A Minimal Model for Human & Nature Interaction

Abstract

There are widespread concerns that current trends in population and resource-use are unsustainable, but the possibilities of an overshoot and collapse remain unclear and controversial. Collapses have occurred frequently in the past five thousand years, and are often followed by centuries of economic, intellectual, and population decline. Many different natural and social phenomena have been invoked to explain collapses, but a general explanation remains elusive. Two important features seem to appear across societies that have collapsed: (1) Ecological Strain and (2) Economic Stratication.

Part of this seminar will explain the structure of a new model and several simulated scenarios that offer significant implications.

Presenters

Image
A headshot of Safa Motesharrei

Safa Motesharrei

Safa Motesharrei is a PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics/Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Safa has bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and physics and master's degrees in physics and mathematics. He designs mathematical models to propose and assess holistic decisions and policies that could prevent catastrophic outcomes in interconnected environmental, economic, social, and health systems. He also develops novel methods based on Dynamical Systems, Machine Learning, and Data Assimilation to analyze large, diverse datasets of these complex systems.

Image
A headshot of Safa Motesharrei

Safa Motesharrei

Safa Motesharrei is a PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics/Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Safa has bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and physics and master's degrees in physics and mathematics. He designs mathematical models to propose and assess holistic decisions and policies that could prevent catastrophic outcomes in interconnected environmental, economic, social, and health systems. He also develops novel methods based on Dynamical Systems, Machine Learning, and Data Assimilation to analyze large, diverse datasets of these complex systems.

Presenters
Safa Motesharrei, University of Maryland
Date
Time
12:30 p.m. ET
Location
SESYNC – 1 Park Place, Suite 300 Annapolis, MD 21401
Share