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

Logistics of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Penn experts, including Gad Allon, break down the steps that go into vaccine distribution and the challenges that come with them, from cold-storage transit to making sure vaccine administers have the right syringe.

Operations Information and Decisions

Ubiquity of Data

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

Artificial Neural Nets Finally Yield Clues to How Brains Learn

The learning algorithm that enables the runaway success of deep neural networks doesn’t work in biological brains, but researchers are finding alternatives that could. Konrad Kording comments on how networks of biological neurons may learn by studying algorithms in artificial deep networks in this Quanta Magazine article.

Bioengineering
Neuroscience
Psychology

Evolution, Emergence and the Brain

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

Who Should Stop Unethical A.I.?

At artificial-intelligence conferences, researchers are increasingly alarmed by what they see. Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth comment on some of the challenges in the self-regulated world of AI, especially when it comes to bias and the application of AI in recognition and identity, in this recent New Yorker article.

Computer and Information Science

Social Norms for Algorithms

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

As More Women Enter Science, It’s Time to Redefine Mentorship

In STEM fields, female students often can’t find an adviser who looks like them. It’s important to talk about what they need from a mentor. Dani Bassett discusses gender and mentorship in academia in this Wired article.

Bioengineering

Ubiquity of Data

Women in Data Science Podcast: Kristian Lum

Kristian Lum describes how following her interests has led her on an everchanging career path across business, public service, and academia on this episode of the WiDS Podcast.

Computer and Information Science

Social Norms for Algorithms

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

News

Fostering the next generation of Black philosophers at Penn

Logistics of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Tell Me Something Funny

Artificial Neural Nets Finally Yield Clues to How Brains Learn

CHIBE Q&A: Damon Centola

Who Should Stop Unethical A.I.?

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

As More Women Enter Science, It’s Time to Redefine Mentorship

Women in Data Science Podcast: Kristian Lum

Pandemic Ethics: Where Do We Go from Here?