Science & Cocktails with Charlotte Hemelrijk

Event in English, semi-seated.

19:30 doors open for cocktails
20:30 Charlotte Hemelrijk (talk)
21:40 Zinoun Abou Saleh & Francesca Fralalai (live music)

After nearly a decade of successful and awarded editions in Copenhagen, Johannesburg and Brussels, and two previous editions of Science & Cocktails in Amsterdam with theoretical physicist Robbert Dijkgraaf and astrophysicist Ewine van Dishoeck, we invite Charlotte Hemelrijk to talk about the continuously changing shape of flocks of birds and schools of fish. Afterwards, cocktails that do not move collectively and live music by producer Zinoun Abou Saleh and Francesca Fralalai on harp.

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The collective motion of flocks of birds and schools of fish
Why is the shape of a fish school on average oblong and the shape of huge flocks of starlings continuously changing? Are there leaders in the huge flocks of starlings? Do starlings in the flock keep close to a familiar neighbour? What are the dark bands that move over huge flocks of starlings? Can the study of patterns of collective escape by birds from a predator have any use for human society?

The mystery of flocks of starlings concerns the coordination of their flock members and how this collective behavior can lead to such miraculous changes in flock shape and density. This fascinating question needs to be solved by combining computational models with empirical data. Empirically detailed measurements have been done on many aspects, such as their flock shapes, the degree of motion of individuals within a flock and on the collective reaction to a predator through a so-called wave of agitation. A wave of agitation is observed as a dark band moving over the flock and away from a raptor.

This evening, Charlotte Hemelrijk will discuss a number of causes for these empirical data and how theories about self-organisation and computer models can help understanding these collective phenomena.

Charlotte Hemelrijk
Charlotte Hemelrijk is Professor at the faculty of science and engineering with expertise in self-organisation of social systems. She is member of the board of the Groningen Center for Social Complexity Studies and chair of the board on research of Netherlands Platform for Complex Systems, NPCS.

This event is an initiative by the Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena (DIEP) with the support of NWA Route 2. 

Science & Cocktails Amsterdam is presented in cooperation with Paradiso and acknowledges the support of New Scientist.