Publications The power of evolutionary problem solving
Natural evolution has been a great inspiration for the research group of Guszti Eiben (Artificial Intelligence) on computational science. ‘Evolution has provided a source of inspiration for algorithm designers since the birth of computers. The resulting field, evolutionary computation, has been successful in solving engineering tasks ranging from the molecular to the astronomic. Today, the field is entering a new phase as evolutionary algorithms are developed that take place in hardware, opening up new avenues towards autonomous machines that can adapt to their environment.’ Eiben discusses how evolutionary computation can be compared with natural evolution and what its benefits are relative to other computing approaches in Nature. By reflecting on a number of successful applications and features that make evolutionary algorithms so successful, and giving their perspective on future developments, Eiben and his co-author Jim Smith argue the power of evolutionary problem solving.
Protective effect of iron atom in photosynthesis
Iron atoms in the photosynthetic system can prevent the formation of free oxygen radicals, which are harmful to and even kill living organisms. This was discovered by Desmond Tutu professor Rienk van Grondelle (Biophysics of Photosynthesis), who published on this topic in Nature’s Scientific Reports. It was a known fact that iron atoms are present in the photosynthetic reaction centre, but it had never before occurred to and been demonstrated by anyone that iron plays this protective role in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process by which plants, algae and bacteria convert the energy of the sun into a stable chemical compound. However, too much sunlight is not good for photosynthesis. In that case free oxygen radicals are formed, which are dangerous because of their reactivity: they combine with everything they come across. This will kill both plants and humans. Van Grondelle and his co-authors discovered that the magnetic iron atom considerably reduces the risk of a situation in which dangerous oxygen radicals are formed.
High economic costs Australian heat waves
According to Wouter Botzen’s (Environmental Economics) paper in Nature Climate Change, heat stress may lead to significant absenteeism and reduced productivity in the workplace. By surveying 1,726 adults in the Australian workforce to establish how hot temperatures affect employees’ productivity, Botzen and his colleagues found that it made them less productive and sometimes even skipping a day of work. They estimate that the average loss due to reduced productivity amounts to 932 U.S. dollars per person per year, while it costs an average of 845 U.S. dollars per year for each person taking time off due to heat stress. To avoid significant economic losses if heat waves become as frequent and intense as predicted, the researchers suggest that workplaces should implement strategies such as reducing heat exposure and improving access to drinking water and fitness programmes.
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