ICAM - I2CAM Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter

Welcome to ICAM-I2CAM

The Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (ICAM-I2CAM) is a distributed experiment-based multi-institutional partnership whose purpose is to identify major new research themes in complex adaptive matter—the search for an understanding of emergent behavior in hard, soft, and living matter. Its open and dynamic scientific programs include exploratory workshops, frontiers symposia, fellowships and travel awards. Through its branches in the US, Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Australia, it nucleates and conducts collaborative research and scientific training that links together scientists in different fields and different institutions, and draws from chemical, physical and biological viewpoints on its research themes.

Its outreach and educational programs seek to convey to a broad cross-disciplinary audience an appreciation of the scientific excitement and challenges in carrying out the search for an understanding of emergent behavior in matter. ICAM is in the process of expanding its Emergent Universe Alliance into an international educational network whose projects include a virtual science museum, emergentuniverse.org, and SuperNet, a network of scientists, high school teachers and students who work together to develop new educational modules that bring the frontiers of quantum matter into the classroom.

ICAM-I2CAM Announcements & News

October 27-28, 2008, Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals

Kent State University, Ohio

Organizers: David Allender, Kent State; Satyendra Kumar; S. Sprunt, D. Finotello, O. Lavrentovich, Q. Li, and A. Jakli

The field of biaxial thermotropic liquid crystals has seen a rapid resurgence with the recent discovery of its existence in bent-core, tetrapodic, and polymeric mesogens and in mixtures of rods and discs. This Symposium will assess where the field stands, identify the important questions to address, research directions to take, and provide opportunities to renew or establish productive collaborations.

There is no registration fee. Partial travel support for invited speakers and young researchers may be available. To submit an abstract contact the symposium chair. To apply for support, send the symposium chair an email (dallende@kent.edu) with subject: Symposium Support.

PDF announcement

September 5th, 2008 | Posted in Exploratory Workshop, I2CAM, News and Announcements, Events

January 11-17, 2009, Unifying Themes in Condensed Matter

Aspen Center for Physics, Colorado

Organizers: Arzhang Ardavan, University of Oxford, Andreas Heinrich, IBM Almaden, Barbara Jones, IBM Almaden, and Subir Sachdev, Harvard University.

This conference aims to highlight common physics across a wide range of condensed matter research. There will be particular focus on (i) the transition from quantum to classical magnetism, (ii) non-uniformity, disorder and nanoscale science, (iii) the effects of strong correlations, and (iv) ultrafast phenomena. The schedule and structure of the program will encourage participation across these disciplines; each subject will be introduced by a leader in the field, and there will be extended periods between talks for informal interactions between participants.

to apply

September 5th, 2008 | Posted in Affiliate Activity, ICAM, News and Announcements, Events