Speaker:  Professor Simon Garnier

N.J. Institute of Technology, Biological Sciences

Professor Garner’s interdisciplinary research lab studies the mechanisms underlying the coordination of large animal groups, such as ant colonies or human crowds, and their applications to complex problems such the organization of pedestrian traffic or the control of robotic swarms. He studies how information is exchanged and transformed during interactions between the members of a group, and how this can lead to the emergence of “intelligent” group behaviors. In short, the study of Swarm Intelligence.

Visit The Swarm Lab

Topic: Swarm Intelligence

Have you ever wondered why a colony of ants, all with tiny brains, can achieve near perfect coordination of their traffic, while human beings with their hundreds of billions of neurons and sophisticated technologies still find themselves in traffic jams on a daily basis? This is what he studies in when he looks at Swarm Intelligence (and Swarm Stupidity), where the many interactions between members of a group can lead to extraordinarily efficient solutions or snowballing catastrophes. This should be a fascinating discussion!