Data Skeptic Modelling Evolution
May 9, 2024
Evolutionary biologist and software engineer Ben Haller discusses modeling population genetics over time, delving into natural selection sources like resources, mate preferences, and competition. Explore the capabilities of SLiM for diverse evolutionary scenarios, its impact on research, and transitioning from software engineering to evolutionary biology with a focus on modeling multiple species and ecological interactions.
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Software Engineer Turned Evolutionary Biologist
- Ben Haller transitioned from Silicon Valley software engineering to evolutionary biology and now combines both skillsets in his work at Cornell.
- He worked at Berkeley Systems and Apple, then earned degrees in biology and a PhD, finally joining Philip Messer's lab to develop SLiM.
SLiM Evolved Beyond Its Original Meaning
- SLiM originally meant Selection on Linked Mutations because it modeled multiple selected mutations and their complex interactions.
- Over time SLiM grew far beyond that niche, prompting talk of renaming it to reflect broader simulation capabilities.
Use Eidos And The GUI To Customize Models
- Learn SLiM's Eidos scripting language to customize simulations; it's based on R so accessible to researchers familiar with academic tools.
- Use the SLiM GUI to visually explore models and interactively debug behaviors rather than relying only on terminal output.