50 years of spin glass theory | Nature Reviews Physics
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-025-00871-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-025-00871-z
Nature
50 years of spin glass theory
Nature Reviews Physics - Half a century ago, two theoretical papers were published that together sparked major new directions — conceptual, mathematical and practically applicable — in...
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Message passing for epidemiological interventions on networks with loops
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21596
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21596
arXiv.org
Message passing for epidemiological interventions on networks with loops
Spreading models capture key dynamics on networks, such as cascading failures in economic systems, (mis)information diffusion, and pathogen transmission. Here, we focus on design intervention...
The Physics of News, Rumors, and Opinions
The boundaries between physical and social networks have narrowed with the advent of the Internet and its pervasive platforms. This has given rise to a complex adaptive information ecosystem where individuals and machines compete for attention, leading to emergent collective phenomena. The flow of information in this ecosystem is often non-trivial and involves complex user strategies from the forging or strategic amplification of manipulative content to large-scale coordinated behavior that trigger misinformation cascades, echo-chamber reinforcement, and opinion polarization. We argue that statistical physics provides a suitable and necessary framework for analyzing the unfolding of these complex dynamics on socio-technological systems. This review systematically covers the foundational and applied aspects of this framework. The #review is structured to first establish the theoretical foundation for analyzing these complex systems, examining both structural models of complex networks and physical models of social dynamics (e.g., epidemic and spin models). We then ground these concepts by describing the modern media ecosystem where these dynamics currently unfold, including a comparative analysis of platforms and the challenge of information disorders. The central sections proceed to apply this framework to two central phenomena: first, by analyzing the collective dynamics of information spreading, with a dedicated focus on the models, the main empirical insights, and the unique traits characterizing misinformation; and second, by reviewing current models of opinion dynamics, spanning discrete, continuous, and coevolutionary approaches. In summary, we review both empirical findings based on massive data analytics and theoretical advances, highlighting the valuable insights obtained from physics-based efforts to investigate these phenomena of high societal impact.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15053
The boundaries between physical and social networks have narrowed with the advent of the Internet and its pervasive platforms. This has given rise to a complex adaptive information ecosystem where individuals and machines compete for attention, leading to emergent collective phenomena. The flow of information in this ecosystem is often non-trivial and involves complex user strategies from the forging or strategic amplification of manipulative content to large-scale coordinated behavior that trigger misinformation cascades, echo-chamber reinforcement, and opinion polarization. We argue that statistical physics provides a suitable and necessary framework for analyzing the unfolding of these complex dynamics on socio-technological systems. This review systematically covers the foundational and applied aspects of this framework. The #review is structured to first establish the theoretical foundation for analyzing these complex systems, examining both structural models of complex networks and physical models of social dynamics (e.g., epidemic and spin models). We then ground these concepts by describing the modern media ecosystem where these dynamics currently unfold, including a comparative analysis of platforms and the challenge of information disorders. The central sections proceed to apply this framework to two central phenomena: first, by analyzing the collective dynamics of information spreading, with a dedicated focus on the models, the main empirical insights, and the unique traits characterizing misinformation; and second, by reviewing current models of opinion dynamics, spanning discrete, continuous, and coevolutionary approaches. In summary, we review both empirical findings based on massive data analytics and theoretical advances, highlighting the valuable insights obtained from physics-based efforts to investigate these phenomena of high societal impact.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.15053
arXiv.org
The Physics of News, Rumors, and Opinions
The boundaries between physical and social networks have narrowed with the advent of the Internet and its pervasive platforms. This has given rise to a complex adaptive information ecosystem where...
Finite Markov chains and Monte-Carlo Methods: An Undergraduate Introduction
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.14165
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.14165
arXiv.org
Finite Markov chains and Monte-Carlo Methods: An Undergraduate Introduction
This is a free textbook suitable for a one-semester course on Markov chains, covering basics of finite-state chains, many classical models, asymptotic behavior and mixing times, Monte Carlo...
Are these the happiest PhD students in the world?
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03346-4
what matters most [is] human connections, meaningful work and mentorship.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03346-4
what matters most [is] human connections, meaningful work and mentorship.
David Chalmers, Can There Be a Mathematical Theory of Consciousness? | Natural Philosophy Symposium
https://youtu.be/ZsvePdaYw7M
https://youtu.be/ZsvePdaYw7M
YouTube
David Chalmers, Can There Be a Mathematical Theory of Consciousness? | Natural Philosophy Symposium
The inaugural Natural Philosophy Symposium was held in Baltimore on May 29-31, 2025. It was sponsored by the Natural Philosophy Forum at Johns Hopkins (https://www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/), covering all aspects of natural philosophy, featuring talks…
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Audio
Program: Is it time to bring back natural philosophy?
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/philosopherszone/is-it-time-to-bring-back-natural-philosophy-/105499206
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/philosopherszone/is-it-time-to-bring-back-natural-philosophy-/105499206
Daniel Dennett, How, When, and Why Can We Trust Our Brains? | Natural Philosophy Forum Lecture, 2023
https://youtu.be/32u12zjgJww
https://youtu.be/32u12zjgJww
YouTube
Daniel Dennett, How, When, and Why Can We Trust Our Brains? | Natural Philosophy Forum Lecture, 2023
The Johns Hopkins Natural Philosophy Forum sponsors an annual Distinguished Lecture, to be given by a scientist or philosopher working on illuminating the fundamental structure of reality. The 2022-23 lecture was given on February 6, 2023, by Daniel Dennett…
Sandra Mitchell, Biological Complexity and Scientific Practice | Natural Philosophy Symposium 2025
https://youtu.be/OamFDuT45oY?list=PLWDzKuETVzrpkaD32TBFn8sarleSfLJ3A
https://youtu.be/OamFDuT45oY?list=PLWDzKuETVzrpkaD32TBFn8sarleSfLJ3A
YouTube
Sandra Mitchell, Biological Complexity and Scientific Practice | Natural Philosophy Symposium 2025
The inaugural Natural Philosophy Symposium was held in Baltimore on May 29-31, 2025. It was sponsored by the Natural Philosophy Forum at Johns Hopkins (https://www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/), covering all aspects of natural philosophy, featuring talks…
Transmission Versus Truth: What Will It Take to Make an Al as Smart as a 4-Year-Old?
https://youtu.be/PNE5pfQBlxM
https://youtu.be/PNE5pfQBlxM
YouTube
Transmission Versus Truth: What Will It Take to Make an Al as Smart as a 4-Year-Old?
Alison Gopnik (University of California, Berkeley, SFI) There is no such thing as general intelligence — artificial or natural — argues Alison Gopnik. Instead, there are multiple intelligences, each with its own trade-offs. Three different types of cognitive…
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#PhD opportunity to predict how natural populations will respond to perturbations:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/social-manipulations-for-predicting-wild-animal-societies-responses-to-perturbations/?p187979
The project will combine large-scale social data from model animal systems with network analyses and social manipulations to understand the causal effects of external forces on real-world societies.
Application Deadline 7 Jan 2026, fully funded through YES-DTN scheme at University of Leeds.
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/social-manipulations-for-predicting-wild-animal-societies-responses-to-perturbations/?p187979
The project will combine large-scale social data from model animal systems with network analyses and social manipulations to understand the causal effects of external forces on real-world societies.
Application Deadline 7 Jan 2026, fully funded through YES-DTN scheme at University of Leeds.
www.FindAPhD.com
Social Manipulations for Predicting Wild Animal Societies' Responses to Perturbations at University of Leeds on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Social Manipulations for Predicting Wild Animal Societies' Responses to Perturbations at University of Leeds, listed on FindAPhD.com
#phd Developing methods for accurate reconstruction of viral histories to guide pandemic preparedness and targeted interventions
https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/study/dphil-themes?project=developing-methods-for-accurate-reconstruction-of-viral-histories-to-guide-pandemic-preparedness-and-targeted-interventions
https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/study/dphil-themes?project=developing-methods-for-accurate-reconstruction-of-viral-histories-to-guide-pandemic-preparedness-and-targeted-interventions
Shark Data Suggests Animals Scale Like Geometric Objects
https://www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-suggests-animals-scale-like-geometric-objects-20251027/
https://www.quantamagazine.org/shark-data-suggests-animals-scale-like-geometric-objects-20251027/
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Lake Como School: Complex Networks
Theory, Methods, and Applications - May 18-22, 2026
https://ntml.lakecomoschool.org/
Theory, Methods, and Applications - May 18-22, 2026
https://ntml.lakecomoschool.org/
Complex Networks: Theory, Methods, And Applications (10th Edition)
Homepage - Complex Networks: Theory, Methods, And Applications (10th Edition)
Complex Networks Theory, Methods, and Applications 10th edition May 18-22, 2026 Villa del Grumello, Como, Italy Many real systems can be modeled as networks, where the elements of the system are nodes and interactions between elements are edges. An even larger…
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Senior Scientist (= #PostDoc with option of permanency)!
https://jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d1400f4-cbe6-ab69-dc82-68e77675d81c?category=Academic%20Staff%20(Non-Tenure-Track),Academic%20Staff%20(Development%20Position)
https://jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d1400f4-cbe6-ab69-dc82-68e77675d81c?category=Academic%20Staff%20(Non-Tenure-Track),Academic%20Staff%20(Development%20Position)
Towards an Understanding of Scientific Disagreement
https://vimeo.com/1131827105
https://vimeo.com/1131827105
Vimeo
Towards an Understanding of Scientific Disagreement
Binghamton Center of Complex Systems (CoCo) Seminar October 29, 2025 Dakota Murray (Information Science and Technology, University at Albany) "Towards an Understanding…
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🔺🔺🔺Postdoc Opportunity – Electrophysiology Lab (Shahid Beheshti University)
Dr. Reza Lashgari is looking for postdoctoral researchers to join his electrophysiology lab at Shahid Beheshti University.
Candidates with a strong background in neuroscience, signal recording, and signal processing are encouraged to apply.
Please share this with anyone who might be interested!
Dr. Reza Lashgari is looking for postdoctoral researchers to join his electrophysiology lab at Shahid Beheshti University.
Candidates with a strong background in neuroscience, signal recording, and signal processing are encouraged to apply.
Please share this with anyone who might be interested!