Conference: Working Across Scales in Complex Systems

This award supports a workshop on “Working across scales in complex systems”, which will bring together representatives of plasma physics and biological physics communities for two-and-a-half days of intense scientific discussions on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, on April 12-14, 2023. The goal of the workshop is to look for and explore similarities between the two fields towards advancing both fields. If theoretical similarities between biological and plasma physics can be identified, additional broader societal benefits may be immense, ranging from advances in understanding of basic biological processes relevant to human health to advances in fusion energy sciences, and hence impact on the energy economy and mediation of climate change. Physics often develops by finding unexpected connections among nominally distinct fields. An investment of resources into searching for such connections explicitly between plasma physics, biological physics, and other fields working on multi-scale physical systems can potentially result in substantial intellectual advances in these and adjacent fields. This will be the first workshop of this kind, where the biological physics and plasma physics communities will be able to talk to each other and explore possible connections. The workshop will connect researchers with diverse backgrounds and career stages. As such, it will contribute to building new professional networks, advancing both the scientific fields and careers of junior researchers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.