Robert Batterman (University of Pittsburgh)
I will provide a definition of the concept of universality that goes beyond the simple "same/similar behavior by different systems" meme. The key feature of universality is a claim about the stability of an upper scale behavior under perturbation of lower scale structures. I will discuss some ways understanding of universal behavior through modeling of inactive materials such as, fluids, gases, and even steel beams. I will also consider universality in active materials such as the cytoskeleton. The important difference between inactive and active materials concerns the fact that active systems are out of equilibrium whose components transduce energy.
