A new paper in PLoS Computational Biology relates speciation rate and graph theory A new paper by Melian et al. explores speciation rates when the genome of individuals is explicitly modeled. In this model, two individuals can reproduce if their genetic similarity is sufficiently high. This idea draws a connection between speciation and graph t... Read more 27 Aug 2010 - 1 minute read
_ NSF supports the modeling peer review project _ Modeling peer review is now a project funded by NSF. The proposal “EAGER: Accelerating the Pace of Discovery by Changing the Peer Review Algorithm” has received an NSF EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Award for 240k$. The award will support a postdoctoral fellow and an under... Read more 03 Aug 2010 - less than 1 minute read
A test of the model by Petchey et al. (PNAS 2008) published in Journal of Theoretical Biology Can optimal foraging theory and allometric scaling with body size explain the structure of food webs? A new paper by S. Allesina, in Journal of Theoretical Biology, questions this claim. Here’s the paper: Predicting trophic relations in ecological net... Read more 20 Jul 2010 - less than 1 minute read
Recently I have become very interested in “Science of Science” related topics. JP, Chris and I, while having coffee in Santa Barbara, decided to try to characterize the “famous ecologists”. We sent a questionnaire to all the Highly Cited ecologists and environmental scientists (according to ISI - Thompson Reuters). Many responded. Their answers... Read more 16 May 2010 - 1 minute read
Author and physicist Mark Buchanan comments on my preprint on modeling peer review in Nature Physics A nice piece on a possible revolution in science coming from a radical change in the way basic practices of science are carried out. The article discusses in details the project outlined in this preprint. “However, some more radical proposa... Read more 31 Dec 2009 - less than 1 minute read