How do living things use meaningful information to survive?
Living systems—unlike nonliving or inanimate objects—use information about their surrounding environment to survive. The subset of information that is meaningful, and perhaps necessary for being alive, is called semantic information. For the first time, Rochester physicists and their coauthors have applied this theory of semantic information to a well-known model of living systems in biology and ecology: an organism or agent foraging for resources.
In today’s issue:
Research seminars with the Goergen Institute for Data Science
Register to attend Thursday’s Neilly Author Series talk with Joy James
Friday is the annual Holiday Shopping Fair in Wilson Commons
University flags on the Eastman Quadrangle and near the entrance of Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department will be lowered on Tuesday, December 5, for Christopher Bock, a senior financial analyst in the Strong Memorial Hospital pharmacy, who died on November 8. Bock joined the University staff in 2017.
The FDA says anyone at a high risk for developing severe COVID-19 qualifies for Paxlovid. That includes people over 50 or anyone over age 12 with an underlying health condition, such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, or people who might be immunocompromised. “Those individuals tend to be at the highest risk, and they probably get the most bang out of that buck,” says Louis Papa, a professor of clinical medicine.
Drop in for a free yoga class at the Goergen Athletic Center with Shine Bright, a local yoga studio, before they end for the semester on Sunday, December 3. Check the schedule to attend classes while they’re still available.
In the spring semester, the Mindful University Project will be partnering with Yoga Vibe, a local yoga business. Spring classes will begin on January 28. All classes are open to University students and R-Club members.
Beckman Scholars Program information session
Are you a biology or chemistry undergraduate student at Rochester looking for a funded research experience? The Beckman Scholars Program is a highly selective program that provides undergraduates in the fields of biological and chemical sciences the opportunity to conduct independent laboratory research under the mentorship of select University faculty over the course of 15 months. Open to US citizens and permanent residents, applications open December 1 and are due February 9.
Learn more at an information session on Thursday, November 30, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Bausch and Lomb Hall, Room 106.
In August 2022, the White House Office of Science Technology Policy issued guidance to federal departments and agencies to make the results of taxpayer-supported research immediately and freely available. That’s considered “open access,” and it includes scholarly outputs such as data, articles, and books. Make sure you have a clear understanding of what’s available to you when making decisions about open scholarship. Join Moriana Garcia, the scholarly communication librarian for the River Campus Libraries, for an interactive learning session in person or over Zoom, today, November 29, from noon to 1 p.m. Register to attend.
VSP Vision Care reminder
If you enrolled in VSP Vision Care for your routine vision coverage (you would see Benefit Extras Before Tax on your paystub), don’t forget to take advantage of it during the calendar year. You don’t need a card to utilize your benefits. At your eyecare appointment, simply tell them your VSP ID number, which is 3 zeros followed by your employee ID number. For more information about your coverage, visit the Total Rewards website.
Discover graduate programs available at the Warner School
Join a virtual admissions information session hosted by the Warner School of Education and Human Development today, November 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. The session will provide insights into various graduate programs, including counseling, educational leadership, education policy, health professions education, higher education, human development, online teaching, program evaluation, and teaching. While the Warner School welcomes applications on a rolling basis for most programs, the deadline to apply to a PhD program is December 15. Contact Warner’s admissions office with questions. Learn more and register to attend.
Neilly Author Series: Joy James
Joy James is a political philosopher and the Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. On Thursday, November 30, she will give a hybrid talk on intellectual, political, and ethical capacities to confront structural violence, domination, and alienation through her book In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love: Precarity, Power, Communities. She will also touch on her book New Bones Abolition: Captive Maternal Agency and the (After)Life of Erica Garner. Both books will be available for purchase and James will be signing copies. Visit the registration page to save your seat or secure a Zoom link.
‘Fairness in Algorithmic Services’ research seminar
Join the Goergen Institute for Data Science and the Department of Philosophy for “Fairness in Algorithmic Services” with Allison Koenecke, an assistant professor of information science at Cornell University. The research seminar will be held on Friday, December 1, at noon in Wegmans Hall, Room 1400. A Zoom link is available for virtual attendees.
Holiday Shopping Fair
It’s time for the annual Wilson Commons Holiday Shopping Fair, held this year in Hirst Lounge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, December 1. There will be an assortment of crafts from local vendors around the Rochester area. For a sneak peek of this year’s vendors, visit the Wilson Commons Student Activities Facebook and Instagram accounts.
‘Twelve Days of Fitmas’ at the URMC Fitness Center
Beat the New Year’s crowd and try out the URMC Fitness Center free for 12 days this holiday season. Learn how here.
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