Social Media Bots May Appear Human, but Their Similar Personalities Give Them Away

Social bots, or automated social media accounts that pose as genuine people, have infiltrated all manner of discussions, including conversations about consequential topics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study from Lyle Ungar and collaborators gives a closer look at how these bots disguise themselves.

• Computer and Information Science

School of Arts & Sciences Launches New Initiative in Data Driven Discovery

The School of Arts & Sciences has announced the establishment of a new Data Driven Discovery (DDD) Initiative, which will act as a hub for data science education and research across the School. Bhuvnesh Jain will serve as one the initiative’s inaugural co-directors.

Clinician peer networks remove race and gender bias

A recent study published in Nature Communications offers striking evidence that network science can be used to remove race and gender bias in clinical settings. The research, led by Damon Centola, offers an effective new way to ensure safer, more equitable health care for women and minorities through managing clinician peer networks.

• Communication
• Sociology

Machine Learning Improved Greece’s Border Screening for COVID-19

Travel in Greece was safer in the summer of 2020, thanks to a new approach to COVID-19 border screening developed by Hamsa Bastani and collaborators. A new study in Nature demonstrates how Eva—a machine-learning system using up-to-date data on incoming travelers and their COVID-19 test results—helped Greece open for tourism.

• Operations Information and Decisions

Ezekiel Dixon-Román on the Facebook whistleblower

In a Senate hearing earlier this month, former Facebook project manager Frances Haugen testified against the tech giant, saying that the company “put profits before people.” Penn Today spoke with Ezekiel Dixon-Róman about the significance of Haugen’s evidence and what it could mean for the future.

• Social Policy

Secure Imprecision: Andreas Haeberlen speaks on the importance of Differential Privacy

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, testing and contact tracing failed to quell the spread. Many circumstances contributed to this outcome, however, according to Andreas Haeberlen, one of the main reasons contact tracing wasn’t more successful is simple: people don’t feel comfortable sharing their information.

• Computer and Information Science

Unraveling Bias in the Brain

How can we unravel the conflicting biases in our brain to work towards a more just and peaceful world? In this talk, Emily Falk honors Dr. Emile Bruneau's work at Penn, describing the opportunity to look closer into our unconscious biases, question them, and face discomfort to make a change in our communities and beyond.

• Communication
• Marketing
• Psychology

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

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

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