Many biological patterns are formed during growth, and various modeling approaches have repeatedly shown that growth can substantially impact pattern formation. However, experimental testing of these ideas has been limited, largely due to the difficulty in precisely measuring organism growth while simultaneously tracking the dynamics of pattern formation. To address this, we turned to the skin of the oval squid. The oval squid grows rapidly, hatching with a length of approximately 16mm and reaching 90mm within 3 months. Throughout development, its skin is populated by pigment-filled cells called chromatophores. Following insertion into the skin, chromatophores do not move. This means that squid chromatophores, besides being the constitutive elements of a point pattern, can also function as reference points to precisely determine skin growth. For the more biologically-minded, I will explain how the chromatophore pattern emerges through the interplay of growth and decreasing chromatophore growth rates. For those who lean physics, I will talk about how due to the combination of volume exclusion and growth, chromatophores exhibit a scaling in which relative density fluctuations grow with spatial scale, akin to a critical system.

The National Center for Theoretical Sciences (NCTS) and the Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS) at RIKEN have long maintained a collaborative relationship, even before the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December, 2022. This partnership has successfully facilitated joint activities in high energy physics over recent years. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, we are excited to announce the inaugural joint workshops focusing on condensed matter physics and (quantum) gravity. These workshops are designed to foster international collaborations and stimulate interdisciplinary research.

We are pleased to invite you to the 2024 NCTS-iTHEMS Workshop on Matters to Spacetime: Symmetries and Geometry, to be held from August 26 (Monday) to August 29 (Thursday), at the National Center for Theoretical Sciences, located on the campus of National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei, Taiwan. This workshop will feature presentations on the latest research findings, foster discussions to spark new ideas, and provide opportunities for initiating collaborative projects. While we strongly encourage in-person attendance to maximize engagement and interaction, an online platform will also be available to accommodate participants who are unable to attend physically.

This international workshop will bring together researchers worldwide to discuss and collaborate on the latest developments in quantum technologies and quantum computing. Other focus areas will be algorithms, hybrid classical - quantum computing, error mitigation, and applications in physics and chemistry. With an emphasis to galvanize the participants into future collaborations, in addition to presentations on recent trends, the workshop will dedicate time in the afternoons for facilitated brainstorming and planning sessions.