News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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May7
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Mechanisms of temporal variability and precision in transient biological dynamics
Speaker: Jon Rubin, University of Pittsburgh
Abstract: Understanding transient temporal effects—when events occur and how variable their timing is—represents a central challenge across biological systems. This talk will present dynamical systems frameworks for understanding temporal variability, temporal precision, and input selectivity across two very different biological contexts. First, in predator-prey population cycles, I will discuss how stochasticity interacts with proximity to saddle points to generate substantial cycle period variability, as associated with population outbreaks. Second, in the context of neuronal responses to time-varying inputs, I will demonstrate the dynamical features underlying some selective response phenomena characteristic of brainstem auditory neurons. Finally, in a setting that combines both periodic forcing and noise, I introduce the dynamic threshold curve (DTC), which captures how the geometry of excitable systems determines their phase-locking precision, which may contribute to the remarkable temporal accuracy of auditory neurons.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96618412691
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TIME Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May13
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: The Nature of Artificial Intelligence - Reiss Lecture
Speaker: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute
Abstract: AI is all around us—recognizing faces in photos, transcribing speech, answering questions, writing essays, generating code, and much more. But rapidly improving AI is poised to play a much bigger role in all of our lives. In this lecture, I will describe how contemporary AI works, how “intelligent” it really is, and what our expectations—and concerns—about its near-term and long-term prospects should be.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/97956443317
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TIME Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
LOCATION L211, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May14
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Six Principles For Evaluating Cognitive Capabilities in AI Models - Reiss Lecture
Speaker: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute
Abstract: Modern AI systems have exceeded human performance on many benchmarks meant to evaluate general cognitive capacities. However, it is often the case that benchmark performance does a poor job of predicting general capacities in real-world settings. In this article I describe several issues related to evaluation that can cause this mismatch, and propose six principles, inspired by developmental and comparative psychology, that need to be adopted to enable rigorous evaluation for AI systems. These principles are illustrated by case studies from the psychology and AI literature.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96257055494
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TIME Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May21
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Diffusion-induced aggregation and diffusion-limited settling of particles in density-stratified fluids
Speaker: Robert Hunt, University of Chicago
Abstract: Many systems in nature involve fluids which are stratified by their density, the ocean being an important example. In these stratified fluids, immersed particles interact with the stratifying agent, causing both the fluid and particles to move. This talk will discuss two phenomena that arise from this coupled system: diffusion-induced aggregation, where a density field disturbance and subsequent induced flow create an effective force between particles, and diffusion-limited settling, where the rate of solute exchange between a stratified fluid and a porous particle determines the velocity at which the particle settles. In both cases, the interaction between the stratifying solute and the solid geometry plays a crucial role, and this interaction can yield emergent and counterintuitive particle behavior with relevance to carbon sequestration and ocean ecology.
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/95196126589
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
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TIME Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May28
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Dashun Wang, Northwestern University
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Jun4
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Neil Ribe, Université Paris-Saclay
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Noor Kaur noor.kaur@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)