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Complexity Digest 2003.25 June-22-2003
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. Brain Experts Now Follow the Money, NYTimes
1.1 Psychology And
Economics: Strategizing In The Brain,
Science
1.2 The Neural Basis of
Economic Decision-Making, Science
1.3 Certainly
Nondeterministic, Book Report
2. Untangling Underperformance, McKinsey Quarterly
3. Do Habits Raise Consumption Growth?, Res. in Econ.
3.1 Husbands' And Wives'
View Of The Family Finances, J.
Socio-Economics
4. Consumption Dynamics And Technological Change, Ecol.
Economics
5. Probabilistic Representation Of Complexity, J. Econ.
Theory
6. The Self-Organization Of Space And Time, Phil. Tran.
A
6.1 Self-Organization And
Complexity, Phil. Tran. A
7. Charting the Evolutionary History of Life, Science
7.1 Evolution of the
Protein Repertoire, Science
7.2 The Deep Roots of
Eukaryotes, Science
7.3 Phylogenomics:
Intersection of Evolution and Genomics,
Science
8. Functional Information: Molecular Messages, Nature
9. Sustained Microtubule Treadmilling in Arabidopsis
Cortical
Arrays, Science
10. Technology Elite Are Focusing Next on Human Body, NYTimes
11. Emergent Constraints On Word-Learning, Trends in
Cognitive
Sciences
11.1 The Remarkable
Inefficiency Of Word Recognition, Nature
12. Finding Genes Underlying Risk Of Complex Disease, Current
Opinion in Genetics &
Development
13. Science as a Way of Life: Perplexities of a
Physician-Scientist,
Science
14. Jordan Education Initiative to Roll Out e-Learning, World
Economic Forum
15. Antennas Get Smart, Scientific American
16. Computing's Big Shift: Flexibility in the Chips, NYTimes
17. Nanotechnology: Convergence With Modern Biology And
Medicine,
Current Opinion in
Biotechnology
18. Emergent Phenomena And The Sociology Of Disaster,
Disaster
Prevention & Management
18.1 Potential
Environmental Impact of a Hydrogen Economy on
the Stratosphere, Science
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
19.1 Remote Sub Can
Patrol Shores; AUVs In Anti-terror Age,
ScienceDaily
19.2 False Terrorism Tips
to F.B.I. Uproot the Lives of
Suspects, NYTimes
20. Links & Snippets
20.1 Other Publications
20.2 Webcast
Announcements
20.3 Conference &
Call for Papers Announcements
20.4 ComDig Announcement:
New ComDig Archive in Beta Test
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1. Brain Experts Now Follow the Money, NYTimes
Excerpts: To explore economic decision making, researchers are scanning the
brains of people as they engage in a variety of games designed by
experimental economists. The exercises are intended to make people
anticipate what others will do or what others will infer from the person's
own actions.
The games also reveal some fundamental facts about the brain that
economists are just beginning to learn and appreciate:
(¡K), neural systems tap into gut feelings and emotions, comparing what we
know from the past with what is happening right now.
Brain Experts Now Follow the Money, Sandra Blakeslee, NYTimes, 03/06/17
Excerpts: Most economic theories minimize the influence of human emotions
and assume that what people believe and choose follows rationality
principles. Important principles include knowing how much of one valuable
good is worth one unit of another; following the rules of probability in
processing information; planning ahead; resisting temptation; and guessing
accurately what others will do. (¡K) An emerging field of study called
"behavioral economics" takes advantage of dramatic advances in
psychology
and neuroscience. Behavioral economics replaces strong rationality
assumptions with more realistic ones and explores their implications
Psychology And Economics: Strategizing In The Brain, Colin F. Camerer,
Science 2003 300: 1673-1675
Excerpts: The nascent field of neuroeconomics seeks to ground economic
decisionmaking in the biological substrate of the brain. We used functional
magnetic resonance imaging of Ultimatum Game players to investigate neural
substrates of cognitive and emotional processes involved in economic
decision-making. (¡K) We scanned players as they responded to fair and
unfair proposals. Unfair offers elicited activity in brain areas related to
both emotion (anterior insula) and cognition (dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex). Further, significantly heightened activity in anterior insula for
rejected unfair offers suggests an important role for emotions in
decision-making.
The Neural Basis of Economic Decision-Making in the Ultimatum Game, Alan G.
Sanfey, James K. Rilling, Jessica A. Aronson, Leigh E. Nystrom, and
Jonathan D. Cohen, Science Jun 13 2003: 1755-1758
Excerpts: (¡K) Glimcher describes the fallacies of medieval, Renaissance,
and more recent philosophical, medical, and mathematical studies that link
mind to behavior. Here he focuses on Descartes's dualism of deterministic
(physical) and nondeterministic (soul and mind) processes, which opened the
way to the use of experimental methods to investigate the (physical)
processes of the body and supported the preceding first anatomical
dissections by Vesalius. However, according to Glimcher, these views also
provoked the attempts of Frege, Hilbert, Russel, Whitehead, Godel, and
Turing to create complete, consistent, and provable mathematical systems,
which essentially avoid Epimenides' paradox ("I am a liar"). The
results
were self-referential and antinomic theorems suggesting that mathematical
systems are either incomplete or inconsistent.
Certainly Nondeterministic, Wolfram Schultz, Science Jun 13 2003: 1662-1663
Decisions, Uncertainty, and the Brain The Science of Neuroeconomics, Paul
W. Glimcher, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2003. 395 pp. $37.95, ¢FG25.50. ISBN
0-262-07244-0.
2. Untangling Underperformance, McKinsey Quarterly
Excerpts: Here is the paradox: many companies know they have great
strategies and great people, but their performance doesn't meet the
aspirations(...).
Unclear accountability at the top may be symptomatic of a serious power
vacuum within the leadership group, and this may be spurring business units
to become more autonomous. Trying to fix what is actually an effect of the
problem rather than the cause won't solve anything. (...) Getting more
people to step inside the company's workings and uncover the complex roots
of underperformance can be the first step toward developing lasting solutions.
Untangling Underperformance, Matthew Robb, Paul Todd, and David Turnbull,
McKinsey Quarterly, Volume 2, 2003
3. Do Habits Raise Consumption Growth?, Res. in Econ.
Abstract: The paper shows that two of the most common specifications of
habits (¡K) may easily come to opposite conclusions regarding household
behavior. In response to an increase in the strength of habits, young
households increase the rate of consumption growth in the case of
subtractive habits, while they lower the rate of consumption growth in the
case of the multiplicative specification of habit formation. This result
reflects the fact that, contrary to what is suggested by the literature so
far, there exists no generally accepted definition of habits in terms of
what habits imply for household behavior.
Do Habits Raise Consumption Growth?, R. Wendner, Res. in Econ., Vol. 57,
Issue 2, pp:151-163, Jun. 2003, doi:10.1016/S1090-9443(03)00018-8
Contributed by Pritha Das
Abstract: Do husbands and wives have the same view of the family's
financial situation? This research shows that when couples are asked
separately about finances, very different views emerge of income and
wealth. Quantifying the gap between husbands' and wives' financial
statements shows half of all couples provide family income values that
differ by more than 10% and net worth values that differ by more than 30%.
The typical husband states the family receives more income each year and
holds more gross assets than his wife states. The typical wife reports the
family owes more debts than her husband.
Husbands' And Wives' View Of The Family Finances, J. L. Zagorsky, J.
Socio-Economics, Vol. 32, Issue 2, pp:127-146, May 2003,
doi:10.1016/S1053-5357(03)00012-X
Contributed by Pritha Das
4. Consumption Dynamics And Technological Change, Ecol. Economics
Abstract: The present paper deals with the dynamics underlying the
consumption of new commodities, especially mobile phones (¡K). The project
was basically motivated by environmental and distributional concerns, and
the purpose is first to reveal some important consumption dynamics at work
on the micro level (¡K). The study illustrates how consumption drives are
deeply embedded in the considerations, themes and complexities of everyday
life, showing few signs of satiation in the short term. Moreover, our
findings on domestication indicate that some environmentally costly trends
in everyday life appear to continue.
Consumption Dynamics And Technological Change ¡VExemplified By The Mobile
Phone And Related Technologies, I. Ropke, Ecol. Economics, Vol. 45, Issue
2, pp: 171-188, Jun. 2003, doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00281-1
Contributed by Pritha Das
5. Probabilistic Representation Of Complexity, J. Econ. Theory
Abstract: We introduce a framework to study individuals' behavior in
environments that are deterministic, but too complex to permit tractable
deterministic representations. An agent in these environments uses a
probabilistic model to cope with his inability to think through all
contingencies in advance. We interpret this probabilistic model as
embodying all patterns the agent perceives, yet allowing for the
possibility that there may be important details he had missed. (¡K) it is
consistent with an agent who believes his environment is too complex to
warrant precise planning, foregoes finely detailed contingent rules in
favor of vaguer plans, and expresses a preference for flexibility.
Probabilistic Representation Of Complexity, N. I. Al-Najjar, R. C.
Masanell & E. Ozdenoren, J. Econ. Theory, Vol. 111, Issue 1, pp: 49-87,
Jul. 2003, doi:10.1016/S0022-0531(03)00075-9
Contributed by Pritha Das
6. The Self-Organization Of Space And Time, Phil. Tran. A
Abstract: Self-organization is clearly relevant to biology, chemistry,
Earth science, economics and other sciences that have to deal with big and
complicated issues. This paper shows that self-organization also has a
great deal to do with fundamental physics, including quantum mechanics,
relativity, quantum gravity and cosmology. This paper also aims to give
some insight into what self-organization means and discusses questions such
as the kinds of methods that can be used to understand self-organization
and how self-organization relates to other modes of explanation such as
reductionism.
The Self-Organization Of Space And Time, L. Smolin, Phil. Tran.: Math.,
Phys. & Eng. Sc., Vol. 361, Number 1807, pp:1081-1088, 2003/06/15, DOI:
10.1098/rsta.2003.1185
Contributed by Atin Das
Abstract: I first describe the notion of self-organization as a property of
far-from-equilibrium nonlinear dissipative dynamical systems. (¡K) I focus
attention on the emergent nature of this complexity, by analysing a few
examples of physical and physicochemical systems with simple underlying
microscopic dynamics yet complex, self-organizing macroscopic properties.
These include several mesoscopic models of fluid dynamics as well as a
modern approach to nucleation and growth phenomena. Finally, I discuss how
the advent of computational grids is set to provide a major boost to the
study of such complex, self-organizing systems.
Self-Organization And Complexity: A New Age For Theory, Computation And
Experiment, P. V. Coveney, Phil. Tran.: Math., Phys. & Eng. Sc., Vol. 361,
Number 1807, pp:1057-1088, 2003/06/15, DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2003.1191
Contributed by Atin Das
7. Charting the Evolutionary History of Life, Science
Excerpts: We are part of a tree of life that germinated at the dawn of
evolutionary history and encompasses a vast diversity (¡K). Since the
advent of molecular techniques for studying phylogenies, there has been
active and sometimes acrimonious debate concerning the relative reliability
and accuracy of the molecular and fossil records. These debates have
involved not only questions of phylogenetic relationships but also the
dating of the origins of the major branches of the tree. As more data
accumulate from both sources, there are encouraging signs of rapprochement,
(¡K).
Charting the Evolutionary History of Life, Andrew M. Sugden, Barbara R.
Jasny, Elizabeth Culotta, and Elizabeth Pennisi, Science Jun 13 2003: 1691
Excerpt: During the course of evolution, forms of life with increasing
complexity have arisen. What are the mechanisms that have produced the
increases in protein repertoires that underlie the evolution of more
complex forms of life? How are proteins organized to form pathways? Answers
to such questions at the molecular level began to appear 40 years ago (1),
but it is only with the advent of complete genome sequences that we have
begun to get a comprehensive view.
Evolution of the Protein Repertoire, Cyrus Chothia, Julian Gough, Christine
Vogel, Sarah A. Teichmann, Science Jun 13 2003: 1701-1703.
Abstract: Most cultivated and characterized eukaryotes can be confidently
assigned to one of eight major groups. After a few false starts, we are
beginning to resolve relationships among these major groups as well.
However, recent developments are radically revising this picture again,
particularly (i)the discovery of the likely antiquity and taxonomic
diversity of ultrasmall eukaryotes, and (ii)a fundamental rethinking of the
position of the root. Together these data suggest major gaps in our
understanding simply of what eukaryotes are or, when it comes to the tree,
even which end is up.
The Deep Roots of Eukaryotes, S. L. Baldauf, Science Jun 13 2003: 1703-1706
Excerpt: Although it is generally accepted that genome sequences are
excellent tools for studying evolution, it is perhaps less well accepted
that evolutionary analysis is a powerful tool in studies of genome
sequences. In particular, evolutionary analysis helps to place comparative
genomic studies in perspective. Researchers can begin to understand how and
even why some of the similarities and differences in genomes came to be,
for example, the presence and absence of genes, (¡K), and global patterns
of synteny (conserved gene order) across species.
Phylogenomics: Intersection of Evolution and Genomics, Jonathan A. Eisen
and Claire M. Fraser, Science Jun 13 2003: 1706-1707
8. Functional Information: Molecular Messages, Nature
Excerpt: But the recent deluge of phylogenetic sequence data provides
thousands of examples of related but different sequences encoding
essentially identical structures and functions. More radical are the
accumulating examples of both RNA and protein molecules with entirely
different structures but similar biochemical functions (for example,
various structurally distinct protease enzymes have been identified). Such
examples raise important questions about the nature of the information
content of biological sequences. How best can we define and quantify the
information content of biopolymer sequences?
Functional Information: Molecular Messages, Jack W. Szostak, Nature 423,
689 (12 June 2003); doi:10.1038/423689a
9. Sustained Microtubule Treadmilling in Arabidopsis Cortical Arrays,
Science
Abstract: Plant cells create highly structured microtubule arrays at the
cell cortex without a central organizing center to anchor the microtubule
ends. In vivo imaging of individual microtubules in Arabidopsis plants
revealed that new microtubules are initiated at the cell cortex and exhibit
dynamics at both ends. Polymerization-biased dynamic instability at one end
and slow depolymerization at the other end result in sustained microtubule
migration across the cell cortex by a hybrid treadmilling mechanism. This
motility causes widespread microtubule repositioning and contributes to
changes in array organization through microtubule reorientation and bundling.
Sustained Microtubule Treadmilling in Arabidopsis Cortical Arrays, Sidney
L. Shaw, Roheena Kamyar, David W. Ehrhardt, Science 2003 300: 1715-1718
10. Technology Elite Are Focusing Next on Human Body, NYTimes
Excerpts: With the aid of a growing number of technological tools, people
can now know far more than ever before about the state of their health. (¡K)
Most people know, for instance, that they should eat better or exercise or
not smoke, but they don't. Technology can help, the argument goes, by
allowing more precise self-monitoring or enabling patients to transmit the
information to health care professionals. People are more likely to change
their behavior, this idea has it, when they know someone is watching them.
Technology Elite Are Focusing Next on Human Body, Amy Harmon, NYTimes,
03/06/16
11. Emergent Constraints On Word-Learning, Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Abstract: In learning the meanings of words, children are guided by a set
of constraints that give privilege to some potential meanings over others.
These word-learning constraints are sometimes viewed as part of a
specifically linguistic endowment. However, several recent computational
models suggest concretely how word-learning - constraints included - might
emerge from more general aspects of cognition, such as associative
learning, attention and rational inference. This article reviews these
models, highlighting the link between general cognitive forces and the
word-learning they subserve. Ultimately, these cognitive forces might leave
their mark not just on language learning, but also on language itself: in
constraining the space of possible meanings, they place limits on
cross-linguistic semantic variation.
Emergent Constraints On Word-Learning: A Computational Perspective, Terry
Regier, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, (June 10, 2003),
10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00108-6
Excerpts: Do we recognize common objects by parts, or as wholes? (...)
Familiar objects become special as people become expert at judging them,
(¡K). Letters and words were designed to be easily recognized, and,
through
a lifetime of reading, our visual system presumably has adapted to do this
as well as it possibly can. Here we show that in identifying familiar
English words, even the five most common three-letter words, observers have
the handicap predicted by recognition by parts: a word is unreadable unless
its letters are separately identifiable.
The Remarkable Inefficiency Of Word Recognition, Denis G. Pelli, Bart
Farell & Deborah C. Moore, doi:10.1038/nature01516
12. Finding Genes Underlying Risk Of Complex Disease, Current Opinion in
Genetics & Development
Abstract: Identification of genes that harbor variation associated with
inter-individual differences in risk of complex diseases remains one of the
most challenging and important problems in human genetics. For genetic
variants that are sufficiently common and have sufficiently large effects,
direct tests of association through linkage disequilibrium with anonymous
SNPs may prove effective. But the two critical parameters - the frequency
of risk-inflating alleles and the magnitudes of their effect on risk -
remain largely unknown. In this review we consider the latest information
regarding the likely efficacy of the linkage disequilibrium mapping approach.
Finding Genes Underlying Risk Of Complex Disease, Linkage Disequilibrium
Mapping, Andrew G Clark, Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 2003,
13:3296-302
13. Science as a Way of Life: Perplexities of a Physician-Scientist, Science
Excerpt: The very skills and time that will be necessary for the wise
clinicians of the future to invest in the study of individual patterns of
disease progression are the very features that profit-driven,
high-throughput care systems eschew and that insurers will refuse to cover.
If predictions that the medications of the future will be molecularly
tailored to individual needs hold true, the cost of getting such tailored
medications through a drug- approval process that demands that consumers
receive risk-free efficacy will simply be prohibitive.
Science as a Way of Life: Perplexities of a Physician-Scientist, Floyd E.
Bloom, Science Jun 13 2003: 1680
14. Jordan Education Initiative to Roll Out e-Learning, World Economic Forum
Excerpt: Ninety-six so-called "Discovery Schools" have been selected
to
pilot the scheme in Jordan. They will serve as a test bed of how ICT can
enable new systems to be used and benefit schools and their pupils. Though
focused on the advancement of learning in Jordan, the plan also provides
the opportunity for the sustained development of the local information
technology industry through infrastructure and e-content development activity.
The Initiative also supports the Jordanian government's vision of building
a knowledge economy by providing lifelong learning opportunities for all
Jordanian citizens (¡K).
Jordan Education Initiative to Roll Out e-Learning, World Economic Forum
Extraordinary Annual Meeting, Jordan, 03/06/21, Webcast
15. Antennas Get Smart, Scientific American
Excerpt: One solution to this problem lies in a new class of radio antennas
that could dramatically reduce man-made interference. Instead of wastefully
broadcasting personal communications--such as cell-phone calls--in all
directions, these innovative antennas track the positions of mobile users
and deliver radio signals directly to them. These antenna systems also
maximize the reception of an individual cell-phone user's signal while
minimizing the interference from other users. In effect, the antennas
create a virtual wire extending to each mobile phone (...).
Antennas Get Smart, Martin Cooper, Scientific American, July 2003 issue
16. Computing's Big Shift: Flexibility in the Chips, NYTimes
Excerpts: Under this new approach, software is able, on the fly, to
effectively redraw a chip's physical circuitry. Not only can adaptive
computing enable a single chip to perform tasks normally requiring several,
it can add speed while saving cost and energy when compared to today's
conventional static chips in which circuitry is inflexible.
(¡K) computers that would seek out the most suitable radio frequency and
wirelessly and automatically connect to the Internet (¡K). For a consumer,
updating hardware might be as easy as downloading the latest circuit design
from the Internet.
Computing's Big Shift: Flexibility in the Chips, John Markoff, 03/06/16
17. Nanotechnology: Convergence With Modern Biology And Medicine, Current
Opinion in Biotechnology
Abstract: The worldwide emergence of nanoscale science and engineering was
marked by the announcement of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
in January 2000. Recent research on biosystems at the nanoscale has created
one of the most dynamic science and technology domains at the confluence of
physical sciences, molecular engineering, biology, biotechnology and
medicine. This domain includes better understanding of living and thinking
systems, revolutionary biotechnology processes, the synthesis of new drugs
and their targeted delivery, regenerative medicine, neuromorphic
engineering and developing a sustainable environment. Nanobiosystems
research is a priority in many countries and its relevance within
nanotechnology is expected to increase in the future.
Nanotechnology: Convergence With Modern Biology And Medicine, Mihail C
Roco, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, (June 10, 2003),
10.1016/S0958-1669(03)00068-5
18. Emergent Phenomena And The Sociology Of Disaster, Disaster Prevention &
Management
Abstract: Research on emergent behavior has been a significant topic within
disaster studies. Through a detailed review of the literature we provide
background information about this particular branch of disaster sociology.
Following a brief discussion of the process by which literature was
selected, important trends and areas of debate are discussed. These include
the validation of previous findings, an expansion of the discussion on
emergent phenomena and a critique of the bureaucratic approach. We conclude
with implications for the theory and practice of emergency management.
Emergent Phenomena And The Sociology Of Disaster, Thomas E Drabek; David A
McEntire, Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal,
Volume 12 Number 2 2003, (pp. 97 - 112)
Abstract: The widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells could have hitherto
unknown environmental impacts due to unintended emissions of molecular
hydrogen, including an increase in the abundance of water vapor in the
stratosphere (plausibly by as much as 1 part per million by volume). This
would cause stratospheric cooling, enhancement of the heterogeneous
chemistry that destroys ozone, an increase in noctilucent clouds, and
changes in tropospheric chemistry and atmosphere-biosphere interactions.
Potential Environmental Impact of a Hydrogen Economy on the Stratosphere,
Tracey K. Tromp, Run-Lie Shia, Mark Allen, John M. Eiler, Y. L. Yung,
Science Jun 13 2003: 1740-1742
19. Complex Challenges: Global Terrorist Networks
Excerpts: Researchers (¡K) developed an artificial neural network for use
with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) named Fetch. Characteristics of
different fish species were compiled using the side scan sonar data. This
information was then grouped into test sets used for training artificial
neural networks (ANNs). The team combined the use of enhancement algorithms
and image processing, in conjunction with the ANNs, to "teach" the
computer
to recognize the characteristics of various fish species. (¡K) training
was
successful; scientists were able to have Fetch2 recognize two marine fish
species - jacks and sharks. Fishes that weren't either species couldn't
fool the classifier.
Remote Sub Can Patrol Shores; AUVs Find New Purpose In Anti-terror Age,
ScienceDaily & College Of William and Mary, 2003/06/16
Excerpts: On a tip, her husband, (¡K), and eight other men were rounded
up,
shackled, paraded in front of a newspaper photographer and jailed for a
week. The tip turned out to be false.
But four of the men were then listed in a national crime registry as having
been accused of terrorism, even though they were never charged, as the
F.B.I. later conceded. The branding prevented them from flying, renting
apartments and landing jobs.
(¡K)a federal judge ordered that the men's names be erased from all
federal
crime records.
False Terrorism Tips to F.B.I. Uproot the Lives of Suspects, Michael Moss,
NYTimes, 03/06/19
20. Links & Snippets
20.1 Other Publications
Terrorism & 11 September 2001: Does The Behavioral Response To Disaster
Model Fit, Henry W Fischer III, Disaster Prevention and Management: An
International Journal, Volume 11 Number 2 2002, (pp. 123 - 127)
If It Looks Like a Sphere..., Exploring the newly proposed solution to a
famous problem about three-dimensional shapes, Erica Klarreich, Science
News, Vol. 163, No. 24, June 14, 2003, p. 378
Bad Breaks Fixed Fast By Bone 'Printer', 14:08 20 June 03, Duncan
Graham-Rowe, New Scientist, 03/06/20
Colour Vision Ended Human Pheromone Use, New Scientist, 03/06/16, Genetic
analysis suggests that being able to see in full colour led our primate
ancestors to stop using pheromones to select mates
Microsoft Launches Major Attack On Spam, Its 15 law suits are the biggest
legal assault yet, but some campaigners suspect a marketing ploy, New
Scientist, 03/06/18
Nanotube Chip Could Hold 10 Gigabits, New Scientist, 03/06/17, A computer
memory chip based on tiny clumps of carbon nanotubes passes a manufacturing
milestone
Geraniums The Key To Cheap Nanoparticles, New Scientist, 03/06/16
Shyness Linked To Brain Differences, New Scientist, 03/06/19, Brain scans
suggest high activity in the region linked to vigilance and fear can
explain the trait, and that this activity sticks for life
Smart Sound Meters Could End Noisy TV Ads, Kevin Hilton, New Scientist,
03/06/21
Tales of Despair From Guantanamo, Carlotta Gall, Neil A. Lewis, NYTimes,
03/06/17
From: Flouting Conventional Wisdom, Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer, Chief
Executive, May 2003
African Legacy: Fossils Plug Gap In Human Origins, Scientists who
discovered three partial Homo sapiens skulls in Ethiopia that date to
nearly 160,000 years ago say that the finds document humanity's evolution
in Africa, independently of European Neandertals.2003/06/04.
Full-Length Pregnancy: Progesterone Product May Reduce Premature Births, A
drug related to the female hormone progesterone helps some pregnant women
who are prone to premature birth extend their pregnancies, 2003/06/04.
Super Fibers: Nanotubes Make Tough Threads, New fibers made from carbon
nanotubes and a polymer appear tougher than any other known synthetic or
natural material, 2003/06/04.
Lease On Life: Old Mice Live Longer When Given Young Ovaries, Implanting
young ovaries in old mice extends their life expectancy, 2003/06/04.
Not So Green? Using Hydrogen As Fuel May Hurt Environment, Replacing fossil
fuels with clean-burning hydrogen-considered to be a way to reduce
globe-warming carbon dioxide-may create a different set of environmental
problems, including larger and longer-lasting ozone holes, 2003/06/04.
Fixed Focus: Adjustable Lenses From Liquid Droplets, Seasoned with a pinch
of salt, droplets of a polymer precursor become voltage-adjustable lenses
that may cut costs in fiberoptic telecommunications, 2003/06/04.
Sharpening A Heavenly Image: Clear View Of Globular Cluster's Crowded Core,
Using innovative optics to take the twinkle out of starlight, the Gemini
North Telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea has recorded the sharpest infrared
images ever of a crowded grouping of Milky Way stars, 2003/06/04.
Domestic Disease: Exotic pets bring pathogens home, The potentially deadly
monkeypox virus has spread from Africa to people in several states via
infected pet prairie dogs, 2003/06/04.
Oceans Aswirl, Whirls of ocean water up to hundreds of kilometers across
create biological oases, transport heat from tropical climes to cooler
latitudes, and affect everything from offshore oil platforms to
long-distance yacht races, 2003/06/04.
Galactic RAVE, A new study of thousands of Milky Way stars and their motion
toward and away from Earth should provide new clues about how our galaxy
formed, 2003/06/04.
Toddlers Ride Rail To Tool Use, Toddlers' ability to modify their use of a
handrail as they walk across a narrow bridge represents an early example of
tool use, according to two psychologists, 2003/06/04.
Tiny Device Brings Out The Best In Sperm, A new device with potential use
in fertility treatments separates robust sperm from stragglers by
exploiting a phenomenon that occurs when two microscale fluid flows merge,
2003/06/04.
A New Twist On Ropes, The centuries-old craft of splicing sturdy ropes for
ships and ocean rigs gets mathematical scrutiny, turning up new information
about wear and tear.
Astronomers Leap To Defence Of Extra Seconds In Time Debate, Nature,
doi:10.1038/423671a
Physicists Doubt That 'Corking' Could Help Baseball's Big Hitter,
doi:10.1038/423674a
Russia's Bioweapons Labs: Still Out In The Cold, Collaborations between
Western researchers and former Soviet bioweapons scientists could benefit
both parties. But mistrust and bureaucracy are getting in the way, says
Geoff Brumfiel.
Human Evolution: Out Of Ethiopia, Chris Sringer, Newly discovered fossils
from Ethiopia provide fresh evidence for the 'out of Africa' model for the
origin of modern humans, and raise new questions about the precise pattern
of human evolution, doi:10.1038/423692a
Icy Claim That Water Has Memory, Lionel Milgrom, New Scientist, 03/06/11
High-Energy Physics: Into The Fifth Dimension, Juan Maldacena, Nature 423,
695 - 696 (12 June 2003); doi:10.1038/423695a
Cognitive Neuroscience: Practice Doesn't Make Perfect, Wilson Geisler,
Richard Murray, It may seem counterintuitive, but we are not very efficient
at recognizing even the most common words. This finding suggests strict
limits on how flexible we are in learning to recognize new patterns, Nature
423, (12 June 2003); doi:10.1038/423696a
Evolutionary Biology: Genes To Make New Species, Mohamed A. F. Noor, A
long-term goal of studies of the way in which new species form has been to
identify the genes involved, and the forces that drive their evolution.
That goal is now being realized - and natural selection plays a major part,
Nature 423, (12 June 2003); doi:10.1038/423699a
Super-Tough Carbon-Nanotube Fibres, Alan B. Dalton, Steve Collins, Edgar
Munoz, Joselito M. Razal, Von Howard Ebron, John P. Ferraris, Jonathan N.
Coleman, Bog G. Kim, Ray H. Baughman, These extraordinary composite fibres
can be woven into electronic textiles, Nature 423, (12 June 2003);
doi:10.1038/423703a
Adaptive Evolution Drives Divergence Of A Hybrid Inviability Gene Between
Two Species Of Drosophila, Daven C. Presgraves, Lakshmi Balagopalan, Susan
M. Abmayr, H. Allen Orr, Nature 423, (12 June 2003); doi:10.1038/nature01679
Generation Of Nonclassical Photon Pairs For Scalable Quantum Communication
With Atomic Ensembles, A. Kuzmich, W. P. Bowen, A. D. Boozer, A. Boca, C.
W. Chou, L.-M. Duan, H. J. Kimble,Nature 423, 731 - 734 (12 June 2003);
doi:10.1038/nature01714
Pleistocene Homo sapiens from Middle Awash, Ethiopia, Tim D. White, Berhane
Asfaw, David Degusta, Henry Gilbert, Gary D. Richards, Gen Suwa & F. Clark
Howell, doi:10.1038/nature01669
Probabilistic Representation Of Complexity, N. I. Al-Najjar, R. C.
Masanell & E. Ozdenoren, J. Econ. Theory, Vol. 111, Issue 1, pp: 49-87,
Jul. 2003, doi:10.1016/S0022-0531(03)00075-9
For Better Or For Worse, Till The Human Development Index Do Us Part?, S.
Morse, Ecol. Economics, Vol. 45, Issue 2, pp: 281-296, Jun. 2003,
doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(03)00085-5
Is It As Bad As It Sounds Or As Good As It Looks? Experiences Of Finnish
Water Discharge Limits, P. Mickwitz, Ecol. Economics, Vol. 45, Issue 2, pp:
237-254, Jun. 2003, doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(03)00081-8
Observer Based Chaotic Message Transmission, O. Morgul, E. Solak & M.
Akgul, Int. J. Bifur. & Chaos, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp:1003-1017, Apr. 2003,
doi:10.1142/S0218127403007072
Fine-Scale Behaviour Of Bottlenose Dolphins Around Gillnets, Read & others,
Proc.: Biol. Sc., 2003/06/17, DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2003.0021
Practical Realisations Of Quantum Information Processing, P. Knight, E.
Hinds & M. Plenio, Phil. Tran. A Release, 2003/06/18
Abstraction From A Sensori-Motor Perspective: Can We Get A Quick Hold On
Simple Perception?, Y. Rossetti, Phil. Tran.: Biol. Sc. , 2003/06/05, DOI:
10.1098/rstb.2003.1299
Current Knowledge Of Gene Flow In Plants: Implications For Transgene Flow,
N. C. Ellstrand, Phil. Tran.: Biol. Sc., Vol. 358, Number: 1434,
pp:1163-1170, 2003/05/12, DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2003.1299
Mechanism Of Self-Recognition In Humans, M. Jeannerod, Behav. Brain Res.,
Vol. 142, Issues 1-2, pp:1-15, 2003/06/16, doi:10.1016/S0166-4328(02)00384-4
Kindling-Induced Emotional Behavior In Male And Female Rats, A. J. Wintink,
N. A. Young, A. C. Davis, A. Gregus & L. E. Kalynchuk, Behav. Neurosc.,
Vol. 117, Issue 3, pp: 632-640, 2003/06/17
Age-Related Deficits In Mice Performing Working Memory Tasks In A Water
Maze, K. R. Magnusson, B. Scruggs, J. Aniya, K. C. Wright, T. Ontl, Y. Xing
& L. Bai, Behav. Neurosc., Vol. 117, Issue 3, pp: 485-495, 2003/06/17
A ¡¥Butler¡¦ In Your Mobile Phone: University Of
Southampton Scientists
Create A Computer Agent That Aims To Make Life Less Complicated, S. Watts,
Alphagalileo, 2003/06/13
Night Owls Have Shorter Clock Gene, L. Tipper, Alphagalileo, 2003/06/13
Blood Test Could Detect Heart Attack Early, ScienceDaily & Amer. Chemical
Soc., 2003/06/13
A New View Of The Crayfish Brain: MRI Technique Shows Detailed View Of
Neural Pathways, ScienceDaily & Emory Univ. Health Sc. Center, 2003/06/16
Birds Do It. Bugs Do It. But Why Don't We?, ScienceDaily & Univ. Of
Michigan, 2003/06/17
20.2 Coming and Ongoing Webcasts
World Economic Forum Extraordinary Annual Meeting, Jordan, 03/06/21-23
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
Uncertainty and Surprise: Questions on Working with the Unexpected and
Unknowable, The University of Texas Austin, Texas USA, 2003/04/10-12
New Trends In Industrial Partnership And Innovation Management At European
Research Laboratories, CERN, Geneva, 2003/03/19 (with webcast)
CERN Webcast Service, Streamed videos of Archived Lectures and Live Events
Dean LeBaron's Archive of Daily Video Commentary, Ongoing Since February 1998
20.3 Conference Announcements & Call for Papers
2nd EXYSTENCE Thematic Institute on "Discrete and Computational Aspects of
Complex Systems", Lyon, France, 03/06/15-0704
2003 Summer Computer Simulation Conference (SCSC '03), Montreal, Canada,
2003/06/20-24
5th Intl Conf "Symmetry in Nonlinear Mathematical Physics", Kiev,
Ukraine,
2003/06/23-29, Mirror
The 2003 World Technology Summit & World Technology Awards, San Francisco,
03/06/24-25
Workshops of Dynamical Systems with Applications to Biology, Hsinchu,
Taiwan, 2003/06/24-28 (Postponed!)
NKS 2003 Conference & Minicourse, Boston, MA, 03/06/27-29
Exystence Thematic Institute - Algorithms And Challenges In Hard
Combinatorial Problems - Trieste, Italy, 03/07/01-31, Turin, Italy,
03/10/01-30
The 2003 World Technology Summit & World Technology Awards, San Francisco,
CA
UQAM Summer Institute in Cognitive Sciences 2003: Categorization In
Cognitive Sciences, Montreal, 2003/06/30-07/11
9th International Conference on Auditory Display, Boston, MA,
2003/07/07-09, Wkshp on Assistive Technologies for the Blind, 2003/07/07-09
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, 2003/07/07-11
2nd International School Topics In Nonlinear Dynamics, Siena (Italy),
2003/07/09-11
2003 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO-2003), Chicago,
IL,2003/07/12-16
2nd Intl Joint Conf on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems
(AAMAS-2003), Melbourne, Australia, 2003/07/14-18
7th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI
2003), Orlando, Florida, 2003/07/27-30
BIFURCATIONS 2003, Southampton, UK, 03/07/28-30
Intl Conf on Socio Political Informatics and Cybernetics: SPIC '03,
Orlando, Fl, USA, 2003/07/31-08/02
13th Annual International Conference, Soc f Chaos Theory in Psych & Life
Sciences,Boston, MA, USA, 2003/08/08-10
Thematic Institute "Networks and Risks", Budapest, Hungary, 03/08/25 -
09/27
Conference on Growing Networks and Graphs in Statistical Physics, Finance,
Biology and Social Systems, Rome, 03/09/01-05
Call for Papers on Dynamical Hierarchies, Special Issue of Artificial Life,
Deadline: 2003/09/05
7th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL-2003), Dortmund, Germany,
2003/09/14-17
A Dual International Conference on Ethics, Complexity & Organisations &
Creativity, London, UK, 2003/09/17-18
1st German Conference on Multiagent System Technologies (MATES'03), Erfurt,
Germany, 2003/09/22-25
Dynamics Days 2003, XXIII Annual Conference, 4 Decades of Chaos 1963-2003,
Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 03/09/24-27
Improving The NHS Through The Lens Of Complexity, U Exeter, UK, 03/09/24-26
Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT, Cambridge, MA, 2003/09/24-25
Intl School Mathematical Aspects of Quantum Chaos II Quantum Chaos on
Hyperbolic Manifolds, Schloss Reisensburg (Gunzburg, Germany), 03/10/04-11
2003 IEEE/WIC Intl Joint Conf. Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent
Technology, Beijing, China, 2003/10/13-17
American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) 2003 Conference (H.v.Foerster),
Vienna, Austria , 2003/11/10-15
Trends And Perspectives In Extensive And Non-Extensive Statistical
Mechanics, In Honour Of The 60th Birthday Of Constantino Tsallis, Angra Dos
Reis, Brazil, 2003/11/19-21
ICDM '03: The Third IEEE International Conference on Data Mining,
Melbourne, Florida, USA, 2003/11/19-22
3rd International Workshop on Meta-Synthesis and Complex System, Guangzhou,
China, 2003/11/29-30
2nd International Workshop on the Mathematics and Algorithms of Social
Insects, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 2003/12/15-17
4th Intl ICSC Symposium Engineering Of Intelligent Systems (EIS 2004),
Island of Madeira, Portugal, 04/02/29-03/02
Fractal 2004, "Complexity and Fractals in Nature", 8th Intl
Multidisciplinary Conf , Vancouver, Canada, 2004/04/04-07
Urban Vulnerability and Network Failure: Constructions and Experiences of
Emergencies, Crises and Collapse, Manchester, UK, 04/04/29-30
Fifth International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS2004), Boston, MA,
USA, 2004/05/16-21
International Symposium on HIV & Emerging Infectious Diseases, Toulon,
France, 04/06/03-05
20.3 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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