Prose, poetry, creativity…but hang on, did Evolution extort a heavy price for such human ingenuity? Perhaps. Of the many traits that separate modern humans from our close ancestors, Schizophrenia is one; a severe and disabling mental disorder unique to us Homo sapiens, which evolved as we diverged from archaic hominids including the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. Schizophrenia’s high prevalence (1%) also make its an evolutionary paradox. How did it evolve and why, despite it severely reducing evolutionary fitness, has Evolution not weeded it out yet, or at least made it rare?
Philipp Mitteroecker and Giuseppe P. Merola review the many theories proposed to explain the evolution of Schizophrenia and test them against modern epidemiological and genetic evidence. They also present the first mathematical formulation of the Cliff Edge model of Schizophrenia, significantly demystifying this evolutionary puzzle. (Click on title to continue...)
Prose, poetry, creativity…but hang on, did Evolution extort a heavy price for such human ingenuity? Perhaps. Of the many traits that separate modern humans from our close ancestors, Schizophrenia is one; a severe and disabling mental disorder unique to us Homo sapiens, which evolved as we diverged from archaic hominids including the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. Schizophrenia’s high prevalence (1%) also make its an evolutionary paradox. How did it evolve and why, despite it severely reducing evolutionary fitness, has Evolution not weeded it out yet, or at least made it rare?
Philipp Mitteroecker and Giuseppe P. Merola review the many theories proposed to explain the evolution of Schizophrenia and test them against modern epidemiological and genetic evidence. They also present the first mathematical formulation of the Cliff Edge model of Schizophrenia, significantly demystifying this evolutionary puzzle. (Click on title to continue...)
We warmly welcome our new Postdoctoral Fellow Somya Mani to the KLI!
Somya Mani is a theoretical biologist, and has studied evolutionary transitions in genetic, cellular and multicellular systems. She received her PhD from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India, where she studied the evolution of the eukaryotic cell through mathematical modeling. During her postdoctoral research at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, she began to build her research on developmental evolution, and also produced the first modeling framework for the study of de novo gene birth. In general, her work involves building mathematical models to capture evolution of biological systems using tools from physics and mathematics, particularly statistics and graph theory. (Click on title to continue...)
We warmly welcome our new Postdoctoral Fellow Somya Mani to the KLI!
Somya Mani is a theoretical biologist, and has studied evolutionary transitions in genetic, cellular and multicellular systems. She received her PhD from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India, where she studied the evolution of the eukaryotic cell through mathematical modeling. During her postdoctoral research at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, she began to build her research on developmental evolution, and also produced the first modeling framework for the study of de novo gene birth. In general, her work involves building mathematical models to capture evolution of biological systems using tools from physics and mathematics, particularly statistics and graph theory. (Click on title to continue...)
We are delighted to have KLI alumna Barbara Fischer join the KLI again, this time as Group Leader, Evolutionary Biology! Barbara is an evolutionary biologist and data scientist with a background in mathematics and theoretical biology. She studies phenotypic evolution using theoretical and empirical approaches. Her work centers on the classical problem of adaptation vs. constraint in evolution: Why are some traits easily adapted by evolution, while others are not, with particular focus on the evolution of birth in humans. Currently, Barbara is an Elise Richter fellow at the Unit of Theoretical Biology, Department of Evolutionary Biology of the University of Vienna, Austria.
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We are delighted to have KLI alumna Barbara Fischer join the KLI again, this time as Group Leader, Evolutionary Biology! Barbara is an evolutionary biologist and data scientist with a background in mathematics and theoretical biology. She studies phenotypic evolution using theoretical and empirical approaches. Her work centers on the classical problem of adaptation vs. constraint in evolution: Why are some traits easily adapted by evolution, while others are not, with particular focus on the evolution of birth in humans. Currently, Barbara is an Elise Richter fellow at the Unit of Theoretical Biology, Department of Evolutionary Biology of the University of Vienna, Austria.
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We warmly welcome our new Writing-up Fellow Franziska Reinhard to the KLI!
Franziska is currently a PhD researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, University of Vienna. Her PhD project studies practices from origins-of-life research from a philosophy of science perspective, combining aspects of general philosophy science, philosophy of biology, and philosophy of the historical sciences. Franziska has completed a BA in Chemistry and Philosophy at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, and an MA in Logic and Philosophy of Science at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
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We warmly welcome our new Writing-up Fellow Franziska Reinhard to the KLI!
Franziska is currently a PhD researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, University of Vienna. Her PhD project studies practices from origins-of-life research from a philosophy of science perspective, combining aspects of general philosophy science, philosophy of biology, and philosophy of the historical sciences. Franziska has completed a BA in Chemistry and Philosophy at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, and an MA in Logic and Philosophy of Science at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany.
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Isabella Sarto-Jackson discusses her book "The Making and Breaking of Minds" with Ricardo Lopes on The Dissenter, a popular YouTube channel.
In her conversation with Ricardo, for the episode titled "Exploring the Influence of Social Interactions on the Human Mind," Isabella delves into various aspects of human psychology, environmental factors, niche construction, gene-culture coevolution, mechanisms, and limitations of neuroplasticity and more.
(Click on title to read more!)
Isabella Sarto-Jackson discusses her book "The Making and Breaking of Minds" with Ricardo Lopes on The Dissenter, a popular YouTube channel.
In her conversation with Ricardo, for the episode titled "Exploring the Influence of Social Interactions on the Human Mind," Isabella delves into various aspects of human psychology, environmental factors, niche construction, gene-culture coevolution, mechanisms, and limitations of neuroplasticity and more.
(Click on title to read more!)
We are very happy to have our new Postdoctoral Fellow Olesya Bondareko at the KLI! Olesya has recently defended her PhD in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. Her current research focuses on the integration between genomics and the social sciences including psychology, sociology, and social policy-oriented research.
Olesya was born and grew up in Ukraine which continues to suffer from the Russian invasion. You can help Ukrainian medics save lives by donating to https://www.hospitallers.org.uk/ or https://www.leleka.care/.
(Click on the title to know more about Olesya!)
We are very happy to have our new Postdoctoral Fellow Olesya Bondareko at the KLI! Olesya has recently defended her PhD in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. Her current research focuses on the integration between genomics and the social sciences including psychology, sociology, and social policy-oriented research.
Olesya was born and grew up in Ukraine which continues to suffer from the Russian invasion. You can help Ukrainian medics save lives by donating to https://www.hospitallers.org.uk/ or https://www.leleka.care/.
(Click on the title to know more about Olesya!)
What do authors of 'citation classics' feel about their papers? How did they come to write those famous papers and how did those papers affect their lives and careers? Are those findings still valid decades after their publication? Hari Sridhar's new website https://reflectionsonpaperspast.com
features his interviews with authors of famous papers in Ecology, Evolution, Behaviour and Conservation, (154 interviews so far!) about back-stories of those papers and the authors' reflections on their impact, validity and relevance today, decades after their publication. (Click on title to read on!)
What do authors of 'citation classics' feel about their papers? How did they come to write those famous papers and how did those papers affect their lives and careers? Are those findings still valid decades after their publication? Hari Sridhar's new website https://reflectionsonpaperspast.com
features his interviews with authors of famous papers in Ecology, Evolution, Behaviour and Conservation, (154 interviews so far!) about back-stories of those papers and the authors' reflections on their impact, validity and relevance today, decades after their publication. (Click on title to read on!)
Save the dates!! Here's announcing the 2024 Spring-Summer Colloquium Series
Our Spring-Summer colloquium series will feature our very own four post-docs of the 2022-2024 cohort – Laura Menatti, Hari Sridhar, Marina Knickel and Corey Bunce – along with talks by Brian McLoone (Department of Philosophy, Auburn University, USA), Jana Semrau (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany), Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Germany), Tudor Popescu (University of Padova, Italy), Juno Salazar Parreñas (Cornell University, USA), and Ievgeniia Ivanova (University of Stirling, UK). (Click on title to read more!!)
Save the dates!! Here's announcing the 2024 Spring-Summer Colloquium Series
Our Spring-Summer colloquium series will feature our very own four post-docs of the 2022-2024 cohort – Laura Menatti, Hari Sridhar, Marina Knickel and Corey Bunce – along with talks by Brian McLoone (Department of Philosophy, Auburn University, USA), Jana Semrau (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany), Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Germany), Tudor Popescu (University of Padova, Italy), Juno Salazar Parreñas (Cornell University, USA), and Ievgeniia Ivanova (University of Stirling, UK). (Click on title to read more!!)
The Spring-Summer 2024 KLife Newsletter is here!! As always, there has been a flurry of activities at the KLI. We bring you news of successful collaborative efforts, new Fellows joining us, upcoming events to look forward to, and new publications. We hope you enjoy reading about these and more in this edition. (Click on the title to read more)
The Spring-Summer 2024 KLife Newsletter is here!! As always, there has been a flurry of activities at the KLI. We bring you news of successful collaborative efforts, new Fellows joining us, upcoming events to look forward to, and new publications. We hope you enjoy reading about these and more in this edition. (Click on the title to read more)
Guido Caniglia and Marina Knickel in the KLI team are excited to continue their work in the recently launched EU Horizon project PLUS Change. This project will develop strategies and decision-making processes to transform land use by prioritizing societal well-being, climate goals, and biodiversity conservation. (Click on title to read more)
Guido Caniglia and Marina Knickel in the KLI team are excited to continue their work in the recently launched EU Horizon project PLUS Change. This project will develop strategies and decision-making processes to transform land use by prioritizing societal well-being, climate goals, and biodiversity conservation. (Click on title to read more)
The editors summarize issue 19(1)—which includes a thematic section on “Concepts of Agency”—out this month, with free reading links for articles.
The editors summarize issue 19(1)—which includes a thematic section on “Concepts of Agency”—out this month, with free reading links for articles.
Several KLI fellows have come together in summer 2023 to work on an interdisciplinary project on climate adaption strategies funded by the Social Science & Humanities for Climate, Energy and Transport Research Excellence (SSH Centre).
Several KLI fellows have come together in summer 2023 to work on an interdisciplinary project on climate adaption strategies funded by the Social Science & Humanities for Climate, Energy and Transport Research Excellence (SSH Centre).
Recently, the KLI hosted the 40th Altenberg Workshop in Theoretical Biology entitled "Directionality in Genomics and Macroevolution", organised by Laura Nuno de la Rosa, Craig Lowe, Adi Livnat and Beckett Sterner.
Recently, the KLI hosted the 40th Altenberg Workshop in Theoretical Biology entitled "Directionality in Genomics and Macroevolution", organised by Laura Nuno de la Rosa, Craig Lowe, Adi Livnat and Beckett Sterner.
The 2023-24 fall-winter KLI colloquium series will resume in October with a great line-up of speakers.
The 2023-24 fall-winter KLI colloquium series will resume in October with a great line-up of speakers.
The KLI fellows and team travelled to lots of conferences this summer, sharing insights from their research and discussing promising new endeavours with the international community.
The KLI fellows and team travelled to lots of conferences this summer, sharing insights from their research and discussing promising new endeavours with the international community.
The Vienna Science Studies Lab reading group continues and the lab will be expanded, hosting meetings on works in progress to enable constructive feedback.
The Vienna Science Studies Lab reading group continues and the lab will be expanded, hosting meetings on works in progress to enable constructive feedback.
The new addition to the Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology from the MIT Press is a coherent and comprehensive theory of life that synthesizes the specific properties of living organisms.
The new addition to the Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology from the MIT Press is a coherent and comprehensive theory of life that synthesizes the specific properties of living organisms.
Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoins, are becoming more and more prevalent in our lexicon today, the broad common understanding being that it is a financial system that is based on technology. However, for most of us, there is still a lot more to know and understand how cryptocurrencies work, and how such a technology can affect social relationships. Enrico Petracca, along with Shaun Gallagher, in their new paper reveal that while technology is an important aspect of cryptocurrencies, the very humane emotion of trust, which is the basis of social and interpersonal relationships, is still at the core of the cryptocurrency enterprise. (click on title to continue…)
Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoins, are becoming more and more prevalent in our lexicon today, the broad common understanding being that it is a financial system that is based on technology. However, for most of us, there is still a lot more to know and understand how cryptocurrencies work, and how such a technology can affect social relationships. Enrico Petracca, along with Shaun Gallagher, in their new paper reveal that while technology is an important aspect of cryptocurrencies, the very humane emotion of trust, which is the basis of social and interpersonal relationships, is still at the core of the cryptocurrency enterprise. (click on title to continue…)
Barbara Fischer joined the KLI on the 1st of April as the Group Leader (Evolutionary Biology). She talks to Joyshree Chanam about her earlier time at the KLI as a post-doctoral fellow, and her current role at the institute.
Barbara Fischer joined the KLI on the 1st of April as the Group Leader (Evolutionary Biology). She talks to Joyshree Chanam about her earlier time at the KLI as a post-doctoral fellow, and her current role at the institute.
The 5th Meeting of the Vienna Science Studies Laboratory was held yesterday afternoon in the cool ambience of Das Café in Vienna. The paper that was selected for this reading group’s discussion was Anderson, W., 2004. Natural histories of infectious disease: Ecological vision in twentieth-century biomedical science. Osiris, 19, pp.39-61.
The 5th Meeting of the Vienna Science Studies Laboratory was held yesterday afternoon in the cool ambience of Das Café in Vienna. The paper that was selected for this reading group’s discussion was Anderson, W., 2004. Natural histories of infectious disease: Ecological vision in twentieth-century biomedical science. Osiris, 19, pp.39-61.
Guido Caniglia and Coleen Vogel win the GAIA Best Paper Award 2023 for their article “On being oriented. Strengthening transgressive orientations in transdisciplinary sustainability research through queer theory”.
Abstract: “We move from a provocative analogy: that transdisciplinary sustainability researchers are to academia what queer people are to a heteronormative and sex/gender binary world. Both may experience disorientation and need to learn how to transgress established norms. Queer people and scholars have extensively dealt with (dis)orientation and celebrated transgression. We suggest that queer theory can help transdisciplinary sustainability researchers to raise questions that intensify the transgressive orientations of their work when contributing to just and equitable sustainability transformations.” (Click on title to continue...)
Guido Caniglia and Coleen Vogel win the GAIA Best Paper Award 2023 for their article “On being oriented. Strengthening transgressive orientations in transdisciplinary sustainability research through queer theory”.
Abstract: “We move from a provocative analogy: that transdisciplinary sustainability researchers are to academia what queer people are to a heteronormative and sex/gender binary world. Both may experience disorientation and need to learn how to transgress established norms. Queer people and scholars have extensively dealt with (dis)orientation and celebrated transgression. We suggest that queer theory can help transdisciplinary sustainability researchers to raise questions that intensify the transgressive orientations of their work when contributing to just and equitable sustainability transformations.” (Click on title to continue...)
Laura Menatti is invited to give a talk at the Institute for Practical Ethics, University of California San Diego, on the 14th of March. The talk is titled "Understanding the Current Health and Climate Crisis through the Concept of Salutogenesis" . For abstract and details, please read on.
Laura Menatti is invited to give a talk at the Institute for Practical Ethics, University of California San Diego, on the 14th of March. The talk is titled "Understanding the Current Health and Climate Crisis through the Concept of Salutogenesis" . For abstract and details, please read on.
