Complex Systems Studies

Lenka Zdeborová - Statistical Physics of Machine Learning (May 1, 2024)
https://youtu.be/TLHYwbrhGJc

On the repeatability of wrinkling topography patterns in the fingers of water immersed human skin

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751616125000517

Finger wrinkling during and after water immersion, often called pruning, is an evolutionary mechanism that increases grip strength in water. Previous studies have determined that water-induced finger wrinkles result from vasoconstriction, or the tightening of blood vessels below the skin's surface. However, no previous studies have characterized the morphology of topographical finger wrinkles. We anticipate that vasoconstriction also governs the morphology of finger wrinkles formed. Since these constricting blood vessels are stationary, we expect the pattern created by topographical wrinkles formed to remain constant over time. To evaluate pattern repeatability, images of human fingertips at two separate time points are overlaid and compared visually to establish corresponding wrinkle pairs. Wrinkle pairs are vectorized with orientation correlations evaluated quantitatively using normalized dot products, then compared against randomly oriented control vectors. The results demonstrate a significant relationship between wrinkle orientation across both time points and thus reveal the consistency of wrinkle morphology over time.

Are you arriving on Sunday and want to meet your peers before NetSci25? Join your fellow early-career researchers at Peercolation to break the ice!

https://netplace.site/event/netsci25/peercolation_social_event/

Time & Location

Date: Sunday, 1 June 2025
Time: From 6:00 PM onwards (open-ended)
Location: Stadspark, Maastricht (see map)

ChatGPT decreases idea diversity in brainstorming
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02173-x

#PhD scholarship in Deep Learning Theory and Differential Geometry - DTU Compute

https://efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/5004

IceLab Camp, September 23-26

Part of the Stress Response Modeling Research School, IceLab Camp is a four-day off-site PhD course that prepares its participants to create new inter- or multidisciplinary research by first teaching them to listen to each other – and how to ask research questions. IceLab Camp runs yearly in the fall.

https://www.umu.se/en/icelab/career-and-education/stress-response-modeling-graduate-research-school/icelab-camp/

Nasal vaccines for respiratory infections

For a nasal vaccine to be successful, the complexity of the relevant anatomical, physiological and immunological properties, including the proximity of the central nervous system to the nasal cavity, must be considered. In this Review, we discuss past and current efforts as well as future directions for developing safe and effective nasal vaccines for the prevention of respiratory infections.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08910-6

#Postdoc in Social Dynamics and Complex Systems - DTU Compute

Are you interested in uncovering the mechanisms underlying human social dynamics between dyads, groups, and networks, during real-time social interaction? We invite applications for an appointment as a postdoc in social dynamics and complex systems. The position is funded by the Villum Young Investigator grant titled “Bridging social neuroscience and social data science: uncovering interaction and brain mechanisms in social networks”.

The position is available for a period of 13 months, starting as soon as possible or from 1 August 2025.

You will primarily be involved in working within the social interaction and neuroscience (SINe Lab) group, with the aim of understanding how we coordinate our movement signals with others during social interactions, and these real-time interpersonal dynamics are shaped by the properties of our social networks.

https://efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/da/sites/CX_2001/job/5088?lastSelectedFacet=ORGANIZATIONS&selectedOrganizationsFacet=300000003721164

#Postdoc of Mathematical Modeling of Bacterial Growth

Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as postdoc of Mathematical Modeling of Bacterial Growth from September 1st, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as postdoc is limited to a period of 2.5 years.

To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/

Read more in Danish at https://ruc.dk/nyheder/forskere-vil-fremme-forstaaelsen-af-bakteriel-adfaerd.

#Postdoc Research Fellow on Literature and Generative AI at the Center for Digital Narrative
https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/280778/postdoctoral-research-fellow-on-literature-and-generative-ai-at-the-center-for-digital-narrative

Junior Professorship (4 years + possible tenure track)
Centre de Physique Théorique, Marseille et Toulon
"Non-linear dynamics and research on intelligent UAV ensembles"

https://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~barrat/CPJ_UTLN_en.html

Physicists at Cornell University figured out how to chop onions without crying 🧅🧅🧅

Chopping quickly with a blunt knife releases larger onion juice droplets at higher velocities resulting in more contact with your eyes and thus, more tears. Slower slicing with a sharp knife = less tears.

https://arxiv.org/html/2505.06016v1

"People, AI, and Online Research"

Dan Russell's Talk at the Pioneer AI Centre in Copenhagen
How people search for information, how AI affects information seeking, and issues that arise.

https://youtu.be/6tgiPLW9Jd4

NetPlace workshop 2025 on Networks & Physics
https://netplace.site/event/netplaceworkshop/

If you do only one thing tomorrow to be happier, Lyubomirsky recommends: have a real conversation — ideally deeper than usual — with another human being.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/magazine/happiness-research-studies-relationships.html

Math department at Stockholm University is announcing two positions:

1.A 1-year #postdoc in Infectious disease modelling with Tom Britton as mentor. Deadline to apply is May 26. More information: https://su.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:821479/where:4/

2. Permant position as Associate professor. The topic of the position is Mathematical statistics. A colleague in infectious disease modelling and data analysis is more than welcome! Deadline to apply is June 1. More information: https://su.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:815251/where:4/

Please apply if you are interested, or spread the information to others in your networks that might be interested.

Milking a spherical cow: Toy models in neuroscience

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.16529?af=R

Alessandro Vespignani , "Navigating Complexity: Human Mobility Networks for Pandemic Prediction and Surveillance"

https://vimeo.com/1075701783