SiP Talk #4

THE CODING OF LIFE.
Breakthroughs and Blind Spots in the Mathematisation of the Life Sciences

Scientific methods for understanding life are becoming ever more computational and mathematical. This SiP event will therefore be dedicated to the possibilities opened up by new computational technologies in the life sciences and – just as importantly - to their limitations. The panel of life scientists and mathematicians will discuss how computational modeling changes such things as our understanding of biological morphogenesis and our methods of designing drugs. How should we divide scientific labor between human rationality and artificial intelligence? How should computer models and laboratory experiments interact? Are contemporary mathematical standards, designed for formulating timeless physical laws, adequate for studying evolving and self-organizing living entities? Can we suggest a different mathematical vision? The discussion should be of interest to anyone who wants to understand contemporary scientific visions of life and get a glimpse of the working philosophies of contemporary life scientists.