How Can We Do Good Science With Models?

Contributor(s): Erica Thompson | Given their power to influence the world, how can we ensure that mathematical models are developed in a transparent and accountable way, providing information that is useful and relevant without being over-confident or subject to hidden bias?
We've heard a lot about models recently. Some have been in the news, like the epidemic models that shaped government decisions about lockdowns and the climate models that inform us about the potential consequences of our greenhouse gas emissions. Some are more personal, like the models that try to predict which advert you are most likely to click on. Some are behind the most complex financial trades, helping to make fortunes for their developers.
Meet our speaker
Erica Thompson is a Senior Policy Fellow in Ethics of Modelling and Simulation at the LSE’s Data Science Institute (@LSEDataScience). She is also a Fellow of the London Mathematical Laboratory, where she leads the research programme on Inference from Models. She is currently writing a book called Escape From Model Land, to be published next year by Basic Books.
Find out more about Erica's research: Escape from Model Land
This film is part of the 'Festival Shorts' series, 10-minute talks by LSE experts released during Festival week
Keywords: Shaping the Post-COVID World, models, mathematics, epidemics, predictions, climate change, behavioural modelling, simulation