The conference entitled "Condensed Complexity - The Essence of Information Processing and Cognition?" was opened today by FIAS Director Eckhard Elsen. From November 6, 2023 to November 10, 2023, experts from various fields, including neuroscience, physics, molecular and developmental biology, simulation and machine learning as well as quantum computing and sensing, will come together. The aim of the conference is to uncover the common principles that connect these seemingly disparate fields of research and deepen our understanding of knowledge, cognition and information processing.

What do the human brain, biological networks, evolving organisms, the immune system, flocks of birds, AI systems and quantum devices have in common? Despite their outward differences, they share a remarkable property - they unfold their dynamics in high-dimensional state spaces. These systems have the amazing ability to reduce their complicated states in surprisingly simple ways to respond to specific stimuli. What is even more impressive is that these simplified states often emerge through simple interactions and combinations that create a balance between many possible solutions and the selection of the best solutions from these many options.

This ability to create new and meaningful system states seemingly out of nothing begs the question: Is this the origin of knowledge, cognition and information processing? At the "Condensed Complexity" conference, over 70 international scientists will address this question. They will give each other insights into their research and consider which common principles influence these processes in different systems, regardless of their different fields of origin.

The event is part of the "Giersch International Conference" series and is generously supported by the Giersch Foundation. On Wednesday afternoon, a public keynote will be given by Prof. Thomas Südhof, a Nobel Laureate, who will be named an Honorary Fellow of FIAS during the event.

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