Ziya Kalay
From Santa Fe Institute Events Wiki
Born and raised in Ankara/Turkey, nowadays trying to find my way in the deserts of New Mexico.. And deeply missing the Mediterranean! I acquired my BS in physics from METU in Ankara in 2005, currently I am pursuing a PhD in Physics at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, US. I am interested in statistical physics, nonlinear dynamics and their applications to complex systems. Some of the research projects that I have been involved in are about: Transient dynamics in some diffusion-reaction systems for which the analytic solutions for traveling waves are known, theory of molecular motion on cell membranes based on the compartmentalized structure of the membranes and social network analysis in the context of anthropology and political science. I am also interested in transport phenomena in networks and synchronization in nature. And I am hoping to narrow down my interests soon! In my free time (which has started to approach zero faster than exponentially since I began grad school), I like; playing classical guitar, listening to music in languages that I dont understand, reading, being outdoors and traveling. Looking forward to arriving China!
1. What topics do you have some expertise in and would you be willing to help others learn them?
I know a little bit about random walks and I studied the Kuramoto model in the context of synchronization, recently. If anyone is interested in these topics, I would be happy to give a brief introduction.
2. What do you want to learn at the CSSS?
I would like to: Learn more about networks and their use in complex systems, see the ways that people from different disciplines approach similar problems, learn as many techniques as possible in applied mathematics and computer science, learn more about the open problems, recent experiments and theoretical developments in complex systems in social and natural sciences.
3. Do you have any projects or research interests that would benefit from an interdisciplinary approach?
One of my research projects is about molecular motion on cell membranes. I would be glad if I had the opportunity to collaborate with people who are interested in this problem or doing experiments related to this problem. Another research project that I am interested in is about synchronization. I think it would be very valuable for me to talk to people who are involved in any kind of research involving the synchronization phenomenon.
4. Do you have any ideas for what sort of project you would like to do work on with other CSSS students this summer?
I am open to anything. In particular, I would like to learn more about the applications of statistical mechanics in neuroscience by working on a project on this subject. Also, I would be glad to work on a project involving both networks and synchronization.
5. Suppose you could travel one-hundred years in the future and ask researchers any three questions. What would those questions be?
-do we understand what is going on inside the cells so well and are we capable enough to assemble living cells from scratch?
-how do physicists answer(not philosophers:) ): is stochasticity inherent in the dynamics of the universe? What is the current interpretation of quantum mechanics?
-did we find extraterrestrial life? if yes, is their food better than the Chinese..