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09.10.2012 A glance at the brain’s circuit diagram

A new method facilitates the mapping of connections between neurons

The human brain accomplishes its remarkable feats through the interplay of an unimaginable number of neurons that are interconnected in complex networks. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, the University of Göttingen and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Göttingen has now developed a method for decoding neural circuit diagrams. Using measurements of total neuronal activity, they can determine the probability that two neurons are connected with each other.

13.08.2012 Continuous Percolation with Discontinuities

Continuous Percolation with Discontinuities

18.06.2012 Self-organization of electric power grid dynamics

In future smart grids, the distribution of consumer demands shall be controlled as to efficiently match electric power production. Such control requires a through understanding of how the grid self-organizes its collective dynamics in the absence of control. We are now providing a new perpective using mathematical oscillator models of power grids.

One main conclusion: adding new connection lines may not only help but also prevent power grid synchrony and thus cause power outage.

Article in the Max Planck Reseach Magazine (German, 8.5MB)

Editors Suggestion at Physical Review Letters,

prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v109/i6/e064101

highlighted in Physics

http://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.064101

second article at New Journal of Physics on Braess' paradox

http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/14/8/083036

Dirk Witthaut and Marc Timme

Network Dynamics Group

18.06.2012 Chaos im Kopf?

Michael Monteforte vom MPIDS erhält die Otto-Hahn-Medaille der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

18.06.2012 Small World Formula

The collective dynamics on small world networks emerge in a broad range of systems including neural circuits, epidemic spreading networks and chemical reactions. Here a mathematical formula is provided that systematically predicts the dynamics on such networks.

Reference: Phys. Rev. Lett. 108:218701, 2012

http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v108/i21/e218701

Media Reports (most recent) see all

03.07.2012 Research on Humanizing Music on cover of Physics Today

The cover of the July 2012 issue of Physics Today features an article by Holger Hennig et al. on their recent research on humanization of music.

05.02.2012 Whale Communication and Zipf's Law

Trevor Pinch of Cornell University / New York and Mark Lane from Paris present a radio show on the widespread phenomena (roughly) following Zipf's law statistics. Jan Nagler and Heike Vester's research on whale communication compared to the size statistics on cities and other seeminly unrelated topics.

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