In addition to supporting the interdisciplinary study of cooperation, the ASU Interdisciplinary Cooperation Initiative also supports broader ventures to cultivate cooperation among the disciplines. We believe that fostering cooperation among the disciplines is necessary in order to solve pressing problems of our present and future. We support conferences, events, research projects and other ventures that bring together scholars from multiple disciplines to better understand complex problems.
Xperiment is an interaction space for scientists and artists interested in leveraging both approaches to explore and understand our world. We explore cancer, the microbiome, cooperation, kombucha, the origins of multicellular life and the nature of sociality through sci-art.
The mission of the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center (ACE) is to advance our fundamental understanding of cancer and its clinical management through the development and application of evolutionary and ecological models to cancer biology. ACE is funded by the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Systems Biology Consortium.
The Human Generosity Project is the first large-scale transdisciplinary research project to investigate the interrelationship between biological and cultural influences on human generosity. We use multiple methodologies to understand the nature and evolution of human generosity including fieldwork, laboratory experiments and computational modeling.
The Zombie Apocalypse Medicine Meeting (ZAMM) is a radically interdisciplinary meeting that bridges science and the arts to grapple with the most pressing challenges of the present and the future. We define a zombie as an entity that is fully or partially under the control of another entity. This includes host-parasite interactions, autonomous technology, and coercion/control in human interactions. These dynamics - where one entity controls another - can lead to unanticipated biological, technological and social consequences. ZAMM brings together scientists, artists, doctors, lawyers, ethicists and futurists to engage with the challenges of zombification and the apocalyptic conditions that may be generated by or contribute to zombification. We use the zombie apocalypse as a lens through which we can engage about potentially frightening aspects of our present and future without fear and anxiety, but instead with imagination and creativity. The goal of ZAMM is to reduce the global burden of zombification and contribute to apocalypse prevention and preparedness through interdisciplinary engagement.
