Complexity economics hits its stride

For the last 150 years, economic theory has depended on assumptions that consumers and investors think hyper-rationally. It's elegant but not realistic, argues SFI External Professor W. Brian Arthur in an essay published recently in Nature Physics Reviews.

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SFI shines in 'golden age' of social science

Crossing disciplines, collecting new data in unconventional ways, and establishing a common language have long been hallmarks of scientific culture at the Santa Fe Institute. Now these same practices are spurring a "golden age" in social science, to which SFI researchers have made outsized contributions over the past 12 years, according to a perspective piece published February 2 in PNAS.

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Cancer evolution, from cells to species and back

In his 2020 Darwin Lecture, “Cancer Evolution: From Cells to Species and Back,” SFI External Professor Michael Hochberg, who is Distinguished Research Director with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique at the University of Montpellier, France, drew on insights from network science and his own expertise in disease modeling to provide an overview of how evolution has shaped cancer into the deadly killer it is today.

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Evolution evolving

Charles Darwin formulated the theory of evolution by natural selection in 1859. Today, in honor of his birthday, we present research and reflections on evolution, which makes sense of our complex world.

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Research brief: Where should you park your car? The 1/2 rule

In a Journal of Statistical Mechanics paper published in July 2020, Paul Krapivsky and SFI Professor Sidney Redner report an idealized model for the optimal strategy to park in the very best spot that’s closest to your destination. The paper was selected by Physics World as one of  "The 10 quirkiest physics stories of 2020."

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To find the right network model, compare all possible histories

Scientists rarely have the historical data they need to see exactly how nodes in a network became connected. But a new paper by SFI's George Cantwell offers hope for reconstructing the missing information, using a new method to evaluate the rules that generate network models.

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SFI Press explores the art of science publishing

Academic publishing rarely attracts praise for aesthetics, affordability, or alacrity, but all three have defined the SFI Press since its founding in 2017. Supported by Bill Miller and the Miller Omega Program, it aims to bring new research from submission to publication within a year, at trade-book prices and in unique, collectible style.

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