Twitter Bots May Not Be as Influential as You Think

A new study from Sandra González-Bailón found that verified media accounts are more central in the spread of information on Twitter than bots — even though they amount to a much smaller fraction of all accounts active.

Communication

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Fostering the next generation of Black philosophers at Penn

Anita Allen comments on how in the past decade, the department has become a hub for race theory and a welcoming environment for a diverse group of young academics, mentored by those who have paved the way before them.

Law
Philosophy

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Tell Me Something Funny

Emily Falk's tip of the week for The Character Lab: Humor helps people remember information and makes them want to talk about it.

Communication
Marketing
Psychology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

CHIBE Q&A: Damon Centola

Damon Centola spoke with Penn's Center for Health Incentives & Behavioral Economics (CHIBE) about his new book, Change: How to Make Big Things Happen.

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Dissecting chaos: An interdisciplinary look at the attack on the U.S. Capitol

Faculty from five schools at the Penn, including Damon Centola, took part in a virtual panel discussion to unpack the policies, messages, and conditions that led to the events of January 6, and to explore how the country moves forward.

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Pandemic Ethics: Where Do We Go from Here?

Jonathan Moreno joined Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs' discussion on the breadth of ethical issues and the near-term consequences of our making good choices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

History and Sociology of Science
Medical Ethics and Health Policy

Consensus and Contagion in Society

The state of U.S. democracy

On the eve of a presidential inauguration following a historic election and its aftermath, experts from across Penn, including Warren Center affiliate Ezekiel Dixon-Román, weigh in on where we stand as a country.

Social Policy

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Damon Centola Publishes New Book on Behavior Change

How do you create the change you want to see in the world? Damon Centola’s newest book, Change: How to Make Big Things Happen, aims to answer that question by drawing on his research rooted in the fields of sociology and communication

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

The influence and importance of language

Labels for what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol were very different from those used to describe the Black Lives Matter movement or the 2020 election results. Diana Mutz discusses how much weight individual words actually have.

Communication
Political Science

Consensus and Contagion in Society

New Study Finds that Delivering the News with Humor Makes Young Adults More Likely to Remember and Share

New research suggests that humor may help keep people informed about politics. A study from Emily Falk and collaborators found that, when compared to non-humorous news clips, viewers are not only more likely to share humorously-presented news, but they are also more likely to remember the content from these segments.

Communication
Marketing
Psychology

Consensus and Contagion in Society