Kaleidoscope – Patterns in Nature and Society
TEDxKonstanz is an event organized by students and members of the University of Konstanz and the Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. This event will be held in March 2021 with the theme of “Kaleidoscope: Patterns in Nature and Society”. A kaleidoscope evokes the image of shifting patterns. It communicates the idea that patterns can arise from and be influenced by many things,
Robots help to answer age-old question of why fish school
by Carla Avolio
Study using biomimetic fish-like robots shows that swimming closely together offers fish hydrodynamic benefits – research project with participation from University of Konstanz researchers provides first experimental validation of an answer to an old question.
A fish school is a striking demonstration of synchronicity. Yet centuries of study have left a basic question unanswered: do fish save energy by swimming in schools?
Copyright: Iain Couzin
It’s been a year since the topping out ceremony for the new Centre for Visual Computing of Collectives (VCC) took place. Look at the timelapse of construction up until now. See video here
Iain Couzin has created a playground for biologists. Cameras follow groups of fish, grasshoppers balance on a ball in a virtual reality container and birds fly around with small backpacks, with which all their conversations are overheard. Film by tv NTR
Copyright : FAO /Haji Dirir
Devastating swarms of locusts are devouring everything in their path from Africa to India. Scientists and citizens are waging a massive war with cutting edge technology to stop the infestation from becoming a deadly plague.
Film by CuriosityStream
Interview with Iain Couzin on the causes of the locust plague in East Africa.
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Heuschrecken – Schwärme mit Millionen von Heuschrecken vernichten derzeit Ernten in Afrika, Asien und
auf der Arabischen Halbinsel. Für umweltverträgliche, biologische Bekämpfungsmassnahmen ist es zu spät.
Locusts – Flocks of millions of locusts are currently wiping out crops in Africa, Asia and in the Arabian Peninsula. It is too late for environmentally friendly, biological control measures.
Hier lesen Sie den Beitrag in Deutsch (the article is in German)Download
The cleaner wrasse responds to a mirror reflection as self—but does this mean that fish are self-aware?
The ability to perceive and recognise a reflected mirror image as self is considered a hallmark of cognition across species. Now researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, the University of Konstanz, and Osaka City University report that cleaner wrasse respond to their reflection and attempt to remove marks on its body during the mirror test.
25th of February, 18:00-19:00 in R 611
Prof.Dr.Lee Alan Dugatkin, Professor of Biology and Distinguished University Scholar, University of Louisville will give a public talk at the University of Konstanz about his highly acclaimed book “How to Tame a Fox (and build a dog)”
“Sparkling… A story that is part science, part Russian fairy tale, and part spy thriller.. . it may serve — particularly now — as a parable of the lessons that can emerge from unfettered science,
Schweizer Radio (SRF) sendet einen 53 minütigen Beitrag über Heuschreckenschwärme – 15 Minuten davon sind Iain Couzin’s Forschung gewidmet.
Seit alters her tauchen Heuschreckenschwärme aus der Wüste auf und fressen Felder kahl. Noch vor Jahrzehnten verursachten sie Hungersnöte und Tausende Tote. Seit alters her versuchen die Menschen herauszufinden, wie sie die Schwärme vorhersagen und bekämpfen können. Trotzdem bleiben viele Rätsel. Mehr…
Der Beitrag ist in deutsch.