Santa Fe Institute Courses

The Landauer Limit and Thermodynamics of Biological Computation

Explore the intersection of physics, information theory, and biological computation, focusing on the Landauer limit and its implications for engineered and natural systems.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Modeling Computer Networks from Chips to the Internet

Explore network modeling strategies for the Internet, from chip-level communication to global-scale simulations, examining scaling laws, biological concepts, and socio-economic factors shaping its future.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Personal Genomics: Changing Lives and Transforming Research

Explore personal genomics' impact on health, ancestry, and research. Discover how DNA analysis transforms lives, uncovers identity, and advances scientific understanding.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why is Time a One-Way Street?

Explore the paradox of time's arrow with physicist Leonard Susskind, delving into how the past differs from the future and examining current perspectives in physics and cosmology on this intriguing phenomenon.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 14 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Metabolic Ecology of Humans

Explore how human metabolism relates to ecology, geography, and civilization through scaling perspectives and energy dynamics.

• YouTube
• 53 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Myth of Common Sense- Why Everything that Seems Obvious Isn't

Challenging common sense assumptions in complex social problems. Learn to question shared beliefs and apply scientific methods for better solutions in government, business, and marketing.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 15 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Organism as Subject and Object of Evolution

Explore how organisms and environments co-evolve through a process of construction, challenging the traditional view of adaptation in evolutionary biology.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 23 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Mother of Mass Extinctions: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago

Explore the greatest biodiversity crisis in Earth's history, examining causes and consequences of the end-Permian mass extinction through global research and geological evidence.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 13 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Cambrian Explosion: Triggers and Drivers - Rachel Wood

Explore the rapid emergence of animal life during the Cambrian Explosion, examining potential genetic and environmental drivers, and the unique conditions of Earth during this revolutionary period in evolutionary history.

• YouTube
• 55 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Governing the Ungovernable - Nuclear Waste Management Through Consent-Based Siting

Explore the challenges of nuclear waste management through consent-based siting, focusing on environmental justice, intergenerational impacts, and future governance of radioactive materials.

• YouTube
• 50 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Towards Collective Artificial Intelligence

Explore the concept of collective AI, its potential impact, and future developments in this thought-provoking talk on emerging technologies and their societal implications.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Taming the Swarm - Towards Collective Artificial Intelligence

Explore how biological swarms inspire new forms of AI and robotics, focusing on collective intelligence in nature and its potential applications in artificial systems.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 24 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

What Makes the Past Different from the Future?

Explore the fundamental differences between past and future, examining scientific concepts and philosophical implications in this thought-provoking lecture on time's arrow.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 17 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Balance: Philosophical Implications

Explore the philosophical implications of balance, examining its role in various aspects of life, nature, and society through interdisciplinary perspectives.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 7 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

How to Identify Life: Origins on Earth and Beyond - Episode 2

Exploring the origins of life on Earth and methods to identify it elsewhere in the universe. Discusses signature characteristics of life and common dynamics among organisms beyond our planet.

• YouTube
• 34 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video