Uncovering the mechanisms of complex systems such as a biological cell or a colony of honeybees seems closer than ever with today's measurement and tracking technology, powerful computers and algorithms. However, the arising combination of combinatorial and analytical complexity requires novel methods at all modelling stages, including model representation, model reduction, model validation. If there is something more complex than biology, that is software. Billions of lines of code are written and executed daily, including those controlling the cars we drive or medical treatments we may need. By following the analogy that “model = program”, the modelling principles used in software verification help us shed light to collective phenomena in biology. We exemplify the approach over several scenarios, including a recent result where extracting individual characteristics from population data reveals a negative social effect during honeybee defense.
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