December 1, 2014
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmWhy Biologists Need More Computer Power [Video]
Mathematical modeling isn't just for physicists any more. Using mathematical equations and computer programs to simulate reality is becoming vitally important to understanding biology as well
By Christine Gorman
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In an article about group immunity to influenza in the December 2014 Scientific American, Adam Kucharski of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine writes, "Models are powerful tools because they allow us to examine the effects of biological processes that could be difficult or even unethical to reproduce in real experiments. For example, we can see how infection might influence immunity in a population without having to deliberately infect people."
In this video Bonnie Berger at Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains how computers—or more accurately the people who program them—are helping to solve new problems in genetics, medicine and biological networks.
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