The Dangers of Social Media

Social media platforms are great for keeping in touch with loved ones, and theoretically they give an equal voice to everyone… but with the recent polarization of thought and intolerance of disparate points of view, learning and creative interaction may be suppressed, writes Damon Centola.

Communication
Sociology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Are Teams Better Than Individuals at Getting Work Done?

When it comes to getting work done, two heads are better than one. Except when they aren’t. A new study from Duncan Watts digs into the question of whether it’s better for employees to work in teams or alone — and the answer may be surprising for managers trying to figure out the best way to assign tasks.

Communication
Computer and Information Science
Operations Information and Decisions

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Breaking ground at Penn’s cutting-edge data science hub

On October 1st, School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Vijay Kumar, President Amy Gutmann, naming donor Harlan Stone, and Penn Engineering Board Chair Rob Stavis broke ground on the new data science building on the corner of 34th and Chestnut Streets. Stone also unveiled the building’s official name, Amy Gutmann Hall.

Computer and Information Science
Electrical and Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Ubiquity of Data

Will China’s Ban Hurt Cryptocurrencies?

In a recent interview on the Wharton Business Daily radio show, Kevin Werbach pointed to numerous factors that shape cryptocurrency prices. The evolution of cryptocurrencies will be shaped by choices countries make on how to use them (e.g., as a digital asset or as a currency, or both) and the attendant regulation, he said.

Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Resilience in Networked Systems

‘The passionate pursuit of social justice’

This Penn Today article examines how the School of Social Policy & Practice addresses social inequities through research, featuring Ezekiel Dixon-Román’s work on structural racism, specifically how algorithms reaffirm theories of difference that are rooted in a white supremacist agenda.

Social Policy

Social Norms for Algorithms

New mathematical tools to study opinion dynamics

Using tools from the field of topology, Robert Ghrist and Ph.D. graduate Jakob Hansen developed a framework to track how opinions change over time in a wide range of scenarios, including ones where individuals can use deceptive behaviors and propaganda agents can drive a group’s consensus.

Mathematics

Ubiquity of Data

Penn Media Accountability Project (PennMAP) Research and Outcomes to Expand Thanks to Leadership Gift

The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania recently announced the expansion of the Penn Media Accountability Project (PennMAP), an interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research project dedicated to enhancing media transparency and accountability, led by Warren Center affiliate Duncan Watts.

Communication
Computer and Information Science
Operations Information and Decisions

Ubiquity of Data

Kevin Werbach wins Aspen Institute award for legal studies course

Kevin Werbach was announced as one of eight recipients of the Aspen Institute's Ideas Worth Teaching Award for his course on "Big Data, Big Responsibilities: The Laws and Ethics of Business Analytics." The award recognizes courses that highlight important emerging ideas about the role of business in creating an inclusive environment.

Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Ubiquity of Data

Dani Bassett Elected an American Physical Society Fellow

Congratulations to Dani Bassett, who has been elected a 2021 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) “for significant contributions to the network modeling of the human brain, including dynamical changes caused by evolution, learning, aging, and disease.”

Bioengineering
Electrical and Systems Engineering

Evolution, Emergence and the Brain

Economics of Digital Services

The Economics of Digital Services is an initiative of CTIC and The Warren Center that promotes research on digital platforms with a focus on empirical studies. EODS has funded 9 research proposals in such areas as cloud competition, advertising, data neutrality, smart contracts, and the effect of search engines on the media industry.

Economics
Law

Resilience in Networked Systems

News

The Dangers of Social Media

Are Teams Better Than Individuals at Getting Work Done?

Breaking ground at Penn’s cutting-edge data science hub

Will China’s Ban Hurt Cryptocurrencies?

‘The passionate pursuit of social justice’

New mathematical tools to study opinion dynamics

Penn Media Accountability Project (PennMAP) Research and Outcomes to Expand Thanks to Leadership Gift

Kevin Werbach wins Aspen Institute award for legal studies course

Dani Bassett Elected an American Physical Society Fellow

Economics of Digital Services