Between Nature and Science:
Advanced Modeling Concepts for Environmental Sciences.
The complexity of natural systems has challenged scientists to seek new approaches to better describe, understand, and analyze environmental processes. Conceptual frameworks are sought that appropriately account for the effects of heterogeneity, patterns, hierarchies, and other complex interactions in natural systems at multiple space and time scales. Recent advances in physics and applied mathematics have led to the development of fascinating new methods that may serve this purpose in many environmental science disciplines.
The colloquium series features internationally acclaimed scientists that work at the leading edge of developing nontraditional mathematical, physical, and chemical concepts applicable to complex systems. These concepts include scaling, percolation theory, novel stochastic methods, fractals, chance, networks, cellular automata, and other aspects of nonlinear dynamical systems.
Many of these concepts are absent from the conventional palette of environmental scientists and of students in environmental sciences and geosciences. The specific purpose of these colloquia is to provide an introductory, illustrative tour of these topics at a level suitable for students and practitioners in environmental sciences, geosciences, as well as engineering and science. The Colloquium Series provides a unique opportunity to foster a dialogue between sciences, engineering, and environmental sciences.
| Date: | Speaker: (click on name for homepage) | Title: | Abstract, Biography: | Webcast Archive*: |
| Apr 14 | Muhammad Sahimi | "The Effect of Connectivity of Microscopic Elements of Disordered Systems on their Macroscopic Properties: Introduction to Percolation Theory" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Apr 21 | Alan Hastings | "Transient Dynamics: The Key to Ecological Understanding" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Apr 28 | Vit Klemes | "Some Thoughts About Stochastic Hydrologic Modeling Inspired by the Canadian Wilderness" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| May 12 | Constantino Tsallis | "Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics - Introduction and Applications" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| May 19 | John Rundle | "Process Pattern, Prediction: Understanding Complexity in Driven Dynamical Systems" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| May 26 | Christian Jacob | "Process Pattern, Prediction: Understanding Complexity in Driven Dynamical Systems" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| June 2 | Jim Crutchfield | "Multiagent Dynamical Systems" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Oct 6 | Brian Higgins | "Exploring Chemical Reaction Networks in Science and Technology" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Oct 12 | Didier Sornette | "Endogenous versus Exogenous Origins of Crises" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Oct 20 | Carlos Puente | "From Complexity to Peace" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Oct 27 | Raissa D'Souza | "Networks, Power Laws, and Phase Transitions" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Nov 3 | Don Turcotte | "Natural hazards as self-organizing complex systems" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Nov 10 | Melanie Mitchell | "The Prospects and Perils of Complex Systems Modeling" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Nov 17 | Michelle Girvan | "Insights into Complex Networks" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
| Nov 24 | Thanksgiving | |||
| Dec 1 | Liz Bradley | "Nonlinear Dynamics, Modeling, and the Environmental Sciences: Ideas and Tools" | Download | REALPLAYER | WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER |
This Special Colloquium Series was made possible by the generous contributions from:
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
John Muir Institute of the Environment
Computational Science and Engineering Center
Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Soil Sciences Grad. Group
Atmospheric Sciences Grad. Group
Hydrologic Sciences Grad. Group
Groundwater Hydrology Program, University of California Cooperative Extension
*Webcast information:
This lecture series is available for archive Web casting in both Real Player and Windows Media Player. Some users will have to wait for the entire Real Media Player file to download before it will play. The free Real Player can be downloaded from Real Networks.
Ongoing Seminars:
For our ongoing seminar series, please visit the Hydrologic Sciences seminar webpage
If you enjoyed the 2005 Colloquium series then you should check out the UCD Computational Science and Engineering Center series entitled, "Science of Complex Systems." This new series starts in January 2006 and will surely delve deeper into issues in complexity brought up in "Advanced Modeling Concepts in Environmental Sciences."
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