Polarization can happen even when rational people listen to each other

Using computer models, Daniel J. Singer and colleagues found that divides over factual issues can stem from humans’ limited memory capacity rather than from one side or the other being irrational.

Philosophy

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Warren Center Affiliate Profile- Duncan Watts

What happens when groups of people interact and how does the structure of those interactions lead to better or worse collective outcomes? This fundamental question has driven Duncan Watts’ work from the time he was a PhD student at Cornell to his current position as a Penn PIK Professor.

Communication
Computer and Information Science
Operations Information and Decisions

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Penn Engineering Announces Four New Scholarly Chairs

Danielle Bassett has been named the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor of Bioengineering. The Professorship was established to honor J. Peter “Pete” Skirkanich, an alumnus, trustee and member of the School of Engineering Board of Overseers who also served as co-chair of Engineering’s “Making History through Innovation” capital campaign.

Bioengineering

Is Data Privacy Real? Don’t Bet on It

People generate millions of points of information about themselves all the time. You create data every time you push the ‘Like’ button on Facebook, search for something on Google, make a purchase on Amazon, or watch a show on Netflix. Kevin Werbach, Aaron Roth, & Michael Kearns discuss data privacy in the U.S.--- or the lack thereof.

Computer and Information Science
Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Social Norms for Algorithms

Is Your Business Ready to Scale?

In theory, most business owners want to increase revenues and at the same time see costs grow at a slower pace. As promising as that sounds, not all enterprises are good candidates for scaling, according to Gad Allon.

Operations Information and Decisions

Ubiquity of Data

Finding the Value in IPOs: Why Customer Behavior Holds the Key

Spurred by tech companies such as Uber, 2019 is expected to be a record year for initial public offerings (IPOs), but what are these firms really worth? Wharton's Peter Fader explains why customer-based corporate valuation is a novel -- and very accurate -- way of determining a firm’s worth.

Marketing

Ubiquity of Data

A society’s cultural practices shape the structure of its social networks

People learn either by observing those around them or by innovating. A new study from Penn biologist Erol Akçay demonstrates how cultures can evolve based on what kind of learning and skills are required to thrive within them.

Biology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Gutmann, Moreno op-ed details ‘ethical mess’ of health care system

Published recently in The New York Times, Penn President Amy Gutmann penned an op-ed with Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Jonathan Moreno about the importance of revising and reinforcing the Affordable Care Act. “Surely our fellow Americans with life-threatening diseases of all sorts are also worth saving,” they write.

History and Sociology of Science
Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Philosophy

Ubiquity of Data

Using Machine Learning to Improve the U.S. Government

Just as algorithms have facilitated dramatic innovations in the private sector, they can also enable governments to achieve better, fairer, and more efficient performance of key functions. Cary Coglianese writes about the use of machine-learning algorithms in the public sector.

Law
Political Science

Social Norms for Algorithms

Penn Students Crowdsource Art for Class Project

A group of students in Chris Callison-Burch’s NETS 213 class asked the masses to collectively create artwork depicting a galloping horse. Crowdsourcing is increasingly used to gather and process data for serious research efforts, but creative projects like this one help students understand how people will respond to such tasks.

Computer and Information Science

Consensus and Contagion in Society

News

Polarization can happen even when rational people listen to each other

Warren Center Affiliate Profile- Duncan Watts

Penn Engineering Announces Four New Scholarly Chairs

Is Data Privacy Real? Don’t Bet on It

Is Your Business Ready to Scale?

Finding the Value in IPOs: Why Customer Behavior Holds the Key

A society’s cultural practices shape the structure of its social networks

Gutmann, Moreno op-ed details ‘ethical mess’ of health care system

Using Machine Learning to Improve the U.S. Government

Penn Students Crowdsource Art for Class Project