Santa Fe Institute Courses

The Myth of Common Sense- Why Everything that Seems Obvious Isn't

Challenging common sense assumptions in complex social problems. Learn to question shared beliefs and apply scientific methods for better solutions in government, business, and marketing.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 15 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Organism as Subject and Object of Evolution

Explore how organisms and environments co-evolve through a process of construction, challenging the traditional view of adaptation in evolutionary biology.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 23 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Mother of Mass Extinctions: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago

Explore the greatest biodiversity crisis in Earth's history, examining causes and consequences of the end-Permian mass extinction through global research and geological evidence.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 13 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Mathematical and Computational Foundations for Enabling Predictive Digital Twins at Scale

Explore mathematical foundations for scalable digital twins, focusing on probabilistic graphical models and physics-based reduced-order models in scientific and engineering applications.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

How Does Size Shape Our Understanding of and Search for Life? Alien Crash Site with Chris Kempes

Explore how size influences our understanding of life, from microscopic to cosmic scales, and its implications for the search for extraterrestrial life with mathematical biologist Chris Kempes.

• YouTube
• 49 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Detailed Balanced Chemical Reaction Networks as Generalized Boltzmann Machines

Explore the intersection of chemical reaction networks and machine learning, focusing on detailed balanced systems and their relation to generalized Boltzmann machines.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Sequential Choice and Self-Reinforcing Rankings

Explore the mathematical consequences of choice systems where option rankings influence selection probabilities, and popularity determines rankings, leading to potential convergence and unpredictability.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 11 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Tyler Marghetis on Breakdowns & Breakthroughs - Critical Transitions in Jazz & Mathematics

Exploring critical transitions in jazz and mathematics, from creative leaps to societal shifts. Examines universal patterns in breakdowns and breakthroughs across various scales, from individual cognition to collective innovation.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 4 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Deborah Gordon on Ant Colonies as Distributed Computers

Exploring ant colonies as dynamic, adaptive systems and their lessons for human society, technology, and problem-solving in uncertain environments.

• YouTube
• 54 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Uncertainty Paradox - Can Science Make Uncertainty Optimistic?

Explore the relationship between science, uncertainty, and optimism, examining how embracing uncertainty can lead to a more optimistic scientific perspective and improve public communication.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 34 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

A New Thermodynamics of Biochemistry - Part 2

Exploring thermodynamics in living systems, from cellular metabolism to ecosystems. Insights on climate change, agriculture, and the search for extraterrestrial life through a new lens of biochemistry and physics.

• YouTube
• 46 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Andrea Wulf on The Invention of Nature - Humboldt's Dangerous Idea

Exploring Humboldt's legacy: interdisciplinary science, ecology, and the interconnectedness of nature. Discusses his influence on modern thought, politics, and the challenges of holistic understanding in an increasingly complex world.

• YouTube
• 49 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

RNA Macrostates and Landscapes

Explore RNA macrostates, scaling of base-pair probabilities, and optimization for protein over-expression. Gain insights into advanced RNA folding concepts beyond minimum free energy structures.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 10 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Sidney Redner on Statistics and Everyday Life

Explore everyday phenomena through statistical analysis, revealing hidden patterns in parking, elevators, and sports. Learn how complex systems research uncovers universal principles in daily life.

• YouTube
• 58 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Collective Behavior of Honeybees & Fireflies

Explore collective behavior in honeybees and fireflies, revealing how diversity and self-organization lead to emergent intelligence and adaptive swarm dynamics in insect communities.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Free Video