Join us as we welcome Dan Palmer on The Science of Swarm Intelligence. Nature has developed interesting ways of solving a myriad of problems. This talk focuses on how lots of very simple creatures – none possessing much intelligence – working together can solve complex problems in ways that exhibit intelligence. How do thousands of starlings fly in densely packed flocks without crashing into each other? How do ants find the shortest path to food sources and consume them in the order of closest to furthest? How do fireflies synchronize their flashing to make a larger beacon to attract mates from further distances? These questions ask how swarms of “agents” demonstrate emergent intelligence, without any of the individuals knowing anything about the big picture. We will also ask:  how can we use this approach as a general problem-solving technique? Some applications of swarm intelligence have been applied to computer network traffic, algorithms to load passengers on planes, scheduling stations in automated factories, and developing robust satellite missions. If simple insects working together can solve complex problems, what can a swarm of humans do?

Dan Palmer is a Computer Science professor at the College of Wooster. Much of his research career has been spent observing “human swarms” and applies the problem-solving techniques they display on computational problems. His research has been displayed at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Sudoku swarm he presided over was featured on NPR, and he is co-author of the book Extreme Software Engineering: A Hands-on Approach. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he is not afraid of most insects.