Fungi grow by extending microscopic threads called hyphae, forming intricate networks known as mycelium. Without eyes, brains, or centralized control, they explore their environment with surprising intelligence. This exhibit transforms time-lapse imagery of fungal growth into visual datasets, revealing diverse growth patterns—from geometric structures to chaotic spirals. By studying these behaviors, we aim to uncover how fungi experience the world and how their strategies might inspire innovations in smart materials and transport systems.

The interdisciplinary research center Department Speculative Transformation of TUD Dresden University of Technology launched the "Designing Futures Together: Visionary Realities" at the Cosmo Science Forum. The exhibition was open from April to Juli, 2024. We provided an interactive visualization exhibit with a selection of Complexity Explorables. Have a look at what people saw at the exhibition.

This project is designed for people interested in complex systems and complex dynamical processes. Complexity Explorables hosts different collections of interactive illustrations of models for complex systems in physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, social sciences, neuroscience, epidemiology, network science and ecology. Topics include pattern formation, synchronization, critical phenomena, chaotic dynamics, evolutionary dynamics, fractals, collective behavior, reaction-diffusion systems and more.

This interactive visualization explores vital health data from the Corona Data Donation project. The tool allows users to analyze aggregated health metrics including resting heart rate, step count, and sleep duration across different regions in Germany. Data is presented as 7-day averages and can be explored at various administrative levels from the entire country down to individual districts.

This interactive visualization illustrates the worldwide air-transportation network. The network connects approx. 4000 airports globally with roughly 51.000 connections. On this network more than 3 billion passengers travel each year. In total, humanity travels a total distance of over 15 million kilometers every day (under normal conditions), that is roughly three times the radius of our solar system.

How a pandemic develops depends on many factors: the biology of the pathogen, its susceptibility to external influences such as humidity and temperature, but most of all it is determined by contacts between individuals: transmissions occur primarily when people have contact with each other. The number of contacts thus gives us an insight into the course of the pandemic. Fewer contacts make it more difficult for the pathogen to spread through the population, whereas more contacts promote rapid spread. In the Contacts Monitor, we show the number of contacts and its variation in Germany over time.

This interactive visualization tool monitors and analyzes mobility patterns across Germany using aggregated and anonymized mobility data. The tool provides insights into regional mobility changes during the COVID-19 pandemic with an interactive map and time-series charts, helping to understand movement patterns and their relationship to public health measures.