William Bialek @wbialek Twitter profile

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Sad news. Horace Barlow, one of the great thinkers about the brain, has passed away. Born 8 Dec 1921, he saw almost a full century, and taught us about vision, perceptual inference, neural coding, learning, and more. #neuroscience #vision #NeuralNetworks

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Biological physics brings the physicist's style of inquiry to bear on the complex and beautiful phenomena of life. The breadth and depth of this activity are extraordinary, and we signs of unifying principles. The field today emerges from a long and fascinating history ... 1/6

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

I just heard the sad news that my colleague Phil Anderson passed away this morning. A giant of 20th century #physics , he changed how we think about so many things. At 96, he was coming to work most days, and still inspiring us all.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

After 40+ years, I still am not sure what is claimed in the "biology isn't like physics" discussions. The physics of spin glasses (in which every one of the n^2 interactions among n components can be different) is different than the physics of ordinary magnets. 1/5

Alfonso Martinez Arias

@AMartinezArias

11 months

This from a classic piece of thought There is a logic to biological systems but it is not the same as the one we have built for physical systems #MustRead

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

It is hard to speak of friends in the past tense. This week we lost Naftali Tishby. Tali was a remarkable person in so many ways, and he leaves a legacy of work at the borders of physics, computer science, and neuroscience.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Saddened to learn that Howard C. Berg has died at 87. Howard discovered so much about how bacteria swim, and how they navigate; he set an agenda for generations of physicists and biologists who followed, both in style and in substance. He also had a wicked sense of humor.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

21 days

Finishing your PhD and interested in the Physics of Life? This is a reminder that we have several different postdoctoral opportunities. We coordinate, but best to apply to all that seem relevant. Please consider joining our lively and interactive community. Deadlines soon!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

How do you get a sense for where #physics is today, and where it is going? Once every ten years, @theNASciences tries to do this. In 2020, for the first time, the Physics of Biological Systems will stand as a recognized subfield of physics. 1/8

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Once every ten years, @theNASEM surveys the state of physics, and for the first time we have volume devoted to biological physics. Something to celebrate! An overview of the #PhysicsofLife report can be found here: 2/6

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

This was a pleasure to write (and hopefully fun to read). Special thanks @Taryn_MacKinney for great editorial work, and to friends and colleagues @PRX_Life @FakhriLab @vinsub @SquishyPhysics and others for their kind words.

Biological Physics Comes of Age

Once an awkward confrontation between disciplines, biological physics is having its moment — and showing that life is not just a mess.

www.aps.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Genetic networks squeeze lots of information out of small numbers of molecules. Could part of the trick be that the enhancers which "read" transcription factor concentrations have an architecture that solves an optimization problem? 1/3

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Saddened to hear about the death of Miguel Angel Virasoro. Great physics, profound wisdom and integrity, passion for his fellow humans, and wry humor. I feel privileged to have enjoyed his company, and to have learned from him.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

A long time coming, and very good news. We've built a large and interactive community, and hope we'll get applications from the wide range of exciting students whom we know are out there!

Joshua Shaevitz

@shaevitz

2 years

I am delighted to announce that Princeton University approved a new PhD program in Biophysics today! From molecules to group of animals, we are looking for experimentalists and theorists who want to be at the interface of physics and the life sciences. Applications this fall!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

A certain kind of fame.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Humility in science is important. But I worry about this sentence. Neither gauge theories nor general relativity were "rooted in experimental reality" when proposed. Quarks explained data, but most doubted their "reality." The list goes on.

Grace Lindsay

@neurograce

4 years

Humility is so important in science because you need to be able to know when this sentence 👇 applies to your own work. (From @matthewcobb 's The Idea of the Brain)

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Even before the arXiv, Zweig’s 1964 paper proposing that hadrons are made out of quarks (which he called “aces”) was a preprint. Never appeared in a journal. Thus, foundational paper cited as preprint. Science not held back at all.

Dr. Nancy R Gough, PhD

@NancyRGough

6 years

Less than 70% of bioRxiv papers from 2013 published in a peer-reviewed journal. This is what scares me about making preprints as citable as peer-reviewed studies. th https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/515643v1.article-metrics

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

Here is another quote from John Hopfield, one of the co-authors of the cited comment ... 3/5

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

Interested in the Physics of Life? Near the end of your PhD? Please apply!! We are always hoping to broaden our community, and new Fellows are a crucial part of this. Positions offer a balance of independence and mentorship, with opportunities across a wide range of topics.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

2 years

We are excited to launch our annual search for Center Fellows. We are looking for both theorists and experimentalists to join a very interactive community. Fellows have a great deal of independence and flexibility, and "belong" to the Center as a whole.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Again, the physics community has cited preprints not just since the arXiv started in the 1990s, but for 30 yrs before that .. if you can get your (now virtual) hands on it and read it, it’s part of the literature. Make distinctions on content not venue.

Michael Eisen

@mbeisen

6 years

Peer review does not magically transform a work of science into something new that needs a new name. Scientific writing made available online is published and should be called a paper. Should it subsequently be peer reviewed it becomes a peer-reviewed paper.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

9 months

I admit it feels a little funny to be a literal poster child for physics/biology interaction. But what a pleasure to give one more joint seminar with Eric Wieschaus. I continue to find myself inspired by the beauties of the fly embryo, and by Eric's insights.

HFSP

@HFSP

9 months

From Lisbon (2017) to Strasbourg (2024), the Nobel Laureate Eric Wieschaus and the renowned physicist @wbialek will share the stage again in a tandem talk about #frontierscience at the interface of #physics and #biology . The first #HFSPFrontierWorkshop is coming soon! Stay tuned!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Very excited about new work on approaches to large populations of neurons, inspired by the renormalization group. From the thesis of Leenoy Meshulam, with experimentalist friends ...

Coarse--graining, fixed points, and scaling in a large population...

We develop a phenomenological coarse--graining procedure for activity in a large network of neurons, and apply this to recordings from a population of 1000+ cells in the hippocampus. Distributions...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

7 years

The National Academies were founded not to honor their members, but to advise the Nation in times of need. Now, more than ever, we are needed.

Marcia McNutt

@Marcia4Science

7 years

“Science” and “evidence” should never be banned. Statement by NAS, NAE, and NAM Presidents on Report of Banned Words at CDC

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Interested in the #PhysicsofLife ? For the first time, biological physics is part of the Decadal Survey of Physics, organized by @theNASEM . Join us for the release of the report tomorrow!

Physics of Life: Report Release Webinar

Explore the most compelling science for the next decade of research in biological physics as identified by a new National Academies report.

www.eventbrite.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

The physics relevant to the large scale history of the universe is different than the physics relevant for atoms and nuclei. And so on. We should expect that the physics of life is different than the physics of inanimate matter, and this is a good thing. But still physics. 2/5

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Flocks of birds, networks of neurons, ... and Twitter communities. Delighted to have helped an undergraduate student, Gavin Hall, follow his intuitions about statistical #physics and #socialnetworks

The statistical mechanics of Twitter

We build models for the distribution of social states in Twitter communities. States can be defined by the participation vs silence of individuals in conversations that surround key words, and we...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

The difference (do I really need to say this?) is that we can read the preprint.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

"this kind of understanding" seems most relevant here. As a physicist I want to understand living systems in the same way that I understand non-living systems. This is a goal, a motivation. We could fail, just as we currently fail to understand (e.g.) dark matter. 4/5

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Does Nature know the meaning of “academic”? Half of these places, wonderful as they are, have zero humanities and social sciences. We should support our colleagues, not define them out of existence.

Top 10 academic institutions in 2018: normalized

Nature - This ranking shows which institutions might be punching above their weight in producing high-quality research.

www.nature.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

I think the description of the brain as being in between crumpled paper and cauliflower is something we should all embrace. I realize this is not the main point of the tweet.

Martin Bauer

@martinmbauer

2 years

Two threads on calcalus in non-integer dimensions and how it is used in Quantum Field Theory. Part I : What are fractional dimensions? Or why the dimension of your brain surface isn't 2, but somewhere between the surface of crumpled paper and cauliflower. 🧵 1/13

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William Bialek

@wbialek

1 year

We started during the pandemic and continued … fantastic events with a wide range of speakers from different institutions, backgrounds, cultures. But it depends on getting a great pool of applicants!

ITS@CUNY

@ITSCUNY1

1 year

We are now accepting speaker applications for Students and Postdocs Edition, our 5th biannual biophysics symposium sponsored with @phybiofunc @GC_CUNY . Application and details at . Deadline Oct 20. Please apply!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 months

Searching for new Fellows is part of how we learn about the most exciting work being done by young people in our field. We hope to make three new appointments with three year terms. Please apply!

CPBF

@phybiofunc

2 months

Finishing your PhD and interested in the Physics of Life? We are in the midst of our annual search for new Fellows. We are looking for both theorists and experimentalists ready for a bit more independence than a regular postdoc. To learn more:

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

We started these events during the pandemic, and it has been wonderful to continue in person. Diverse voices provide a sampling of some of the most exciting ideas in our field. Special thanks to the committee who selected these speakers from a large group of strong applicants!

CPBF

@phybiofunc

2 years

For our last symposium of the semester, nine young speakers spanning a marvelous range of topics in the physics of life. Join us in person or on Zoom.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

8 years

Previously avoided politics in this venue. No longer. Among other stimuli, a young Iranian colleague at Princeton likely trapped abroad.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

7 years

Why should we prefer simpler models? New ideas from colleagues: #physics

Maximizing the information learned from finite data selects a simple model

We use the language of uninformative Bayesian prior choice to study the selection of appropriately simple effective models. We advocate for the prior which maximizes the mutual information between...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

9 months

We are looking forward to another in this great series of events .. but we need you! Please apply (simple form), deadline extended to Friday Feb 2. We want the widest range of topics and speakers exploring the physics of life.

ITS@CUNY

@ITSCUNY1

9 months

📢We are accepting speaker applications for Physics of Life: Students and Postdocs Edition (March 1 in NYC). Deadline Jan 29, in two weeks. Please spread the word!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

I don't think that data alone will defeat racism. But, the data are remarkable. This is an extraordinary collection of papers, and I recommend unrolling the whole thread. Thanks to @aaronclauset for the pointer.

Mike Shor

@MikeShor

4 years

A majority of white people *still* don't believe in racial disparities in policing. This is just willful ignorance.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Exciting and original work from Eric DeGiuli, a statistical physics approach to language (or, more precisely, grammars).

Random Language Model

The transition a young child makes in acquiring complex language might be a kind of phase transition.

journals.aps.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Lyapunov exponents for the dynamics of locomotion in C. elegans. Periodic orbits, chaos, and nearly symplectic symmetry. Lots to explore here!

Capturing the Continuous Complexity of Behavior in C. elegans

Animal behavior is often quantified through subjective, incomplete variables that may mask essential dynamics. Here, we develop a behavioral state space in which the full instantaneous state is...

www.biorxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 months

Many thanks to the organizers for the invitation, and to the audience for thought provoking questions!

Institut Curie

@institut_curie

5 months

At the frontiers between physics and biology, @wbialek just shared an impressive lecture on the physical principles underlying the design of genetic networks, exploring the optimization of information flow as a potentially fundamental theoretical principle. #CurieSymposium

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

These events are lively and interactive (even online!). If you are interested in the physics of life, please join in the fun, and help spread the word. #physics #evolution #condensates #learning

CPBF

@phybiofunc

4 years

Our symposia continue this semester, via Zoom. Excited by a great lineup of speakers, and about reaching new communities. Join us!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Brava. Let me add that the impact of behavioral research (especially in its most quantitative forms) unfolds over a LONG time. Early work on photon counting in vision, the role of phase in sound localization, ... set an agenda for 40+ years of research (!).

Yael Niv

@yael_niv

4 years

Thank you, @chazfirestone , for putting this out -- I uploaded at 1am, and woke up to, well, all of this. I am considering publishing on Twitter from now on :). No joke. Thanks all for the discussion, and positive vibes. For those who want to know what the big deal is about: /1

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

Catching up with events discussing the #PhysicsofLife , the first Decadal Survey of Biological Physics. A colloquium at @ictstifr and a discussion with @ApsDbio .

Physics of Life: A survey from the US National Academy of Sciences by...

COLLOQUIUMPHYSICS OF LIFE: A SURVEY FROM THE US NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCESSPEAKER: William Bialek (Princeton University, USA)DATE: Fri, 29 July 2022, 18:00...

www.youtube.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

And you can see the video of the report release event, including Q&A, here: 4/6

Physics of Life: Public Briefing

Biological physics, or the physics of living systems, brings the physicist’s style of inquiry to bear on the beautiful phenomena of life. Work in the field…

vimeo.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

As we wander the (virtual) halls of the #apsmarch meeting, I am reminded of seeing this, for the first time, at the 2018 Meeting. It still takes courage to talk openly about the many human dimensions of science. A moving example from @rosenthal_sj -

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Excited for our next symposium, on Genes, geometry, and development. From molecular details of enhancers to macroscopic morphology and the global dynamics of the underlying genetic networks. Join us Fri Nov 12.

Genes, Geometry, and Development — Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences

Friday, Nov 12 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST

itsatcuny.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Excited for tomorrow's symposium on neural dynamics, with @ostojic_srdjan , @alfairhall , and David Tank (who doesn't seem to tweet). As always, it promises to be a fun mix of theory and experiment, with lots of time for discussion. Follow the links ...

ITS@CUNY

@ITSCUNY1

4 years

Tomorrow 10:30am EST: "Neural Dynamics Across Scales" w/ Srdjan Ostojic, David Tank and Adrienne Fairhall. Join us!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

This is a marvelous program. I have the pleasure of interacting with the students during visits, and felt their enthusiasm

ICTP

@ictpnews

11 months

Are you a student who dreams of earning a PhD in physics or mathematics, but who lives in a country lacking such opportunities? ICTP could be your first step on the path to attaining a PhD. Learn more:

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Tali inherited at least an appreciation of mysticism, so perhaps he would not mind me saying that I feel our conversations will continue as I try to follow ambitions and ideas that we shared. But I will miss him terribly. May his memory be a blessing.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Interested in the physics of life? Finishing your PhD? I've already tweeted about the search for new Fellows at our Center @phybiofunc , but there are more opportunities in our community. A thread.

William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The search for new Fellows is one of our most intense and exciting communal activities. It's wonderful to learn about so much great work on the physics of life, and the different paths taken by our candidates. Please apply! And feel free to reach out if you have questions.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

A long time ago, Rob de Ruyter and I estimated the rate at which silence conveys information in a single neuron. We could even show that if the silent interval is long, closing it with a spike doesn't add anything. Still fun!

Bassem Hassan

@bassemh1

3 years

@betenoire1 @schoppik Very cool that neuronal silence is also behaviorally relevant information. Makes one rethink the interpretation of silencing experiments as neuronal “loss of function”

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Thank you for noticing this. It was a long project, and it seemed an opportunity to acknowledge the wonders of community as well as specific contributions. Thanks also to @PrincetonUPress for making it happen.

Vito Dichio

@vidichio

4 years

Why I do read acknowledgements Biophysics / Searching for Principles By @wbialek

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

If this hasn’t reached you by other paths .. in response to the covid19, @APSphysics has cancelled the #apsmarch meeting. I’m grateful to colleagues who had to make a tough call, weighing known costs against less well known but potentially huge risks.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 months

Looking forward to seeing many friends and colleagues in Paris next month. Honored to help kick off what promises to be a great series of symposia.

Institut Curie

@institut_curie

6 months

📅 In May 2024, join us for the 1st International Symposium of @institut_curie and meet exceptional speakers such as @wbialek , physician and prof. in Physics at @Princeton , keynote speaker of the Systems Session. Discover more on: #CurieSymposium

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

You can read a pre-publication copy of the report by following the "View report" link here: 3/6

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The paper of record is having trouble with significant figures. Funny, but not really. Understanding why this is nonsense is fundamental to quantitative reasoning.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The search for new Fellows is one of our most intense and exciting communal activities. It's wonderful to learn about so much great work on the physics of life, and the different paths taken by our candidates. Please apply! And feel free to reach out if you have questions.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

3 years

We are excited to launch our annual search for Center Fellows. We are looking for both theorists and experimentalists to join a very interactive community. Fellows have a great deal of independence and flexibility, and "belong" to the Center as a whole.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

1 year

We have been fortunate to have a fantastic community of Fellows, and are excited by the process of renewal. We provide a balance of independence and mentorship, and we have fun. Please apply!

CPBF

@phybiofunc

1 year

Our annual search for new CPBF Postdoctoral Fellows is open! Applications are due Oct 15. Spread the word and apply now to join our vibrant, collaborative community pushing the boundaries of biological physics across systems and scales. More info here:

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William Bialek

@wbialek

11 months

But we keep trying. 5/5

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

A reminder that @NASEM is in the midst of surveying the state of physics in the US. For the first time, the physics of biological systems stands on its own as part of the process. To learn more, join us for a "virtual town hall" April 16, 3 PM EDT.

Virtual Town Hall: Decadal Assessment on the Physics of Living Systems

Virtual Town Hall: Decadal Assessment on the Physics of Living Systems What are the most compelling questions for the field of biological physics in the next decade? What workforce and education...

www.eventbrite.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

One of my favorite topics, which really has had a revolution over the last decade. Fun to hear from some of the revolutionaries.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

3 years

Alas still online but happy to launch another semester of symposia. Friday 10 September 2021, we'll explore recent excitement in the physics of behavior. Join us!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

A little advertising of papers on #arxivorg from the end of 2018. After a long gestation, work with my long-time collaborator Rob de Ruyter van Steveninck and Shiva Sinha on optimal strategies for visual motion estimation a natural environment. 1/9

Optimal local estimates of visual motion in a natural environment

Many organisms, from flies to humans, use visual signals to estimate their motion through the world. To explore the motion estimation problem, we have constructed a camera/gyroscope system that...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

It is hard to know what would “help” in this moment. But surely it is important to listen to thoughtful voices, speaking from deep understanding of our history and politics. We did not arrive at this moment by accident.

Princeton University

@Princeton

4 years

#PrincetonU faculty and alumni reflect on nationwide protests and this moment of confronting racism in the United States. A thread.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

I’m excited to have seminars in our field be MUCH more accessible. Students: sometimes, even a seminar you don’t understand fully can be inspiring (works for me long after student days are over). This is a chance to sample widely!!

World Wide Physics Of Life

@wwphysicsoflife

4 years

Welcome New Followers! Here is our contact information: Website: Email: worldwidephysicsoflife @gmail .com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Catching up .. I was delighted to see Andrea Cavagna and Irene Giardina honored by @APSphysics "For the incisive combination of observation, analysis, and theory to elucidate the beautiful statistical physics problems underlying collective behavior in natural flocks and swarms"

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

If you are looking for your keys .. they are in the room with you, nothing covering them, but it’s a big room with lots of places to look. Maybe with open cabinets and you have to look in each one .. the barrier to finding your keys is entropic.

Anand Srivastava

@mbuanand

2 years

How do you visualize or explain to someone the idea of "Entropic barrier"? In protein folding context, say. @JulianShillcock @PaulRobustelli @LindorffLarsen @Jmondal_tifrh @tiwarylab @jchodera @alexholehouse @BonomiMax @bussilab @andrewwhite01 @AthiNaganathan @agrossfield

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

One of my favorite events of the year, happy that my colleagues are rising to the challenge of doing this online. We won't have lunch with the students, but we will be able to reach around the world. Please join us!

CPBF

@phybiofunc

4 years

Undergraduate interested in biological physics? Come explore the Physics of Life in an ONLINE summer school! Free and open to all undergraduates. Mondays, June 15-August 3. More information and registration info here:

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Saw my adviser after giving a (very small) seminar on my undergrad research. He told me if I want to know how good it was, talk to Profs X, Y, and Z. If I want to know how it could have been better, come to his office. Hope I do as well for my students, 40 yrs later.

Arjun Raj

@arjunrajlab

6 years

Blog post: The sad state of scientific talks (and a thought on how we might help fix it)

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

@davidlayden The discipline we call computer science came after the first computers of the 1940s and 50s, but Turing came before.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

This should be an exciting day. As always, 90 min lectures, with plenty of interruptions from an active audience, and time in between for informal discussions. And, wonderful to be back fully in person, but still zooming for those farther away.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

2 years

There has been remarkable progress in monitoring the activity of many neurons simultaneously. These experiments create new challenges for data analysis and new opportunities for theory. Our next symposium will touch on all of this, with a great lineup. Join us!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Physical limits to measuring changing concentrations. I liked the preprint Now in Phys Rev Lett

Physical Limit to Concentration Sensing in a Changing Environment

A new theoretical model predicts a fundamental limit to how finely attuned a cell can be to its biochemical surroundings.

journals.aps.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

A new format alongside our usual symposia: sampling the tremendous range of young talent in our field. Thanks to all who suggested speakers, and apologies to those we couldn't fit in. Hoping to do it again soon, and then regularly.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

3 years

Next in our series of symposia: One day with a wide range of topics in the #PhysicsofLife , from a collection of PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Delighted to learn about the award of the Mathematical Neuroscience Prize to my friend and collaborator, Naftali Tishby. One of the most intellectually adventuresome people I know, he has made deep contributions to an incredible range of questions. 1/3

IBT Award - BrainTech 2019, Tel Aviv

braintech.kenes.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The report makes general and specific recommendations about education, funding, and building a more inclusive community. We hope that the community can rally around these recommendations, while leaving room for creativity in their implementation. 6/6

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Looking forward to a lively day of lectures and discussions. Come join us @GC_CUNY for an exploration of exciting problems in the #physics of life.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

5 years

How do biological systems "do the right thing" in diverse environments? Join us on Friday for a symposium on adaptation, in its many facets.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Delighted to restart our very enjoyable series of symposia. A great lineup of speakers, giving us different perspectives on what the brain computes, and how. We'll do our best to replicate the free flowing discussion on line. Please join us.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

5 years

Problems in neural and cognitive computation. Friday 17 April, 10 AM - 6 PM (with breaks!) 3/4

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William Bialek

@wbialek

8 years

Restricting immigration, including refugees, on Holocaust Remembrance Day especially revolting. In memory of my grandmother, my uncle, .. .

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Berg's paper with Purcell, Physics of chemoreception, appeared just as I started as a student at Berkeley. A revelation: not just using physics to understand biology, but using the phenomena of life to uncover new physics problems. The ideas of that paper still resonate.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

@davidlayden I’m pretty sure the quantum theory of electrons in solids comes before the transistor. And the quantum theory of light before the laser.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

We've been fortunate to attract wonderful young colleagues over the years, and hope we can keep going. All interviews will be online, fingers crossed for a better future. Some of this year's new Fellows have joined us virtually, hopefully won't be necessary by Fall 2021 ...

CPBF

@phybiofunc

4 years

Are you a physicist fascinated by the phenomena of life? Just finished/finishing your PhD? We are doing our annual search for Center Fellows, both theorists and experimentalists. Excited to attract bright young people to join us.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Coming soon. Apparently 1000 people registered (!). Guessing they have room for a few more. Very much looking forward to the discussion - join us!

Gordon Berman

@gordonberman

5 years

Excited to announce that we'll be organizing a virtual workshop on the Physics of Behavior on April 30th from 10am - 1pm EDT (co-organized by @greg_stephens and myself). Focused on the topic “If we can track (most) everything, what can we do with the data?”

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

Wonderful thread. One of my favorite reviewer comments: "I have no idea how the authors get from Eq (n) to (n+1), but evidently this is not a barrier to publication in Physical Review Letters." No memory of which paper it was, or if it was published. But this sticks with me.

Brent Doiron

@BrentDoiron

2 years

1/9 Share Time. Here is an 11 year old review from a paper that Ashok Litwin-Kumar and I submitted during his PhD. The result was a soft reject - but one of the reviewers gave perhaps the funniest review ever! I will post choice excerpts below.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The @AIP_HQ has an amazing collection of oral histories, interviews with physicists stretching over decades, @AIP_Library . Recent years have seen the range of voices broaden considerably, making this an even richer source of inspiration. 1/9

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Among the papers worth reading from this summer: A new look at a classic problem, the limits to chemical sensing. From old friends, . Briefly, time-varying signals are much harder than static ones, with exponents 1/4 where you might have expected 1/2 (!)

Physical limit to concentration sensing in a changing environment

Cells adapt to changing environments by sensing ligand concentrations using specific receptors. The accuracy of sensing is ultimately limited by the finite number of ligand molecules bound by...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Very much looking forward to the latest in our series of symposia. As always, expect great talks with LOTS of time for questions and discussion. Come join in the fun.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

5 years

Building a physics of biological systems means taming their complexity. But when and why will simple models of complex systems "work"? Join us Fri 15 Nov @GC_CUNY as we explore recent progress on this fundamental problem.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 months

Very much looking forward to this. The field moves so fast it can be (very) hard to keep up. These great speakers should give us a lively view. Special thanks to @framigna and @Kamesh_Kris who led the organizing effort.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

6 months

Our next symposium will focus on large language models. Longer talks and plenty of discussion time should help making these exciting developments more accessible! Please join us. No streaming but recorded talks will be posted @ITSCUNY1 .

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Speaking for the committee, we are grateful for the community's input, encouraging us to see the field in its broadest terms, to address the challenges of educating the next generation, and more. Help spread the word. 5/6

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William Bialek

@wbialek

9 years

(advertisement) Perspectives on theory at the interface of physics and biology. #physics #science #biology

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William Bialek

@wbialek

1 year

Looking forward to connecting with a broad community! Many thanks to the organizers for the opportunity. Much of what I'll discuss is in a recent preprint, .

Long time scales, individual differences, and scale invariance in...

The explosion of data on animal behavior in more natural contexts highlights the fact that these behaviors exhibit correlations across many time scales. But there are major challenges in analyzing...

arxiv.org

BPPB Seminar

@BppbSeminar

1 year

Please join us on Friday, July 14, @ 11 ET, for an exciting BPPB talk from William Bialek @wbialek on "Finding evidence for scale invariance in animal behavior". To sign up for our email list, please visit .

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

Happy to be one of the hundreds. Hope people listen.

Hundreds of Scientists Ask Biden to Cut the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal (Published 2021)

In a letter, the scientists also urged President Biden to declare that the United States would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

www.nytimes.com

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

This should be a fantastic day, exploring recent progress on a classic topic in the #PhysicsofLife . Long talks with interruptions, plenty of time for informal discussion, student friendly. Please join us, in NYC or via Zoom.

ITS@CUNY

@ITSCUNY1

2 years

INFORMATION FLOW IN BACTERIAL CHEMOTAXIS symposium with @phybiofunc @GC_CUNY : RSVP to attend (also on Zoom) and join us on Mar 24!

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

Very excited to join in this effort. Hoping to see students from many time zones!

ITS@CUNY

@ITSCUNY1

4 years

For our first tweet - an online summer school. Students, please join us for an exciting series of lectures and discussions about life, the universe, and (almost) everything.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

There are so many different antibodies in our immune system that you can't just count. New perspectives on how to combine experiments with theory, from Mora and Walczak.

How many different clonotypes do immune repertoires contain?

Immune repertoires rely on diversity of T-cell and B-cell receptors to protect us against foreign threats. The ability to recognize a wide variety of pathogens is linked to the number of different...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

3 years

The international conference on Statistical Physics has a rule that invited speakers are off the list for one or two meetings (I forget details). The conference is once every three years, so this is a long time. Senior folks go and give 10 min talks, just like students.

Marco_Trizzino Lab

@marcotrizzino

3 years

The main chromatin/epigenetic conferences (EMBL, CSH, Gordon) have ALWAYS the same speakers, every year. It's becoming ridiculous and honestly pointless to even attend.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

First steps toward a statistical physics description of neural activity in C. elegans. Wonderful theory/experiment collaboration. @XiaowenChen5 @francescorandi @AndrewLeifer and me:

Searching for collective behavior in a small brain

In large neuronal networks, it is believed that functions emerge through the collective behavior of many interconnected neurons. Recently, the development of experimental techniques that allow...

arxiv.org

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

One of my favorite events of the year. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing incredible energy and enthusiasm. And so many of my wonderful colleagues @phybiofunc deliver bravura performances. An exciting time for everyone! Please apply, or pass this on.

CPBF

@phybiofunc

5 years

Come explore the Physics of Life. A summer school for advanced undergraduates. We have space for 24 students, with all local expenses covered and no tuition or fees.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

6 years

Thanks for this. Want to be sure all co-authors cited: Mariela Petkova @mer_petkova , Gasper Tkacik, Eric Wieschaus, and Thomas Gregor @gregorscience . We did so much more together than we could have done separately!!!

Jessica Flack

@C4COMPUTATION

6 years

Physics produces order thru energy minimization. Adaptive systems also process information. Does this imply intrinsic subjectivity? Cepelewicz in @quantamagazine tackles awesome work by @wbialek +others sggstng error can be overcome+info processed optimally

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William Bialek

@wbialek

5 years

Thanks to everyone who attended the virtual town hall for the Decadal Survey of Biological Physics. Huge thanks to the staff @theNASciences who made it happen. Recording of the event will be available on the website, where input still is (very!) welcome.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

2 years

It gets worse .. the answer comes close to agreeing with experiment.

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William Bialek

@wbialek

9 years

up-to-date review on the connections between statistical physics and statistical inference:

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William Bialek

@wbialek

4 years

I have had the good fortune to lecture in many places around the world, but somehow haven't made it to Australia. While I still hope to go (not just for lecturing!), I'm excited by my virtual visit tonight/tomorrow. And, on Friday, Tehran.

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