Flatiron Institute Inaugural Celebration
The Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute “is already becoming a place where people come to learn new algorithms and approaches,” says David Spergel.
Simons Foundation
Advancing Research in Basic Science and Mathematics
Annual Report
2017 Edition
Flatiron Institute
Center For Computational Astrophysics: Neutron Star Mergers
The neutron star merger "brought us into a whole new regime of understanding,” says Jennifer Barnes. “The meeting highlighted just how many open questions there are.”
Center For Computational Biology: HumanBase
New biological data holds a wealth of undiscovered knowledge, says Olga Troyanskaya. “We wanted to build a single resource that could help biologists discover and leverage that knowledge.”
Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Scott Aaronson: Quantum And Classical Uncertainty
For a quantum computing optimist, Aaronson spends an impressive amount of time figuring out what quantum computers can’t do. “I try to understand the ultimate limitations of algorithms,” he says.
Horng-Tzer Yau: Taming Randomness
The matrix is a workhorse of modern math, physics, computer science and engineering. A few years ago, Yau and his collaborators successfully resolved decades-old questions about random matrices.
Life Sciences
Simons Collaboration On The Origins Of Life
SCOL has increased its focus on geoscience in the hunt for life's origins. “It’s the biggest question that science has not been able to come to grips with,” says Roger Summons. “It’s a grand challenge.”
Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain
Simons Collaboration On The Global Brain: Mapping Beyond Space
“We’re trying to break free of a preconceived notion of how the brain is operating,” Lisa Giocomo says. “With our approach, you can take a blind perspective.”
Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
The Hunt For Autism Genes
Over the last five years, scientists have discovered about 100 high-confidence autism risk genes. However, researchers estimate that 300 to 1,000 genes will be found to confer risk for autism.
Sparking Autism Research
SPARK aims to create a trove of genetic and behavioral data from 50,000 individuals with autism and their families. “It’s a certainty that SPARK will enable new risk-gene discovery,” says Wendy Chung.
Outreach And Education
Science Sandbox: The Changing Face Of Science Museums
Some people aren’t comfortable in big, formal science museums. Luckily, some museums are seeing to it that people also encounter science outside a formal setting.
Scientific Leadership
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