Description "Data is the new soil..." ... but it needs to be mapped! We live in a world where the importance of data is growing exponentially, and where the need to extract knowledge from data appears in many diverse sectors of our society. More often than not, this information extraction process involves visualizing complex data in original ways. In this workshop, complexitat.cat invites speakers from very different universes to share their experiences in dealing with the representation of data-sets, with the aim of appealing to a multidisciplinar audience ranging from business to science and even art. After the plenary sessions, space for discussion, networking and presentation of small data-viz initiatives is also scheduled. Join us in this free workshop! PLENARY TALKS: DataVis for consultancy in Higher Education institutions Victor Pascual (Siris Academic) Multilayer analysis and visualization of networks Manlio de Domenico (URV) Designing with/for data Pierrick Thébault (AXA & MIT) Understanding Data through human acts Dani Pearson (Domestic Data Streamers) REGISTRATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS: The attendance to the workshop is free, but registration is needed and places are limited. Applications will be considered in a first come first served basis. Additionally, slots for short presentations (10-15 min) are available (application deadline: May 5th). Register and (optionally) submit your abstract below.

Description

DataVis for consultancy in HE institutions Victor Pascual Multilayer analysis and visualization of networks Manlio de Domenico Designing with/for data Pierrick Thébault

Organizers
complexitat.cat

Description

The understanding of brain function is a critical issue both for scientific reasons and for its clinical implications. Neurological and psychiatric diseases affect a sizeable amount of the population, a proportion that increases with age. The need to develop new and efficient tools to restore brain function that has been altered by disease requires a thorough understanding of brain physiology and its capability for plasticity. Recent developments in computation, imaging, molecular and optical tools, new materials and the means for brain interfacing open up possibilities for brain studies and interventions that were unthinkable just two decades ago.

Organizers
Mavi Sanchez-Vives ICREA-IDIBAPS

Description Conferencia de divulgación en la que, buscando una definición útil de “complejidad” —un concepto nacido entre físicos y matemáticos que hoy afecta el desarrollo científico en biología, economía, ingenierías, química y sociología— se analizan casos concretos (relacionados con nuestra investigación reciente) que están ayudando a descifrar aspectos de la estructura y la dinámica del cerebro. Es referencia el libro Physics, Nature and Society: A Guide to Order and Complexity in Our World, J. Marro, Springer, Berlin 2014.

Description Biological neural networks exhibit ongoing, spatiotemporal patterns of spiking activity. Evidence shows that spike dynamics shift from one transient attractor to another, i.e. they appear to be metastable. Metastability is theorized to be adaptive for neural and cognitive function, but learning must somehow remain stable in the context of highly variable spike dynamics. Stable learning is challenging in part because it appears that functions of homeostatic regulation and learning are both expressed through potentiation and de-potentiation of synapses. In this talk, Prof. Kello will present a spiking neural network model that integrates homeostatic regulation with learning via a local, biological plausible process of synaptic modulation. Homeostatic regulation towards the critical branching point results in power law spike dynamics, while learning shapes those dynamics to maximize reward and minimize punishment. The model is shown to simulate intrinsic fluctuations in neural and behavioral activity, and the efficacy of learning is demonstrated using time-delayed XOR classification as a simple test function, and real-time phoneme recognition in naturalistic speech as a more challenging test.