“Envellir, una malaltia?” ICREA – CCCB Debates
The last cycle of debates by ICREA Research Professors offered four talks on ageing and disease entitled 'Envellir, una malaltia?'
Free entrance, but usually very full!
Tuesday the 8th of November 2016, 18:30pm
“L’envelliment del cervell i les seves teràpies”
Miguel Chillón (ICREA at UAB and VHIR)Auditorium of the CCCB
Further information at L’envelliment del cervell i les seves teràpies
To watch the video please go to video
Tuesday the 15th of November 2016, 18:30pm
“Poden els humans regenerar els seus òrgans?”
Maria Pia Cosma (ICREA at CRG)Auditorium of the CCCB
Further information at Poden els humans regenerar els seus òrgans?
To watch the video please click on video
Tuesday the 22nd of November 2016, 18:30pm
“Parkinson”
Miquel Vila (ICREA at VHIR)
Auditorium of the CCCBFurther information at Parkinson
To watch the video please click on video
Tuesday the 29th of November 2016, 18:30pm
“Patologies de l’envelliment: Alzheimer”
Elena Galea (ICREA at UAB)
Auditorium of the CCCBFurther information at Patologies de l'envelliment: Alzheimer
To watch the video please click on video
72nd ICREA Colloquium - Objective Chance and Quantum Randomness
By: Antonio Acín (ICFO) and Carl Hoefer (UB)
When: 27th September 2016, 18:00h
Where: ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 6th floor
Abstracts:
Antonio Acín
What can and cannot be said about randomness using quantum physics
It is usually said that quantum physics is, contrary to classical physics, intrinsically random. The intrinsic randomness of quantum physics follows from the fact that it is possible to observe correlations among quantum particles for which there exists no classical and deterministic model. The observation of these correlations, however, requires some assumptions about the setup. In particular, it requires some initial randomness, which makes the whole argument apparently circular.
We discuss how it is possible to relax this circularity and conclude that an intrinsic form of randomness with no classical analogue does exist in the quantum world.
Carl Hoefer
Laws, Chance and Quantum Randomness
The laws of nature could be indeterministic, in the sense that they simply fail to be deterministic. There are numerous examples of determinism-failure even in classical physics. A different idea entirely is that of irreducibly probabilistic laws of nature: laws whose contents are, or entail, putative objective probabilities or chances for events.
In my work I raise concerns about how well we understand the notion of an irreducible probabilistic law in general. I will explain some of these philosophical concerns, and how they motivate interest in the Bohmian approach to quantum physics. I will also discuss the relation between Bohmian quantum mechanics and the theoretical and experimental results of physicists such as Acín, Gisin, Colbeck and Renner.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. Open to all ICREAs and their guests. There’s wine and munchies at the end, please book in advance!
ICREA 15th anniversary cellebration
On Tuesday the 28th of June, we will all meet to celebrate 15 years of research at ICREA and the revolution of a research system that once upon a time wanted to stop being Cinderella, and did not have a Fairy Godmother around to help out with the pumpkins and mice...
Invitations will be out soon, so stay tuned!
The event will take place at the CCCB (C. Montalegre 5, 08001 Barcelona) at 19:30 sharp. If you are late, you will miss the first surprise!
71st ICREA Colloquium - The unbearable lightness of being (a protein)
Speakers: Dr. Xavier Barril (ICREA/UB) and Dr. Xavier Salvatella (ICREA/IRB Barcelona)
When: 14th of June 2016 at 6pm
Where: ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys, 23, 6th floor
Topic:
Proteins adopt beautiful shapes that enable them to perform an incredible array of tasks. But these wiggly little creatures cannot stay still. Is this a nuisance or a blessing?
Abstract:
Proteins are the gooey stuff that makes life possible. They live in a state that is neither solid nor liquid, and their biological functions depend crucially on keeping a balance between order and disorder. However, solid entities are far simpler to understand and we tend to use (and abuse) the rigid body approximation until it breaks. In this colloquium Xavier Barril and Xavier Salvatella will present the issue of protein flexibility from different perspectives, discussing structure and dynamics, and exploring how far we must/can go into the order-disorder spectrum.
After a basic introduction to proteins, Xavier Barril will focus on the implications of protein flexibility for drug discovery. Showing that a rigid representation has been, and continues to be, extremely useful. He will present some of the failures and challenges in introducing a more realistic view, but also how the dynamic perspective is gaining ground thanks to the advances in structural biology and computational chemistry.
Xavier Salvatella will discuss where the limit is: can proteins be completely disorganised? Can we study and understand intrinsically disordered proteins from a structural point of view? How can this class proteins perform functions if they have no structure? Why have they evolved? Is it ever going to be possible to modify the function of this class of proteins with small molecules, as we have learned to do with proteins that fold?
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. Open to all ICREAs and their guests. There’s wine and munchies at the end, please book in advance!
