[Slaam] resuming the SLAAM seminar series on Monday February 12th (12 noon EST) with Menachem Stern (UPenn)

[SLAAM Distribution List]

Dear old and new friends of the SLAAM seminar series,



We are pleased to announce that after a hiatus due to organizational constraints, we are excited to bring you the latest spring 2024 edition of the Soft Living Active and Adaptive Matter (SLAAM)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__physics.ucmerced.edu_slaam&d=DwMF-g&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=6T170XR90Za4-nl9r1e8-WfEJbvH5g5hJbA9UumqfWQ&m=blUGUqAYGAyOmfcA6wfbX1KdEHN6f7rlZXR4X15CvyI8uL__ETi299NvZD96qFU6&s=MXUKX4H_djd0Ct_0kzRBhKPqez6-ARSHV2ymcIgm0vs&e=> series!  The first seminar of the spring will be given by Dr. Menachem (Nachi) Stern (University of Pennsylvania) on Monday, February 12th, at 9am Pacific/11am Central/12 noon Eastern time (US), with the title:


 Learning without neurons in physical systems

Please join at the link below to attend:

https://ucmerced.zoom.us/j/92693607475?pwd=TnI5dDhRRnYvejNZK2xNN0s4M0R5UT09<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__ucmerced.zoom.us_j_92693607475-3Fpwd-3DTnI5dDhRRnYvejNZK2xNN0s4M0R5UT09&d=DwMF-g&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=6T170XR90Za4-nl9r1e8-WfEJbvH5g5hJbA9UumqfWQ&m=O8qMRgNKyoPvtsVZg8ZfBNtLCUDyJgxTRW3qBCkxor7FWyzclXdrZHLsUUJnajQo&s=Fc0LF7BKeY-N8RWCA1JZPtXHGcs7LT8bWaOKdgeG1FE&e=>

Zoom Meeting ID: 926 9360 7475   |   Passcode: 223642

As usual, there will be a 15 min informal Q&A at the end of the hour. Graduate students will have an opportunity to interact with the speaker in an informal setting during the "Meet the speaker" timeslot just after the talk. Please join if the time works for you.


Please see more info in the flyer: https://physics.ucmerced.edu/sites/physics.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/menachem_stern_slaam.pdf and in the text below:



Abstract: From electrically responsive neuronal networks to the adaptive immune response, biological systems can learn to perform complex tasks. In this seminar, we explore physical learning, a framework inspired by computational learning theory and biological systems, where networks physically adapt to applied forces to adopt desired functions. Unlike traditional engineering approaches, physical learning is facilitated by physically realizable learning rules, requiring only local responses and no explicit information about the desired functionality. Our research shows that such local learning rules can be derived for broad classes of physical networks, and that physical learning is indeed physically realizable through laboratory experiments. We further find that physical learning rules can give rise to robust and energy efficient supervised and unsupervised modes of learning. By leveraging advances of statistical learning theory and neuroscience in physical machines, we propose autonomous physical learning as a promising bridge between computational machine learning and biology, with the potential to enable the development of new classes of smart metamaterials that adapt in-situ to users’ needs.

effects on actin polymerization, network architecture, and symmetry breaking. We found that myosin-Is promoted force generation by regulating the dynamics and architecture of the actin comet tails through its force-generating power strokes, applying an effective repulsive force from the surface. These studies suggest synergy between myosin-I activity and branched actin assembly to drive morphological changes at the cell membrane.


Speaker bio

Menachem Stern is a theoretical physicist exploring learning in physical systems, particularly in the contexts of mechanical systems and physically inspired learning rules. He is specifically interested in the analogies between learning in physical networks and biological\computational systems. These fundamental connections suggest the use of physical systems as learning algorithms with novel properties, as well as the understanding of learning and adaptation in nature. Menachem is currently a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Pennsylvania, department of physics and astronomy, working with Andrea Liu and Vijay Balasubramanian. He holds a Ph.D. in physics from The University of Chicago.



See you there!



Best regards,

Kinjal Dasbiswas

on behalf of the SLAAM organizing team
(Alexandra Tayar, Suraj Shankar, Daniel Beller, Kinjal Dasbiswas)

To join the SLAAM mailing list, please sign up here<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_forms_d_e_1FAIpQLScTyzEuuE7TfrrapgP4tzN-5FoPSqbBhURUxa9-2Dzc8USnY1IPzA_viewform&d=DwMFAw&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=6T170XR90Za4-nl9r1e8-WfEJbvH5g5hJbA9UumqfWQ&m=NK4EGo1VvrDiYSxdvOUJXgCkEAzTrQzNpQi-P59LZiKL_lMA3briJm9KQh9Y3suN&s=3hc1lEhiJwBLtMEr12Z9K5XtZaVlEfOZKYXGtXCjRDg&e=>. If you’re a postdoc interested in giving a SLAAM talk, we invite you to register your interest on that webform.


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