LECTURE N.1 sep 25 2023

Basic biology and computational biophysics, at the molecular level: The space of sequences as the archive of molecular evolution (Zuckerkandl&Pauling1965)

Models/Computation/Simulation

 Deterministic/stochastic simulations (Bray2015)

 Probabilities as conditional probabilities (van_de_Schoot2021)

Direct vs inverse problems

Biophysics in the XXI century: from molecular to integrative, evolutionary biophysics (an example:Terry Hwa): semantics: biological physics/physical biology; biologically inspired physics/biophysics

Physics of living systems vs physics of parts of living systems (Ageno’s [integrative] vs Careri’s [molecular] approaches)

Simplicity/complexity

Complex systems (layers and scales: “More is different”, Phil_Anderson1972) and living systems

Big data, the problem of “law without law” and the end of theory (readings: Wheeler1983, Caprara_Vulpiani2018)

 The manifesto of the big data and artificial intelligence era (Chris_Anderson2008)

Top-down vs bottom-up approaches

(suggested general readings: Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science (Published by HarperPress in 2008 ISBN 978-0-00-714952-0); Siri Hustvedt, “The Delusions of Certainty”, Simon & Schuster (ed. it. Le Illusioni della Certezza,Einaudi, 2018); Dennis Bray, “Wetware”, Yale University Press,2009 this is a rem book by one of the pioneers of systems biology)

 (suggested general readings: Siri Hustvedt, “The Delusions of Certainty”, Simon & Schuster (ed. it. Le Illusioni della Certezza,

Einaudi, 2018); Dennis Bray, “Wetware”, Yale University Press,2009)

STUDY MATERIALS

slides CB_23_24_L1.pdf

further reference material in the CB_23_24_PACK_1

consider the text CB_23_24_Inaugural.pdf for a general discussion