Conference on Engineering in Living Systems: Application Process is Open Now

Official announcement   2019-12-20

We are pleased to announce the Conference on Engineering in Living Systems (CELS 2020) to be held in spring 2020 at Biola University.

CELS 2020 brings together leading engineers and biologists in order to: (1) apply engineering principles to better understand biological systems, (2) craft a design-based theoretical framework that explains and predicts the behaviors of living systems, and (3) develop research programs that demonstrate the engineering principles at work in living systems.

The conference will follow a workshop-like format of discussion-oriented sessions in a collegial setting, with a goal of fostering active participation and establishing concrete results and action items.

Topics include the following:

  • Intersection of Biology and Engineering — the impacts of engineering thinking in the study of biology
  • Architecture of Living Systems — design principles and design patterns in living systems
  • Theory of Design — theoretical foundations for a positive theory of design in living systems
  • Adaptation — mechanisms and processes used by living systems to adapt to changing circumstances and environments
  • Coherence — organization of capabilities and processes to achieve and sustain life
  • Orchestration and Optimization — control systems and lifecycle processes
  • Interdependency and Causal Circularity — how complex and coherent systems are initialized and jumpstarted
  • Resilience — failure prevention and anti-fragility in living systems
  • Applications and Models — formal methods for modeling and understanding of living systems

We hope you are as excited as we are for this unique opportunity, and look forward to seeing you at CELS 2020!

QUESTIONS?

Contact Steve Laufmann at slaufmann@discovery.org

WHEN

April 23–25, 2020

WHERE

Biola University
13800 Biola Avenue
La Mirada, CA 90639

COST

Early Bird Rate — $450

(Increases to $550 after March 1)

Includes meals and shuttles from the conference hotel to the Biola campus, but attendees will be responsible for their own travel and accommodations. We have reserved a limited block of rooms at a nearby hotel.

HOW TO APPLY:

Space is limited, so we will be taking applications for attendance, with priority given to those who are able to attend all three days of the conference and actively contribute in the working sessions.

If you are interested in participating, please follow the green button at right to complete and submit a brief application. If accepted, you will be notified within approximately 2-4 weeks after you submit your application, so that you can arrange your travel.

CELS 2020 is organized by the Engineering Research Group (ERG) at the Center for Science & Culture, Discovery Institute, in conjunction with the School of Science, Technology and Health, the Chemistry, Physics and Engineering Department, and MA, Science and Religion at Biola University.

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

Join Us: Conference on Engineering in Living Systems, April 23-25, in Southern California

Second announcement posted 2020-02-05 

David Klinghoffer | @d_klinghoffer
February 5, 2020, 3:04 PM

engineering

 

Engineers, unlike evolutionary biologists, understand at a deep level how things work, why they work, and when they fail, why they don’t work. So the intelligent design movement has long welcomed engineering insights as a corrective to assurances from evolutionists that they’ve got everything about the mystery of biological origins all figured out. With this in mind, it’s satisfying to invite you to the 2020 Conference on Engineering in Living Systems, April 23 to 25, at Biola University. 

See You in Southern California

Our esteemed Evolution News contributor Steve Laufmann is the organizer and he welcomes you to join him on the Biola campus in La Mirada, CA. From the event description page, here are some subjects to be covered:

  • Intersection of Biology and Engineering — the impacts of engineering thinking in the study of biology
  • Architecture of Living Systems — design principles and design patterns in living systems
  • Theory of Design — theoretical foundations for a positive theory of design in living systems
  • Adaptation — mechanisms and processes used by living systems to adapt to changing circumstances and environments
  • Coherence — organization of capabilities and processes to achieve and sustain life
  • Orchestration and Optimization — control systems and life-cycle processes
  • Interdependency and Causal Circularity — how complex and coherent systems are initialized and jump-started
  • Resilience — failure prevention and anti-fragility in living systems
  • Applications and Models — formal methods for modeling and understanding of living systems

More information is here. There is a simple application if you wish to attend. The event is sponsored by the Center for Science & Culture and its Engineering Research Group.

 

The most spectacular example of an engineered living system is the human body, toward the invention of which the whole cosmos appears to have been very carefully aimed. As Mr. Laufmann has written here, on the charge of “poor design”:

To understand human anatomy and physiology it’s essential to carefully examine the whole system before declaring the parts badly designed. It’s essential to consider how the parts relate to and interact with each other — the kinds of tolerances, stresses, forces, ranges of motion, capabilities, and overall dynamics that are required.

And, for goodness sake, it’s essential to note that it works.

What works. Why it works. These are the questions that get short shrift from biology in considering how the wonders of life originated. Join us — engineers, biologists, and other inquisitive adults — in Southern California where these issues will at last get their due attention.

Image: Bone structure of a human hand, by Henry Gray (1918), Anatomy of the Human Body, [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

+++++++

Application to the 2020 Conference on Engineering in Living Systems (CELS 2020)

Application to the 2020 Conference on Engineering in Living Systems (CELS 2020)

*READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE CONTINUING*

You are invited to submit this Application to attend the Conference on Engineering in Living Systems (CELS 2020), to be held at Biola University April 23-25, 2020.

If your Application is approved, you will receive an email confirmation of approval, as well as a request for payment of the conference fees and additional paperwork related to the conference. It is anticipated that you will be notified within 2-4 weeks after submission of your application.

If you have any questions about this application process, please contact Steve Laufmann at slaufmann@discovery.org

Email Address *
Your answer
Last Name *
Your answer
First Name *
Your answer
Mobile Phone, including country code if outside the U.S. *
Your answer
Mailing Address *
Your answer
Is your primary background in engineering, biology, or another field? *
Engineering
Biology
Other:
Please indicate your specific discipline(s) in your field, if applicable.
Please provide a brief description of your background as it relates to the conference – either educationally, professionally, or by way of personal interest. Please share how you can actively participate in the workshop sessions to make it a success. *
Your answer
Can you commit to attend and fully participate in all 3 days of the conference? *
Yes
No
Other:

 

Never submit passwords through Google Forms.
This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google.
Report Abuse – Terms of Service – Privacy Policy
Google Forms