Adriana I. Pesci

The paper presents a quantitative theory explaining phototaxis sign reversal in Chlamydomonas eyeless mutants due to lensing effects and competing light signals.

The paper shows that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii uses an intensity-weighted average of light vectors for phototactic decision-making, with stochastic switching at large angular separations.

The paper quantifies dawn chorus onset in cicadas, showing chorus timing tracks sunrise and reveals a sharp susceptibility peak linked to cooperative decision-making.

The paper models how cicadas synchronize emergence using a statistical physics approach, showing how communication and thermal cues lead to collective swarming behavior.