Seminars

'How Life Explored and Conquered the Euclidean three dimensions' iTHES Theoretical Science Colloquium

Asia/Tokyo
Nishina Hall (RIKEN Wako)

Nishina Hall

RIKEN Wako

Description
Prof. Robert Sinclair (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, OIST) "Geometry before Euclid: How Life Explored and Conquered the Dimensionality of 3-Space" Date and time: 2:00p.m.- , June 18th (Wed.) Place: Nishina Hall  Abstract: Modern animals develop in three-dimensional space, using complex coordinate systems to coordinate the growth of complex structures such as internal organs and appendages. Precambrian animals seem to have achieved a progression from one to two dimensional body plans over a period of approximately one billion years, with evidence of linear and then fractal-like body plans (exploring dimensionalities intermediate between one and two), before the appearance of regular disk-like body plans. I wish to present a hypothesis: That the development of coordinate systems lagged behind in this progression, and will present a mathematical model of a body plan of Dickinsonia type which has only a single coordinate (uses only a single growth inhibiting factor or morphogen) to produce a two dimensional body. I will close with some comments on the relationship between the structure of human memory and the dimensionality of the space we live in. Prior to the colloquium, three short talks by iTHES members will be presented as follows; 14:00-14:15 S. Wanajo (iTHES-phys) 14:15-14:30 Y. Kamiya (iTHES-cond) 14:30-14:45 W. Nishima (iTHES-bio) 14:45-15:00 break 15:00- R. Sinclair (OIST)
Slides