Date/Time
Date(s) - 21/01/2026
10:30 am - 11:30 am

BSB 108

Dr. Greg van Anders
Associate Professor
Queen’s University
Profile link: https://www.queensu.ca/physics/people-search/greg-van-anders

Title: Engineering Emergence

Abstract:
Nature is filled with emergent behaviours that allow natural systems to solve problems that would otherwise be difficult. But the potential to unlock similar advantages from emergence in synthetic systems is beset by many challenges. In this talk I will show how physics-based techniques can support engineering materials with emergent structure, mechanical and optical structures with emergent morphology, and emergent representations of complex data via neural networks. I will argue that physical tools are particularly well-suited to support engineering emergence in a broad range of engineering domains.