We use experiments, theory and computation to study motion and matter at the human scale. Areas of interest include the patterns of shape and flow of inanimate matter on scales ranging from the supramolecular to the planetary, and the dynamics of sentient living matter that can self-organize, perceive and act, on scales ranging from the sub-cellular to the super-organismal. Via answers to specific questions, we aim to get at general principles, if there be such, and get a qualitative understanding using quantitative methods – Soft Math (hoping for fleeting glimpses of the sublime in the mundane?).

Control of connectivity and rigidity in prismatic assemblies.
P. T. Choi, S. Chen and L. Mahadevan, Proc. R. Soc. A 476: 20200485, 2020.
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Mechanical coupling coordinates the co-elongation of axial and paraxial tissues in avian embryos.
F. Xiong, W. Ma, B. Benazeraf, L. Mahadevan, and O. Pourquie. Dev. Cell. 55, 354–366, 2020.
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Flow-driven branching in a frangible porous medium.
N. Derr, D. Fronk, C. Weber, A. Mahadevan, C. Rycroft and L. Mahadevan, Phys. Rev. Lett., 125, 158002, 2020.
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Coordinated crawling via reinforcement learning.
S. Mishra, W. van Rees, L. Mahadevan, Royal Society-Interface, 17: 20200198, 2020.
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Mechanical basis for fibrillar bundle morphology.
T. Michaels, E. Memet, and L. Mahadevan, Soft Matter , 16, 9306-18, 2020.
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Optimal control of aging in complex networks
E. Sun, T. Michaels, and L. Mahadevan, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 117, 20404-410, 2020.
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Elastohydrodynamic scaling law for heart rates.
E. Virot, V. Spandan, L. Niu, W. M. van Rees, and L. Mahadevan, Phys. Rev. Lett., 125, 058102, 2020.
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Suspension jams in a leaky microfluidic channel.
J. S. Yodh, V. Spandan, and L. Mahadevan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 044501, 2020.
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Self-excited motions of volatile drops on swellable sheets
A. Chakrabarti, G.P-T. Choi, and L. Mahadevan, Phys Rev Lett., 124, 258002, 2020.
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Early warning signals in motion inference.
Y. Hart, M. Vaziri-Pashkam, and L. Mahadevan, PLOS Computational Biology, 16 (5), 2020.
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