Franke Program in Science & the Humanities

Tuesday, May 25
Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation Colloquium Series
James Weatherall, University of California at Irvine
Why Do Groups Polarize over Matters of Fact? What Models Can and Cannot Tell Us
3 pm, Zoom EST
Wednesday, May 26
Moderated conversation with Kevin Dorst, University of Pittsburgh
3 pm, Zoom EST

One striking feature of the current political environment in the United States and elsewhere is that there are large groups with divergent beliefs about matters of fact, including ones where there is a rich and widely accessible body of scientific evidence available that clearly favors one side. This talk will draw on recent modeling work to provide three distinct possible explanations of this polarization in belief, each of which invokes different mechanisms and recommends different remedies. Professor Weatherall will conclude with a discussion of what it means, from the perspective of the epistemology of model-based science, that such different models can produce such similar outcomes. The moral will be to caution against overly simplistic explanations of and silver bullet solutions to our current quandary in political epistemology.
Sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities and John Templeton Foundation

Registration link
Poster

Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation Colloquium Series
Thursday, April 22 • 3 pm
Lorenzo Magnani, University of Pavia, Italy
Friday, April 23 • 3 pm
Moderated conversation with James Weatherall, University of California, Irvine

Sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities and The John Templeton Foundation
Registration link
Poster

Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation Colloquium Series
Nihat Ay, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences

Nihat Ay will provide an introduction to the field of causal networks. He will focus on instructive simple examples in order to highlight the core conceptual and philosophical ideas that underlie the theory. This approach provides a clear semantics that allows us to distinguish between causation and correlation. It also allows us to study how cause-effect relations give rise to particular kinds of correlations, which can then be exploited for inferring causal relations from correlations. However, this kind of inference, which is based on observations only, turns out to be rather limited. In addition to observing a system, one can also apply experimental interventions and thereby reveal causal structures that would not follow from correlational information.  This is one instance of system identification through experimental perturbations. He will conclude his presentation with an extension of the interventional calculus by a “knockout calculus” which is based on a kind of structural intervention. This allows us to reveal a more fine-grained causal description of the underlying system.    

Sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities, John Templeton Foundation
Registration Link
Poster

3:00 pm, Zoom EST

Distinguished Speaker Series
Susan Hockfield, neuroscientist

With an anticipated world population of over 9.5 billion by 2050, we face an unprecedented challenge to sustainably provide sufficient food, water, energy, and healthcare. Convergence, the merging of previously distinct disciplines, has emerged as a powerful model with untold potential to drive a new cycle of innovation-based economic growth.  Bringing together insights and discoveries from the life, engineering, computation, and physical sciences holds the promise of accelerating discovery and the development of new technologies to meet the 21st century’s needs. Promoting Convergence approaches in education and research can pave the way to the discoveries and technologies that will transform our world.

Sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities
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Poster

Inaugural talk in the new Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation Colloquium Series
Carlo Rovelli, Université de la Méditerranée

Sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities, John Templeton Foundation
Registration link
Poster