“Probing the Nature of Inference from Data, Models and Simulations across Disciplines” (Franke Program in Science and the Humanities)

Yale Inference Workshop

Probing the Nature of Inference from Data, Models and Simulations across Disciplines

December 14 – 15, 2023

This in-person workshop is the culmination of our on-going multidisciplinary exploration project Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation. During the course of our colloquium series, Understanding the Nature of Inference: Correlation and Causation, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, we have explored how inference models operate across disciplines by learning from each other. To this end, we endeavored to go beyond our respective vantage points, across fields and a new epistemic framework to define causal relationships and how they function. In particular, we have discussed the various kinds of methodological schemas, their merits and limits and potential for refinement and re-definition to ferret out causal connections.

 

Experts from varied disciplines will present how they set up problem solving given the complexity of systems that they model; the philosophers assembled will examine the nature of laws. Key questions they will be asked to address in addition to explaining the current landscape of modeling methodologies is how a near-future data deluge is likely to impact their modeling methodologies. Most fields stand to transform dramatically with the influx of vast amounts of new data expected within the next 2 – 5 years. How current conceptual models will need to be refined and altered in this scenario will be discussed.