Data Assimilation - Inverse Problems - Remote Sensing
Roland Potthast, Deutscher Wetterdienst - University of Reading/UK - University of Göttingen/Ger
 
Science Flash
Recent results and activities in our group, 2010_09_08.

Working on Cognitive Neurodynamics

The neural field equation is an important and basic equation which reflects the structure of our brain. It summarizes the activity of millions of neurons into a mean field. The activity of neurons in some little area of the brain then leads to the spread of brain potentials, which is modelled by a kernel w(x,y), which describes the influence of the neurons at point y on the neurons at point x. The change in the potential at x is proportional to the integral of all influences over y in some region B of the space (B for "brain").

Recently, our group on cognitive neurodynamics with Peter beim Graben, R.P. and Dimitris Pinotsis analysed the existence of solutions of this integro- differential equation via the Banach fix point theorem. A global existence result for inhomogeneous kernels w could be proven. This builds the basis for further analysis, modelling and the treatment of inverse problems.

ResearchGroup
Gö: Uni Göttingen, Ger; J: Research Center Jülich, Ger; Rdg: Uni Reading, UK

    Further Group Members
  • Daniel Langhans
  • Tobias Schwab
  • Florian Lackert

    Local Collaborators
  • Dr. Timothy Astin (Archaeology)
  • Prof. Simon Chandler-Wilde (Maths)
  • Dr. David Ezra (Oxford)
  • Dr. Peter beim Graben (Linguistics)
  • Prof. Peter Grindrod (Maths)
  • Prof. Geoff Mitchell (Optics)
  • Dr. Tobias Kuna (Maths)
  • Dr. Slawek Nasuto (Engineering)
  • Prof. Doug Saddy (Linguistics)
 
 

 

Calender 2009

DatesEvents
Jan 8-10, 2009 Association for Science Education, Frontier Science Lecture, Annual Conference 2009
Jan 14-21, 2009Research Visit Universite de Rennes 1, France, Cooperation with Martin Costabel, Monique Dauge and Eric Darrigrand on direct and inverse electromagnetic problems.
Jan 22, 2009Visit Research Center Jülich, Germany. Cooperation with IWV3 on fuel cell research, in particular magnetic tomography for fuel cells.
Feb 10-17, 2009Research Visit University of Delaware, Peter Monk, David Colton, Fioralba Cakoni, Russell Luke
April 9-18, 2009Research Stay, University of Göttingen, Germany
Apl Professor
April 14, 2009Visit Research Center Jülich, Germany. Cooperation with IWV3 on fuel cell research, in particular magnetic tomography for fuel cells.
Visiting Professor 2009
April 20-24, 2009 EPSRC Sandpit in Bath, UK
May 1-12 2009Research Visit, Hokkaido University, Japan
May 17-18 2009Seminar Universität der Bundeswehr, Munich, Germany
May 18-23, 2009 Visitor Eric Darrigrand from University of Rennes, France, at Reading, UK
June 8-11, 2009 1st British-Nordic Congress of Mathematicians, Oslo
June 15-19, 2009 Waves 2009, Pau, France,
Member of Scientific Committee
June 30-July 2, 2009Research Stay at University of Göttingen
Apl Professor
July 3, 2009Workshop Magnetic Tomography for Fuel cells
Research Center Jülich, Germany
Visiting Professor 2009
July 6-10, 2009Cognitive Neuroscience Summer School, Reading
Member of Organizing Committee
July 13-17, 2009 ISAAK Congress, Imperial College, London, Schedule
July 20-24, 2009 Applied Inverse Problems (AIP) Vienna, Austria,
Member of Program Committee
August 20-30, 2009Research Stay at University of Göttingen
Apl Professor
Sept 21-25, 2009 Research Stay University of Rennes, France
Visiting Professor 2009

 
Christian Blog
Thoughts and reasoning about christian faith today. Date: 2010_09_08.

C-Text - Christian Blog: Migration 3 - Faith Issues ...

Wednesday, September 8, 2010. What is the role of faith in migration issues today? Is there a problem? Or perhaps no problem at all?

Faith plays a role in the discussion of migration. The driving force here is that migrants often have a different faith than the majority of people in a country. Or one has to say that migrants have a different culture which has developed in strong interaction with some faith.

Faith as a threat?

Is faith a threat? Often, it is received or perceived as a threat. The threat is not the faith itself, but particular customs or actions which are linked to faith. People in several European countries feel some kind of threat when migrants who belive in Islam build their churches in the middle of western communities. It is possible to build these churches, Islam can be practiced rather freely in western society since we believe in the right of every human to follow his or her beliefs (as long as this does not strongly limit the rights of others). It is even a right to invite to faith - whatever faith this may be, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist etc etc.

On the other side, in Muslim societies Christian churches and Christian faith are perceived as a clear threat. Most mission in Muslim countries is forbidden. Not seldom, people who invite to Christian faith must fear for their life. Even existing churches are closed or education for priests is destroyed. So the reaction to Muslim faith in Christian countries reflects this state. Islam is feared as a set of believes with a suppressive and violent face.

It is very difficult to make a distinction between the actions of the so-called "Christian" societies when they shape world politics and the faith of Jesus, the Christ. Western influence is perceived as "Christian", even if it is not Christian at all. This might also be true for Islam, there might be a calm side of it, though not every state is following it. Remember that "Christian" states started wars in the past, Jesus did not tell them to do so!

Faith as an Invitation

Faith is an invitation to the migrant. Faith was the invitation to Abraham, when he moved from Iraq to Palestine thousands of years ago. When you move, you leave all securities behind. You start something new. You go into a new environment. When you go into the unknown, God offers you faith as a better security.

We want to invite all migrants to faith, as God has done this in the past. For so many people in the past their journey into a new country was a challenge and test for their faith - and it was the invitation to fully dedicate themselves to the living God. The "promised land" has even become the key picture for the kingdom of heaven. Going into a new land is what we all will do, when we go to God finally.

Migration is a wonderful chance to come to the living God. So our invitation today will pick up the old invitation of the New Testament: come to faith in Jesus! Look at him, he shows more than a human can be, you will discover the face and voice of God. Open yourself, your ears and your eyes to the presence of the most high. Faith is an invitation to the migrant! [R.W.E.P., Jesus-Network.eu]


My Christian Blog can be found on the site of the Jesus-Network

For online Bible texts please visit our translation project Jesus Network Bible, where our team works on a translation of the bible into modern English and provide notes, comments and disucssions on the texts.