Events
Past Event
WED@NICO SEMINAR: James Moody, Duke University "The Structural Dynamics of Groups and Roles in Early Adolescent Friendship Networks"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
James Moody - Professor in the Department of Sociology and Director of the Duke Network Analysis Center, Duke University.
Talk Abstract:
A fundamental aspect of school life rests on the collective substructures of peer networks. We examine two intersecting substructures here: peer groups defined as dense communities of close friends and role positions, defined on the pattern of ties one is embedded within, which are closely aligned with the school status structure. Combined, these two dimensions define the social field of a school for adolescents. Despite intense policy interest in “peer pressure– and theoretical interests in generalizations of fields, there is little basic descriptive information on the life-history of these key social network substructures in real-world networks, in part due to lack of available data and appropriate methods. Here, we describe the dynamics of groups and roles in remarkable new dynamic data on 6 waves of peer network data in a way that lets us see the simultaneous emergence of behavior homophily and status stability.
Co-Sponsor:
This talk is co-sponsored by the CONNECT Research Program within the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing. CONNECT is focused around elucidating the complex mechanisms driving the health disparities of stigmatized populations, in particular gender and sexual minorities. In order to build cross-campus connections, CONNECT will be hosting a livestream of this talk on the Chicago Campus at 625 North Michigan Avenue in the 5th Floor Conference Room. Lunch will be served for attendees. Please contact Mich Elliott (me@northwestern.edu) with any questions.
Live Stream:
This talk is being livestreamed via BlueJeans.
To join the Meeting: https://bluejeans.com/353775799
To join via Browser: https://bluejeans.com/353775799/browser
Time
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Mayank Agrawal, Proof of Human "The Invisible Turing Test for the Internet"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
//
Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
Mayank Agrawal, Co-founder and CEO, Proof of Human
Title:
Proof of Human: the Invisible Turing Test for the Internet
Abstract:
This presentation introduces the Process Turing Test, a new framework for distinguishing humans from AI that goes beyond linguistic output to analyze behavioral dynamics. As LLMs routinely pass text-based Turing Tests, we need methods that probe the underlying architecture of intelligence through perception, control, and decision-making patterns. Using process tracing data from canonical cognitive tasks, we demonstrate how behavioral embeddings capture computational signatures unique to human cognition. This provides robust proof-of-personhood that resists adversarial attacks while revealing fundamental principles about how humans and machines process information differently.
Speaker Bio:
Mayank Agrawal is the co-founder and CEO of Proof of Human, a research and deployment company building the proof-of-human layer in digital identity. The company develops high-impact research and translates that work into systems for bot detection, fraud prevention, and continuous authentication. Mayank’s work focuses on new approaches to distinguishing humans from AI through behavioral and cognitive signals. He earned his PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Princeton University, where he studied computational models of human decision-making with Jonathan Cohen, Tom Griffiths, and Nathaniel Daw. His research spans cognitive science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with work published in Science, PNAS, and Psychological Review. He previously studied Computer Science and Philosophy at Swarthmore College.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96392420891
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, networks, and artificial intelligence. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)