Death as a system collapse

A working group, “Hallmarks of Biological Failure,” meets to discuss the patterns of mortality, biological failure, and system collapse.

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Are you with me? New model explains origins of empathy

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and the Santa Fe Institute have developed a new model to explain the evolutionary origins of empathy and other related phenomena, such as emotional contagion and contagious yawning. The model suggests that the origin of a broad range of empathetic responses lies in cognitive simulation.

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The cost of computation

A new review by David Wolpert collects recent advances in understanding the thermodynamics of computation that are grounded in computer science and physics.

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External Prof Simon DeDeo wins Cozzarelli Prize

SFI External Professor Simon DeDeo and co-authors are recipients of the 2018 Cozzarelli Prize, awarded by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, for their paper “Individuals, institutions, and innovation in the debates of the French Revolution.” 

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More than the sum: Working group scopes higher-order interactions

When only two things interact, the outcome is usually easily to predict. But what happens when you add a third — or fourth, or fifth, or more — component to the mix? The effects of such higher-order interactions can be difficult to forecast, and are the subject of a working group that meets this week at SFI.

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Could energy overload drive cancer risk?

New research by External Professor John Pepper offers an intriguing theory for how cancer evolves in people with obesity, diabetes, and chronic inflammation: By providing an over-abundance of energy to cells, these diseases might super-charge their growth and cause them to become cancerous.

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