talk

The Art & Science of Collective Intelligence: Podcast interview on R&D Unplugged

| Marc Santolini

How can we foster collective intelligence in times of uncertainty, fragmentation, and crisis?

I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the R&D Unplugged Podcast by the Learning Planet Institute, where we explored how collaborative intelligence emerges—not just from technology or data, but from the quality of our relationships, processes, and ways of being together. We discussed how psychological safety, participatory methodologies, and even wisdom traditions can inform how we organize, learn, and navigate complexity—whether in research, education, or systemic change.

If you’re interested in how science, facilitation, and social healing intersect, I invite you to tune in:
🎙️ Listen to the episode


Relational Infrastructures for Collective Sensemaking and Action

| Marc Santolini

How can we design containers that support relational development, foster collective intelligence, and cultivate the conditions for systemic transformation?

On March 20, I had the pleasure of presenting our work at the 11th edition of R&D Unplugged, hosted by the Research Unit Learning Transitions at the Learning Planet Institute. In this talk, I explored the intersection of network science, participatory methodologies, and wisdom traditions, highlighting how multi-level group practices and process-aware monitoring can help track and enhance relational quality over time.

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How Networks Shape Learning and Innovation: My Talk at the IRD “ACROSS” Lab in VIetnam

| Marc Santolini

How can we better understand how people learn, collaborate, and innovate together?

In this talk at the ACROSS Lab seminar in Hanoi, I presented how network science approaches can be used to study collaborative learning and problem-solving. Drawing from projects ranging from synthetic biology competitions to citizen science initiatives, I discussed how analyzing interaction patterns and participation dynamics can reveal key factors driving team performance, learning diffusion, and community resilience.

📄 Slides

Exploring Knowledge: Research Trajectories in Science

| Marc Santolini

How do scientists explore the vast and ever-growing landscape of knowledge? Can we measure how new ideas emerge and spread?

In this talk, I presented our ongoing research on quantifying the exploration of the knowledge space, combining methods from network science, spatial mobility, and learning theory. Drawing on a unique dataset of 1.5 million open-access preprints from arXiv across Physics, Computer Science, Biology, and more, we traced the “research trajectories” of scientists as they navigate, explore, and exploit ideas over time.

Our findings reveal patterns in how researchers move through the knowledge space—sometimes as explorers, venturing into new territories, and sometimes as exploiters, deepening existing fields. This ecological perspective on knowledge foraging offers fresh insights into the evolution of science and innovation, with potential applications for research policy and collective learning.

📄 You can read the related article.

Measuring Music Complexity Across Cultures and Time

| Marc Santolini

What makes music complex? And can we measure that complexity across cultures and time?

I had the pleasure of joining a panel at the Santa Fe Institute’s Complexity and the Structure of Music Working Group, where we explored how tools from complexity science—network theory, statistical mechanics, and cultural analysis—can help us better understand the structure and evolution of music. In my talk, I shared perspectives on how music can be studied as an emergent, self-organizing system, bridging technical patterns with human perception.

You can find the event details here:
🎶 SFI Complexity and the Structure of Music Working Group

You can also watch the full panel here:

Visit and talk at the Santa Fe Institute

| Marc Santolini

I have visited the Santa Fe Institute for Complex Systems from Wednesday 20 Feb to Friday 22 Feb. This was the occasion to discuss potential projects with future CRI fellow and “network archeologist” Stefani Crabtree, as well as discover this fantastic place in the desert mountains of New Mexico!

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Prize for best presentation at Complex Networks 2017

| Marc Santolini

My presentation on iGEM got the prize for best presentation at the Complex Networks 2017 conference in Lyon, France ! In this work, we investigate criteria of performance and success of teams in a scientific context. We leverage laboratory notebooks edited on wiki websites by student teams participating to the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) synthetic biology competition to uncover what features of team work best predict short term quality (medals, prizes) and long term impact (how the biological parts that teams engineer are re-used by other teams). Thanks to the organizers for the nice award (and I got two beautiful pens :))!