Category: Information Theory

The Information Universe Conference

Yesterday, via a notification from Lanyard, I came across a notice for the upcoming conference “The Information Universe” which hits several of the sweet spots for areas involving information theory, physics, the origin of life, complexity, computer science, and microbiology. It is scheduled to occur from October 7-9, 2015 at the Infoversum Theater in Groningen, The Netherlands.

I’ll let their site speak for itself below, but they already have an interesting line up of speakers including:

Keynote speakers

  • Erik Verlinde, Professor Theoretical Physics, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Alex Szalay, Alumni Centennial Professor of Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, USA
  • Gerard ‘t Hooft, Professor Theoretical Physics, University of Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Gregory Chaitin, Professor Mathematics and Computer Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
  • Charley Lineweaver, Professor Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Australia
  • Lude Franke, Professor System Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
Infoversum Theater, The Netherlands
Infoversum Theater, The Netherlands

Conference synopsis from their homepage:

The main ambition of this conference is to explore the question “What is the role of information in the physics of our Universe?”. This intellectual pursuit may have a key role in improving our understanding of the Universe at a time when we “build technology to acquire and manage Big Data”, “discover highly organized information systems in nature” and “attempt to solve outstanding issues on the role of information in physics”. The conference intends to address the “in vivo” (role of information in nature) and “in vitro” (theory and models) aspects of the Information Universe.

The discussions about the role of information will include the views and thoughts of several disciplines: astronomy, physics, computer science, mathematics, life sciences, quantum computing, and neuroscience. Different scientific communities hold various and sometimes distinct formulations of the role of information in the Universe indicating we still lack understanding of its intrinsic nature. During this conference we will try to identify the right questions, which may lead us towards an answer.

  • Is the universe one big information processing machine?
  • Is there a deeper layer in quantum mechanics?
  • Is the universe a hologram?
  • Is there a deeper physical description of the world based on information?
  • How close/far are we from solving the black hole information paradox?
  • What is the role of information in highly organized complex life systems?
  • The Big Data Universe and the Universe : are our numerical simulations and Big Data repositories (in vitro) different from real natural system (in vivo)?
  • Is this the road to understanding dark matter, dark energy?

The conference will be held in the new 260 seats planetarium theatre in Groningen, which provides an inspiring immersive 3D full dome display, e.g. numerical simulations of the formation of our Universe, and anything else our presenters wish to bring in. The digital planetarium setting will be used to visualize the theme with modern media.

The Information Universe Website

Additional details about the conference including the participants, program, venue, and registration can also be found at their website.

Videos from the NIMBioS Workshop on Information and Entropy in Biological Systems

Videos from the April 8-10, 2015, NIMBioS workshop on Information and Entropy in Biological Systems are slowly starting to appear on YouTube.

John Baez, one of the organizers of the workshop, is also going through them and adding some interesting background and links on his Azimuth blog as well for those who are looking for additional details and depth

Additonal resources from the Workshop:

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRyq_4VPZ9g-3869ozbY_eEp6jZhWL0UE

Popular Science Books on Information Theory, Biology, and Complexity

Previously, I had made a large and somewhat random list of books which lie in the intersection of the application of information theory, physics, and engineering practice to the area of biology.  Below I’ll begin to do a somewhat better job of providing a finer gradation of technical level for both the hobbyist or the aspiring student who wishes to bring themselves to a higher level of understanding of these areas.  In future posts, I’ll try to begin classifying other texts into graduated strata as well.  The final list will be maintained here: Books at the Intersection of Information Theory and Biology.

Introductory / General Readership / Popular Science Books

These books are written on a generally non-technical level and give a broad overview of their topics with occasional forays into interesting or intriguing subtopics. They include little, if any, mathematical equations or conceptualization. Typically, any high school student should be able to read, follow, and understand the broad concepts behind these books.  Though often non-technical, these texts can give some useful insight into the topics at hand, even for the most advanced researchers.

Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell (review)

Possibly one of the best places to start, this text gives a great overview of most of the major areas of study related to these fields.

Entropy Demystified: The Second Law Reduced to Plain Common Sense by Arieh Ben-Naim

One of the best books on the concept of entropy out there.  It can be read even by middle school students with no exposure to algebra and does a fantastic job of laying out the conceptualization of how entropy underlies large areas of the broader subject. Even those with Ph.D.’s in statistical thermodynamics can gain something useful from this lovely volume.

The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick (review)

A relatively recent popular science volume covering various conceptualizations of what information is and how it’s been dealt with in science and engineering.  Though it has its flaws, its certainly a good introduction to the beginner, particularly with regard to history.

The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

One of the most influential pieces of writing known to man, this classical text is the basis from which major strides in biology have been made as a result. A must read for everyone on the planet.

Information, Entropy, Life and the Universe: What We Know and What We Do Not Know by Arieh Ben-Naim

Information Theory and Evolution by John Avery

The Touchstone of Life: Molecular Information, Cell Communication, and the Foundations of Life by Werner R. Loewenstein (review)

Information Theory, Evolution, and the Origin of Life by Hubert P. Yockey

The four books above have a significant amount of overlap. Though one could read all of them, I recommend that those pressed for time choose Ben-Naim first. As I write this I’ll note that Ben-Naim’s book is scheduled for release on May 30, 2015, but he’s been kind enough to allow me to read an advance copy while it was in process; it gets my highest recommendation in its class. Loewenstein covers a bit more than Avery who also has a more basic presentation. Most who continue with the subject will later come across Yockey’s Information Theory and Molecular Biology which is similar to his text here but written at a slightly higher level of sophistication. Those who finish at this level of sophistication might want to try Yockey third instead.

The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley

Grammatical Man: Information, Entropy, Language, and Life  by Jeremy Campbell

Life’s Ratchet: How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos by Peter M. Hoffmann

Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos by M. Mitchell Waldrop

The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself (Dutton, May 10, 2016) 

In the coming weeks/months, I’ll try to continue putting recommended books on the remainder of the rest of the spectrum, the balance of which follows in outline form below. As always, I welcome suggestions and recommendations based on others’ experiences as well. If you’d like to suggest additional resources in any of the sections below, please do so via our suggestion box. For those interested in additional resources, please take a look at the ITBio Resources page which includes information about related research groups; references and journal articles; academic, research institutes, societies, groups, and organizations; and conferences, workshops, and symposia.

Lower Level Undergraduate

These books are written at a level that can be grasped and understood by most with a freshmen or sophomore university level. Coursework in math, science, and engineering will usually presume knowledge of calculus, basic probability theory, introductory physics, chemistry, and basic biology.

Upper Level Undergraduate

These books are written at a level that can be grasped and understood by those at a junior or senor university level. Coursework in math, science, and engineering may presume knowledge of probability theory, differential equations, linear algebra, complex analysis, abstract algebra, signal processing, organic chemistry, molecular biology, evolutionary theory, thermodynamics, advanced physics, and basic information theory.

Graduate Level

These books are written at a level that can be grasped and understood by most working at the level of a master’s level at most universities.  Coursework presumes all the previously mentioned classes, though may require a higher level of sub-specialization in one or more areas of mathematics, physics, biology, or engineering practice.  Because of the depth and breadth of disciplines covered here, many may feel the need to delve into areas outside of their particular specialization.

String Theory, Black Holes, and Information

Four decades ago, Stephen Hawking posed the black hole information paradox about black holes and quantum theory. It still challenges the imaginations of theoretical physicists today. Yesterday, Amanda Peet (University of Toronto) presented the a lecture entitled “String Theory Legos for Black Holes” yesterday at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. A quick overview/teaser trailer for the lecture follows along with some additional information and the video of the lecture itself.

The “Information Paradox” with Amanda Peet (teaser trailer)

“Black holes are the ‘thought experiment’ par excellence, where the big three of physics – quantum mechanics, general relativity and thermodynamics – meet and fight it out, dragging in brash newcomers such as information theory and strings for support. Though a unification of gravity and quantum field theory still evades string theorists, many of the mathematical tools and ideas they have developed find applications elsewhere.

One of the most promising approaches to resolving the “information paradox” (the notion that nothing, not even information itself, survives beyond a black hole’s point-of-no-return event horizon) is string theory, a part of modern physics that has wiggled its way into the popular consciousness.

On May 6, 2015, Dr. Amanda Peet, a physicist at the University of Toronto, will describe how the string toolbox allows study of the extreme physics of black holes in new and fruitful ways. Dr. Peet will unpack that toolbox to reveal the versatility of strings and (mem)branes, and will explore the intriguing notion that the world may be a hologram.

Amanda Peet Amanda Peet is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto. She grew up in the South Pacific island nation of Aotearoa/New Zealand, and earned a B.Sc.(Hons) from the University of Canterbury in NZ and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in the USA. Her awards include a Radcliffe Fellowship from Harvard and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship. She was one of the string theorists interviewed in the three-part NOVA PBS TV documentary “Elegant Universe”.

Web site: http://ap.io/home/.

Dr. Amanda Peet’s Lecture “String Theory Legos for Black Holes”

NIMBioS Workshop: Information Theory and Entropy in Biological Systems

Over the next few days, I’ll be maintaining a Storify story covering information related to and coming out of the Information Theory and Entropy Workshop being sponsored by NIMBios at the Unviersity of Tennessee, Knoxville.

For those in attendance or participating by watching the live streaming video (or even watching the video after-the-fact), please feel free to use the official hashtag #entropyWS, and I’ll do my best to include your tweets, posts, and material into the story stream for future reference.

For journal articles and papers mentioned in/at the workshop, I encourage everyone to join the Mendeley.com group ITBio: Information Theory, Microbiology, Evolution, and Complexity and add them to the group’s list of papers. Think of it as a collaborative online journal club of sorts.

Those participating in the workshop are also encouraged to take a look at a growing collection of researchers and materials I maintain here. If you have materials or resources you’d like to contribute to the list, please send me an email or include them via the suggestions/submission form or include them in the comments section below.

Resources for Information Theory and Biology

RSS Icon  RSS Feed for BoffoSocko posts tagged with #ITBio

 

Probability Models for DNA Sequence Evolution

Bookmarked Probability Models for DNA Sequence Evolution (Springer, 2008, 2nd Edition) by Rick Durrett (math.duke.edu)
While browsing through some textbooks and researchers today, I came across a fantastic looking title: Probability Models for DNA Sequence Evolution by Rick Durrett (Springer, 2008). While searching his website at Duke, I noticed that he’s made a .pdf copy of a LaTeX version of the 2nd edition available for download.   I hope others find it as interesting and useful as I do.

I’ll also give him a shout out for being a mathematician with a fledgling blog: Rick’s Ramblings.

Book Cover of Probability Models for DNA Sequence Evolution by Richard Durrett
Probability Models for DNA Sequence Evolution by Richard Durrett

Free E-Book: Neural Networks and Deep Learning by Michael Nielsen

Bookmarked Neural networks and deep learning (neuralnetworksanddeeplearning.com)
Michael A. Nielsen, the author of one of our favorite books on Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, is writing a new book entitled Neural Networks and Deep Learning. He’s been releasing portions of it for free on the internet in draft form every two or three months since 2013. He’s also maintaining an open code repository for the book on GitHub.

Michael A. Nielsen
Michael A. Nielsen

2015 Viterbi Lecture: H. Vincent Poor on “Fundamental Limits on Information Security and Privacy”

USC’s Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineeing has announced that H. Vincent Poor will deliver the 2015 Viterbi Lecture

“Fundamental Limits on Information Security and Privacy”

H. Vincent Poor
H. Vincent Poor

H. Vincent Poor, Ph.D.  
Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Michael Henry Strater University Professor
Princeton University

Education

  • Ph.D., Princeton University, 1977
  • M.A., in Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, 1976
  • M.S., in Electrical Engineering, Auburn University, 1974
  • B.E.E., with Highest Honor, Auburn University, 1972

Lecture Information

Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Hughes Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) 132
Reception 3:00pm
Lecture 4:00pm

Abstract

As has become quite clear from recent headlines, the ubiquity of technologies such as wireless communications and on-line data repositories has created new challenges in information security and privacy. Information theory provides fundamental limits that can guide the development of methods for addressing these challenges. After a brief historical account of the use of information theory to characterize secrecy, this talk will review two areas to which these ideas have been applied successfully: wireless physical layer security, which examines the ability of the physical properties of the radio channel to provide confidentiality in data transmission; and utility-privacy tradeoffs of data sources, which quantify the balance between the protection of private information contained in such sources and the provision of measurable benefits to legitimate users of them. Several potential applications of these ideas will also be discussed.

Biography

H. Vincent Poor (Ph.D., Princeton 1977) is Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University, where he is also the Michael Henry Strater University Professor. From 1977 until he joined the Princeton faculty in 1990, he was a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has also held visiting appointments at a number of other universities, including most recently at Stanford and Imperial College. His research interests are primarily in the areas of information theory and signal processing, with applications in wireless networks and related fields. Among his publications in these areas is the recent book Principles of Cognitive Radio (Cambridge University Press, 2013). At Princeton he has developed and taught several courses designed to bring technological subject matter to general audiences, including “The Wireless Revolution” (in which Andrew Viterbi was one of the first guest speakers) and “Six Degrees of Separation: Small World Networks in Science, Technology and Society.”

Dr. Poor is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, and is a foreign member of the Royal Society. He is a former President of the IEEE Information Theory Society, and a former Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. He currently serves as a director of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives and of the IEEE Foundation, and as a member of the Council of the National Academy of Engineering. Recent recognition of his work includes the 2014 URSI Booker Gold Medal, and honorary doctorates from several universities in Asia and Europe.

Texts

  

BIRS Workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory | Storify Stream

Over the span of the coming week, I’ll be updating (and archiving) the stream of information coming out of the BIRS Workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory.

Editor’s note: On 12/12/17 Storify announced they would be shutting down. As a result, I’m changing the embedded version of the original data served by Storify for an HTML copy which can be found below:

by
Chris Aldrich
Tue, Apr 07 2015 20:16:30

BIRS: Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory

A 5 Day workshop on Biology and Information Theory hosted by the Banff International Research Station

  1. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    I know where I’ll be in Oct 2014! Let’s hear it for Biology & Information Theory!  https://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 … #ITBio #Banff @andreweckford

    Fri, Feb 22 2013 02:23:35

  2. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    . @andreweckford You might be interested in this grouping of research papers:  http://www.mendeley.com/groups/2545131/itbio/ … #ITBio #Banff

    Fri, Feb 22 2013 02:25:36

  3. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Wishing I was at the Gene Regulation and Information Theory meeting starting tomorrow  http://bit.ly/XnHRZs  #ITBio

    Wed, Apr 17 2013 02:12:04

  4. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    #ITBio: @andreweckford has a new book on Molecular Communication available Oct 31.  http://bit.ly/15uEUzF 

    Wed, Sep 25 2013 22:50:23

  5. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Mathematical and Statistical Models for Genetic Coding starts today.  http://www.am.hs-mannheim.de/genetic_code_2013.php?id=1 … @andreweckford might borrow attendees for BIRS

    Thu, Sep 26 2013 15:47:57

  6. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    John Baez has announced a workshop on Entropy & Information in Biological Systems  http://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/entropy-and-information-in-biological-systems/ … #NIMBioS #ITBio @andreweckford

    Tue, Nov 05 2013 01:33:04

  7. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Mathematical Foundations for Information Theory in Diffusion-Based Molecular Communications  http://bit.ly/1aTVR2c  #ITBio

    Thu, Nov 21 2013 17:23:29

  8. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Bill Bialek giving plenary talk “Information flow & order in real biological networks” at Feb 2014 workshop  http://mnd.ly/19LQH8f  #ITBio

    Thu, Nov 21 2013 22:09:05

  9. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Workshop on Information Theoretic Incentives for Artificial Life  http://jhu.md/1lM8tAn  #ITBio #ALife14 @alifeofficial @14thALIFE @cxdig

    Tue, Mar 18 2014 20:51:24

  10. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Researchers working in information theory & biology  http://jhu.md/1gieQGR  #ITBio @andreweckford @ChristophAdami @wbialek @johnhawks

    Mon, Mar 31 2014 23:34:05

  11. CECAM Workshop: “Entropy in Biomolecular Systems” starts May 14 in Vienna. http://t.co/F4Kn0ICIaT #ITBio http://t.co/Ty8dEIXQUT

    CECAM Workshop: “Entropy in Biomolecular Systems” starts May 14 in Vienna.  http://jhu.md/1faLR8t  #ITBio pic.twitter.com/Ty8dEIXQUT

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    ·

    Sun, Apr 20 2014 07:10:34

  12. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Currently organizing my Banff workshop on bio-information theory …  https://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 …

    Wed, Jul 09 2014 13:42:55

  13. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Last RT: wonder what the weather is going to be like at the end of October for my @BIRS_Math workshop

    Thu, Sep 04 2014 00:32:23

  14. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    @JoVanEvery I’m organizing a workshop in Banff in October … hopefully this isn’t a sign of weather to come!

    Mon, Sep 08 2014 18:03:26

  15. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Special issue of Entropy: “Information Theoretic Incentives for Cognitive Systems”  http://boffosocko.com/2014/09/19/special-issue-of-entropy-information-theoretic-incentives-for-cognitive-systems/ … #ITBio #CallForSubmissions

    Fri, Sep 19 2014 18:51:48

  16. How information theory could hold the key to quantifying nature. http://t.co/bidWQ7dsiv by @vero_greenwood http://t.co/ek5DUb2Ul9

    How information theory could hold the key to quantifying nature.  http://wrd.cm/1uy1xdX  by @vero_greenwood pic.twitter.com/ek5DUb2Ul9

    WIRED Science@wiredscience
    ·

    Mon, Sep 22 2014 16:22:12

  17. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Next week @BIRS_Math: Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 … | Live @  http://www.birs.ca/live  #bioinformatics

    Fri, Oct 24 2014 01:06:39

  18. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Good morning from Banff. Current temp: -1 C

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 13:09:58

  19. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Banff takes its name from the town of Banff, Scotland, not to be confused with Bamff, also Scotland.

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 13:12:08

  20. Good morning from beautiful Banff. How can you not love the mountains? http://t.co/mxYBNz7yzl

    Good morning from beautiful Banff. How can you not love the mountains? pic.twitter.com/mxYBNz7yzl

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 14:52:25

  21. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Andrew Eckford (York University), The Landscape  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410270858-Eckford.mp4 …

    ·

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 15:37:30

  22. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    “Not an obvious connection between utility and information, just as there is no obvious connection between energy and entropy” @BIRS_Math

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 16:42:04

  23. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Peter Thomas (Case Western Reserve University), Signal Transduction and Information Theory  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410270940-Thomas.mp4 …

    ·

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 16:51:44

  24. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Last RT: a lot of discussion of my signal transduction work with Peter Thomas.

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 17:07:13

  25.  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 …
  26. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Following @andreweckford @BIRS_Math 4 updates/video from Biological & Bio-Inspired Information Theory  https://storify.com/ChrisAldrich/biological-and-bio-inspired-information-theory … @cxdig #ITBio

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 19:01:04

  27. There's a good-lookin' group! @BIRS_Math http://t.co/xSIIC2qVME

    There’s a good-lookin’ group! @BIRS_Math  http://www.birs.ca/workshops/2014/14w5170/groupphoto.jpg …

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 20:34:20

  28. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Live now: Nicolo Michelusi of @USCViterbi on Stochastic Model for Electron Transfer in Bacterial Cables  http://www.birs.ca/live  #ITBio

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 20:51:10

  29. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Nicolo Michelusi (University of Southern California), A Stochastic Model for Electron Transfer in Bacterial Cables  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410271450-Michelusi.mp4 …

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 21:21:03

  30. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Listening to the always awesome @cnmirose talk about the ultimate limits of molecular communication.

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 21:41:14

  31. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    “Timing is fundamental … subsumes time-varying concentration channel” @cnmirose @BIRS_Math

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 21:44:42

  32. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Chris Rose (Rutgers University), Molecular Communication Channels: timing vs. payload  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410271538-Rose.mp4 …

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 22:16:22

  33. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Standard opening quote of these talks: “I’m not a biologist, but …” @BIRS_Math

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 22:43:50

  34. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Stefan Moser (ETH Zurich), Capacity Bounds of the Memoryless AIGN Channel – a Toy-Model for Molecular Communicat…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410271610-Moser.mp4 …

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 22:47:24

  35. Thumbnail for Biodiversity, Entropy and ThermodynamicsBiodiversity, Entropy and Thermodynamics

    I’m giving a short 30-minute talk at a workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory at the Banff International Research Institute. I’ll say more about the workshop later, but here’s my talk: * Biodiversity, entropy and thermodynamics. Most of the people at this workshop study neurobiology and cell signalling, not evolutionary game theory or…
    John Baez
  36. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Weisi Guo (University of Warwick), Communication Envelopes for Molecular Diffusion and Electromagnetic Wave Propag…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410271643-Guo.mp4 …

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 23:17:10

  37. Thumbnail for John BaezJohn Baez

    https://plus.google.com/117663015413546257905

    plus.google.com
  38. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    .@Storify stream coming out of @BIRS_Math: Biological & Bio-Inspired Information Theory this week:  http://boffosocko.com/2014/10/27/birs-workshop-on-biological-and-bio-inspired-information-theory-storify-stream/ …

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 23:36:37

  39. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    @ChrisAldrich @Storify @BIRS_Math Thanks for that.

    Mon, Oct 27 2014 23:36:58

  40. NGhoussoub

    N. Ghoussoub@NGhoussoub
    Terrific introduction of Canada/Banff by Andrew Eckford (York)The Landscape  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410270858-Eckford.mp4 …”

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 00:04:01

  41. NGhoussoub

    N. Ghoussoub@NGhoussoub
    @andreweckford “The Landscape” to become a permanent resource for @BIRS_Math participants  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410270858-Eckford.mp4 …”

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 00:09:02

  42. Banff sunset http://t.co/fw04PkAGED

    Banff sunset pic.twitter.com/fw04PkAGED

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 01:33:00

  43. BlackiLi

    Blacki Migliozzi@BlackiLi
    Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory workshop videos!  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos … @BIRS_Math

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 01:43:39

  44. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    @NGhoussoub @BIRS_Math great!

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 01:58:59

  45. lrvarshney

    Lav Varshney@lrvarshney
    .@ChrisAldrich @andreweckford @Storify @BIRS_Math Sounds like a fascinating workshop on bioinformation theory in Banff.

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 03:13:36

  46. cxdig

    Complexity Digest@cxdig
    Mathematical Modeling of Biological Processes (by Avner Friedman & Chiu-Yen Kao)  http://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Modeling-Biological-Processes-Modelling/dp/3319083139/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=compldiges-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=3H5F3QNHI6IDWAFQ&creativeASIN=3319083139 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 04:08:02

  47. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Toby Berger, winner of the 2002 Shannon award, speaking right now. @BIRS_Math

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 15:08:00

  48. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Naftali Tishby (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Sensing and acting under information constraints – a principled a…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281032-Tishby.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 17:49:09

  49. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    “…places such as BIRS and the Banff Centre exist to facilitate the exchange and pursuit of knowledge.” S. Sundaram  http://www.birs.ca/testimonials/#testimonial-1454 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 18:22:39

  50. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    We’re going for a hike tomorrow. Many thanks to Lukas at the @ParksCanada info centre in Banff for helpful advice! @BIRS_Math

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 19:19:10

  51. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Behnaam Aazhang (Rice University), Real-Time Network Modulation for Intractable Epilepsy  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281337-Aazhang.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 20:16:40

  52. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Alexander Dimitrov (Washington State University), Invariant signal processing in auditory biological systems  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281416-Dimitrov.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 20:53:41

  53. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Joel Zylberberg (University of Washington), Communicating with noisy signals: lessons learned from the mammalian v…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281450-Zylberberg.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 21:25:15

  54. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Robert Schober (Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg), Intersymbol interference mitigation in diffusive molecular communi…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281549-Schober.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 22:34:21

  55. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Rudolf Rabenstein (Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU)), Modelling Molecular Communication Cha…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281627-Rabenstein.mp4 …

    Tue, Oct 28 2014 23:11:45

  56. Math at the pub. (MacLab Bistro) @BIRS_Math http://t.co/LRe4sVcaDw

    Math at the pub. (MacLab Bistro) @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/LRe4sVcaDw

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 02:27:11

  57. JimOlverTBC

    Jim Olver@JimOlverTBC
    THis week @BIRS_Math ” Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory ” @thebanffcentre #biology #math @NSF

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 14:55:18

  58. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    “Your theory might match the data, but the data might be wrong” – Crick @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 15:31:42

  59. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    So information theory seems to be a big deal in ecology. @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 15:34:59

  60. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Tom Schneider (National Institutes of Health), Three Principles of Biological States: Ecology and Cancer  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410290904-Schneider.mp4 …

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 16:26:07

  61. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    “In biodiversity, the entropy of an ecosystem is the expected … information we gain about an organism by learning its species” @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 16:41:09

  62. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Seriously, I’m blown away by this work in information theory in ecology. Huge body of work; I had no idea. @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 16:57:15

  63. .@andreweckford @BIRS_Math Harte's book Maximum Entropy & Ecology is excellent in this area http://t.co/77sEnU0sPP http://t.co/EIBDpM35uf

    .@andreweckford @BIRS_Math Harte’s book Maximum Entropy & Ecology is excellent in this area  http://amzn.to/1DwIl3V  pic.twitter.com/EIBDpM35uf

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    ·

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:08:48

  64. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    .@andreweckford @QuantaMagazine had a nice overview of some of John Harte’s work in September  http://bit.ly/1DwIWCD  @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:10:49

  65. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Chan-Byoung Chae (Yonsei University), Molecular MIMO: From Theory to Practice  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410281705-Chae.mp4 …

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:19:02

  66. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    John Baez (University of California, Riverside), Biodiversity, entropy and thermodynamics  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410291038-Baez.mp4 …

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:21:17

  67. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    I encourage @BIRS_Math attendees at Biological & Bio-Inspired Information Theory to contribute references here:  http://bit.ly/1jQwObk 

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:25:36

  68. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Christoph Adami (Michigan State University), Some Information-Theoretic Musings Concerning the Origin and Evolutio…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410291114-Adami.mp4 …

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 17:58:38

  69. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Twitter Lists for @BIRS_Math workshop #Biology #InformationTheory:
    #ITBIO:  http://bit.ly/1yIfzfJ 
    #complexitytheory  http://bit.ly/1scfZbw 

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 18:24:37

  70. .@ChristophAdami talk Some Information-Theoretic Musings Concerning the Origin of Life @BIRS_Math this morning #ITBio http://t.co/VA8komuuSW

    .@ChristophAdami talk Some Information-Theoretic Musings Concerning the Origin of Life @BIRS_Math this morning #ITBio pic.twitter.com/VA8komuuSW

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    ·

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 18:54:48

  71. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    ICYMI @ChristophAdami had great paper: Information-theoretic Considerations on Origin of Life on arXiv  http://bit.ly/1yIhK2Q  @BIRS_Math

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 19:01:34

  72. Johnston Canyon selfie @BIRS_Math http://t.co/MEKeY5To5s

    Johnston Canyon selfie @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/MEKeY5To5s

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Wed, Oct 29 2014 20:29:31

  73. Baez has a post on Tishby's talk "Sensing & Acting Under Information Constraints" http://t.co/t1nPVI1pxa @BIRS_Math http://t.co/dFuiVLFSGC

    Baez has a post on Tishby’s talk “Sensing & Acting Under Information Constraints”  http://bit.ly/1yIDonR  @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/dFuiVLFSGC

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    ·

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 02:34:38

  74. Thumbnail for Sensing and Acting Under Information ConstraintsSensing and Acting Under Information Constraints

    I’m having a great time at a workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory in Banff, Canada. You can see videos of the talks online. There have been lots of good talks so far, but this one really blew my mind: * Naftali Tishby, Sensing and acting under information constraints—a principled approach to biology and…
    John Baez
  75. INFORMATION THEORY is the new central ...

    INFORMATION THEORY is the new central …

    Facebook
    ·

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 02:59:07

  76. jpenac

    Jesús Peña Cedillo@jpenac
    I’m listening to a talk on the origin of life at a workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory. …  https://plus.google.com/117562920675666983007/posts/gqFL7XY3quF …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 04:06:24

  77. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Ilya Nemenman @EmoryUniversity on Predictive information  http://bit.ly/1titfOw 
    Follow his research:  http://bit.ly/1tithFW  @BIRS_Math

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 12:55:09

  78. NIMBioS

    NIMBioS Science@NIMBioS
    Now accepting applications for the #Research Collaboration Workshop for Women in #MathBio at NIMBioS  http://ow.ly/DzeZ7 

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 14:15:21

  79. StephenPiment

    Stephen Pimentel@StephenPiment
    #Biology and #Information Theory: workshop videos  http://www.birs.ca/videos/2014 

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 14:35:11

  80. Inkpots selfie from yesterday's hike. @BIRS_Math http://t.co/0A6ZQsQVwE

    Inkpots selfie from yesterday’s hike. @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/0A6ZQsQVwE

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 14:49:59

  81. Inkpots group selfie. @BIRS_Math http://t.co/O5vXDjtA3u

    Inkpots group selfie. @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/O5vXDjtA3u

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 14:50:48

  82. On the way home from Inkpots. @BIRS_Math http://t.co/1XhO8mLOkq

    On the way home from Inkpots. @BIRS_Math pic.twitter.com/1XhO8mLOkq

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 14:51:34

  83. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Ilya Nemenman (Emory University), Predictive information  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410300907-Nemenman.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 16:29:57

  84. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Toby Berger (University of Virginia), Neruoscience Applications of GIG Distributions  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410280914-Berger.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 17:20:26

  85. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    We removed a faulty microphone from our lecture room this morning. We’re now fixing the audio buzz in this week’s videos, and reposting.

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 17:52:10

  86. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Daniel Polani (University of Hertfordshire), Informational Principles in Perception-Action Loops  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301038-Polani.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 18:03:21

  87. RajivIyer86

    Rajiv Iyer@RajivIyer86
    Fascinating stuff! #Information Theory #Entropy #Thermodynamics #Chemistry #Physics & lastly #Life itself:  https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-blog/information-theory-and-the-origin-of-life-4cf6b93d156c …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 18:06:03

  88. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Didn’t get enough information theory & biology this week @BIRS_Math? Apply for NIMBioS workshop in April 2015  http://bit.ly/1yIeiWe  #ITBio

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 18:15:08

  89. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Amin Emad (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Applications of Discrete Mathematics in Bioinformatics  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301329-Emad.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 20:06:57

  90. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Paul Bogdan (University of Southern California), Multiscale Analysis Reveals Complex Behavior in Bacteria Populati…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301401-Bogdan.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 20:42:45

  91. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Robert Shaw (ProtoLife Inc.), Information and Causality in a Reaction-Diffusion System  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301434-Shaw.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 21:10:19

  92. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Lubomir Kostal (Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), Efficient information transmi…  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301534-Kostal.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 22:12:41

  93. BIRS_Math

    BIRS@BIRS_Math
    Nima Soltani (Stanford University), Applications of Directed Information to Neuroscience  http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170/videos/watch/201410301647-Soltani.mp4 …

    Thu, Oct 30 2014 23:28:28

  94. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    Banff ☀️❄️🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲❤️

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 00:12:17

  95. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    @lrvarshney I shoulda invited you to this BIRS workshop …

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 01:11:46

  96. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    @conservativelez I’m a big fan of your dad’s research & was reminded of much of it via a workshop on Biological Information Theory

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 05:03:15

  97. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    @conservativelez Though he may not have been able to attend, he can catch most of the talks online if he’d like  https://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 …

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 05:03:58

  98. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Depressed that @BIRS_Math Workshop on Biological & Bio-Inspired Information Theory is over? Relive it here:  http://bit.ly/1rF3G4B  #ITBio

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 13:00:11

  99. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    Kudos @andreweckford, Toby Berger, Peter Thomas, @NGhoussoub, @BIRS_Math & friends on a fantastic workshop!  http://bit.ly/1ckttZq 

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 13:05:08

  100. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    This @BIRS_Math Workshop was biggest thing in #informationtheory & #biology since the Gatlinburg Symposium in 1956.  http://bit.ly/1rF4RRr 

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 13:07:14

  101. See you later Calgary. http://t.co/mkmU6yrmVz

    See you later Calgary. pic.twitter.com/mkmU6yrmVz

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    ·

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:10:30

  102. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    A few thoughts about that workshop while I wait for my flight back to Toronto.

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:13:15

  103. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    1/ Everyone I talked to said it was the best workshop they’d ever been to, and they’d like to do a follow-up workshop @BIRS_Math

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:15:10

  104. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    2/ There is an amazing diversity of work under the umbrella of “information theory”. @BIRS_Math

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:15:45

  105. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    3/ Much of this work is outside the IT mainstream, and an issue is that people use different terms for related concepts. @BIRS_Math

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:16:06

  106. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    4/ Some community building is in order. I think this workshop was a good first step. @BIRS_Math

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:16:21

  107. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    5/ Many many thanks to @BIRS_Math and huge kudos to @NGhoussoub for excellent service to the Canadian scientific community. BIRS is a gem.

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:17:10

  108. andreweckford

    Andrew Eckford@andreweckford
    6/ Also many thanks to the participants for their excellent talks, and to @ChrisAldrich for maintaining a Storify.

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 15:24:45

  109. ChrisAldrich

    ChrisAldrich@ChrisAldrich
    @andreweckford Perhaps we could consider tying in our friends from @sfiscience? @MelMitchell1  https://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5170 … @BIRS_Math #complexity

    Fri, Oct 31 2014 17:50:19

  110. Thumbnail for Entropy and Information in Biological Systems (Part 1)Entropy and Information in Biological Systems (Part 1)

    John Harte is an ecologist who uses maximum entropy methods to predict the distribution, abundance and energy usage of species. Marc Harper uses information theory in bioinformatics and evolutionary game theory. Harper, Harte and I are organizing a workshop on entropy and information in biological systems, and I’m really excited about it!
    John Baez
  111. Thumbnail for Entropy and Information in Biological Systems (Part 2)Entropy and Information in Biological Systems (Part 2)

    John Harte, Marc Harper and I are running a workshop! Now you can apply here to attend: * Information and entropy in biological systems, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville Tennesee, Wednesday-Friday, 8-10 April 2015. Click the link, read the stuff and scroll down to “CLICK HERE” to apply.
    John Baez
  112. Thumbnail for Bio-Inspired Information TheoryBio-Inspired Information Theory

    There will be a 5-day workshop on Biological and Bio-Inspired Information Theory at BIRS from Sunday the 26th to Friday the 31st of October, 2014. It’s being organized by * Toby Berger (University of Virginia) * Andrew Eckford (York University) * Peter Thomas (Case Western Reserve University) BIRS is the Banff International Research Station,…
    John Baez
  113. Thumbnail for Andrew Eckford: The BlogAndrew Eckford: The Blog

    How does it feel to (co-)write a book and hold the finished product in your hands? About like this: Many, many thanks to my excellent co-authors, Tadashi Nakano and Tokuko Haraguchi, for their hard work; thanks to Cambridge for accepting this project and managing it well; and thanks to Satoshi Hiyama for writing a nice blurb.
    Andrew Eckford
  114. Andrew Eckford: The Blog

    You may have seen our PLOS ONE paper about tabletop molecular communication, which received loads of media coverage. One of the goals of this paper was to show that anyone can do experiments in molecular communication, without any wet labs or expensive apparatus.
    Andrew Eckford
  115. Meeting: Gene Regulation and Information Theory

    http://www.uni-ulm.de/~sschober/fachgruppe/Meeting2013/Meeting2013.shtml
    Uni-ulm