BU Hariri Institute for Computing / May 4, 2022
A popular thought experiment pushes people to consider the ethics of redirecting a trolley to hit a single person that is at the wrong place at the wrong time in order to avoid hitting five workers that the trolley is barreling toward. This puzzle has been debated for decades, but now researchers can enlist the help of computers to better understand the ethical conundrum. By testing social scientific theories in the framework of a rigorous, quantitative model, researchers can find actionable insights into social behaviors and interactions.
“We humans face some very complicated problems because we have a weak understanding of complex systems,” says Wesley Wildman, a Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics and Founding Member of the Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University. “I’m interested in finding the situations where the sciences of complex systems generate new insights.” Wildman aims to bridge the gap between science and the humanities by using data science to better understand the implications of social theories as part of the Hariri Institute’s Simulation Modeling for Population Health Focused Research Program (FRP) he helps lead with Brenda Heaton, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research.
