ORGN 2 |
| George M. Whitesides1, Piotr Garstecki1, Bartosz Grzybowski2, Michael Fuerstman1, Irina Gitlin1, Willow Diluzio1, Michael Mayer1, Douglas Weibel1, Eugenia Kumacheva3, and Jessamine N. Lee1. (1) Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138, (2) Dept of Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd., TECH E136, Evanston, IL 60208-3120, (3) Dept. of Chemistry, Univ. of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Tornoto, M5S 3H6, Canada |
| Complex, emergence, and dynamical self-assembly are related, and controversial, subjects. Many important systems, from the living cell to power distribution systems to the weather, are complex, and the importance of complex systems, systems of components interacting non-linearly, is unarguable. It is, however, unclear if there is a science of complexity, or if different types of complex systems share common characteristics. Complex systems may also show so-called emergent (that is, "new" or simply, perhaps, unexpected) behavior. This seminar will outline some of the problems in complexity and emergence, and summarize studies in "synthetic complexity," that is, studies of systems of multiple components interacting with one another by relatively simple rules. Designing these systems is a challenge in its own right, but once designed, they are both illuminating in their relevance to complexity, and stimulating in their propensity to show unexpected behaviors. |
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James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry
8:35 AM-12:00 PM, Sunday, March 28, 2004 Anaheim Convention Center -- Bllrm A/B, Oral
Division of Organic Chemistry |