Departments and Independent Research Groups
The research conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organisation covers a broad spectrum, mainly in the physics of complex systems. Recently, the physics of complex systems has become a topic of increasing interest and includes open systems, which are characterized by dissipation of energy and entropy production. Pattern forming systems are particularly interesting, and the understanding of the general features are the topic of current research. Hydrodynamic turbulence is another example and continues to be one of the unsolved problems of the 21st century. These systems are mostly deterministic, and the influence of thermal fluctuations can be neglected. However, this does not include living nature. Biological systems have active components (genetic networks, protein networks, molecular motors, neurons), which consist of discrete units (i. e. cells) and require the consideration of stochastic processes (thermal noise). Moreover, for the molecular transport and fluid dynamics on scales smaller than micrometres the molecular structure of the fluid may become important. This is especially true for complex fluids, whose properties are determined by mesoscale Coulomb interactions and the presence of large molecules.
Read more about this topic: Max Planck Institute For Dynamics And Self-Organization
Famous quotes containing the words departments, independent, research and/or groups:
“A man sees only what concerns him.... How much more, then, it requires different intentions of the eye and of the mind to attend to different departments of knowledge! How differently the poet and the naturalist look at objects!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“For myself I found that the occupation of a day-laborer was the most independent of any, especially as it required only thirty or forty days in a year to support one. The laborer’s day ends with the going down of the sun, and he is then free to devote himself to his chosen pursuit, independent of his labor; but his employer, who speculates from month to month, has no respite from one end of the year to the other.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Men talk, but rarely about anything personal. Recent research on friendship ... has shown that male relationships are based on shared activities: men tend to do things together rather than simply be together.... Female friendships, particularly close friendships, are usually based on self-disclosure, or on talking about intimate aspects of their lives.”
—Bettina Arndt (20th century)
“Some of the greatest and most lasting effects of genuine oratory have gone forth from secluded lecture desks into the hearts of quiet groups of students.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)