Complexity Science Hub

10/07/2025

👩‍🔬💬 know it's happening—even if they’re not doing it themselves. Large Language Models ( ) like are quietly transforming how researchers write papers, draft grant proposals, and process data.

CSH researcher Lisette Espín-Noboa has been following this shift with growing interest. “I kept reading about it, talking about it with colleagues,” she said. “That’s when I thought: why not organize a workshop to openly discuss how LLMs are being used in ?”

Together with Ruggero Marino Lazzaroni and João Neto from the University of Graz, she organized a 3-day workshop at the Complexity Science Hub—not just to show what LLMs can do, but to spotlight how to use them responsibly.

They discussed using ethically in academic writing, using LLMs as assistants for data collection and preprocessing, and automating research workflows and coding support. The workshop wrapped with a hands-on simulation: using an LLM to annotate social media data, analyze it, and draft a paper section—putting theory into practice.

08/07/2025

🧍↔️🧍‍♀️ Is society really more divided — or does it just feel that way?

A new study in PNAS Nexus by researcher Peter Steiglechner from the Complexity Science Hub – together with colleagues Ago Merico and Paul Smaldino from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) GmbH and UC Merced – introduces a novel method to distinguish actual societal polarization from perceived polarization of opinions.

👉 Key finding: The more agreement we see within our own social circle, the more polarized society can appear to us — even if the actual differences across society haven’t changed and even if other people do not see the same polarization.

💡 A metaphor to explain the idea:
We all view political opinions through a kind of lens — shaped by the range of views in our immediate environment.
➡️ If opinions around us are diverse, the “lens” is wide — and society feels less divided.
➡️ If there’s strong agreement in our circles, the lens narrows — and we perceive society as more polarized.

🔬 What’s new about the method?
The team developed a mathematical approach to isolate how much of the perceived polarization stems from the observer’s own environment. By analyzing opinion distributions within identity groups over time, they show how subjective and heterogeneous contexts can distort perceptions of societal division — independently of real-world opinion divergence.

🌍 Example: Climate change
The authors applied this method to climate change opinions in Germany, showing that perceptions of polarization on this issue can easily deviate substantially between political groups.

🗣️ “The perception of polarization matters,” says lead author Peter Steiglechner from CSH. “It influences policymaking and how we address major challenges like climate change, food security, or environmental protection. Reducing polarization starts with understanding our perceptions — and that’s what our study reveals.”

👉 Read the full story here: https://csh.ac.at/news/opinions-within-inner-circles-influence-perception-of-social-division/

07/07/2025

Vienna’s housing market: The pandemic has triggered a lasting shift in preferences, shows a new study.

🏘️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞:
The team around Fabian Braesemann (Associate Faculty at the Complexity Science Hub and Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford) analyzed more than 120,000 rental listings on "Willhaben" from 2018 and 2022.

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:

➡️ Outer districts boom: Rents rose 50% more in Vienna’s outer districts (10–12, 14–17, 20–23) compared to the central ones.

➡️ Pre-pandemic price drivers like a central location or proximity to subway stations have lost relative importance.

➡️ Home-office-ready apartments are in demand: Features like extra rooms, balconies, and gardens have become more important.

➡️ Strongest increase in rents was seen in districts 10, 11, 15, 20, 21, and 23—areas that were relatively less expensive before the pandemic. By contrast, the increase was smaller in the already more expensive districts 13, 18, and 19.

🏗️ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?
Changing housing preferences have long-term consequences for urban planning. For instance, if more people choose to live in outer districts and work remotely, their mobility and shopping patterns will shift accordingly. Cities need to anticipate and respond to these new patterns.

🔬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰?
Housing markets are shaped by countless interactions: renters, landlords, infrastructure, policies, and economic trends. To navigate this complexity, we need data-driven insights.

As Fabian Braesemann puts it:
“If we can use algorithms to extract evolving housing preferences from rental data, we can begin to rethink urban planning—shifting from reactive policies toward active management of the housing market as a complex system.”

This study was published in and was conducted in collaboration with Einstein Center Digital Future, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Agenda Austria, Hanno Lorenz, and Jan Kluge.

Read more:

What makes an apartment attractive when the daily commute to the office disappears? A new study with CSH reveals a clear trend in housing

04/07/2025

🚶‍♂️🚲 How can cities move toward truly sustainable mobility?
At the 14th World Cities Summit Mayors Forum in Vienna’s Rathaus, CSH researcher Rafael Prieto-Curiel presented his work on sustainable .

Speaking to 100+ city leaders from more than 50 cities, he emphasized the need to go beyond cars – and optimize every aspect of alternative transport, from traffic light coordination to city-wide walkability.

💡 He highlighted that , , and remain the most promising pathways toward truly sustainable urban mobility.

More info about the event: https://www.wien.gv.at/kontakt/mayor-forum-world-cities-summit
More info about Urban Sustainability research at CSH: https://csh.ac.at/research/research-topic/urban-sustainability/

04/07/2025

🔥 No summer slowdown at CSH – this week, we hosted three exciting workshops. After recent events on migration, we turned our focus to and .

👥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (organized by Mirta Galesic & Henrik Olsson):

– 🤖 Augmenting Intelligence through Collective Learning: How can AI & tech help groups learn better together – despite rising misinformation, polarization & fragmentation?

– 🔄 Adapting in Uncertain Times: How do collectives tackle change, diverging beliefs & social challenges? What role do networks & learning strategies play?

Experts from psychology, cognitive science, political science, computer science, physics & complexity science joined to explore new ideas and future collaborations.

🚶‍♀️🚲 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 (led by Daniel Kondor, Daniela Meier, Rafael Prieto-Curiel & Vito D. P. Servedio):

– 🛣️ Rethinking Mobility: This one-day workshop brought together researchers and practitioners to rethink how we study and shape urban mobility. From data gaps and measurement challenges to emerging research questions – the goal was clear: connect science with real-world needs and move toward more sustainable, evidence-based mobility solutions.

💡Big questions + hands-on problems = real impact.
Find more events at the Complexity Science Hub: https://csh.ac.at/events-news/events/

02/07/2025

**Why Complexity Science Hub?**

I am studying collective adaptation--the way collectives adjust their cognitions and social structures to address the multiple problems they face, and in the process create pathways to new challenges in cognitive-social solutions.

This is a thoroughly transdisciplinary endeavor that cannot be conducted in standard academic departments. My group includes cognitive and organizational scientists, computer scientists, and physicists, and it further profits from discussions with other groups at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) that develop theoretical frameworks and analytical tools to study topics such as innovation, information, migration, health systems, supply chains, and the cryptoeconomy.

CSH is at the center of a large international network of scientists from many different disciplines, who visit regularly to participate in workshops and collaborate on projects. This unique scientific environment that blends theory and application exposes my group to the latest developments in complex systems theory and empirical methods for data analysis.

Because of CSH's connections to different stakeholders in government and industry, it also allows us to make our work relevant to the broader public.

Last but not least, CSH has wonderful support staff that allows us to focus on research and be almost free of administrative load. It also helps us to make connections with the broader scientific community in Vienna. Vienna itself is an intellectually stimulating, beautiful, and livable city where one can discover something new every day, be an active citizen, and live healthy and well.

If you’re a researcher interested in complexity, this is a special place to be. Discover more about our visitor program: https://bit.ly/43LJXvF

— Mirta Galesic
Faculty Member, Complexity Science Hub

01/07/2025

🌡️ The heatwave currently gripping Europe is also hitting Austria hard — and that brings health risks, especially for older people.
To help understand these developments, the Complexity Science Hub has updated its interactive heat map with the latest data for 2024.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬:

☀️ The 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱, which displays the number of days with temperatures exceeding 30°C at the district and municipality level (2018–2024), and

☀️ The 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱, which combines the number of hot days with the proportion of people aged 65 and older—highlighting regions where health risks are particularly high.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

🥵 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝-𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬: 49 districts experienced at least 34 hot days (above 30°C)—compared to only 15 in the previous peak year, 2019.

📈 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚: While a few municipalities saw a slight decrease, the overall trend is clearly upward.

🇦🇹 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 – 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚: All districts in Burgenland and nearly all in Lower Austria recorded very high heat index values (more than 34 hot days).

🇦🇹 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 – 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚: In 7 out of 10 districts, the heat stress index was rated “very high” in 2024—due to both a high number of hot days and a larger share of older residents.

🧭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬: The eastern part of Austria experienced significantly more hot days and tropical nights than the west. To give one example – the city of Bregenz recorded 12 hot days, while Rust had 52. Additionally, the share of people over 65 in Rust is 27.7%, compared to 19% in Bregenz.

🎡 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚: With an average of 49.4 hot days and up to 53 tropical nights in districts such as Wieden, Margareten, and Mariahilf, the city faced extreme heat—though it has a comparatively young population (only 16.4% over 65).

🌒 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 20°𝐂): While most municipalities in Tyrol and Salzburg recorded almost none, districts in Burgenland averaged nearly 20, and Vienna over 40 (43.21 on average, or 40.5 when accounting for population size).

🇦🇹 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠: Dornbirn is the only district rated with “very low heat stress” (13 hot days, 17.7% over 65)

Here you can explore the interactive map: https://vis.csh.ac.at/heat-health-habitats/explorer.html?lang=de

More info: https://csh.ac.at/news/austrias-heat-map-sharp-rise-in-days-with-severe-heat-stress/

🔬 This heat map was made possible by research from the Complexity Science Hub and WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien) by Hannah Schuster, Johannes Wachs, Amin Anjomshoaa and Axel Polleres, with visualization by Liuhuaying Yang (CSH). It was developed as part of the project, funded by the FFG Forschung wirkt.

30/06/2025

Migration is shaping the future of our societies — but how can research help shape migration policy?
Last week, the research group led by Rafael Prieto-Curiel hosted a three-part event series at the Complexity Science Hub to explore this pressing question.

🧭 On Thursday, a Science Advisory Meeting brought together the research group and representatives of the Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI) to refine pathways for collaboration and explore how scientific findings can inform migration policy in Austria.

🧑‍🔬 Friday’s workshop created a space for exchange between researchers and policymakers working on migration. Alongside presentations by the Human Migration group, other participants shared valuable insights into their work and contributed to a rich discussion on future collaboration.

💬 The day concluded with a panel discussion titled “Bridging the Gap between Academia and Policy in Migration Studies”, moderated by Rafael Prieto-Curiel.
Speakers included:
– Peter Webinger, Director of the Migration and International Affairs Department at BMI
– Ljubica Nedelkoska, Research Scientist at CEU and CSH
– Ivona Zakoska Todorovska, Europe Coordinator for the Displacement Tracking Matrix, IOM

Over the past decade, international migration has been at the center of global debate — politically and academically. As societies face shifting migratory patterns and aging populations, collaboration between research and policy has become more vital than ever.

This event series was a step toward just that: constructive dialogue, shared understanding, and informed action.

A big thank-you to Rafael Prieto-Curiel, Ola Megahed, Andrea Vismara, Carsten Källner, Guillermo Prieto Viertel, and all participants for your insights and for helping make this possible!

27/06/2025

A “balanced” neighborhood isn’t always what it seems—it strongly depends on how is defined.
In a new study, Guillermo Prieto Viertel from the Complexity Science Hub, together with colleagues from TU Delft, examined over 3,000 housing value combinations in Rotterdam—part of the city’s strategy to promote social cohesion through mixed-income neighborhoods.

🤝 The idea: a greater mix of residents leads to stronger community ties.

The results:
🏚️ Only 2.1% of housing value combinations showed any effect on neighborly support—and when they did, it was often negative.
🏚️ Vague definitions of "balance" can create misleading images of a city—mislabeling communities and increasing the risk of gentrification or displacement.
🏚️ Relying on property values as a proxy for inclusion can obscure what actually matters.

“Most of what the city calls ‘balance’ has little to no link to how much neighbors trust or help one another,” says Guillermo Prieto Viertel.

✅ The conclusion:
“Vague or overly technical indicators should not guide decisions that affect people’s lives. Rotterdam’s example shows that the definition of ‘balance’ is so vague it can be used to label both wealthy and poor areas as balanced,” explains Prieto-Viertel.
Instead, urban strategies should be guided by direct measures of trust, mutual aid, and community engagement—and developed with the people they are meant to serve.

🤲 Why?
Cities increasingly aim to boost resilience in times of crisis—be it pandemics, heatwaves, or blackouts. But resilience isn’t just about infrastructure—it depends on whether people support each other in times of need.

👉 read the full story: https://csh.ac.at/news/a-balanced-neighborhood-isnt-always-a-better-one/
👉 read the from Guillermo Prieto Viertel, Mikhail Sirenko and Camilo Benitez Avila 🟥 in Urban Sustainability: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-025-00211-1

25/06/2025

Just 3 more days... 🚀 Thinking about applying to Falling Walls Lab 2025? Still not sure if it’s for you?
CSH's Johannes Stangl has been there – all the way to Berlin – and shares what it’s really like (plus some tips 👀).

🎥 Check out the video & get inspired!

NEW this year: The top 10 applicants will not only pitch live at the FFG Forum on Sept 10 — they’ll also get professional pitch training to level up their stage presence.

🌍 Open to students & early-career pros from all disciplines
📅 Deadline: June 27, 2025
🎤 Lab Day: September 10 @ FFG Forum
🔗 Apply now: https://falling-walls.com/falling-walls-lab-vienna

📢 Please widely! We’re looking for bright minds from all disciplines!

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An initiative by: ACR - Austrian Cooperative Research, Complexity Science Hub, Fraunhofer Austria, Christian Doppler Forschungsgesellschaft CDG, Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, Österreichische Fachhochschul-Konferenz (FHK), xista innovation

With kind support from: FFG Forschung wirkt., AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
In cooperation with: Falling Walls Foundation, LBG Career Center

📢 We’d love to see this opportunity reach as many bright minds as possible.
A warm shout-out to our institutional members – AIT Austrian Institute of Technology | BOKU University | Central European University | IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria | Medizinische Universität Wien | TU Graz | TU Wien | Universität für Weiterbildung Krems | Vetmeduni | WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien) | Wirtschaftskammer, and many others, of course.

24/06/2025

What does the future hold for over 5 million displaced — and how can we turn crisis into opportunity?

Yesterday at the Complexity Science Hub, Ljubica Nedelkoska and Frank Neffke hosted a workshop with leading academics and civil society leaders to tackle this question. Together, they explored the global economic impact of displacement, how Ukrainian talent is integrating abroad, and what’s needed to support return and long-term reconstruction.

Nedelkoska and Neffke also presented findings from their project, “Opportunity in Crisis – Empowering Ukrainian Refugees to Rebuild the Ukrainian Economy.” The project goes beyond data analysis, to explore, together with German and Austrian companies, ways to support displaced Ukrainians and encourage investments that drive job creation and rebuilding efforts.

Discussions highlighted both the barriers and initiatives to professional integration of Ukrainians in Austria and Germany and the long-term opportunities for Ukraine’s recovery.

18/06/2025

Sometimes, especially early in your career – not just in science – you wish you could ask someone who truly knows. Someone who has seen it all, who has maybe even shaped the field, and who’s willing to share their wisdom.

Today, our students had exactly that chance: a Q&A session with Helga Nowotny – former ERC president, chair of the CSH Science Advisory Board, and one of Europe’s most influential voices in science.

From what makes a good research question to how much of yourself you can – and should – give to science, our students asked – and got honest, thoughtful answers. 🌱 All while sitting in the grass on a sunny afternoon – with even our four-legged friends listening in attentively.