It’s about time: Linking dynamical systems with human neuroimaging to understand the brain

Most human neuroscience research to date has focused on statistical approaches that describe stationary patterns of localized neural activity or blood flow. While these patterns are often interpreted in light of dynamic, information-processing concepts, the static, local and inferential nature of the statistical approach makes it challenging to directly link neuroimaging results to plausible underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we argue that dynamical systems theory provides the crucial mechanistic framework for characterizing both the brain’s time-varying quality and its partial stability in the face of perturbations, and hence, that this perspective can have a profound impact on the interpretation of human neuroimaging results and their relationship with behavior. After briefly reviewing some key terminology, we identify three key ways in which neuroimaging analyses can embrace a dynamical systems perspective: by shifting from a local to a more global perspective; by focusing on dynamics instead of static snapshots of neural activity; and by embracing modeling approaches that map neural dynamics using “forward” models. Through this approach, we envisage ample opportunities for neuroimaging researchers to enrich their understanding of the dynamic neural mechanisms that support a wide array of brain functions, both in health and in the setting of psychopathology.

Program, complexity, and system when evaluating sustainable development

In light of the challenges of the Anthropocene, it is common today for evaluators to propose a systems rather than a program perspective. A program perspective is reproached for its simplicity and linearity, while the systems perspective is praised for its ability to account for complexity and emergence. This article argues that even before the systems perspective appeared on the horizon, the story of program evaluation had been characterized by a confrontation between “simplifiers” and “complexifiers.” It enquires into the lessons that the complexifiers of the evaluation of programs have handed on to evaluators who are facing the current challenges of sustainable development. On the other hand, when analyzing what a systems perspective contributes, the article is alert to the risk that a “holistic” view may ignore lessons complexifiers have to offer. This argument is supported by considering the way in which a systems perspective is understood in the practice of evaluation. Conclusions invite readers to overcome a misleading opposition between the two perspectives and indicate possible cross-fertilization across different units of analysis and approaches.

Implications of COVID-19 Mitigation Policies for National Well-Being: A Systems Perspective

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis and measures aimed at curbing the pandemic have a widespread impact on various aspects of well-being, such as housing, social connections, and others. Moreover, COVID-19 does not affect all population groups equally. This study analyzes the impact of major COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on a set of national well-being indicators from the most recent version of the OECD Well-Being Framework. Using causal loop diagrams (systems maps), we consider direct and indirect effects of these policies on various components of the national well-being system. Our results show that business closures directly and/or indirectly impact more national well-being components than any other policy. The most affected national well-being components by all policies are life satisfaction, perceived health, and prevalence of depressive symptoms. In addition, we specify how the impact of the anti-pandemic measures differs for various population strata, using the degree of income and employment loss as key stratifying variables. Our insights can be helpful to identify and promote measures that can alleviate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the national well-being.

Resistance to Opportunities of Plastic Recycling

Plastics present a vast and pressing issue in modern society. Currently recycling efforts fall dangerously short of dealing with even a small percent of the millions of tons of plastic waste produced yearly across the globe. This article investigates resistance toward plastic recycling in three areas from both a contemporary and a historical context, highlighting the magnitude of the problem and the insufficient nature of current solutions. The three primary areas covered are the plastics problem from (1) a design perspective, (2) a material science perspective, and (3) a systems perspective. Solutions are proposed that emphasize a synergistic collaboration across disciplines and research modes. Ultimately, the conclusions point to a need for stronger engagement at the level of people (both consumers and decision makers) and reintegrating reused and recycled plastics into everyday life to build a solid foundation for success.

Daylong Mobile Audio Recordings Reveal Multitimescale Dynamics in Infants’ Vocal Productions and Auditory Experiences

The sounds of human infancy—baby babbling, adult talking, lullaby singing, and more—fluctuate over time. Infant-friendly wearable audio recorders can now capture very large quantities of these sounds throughout infants’ everyday lives at home. Here, we review recent discoveries about how infants’ soundscapes are organized over the course of a day. Analyses designed to detect patterns in infants’ daylong audio at multiple timescales have revealed that everyday vocalizations are clustered hierarchically in time, that vocal explorations are consistent with foraging dynamics, and that some musical tunes occur for much longer cumulative durations than others. This approach focusing on the multiscale distributions of sounds heard and produced by infants is providing new, fundamental insights on human communication development from a complex-systems perspective.