The advantages of computing for society are tremendous. But while new technological developments emerge, we also witness a number disadvantages and unwanted side-effects.
Strachey Lecture: The Quest for Truth in the Information Age
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The advantages of computing for society are tremendous. But while new technological developments emerge, we also witness a number disadvantages and unwanted side-effects: from the speed with which fake news spreads to the formation of new echo-chambers and the enhancement of polarization in society. It is time to reflect upon the successes and failures of collective rationality, particularly as embodied in modern mechanisms for mass information-aggregation and information-exchange. What can the study of the social and epistemic benefits and costs, posed by various contemporary mechanisms for information exchange and belief aggregation, tell us? I will use Logic and Philosophy to shed some light on this topic. Ultimately we look for an answer to the question of how we can ensure that truth survives the information age?
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This series is host to episodes created by the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, one of the longest-established Computer Science departments in the country.
The series reflects this department's world-class research and teaching by providing talks that encompass topics such as computational biology, quantum computing, computational linguistics, information systems, software verification, and software engineering.