researchers that work both on the experimental and theoretical side to cover a variety of biophysical systems and theoretical approaches. The school is aimed at graduate students either at the master’s or PhD level who have a strong quantitative background and a keen interest to pursue interdisciplinary research.

We invite students pursuing degrees in physics, computer science, engineering, or mathematics. Those pursuing degrees in biology need to provide evidence of strong and extensive quantitative background in topics such as calculus, dynamical systems and numerical programming.

There is no registration fee and limited funds are available for travel and local expenses.

More at: www.ictp-saifr.org

ICTP – SAIFR » School and Workshop on the Physics of Life

Through minicourses and research seminars and discussion sessions, this school and workshop will explore the fundamental physical principles that govern living systems across scales, from macromolecules to birds. Minicourse topics during the school will include:

Molecular and Cell Biophysics
Neurophysics
Dynamical Systems and Collective Motion
Machine Learning Tools for Biological Physics
The school is designed for graduate students interested in the intersection of physics and life sciences from a physics perspective. Leading experts will deliver in-depth lectures on cutting-edge experiments, theoretical frameworks, and emerging trends in the field.

Immediately following the school there will be a 3-day workshop with invited seminars by researchers from Latin America, as well as discussion sessions addressing how to build a network of biological physicists in the region.

Applicants are invited to submit abstracts for poster presentations during both the school and workshop.

There is no registration fee. Limited funding is available to support travel and local expenses for school participants and local expenses for workshop participants.

More at: www.ictp-saifr.org

Processionary Caterpillars at the Edge of Complexity

Philippe Collard

Artificial Life (2024) 30 (2): 171–192.

This article deals with individuals moving in procession in real and artificial societies. A procession is a minimal form of society in which individual behavior is to go in a given direction and the organization is structured by the knowledge of the one ahead. This simple form of grouping is common in the living world, and, among humans, procession is a very circumscribed social activity whose origins are certainly very remote. This type of organization falls under microsociology, where the focus is on the study of direct interactions between individuals within small groups. In this article, we focus on the particular case of pine tree processionary caterpillars (Thaumetopoea pityocampa). In the first part, we propose a formal definition of the concept of procession and compare field experiments conducted by entomologists with agent-based simulations to study real caterpillars’ processionaries as they are. In the second part, we explore the life of caterpillars as they could be. First, by extending the model beyond reality, we can explain why real processionary caterpillars behave as they do. Then we report on field experiments on the behavior of real caterpillars artificially forced to follow a circular procession; these experiments confirm that each caterpillar can either be the leader of the procession or follow the one in front of it. In the third part, by allowing variations in the speed of movement on an artificial circular procession, computational simulations allow us to observe the emergence of unexpected mobile spatial structures built from regular polygonal shapes where chaotic movements and well-ordered forms are intimately linked. This confirms once again that simple rules can have complex consequences.

Read the full article at: direct.mit.edu

University assistant predoctoral on “Self-Fulfilling Prophecies” project – Universität Klagenfurt

The University of Klagenfurt is pleased to announce the following open position at the Department of Business Management at the Faculty of Management, Economics & Law with a negotiable starting date, commencing on March 3, 2025, at the latest:
University assistant predoctoral (all genders welcome)
Level of employment: 75 % (30 hours/week)
Minimum salary: € 37,577.40 per annum (gross); classification according to collective agreement: B1
Contract duration: 3.5 years
Application deadline: January 8, 2025

Area of responsibility
* Research in a project for studying Self-Fulfilling Prophecies from the perspective of complex systems and management control, emphasizing the impact of digital technologies
* Independent scientific work with the aim to submit a dissertation and acquire a Doctoral degree
* Teaching and student supervision in the domain of the project
* Engagement in networking and science communication

Apply at: jobs.aau.at