Complexity Science and System Design
Complex systems science is an interdisciplinary field that studies of how collections of many parts can interact to create wholes. My work in the field ranges from using evolutionary algorithms to create art and music, to studying sociopolitical challenges like refugee migration, fascism, and rioting, to investigations of social networks and interpersonal dynamics. I have a keen interest in mapping the complexity inherent to the world, and tapping its emergent properties; this is why I call myself a systems cartographer.
Entropic Melody Generator
Can a computer spontaneously produce interesting, surprising melodies? I was able to coax one into doing so by introducing an evolutionary algorithm with an entropic tuning parameter to an agent-based model.
Associated areas of inquiry: entropy; agent-based modeling; AI art; artificial life; evolutionary computation
Download the presentation in Powerpoint or PDF formats.
Spontaneous Generation of Social Networks
Man’s best friend has plenty of other friends! This agent based model examined the spontaneous creation of social networks between dogs living in cities.
Associated areas of inquiry: canine research; agent-based modeling; computer simulation; network theory; network modeling
The Cybernetics of Decision-Making
How can a complex landscape of governance bodies make informed, efficient decisions in an organic manner? My work developing a flexible, efficient decision-making framework was presented a research poster at the 2023 Santa Fe Institute Symposium on Collective Intelligence. It cannot be displayed here in full due to nondisclosure agreements.
Associated areas of inquiry: cybernetics; decision-making; collective intelligence; industrial psychology; organizational psychology; organizational behavior
The Art of the Flock
Create a virtual ecology, throw in some pretty colors, and watch the art build itself! This paper summarizes Alice Eldridge’s beautiful work using agent-based models to create flowing artwork. I recreate some of the work and extend it to investigate new parameter spaces.
Associated areas of inquiry: agent-based models, AI art, artifical life, flocking
Download the paper here: A recreation and extension of the algorithmic art of Alice Eldridge
Image credit: Eldridge A. (2015) You Pretty Little Flocker: Exploring the Aesthetic State Space of Creative Ecosystems. Artificial Life 21, 289–292.
Game Theory Applications to Refugee Migration
This paper takes a look at the Syrian refugee crisis through the lens of game theory. Some likely decision-making scenarios are illuminated, but care is recommended in applying simplistic models to immensely complex situations.
Associated areas of inquiry: game theory; political research; psychology
Download the paper here: Game Theory Applications to Refugee Migration
Photo credit: U.S. Department of State | Public Domain
Data Mining the Alt Right
Using a novel data mining technique known as “reconstructability analysis”, this work explored how well various psychological traits predicted individuals’ identifying with the “alt right” political movement.
Associated areas of inquiry: data mining; political research; psychology
The Beat, The Webcam, and the Dilemma: What Trust has to do with Rhythm and Video-Communications
How does rhythmic coordination impact interpersonal dynamics? My Honors-winning thesis explored how completing a semi-musical task affected participants’ percieved and actual trust in one another. I also examined how the added element of video telepresence as an interactive medium modified these effects, finding that participants using webcams to interact while entraining rhythms together trusted their partners more on average.
Associated areas of inquiry: human-computer interaction (HCI); game theory; interpersonal dynamics; music research; telepresence
Download the paper here: The Beat, The Webcam, and the Dilemma.
