Past Events
Peruse past key events from the Center for Philosophy of Science.
17 Apr 2026
Reasonable Doubt: Rethinking Trust in Science
Speakers:
- John Doris, Professor of Philosophy; Professor of Ethics Cornell University
Edouard Machery, Distinguished Professor; Director of the Center for Philosophy of Science University of Pittsburgh
It is commonly assumed by many in our society that science is generally trustworthy and should be relied upon for a variety of personal and societal decision making. However, a relatively strong case can be made that, in many areas of science, research is often—and sometimes surprisingly more often than not—untrustworthy and the mechanisms of error detection and self-correction are unreliable. But even if science cannot always be trusted, it cannot be ignored either: science matters in our individual and collective lives. How should we respond to this situation? Join us for a conversation with John Doris (Cornell University) and Edouard Machery (University of Pittsburgh) based on their forthcoming book that challenges the commonly endorsed idea that science ought to be trusted and presents a new perspective on what place science should have in our technologically advanced society.
14 Nov 2025
AI and the Nature of Science: Concepts and Controversies
How does scientific understanding connect with successful predictions from AI? What role do explanatory theories have when AI methods are applied to big data? Can AI lead to paradigm shifts? How should credit for discovery be attributed when AI plays a key role in scientific inquiry?
The goal of this symposium is to bring together cutting-edge perspectives on these questions and help set an agenda for future research and application.
The symposium will open with a panel conversation between the speakers below followed by Q and A session.
- Cameron Buckner, University of Florida
- Thomas Byrd, University of Minnesota
- Lisa Messeri, Yale University
- Claudia Scarlata, University of Minnesota
The keynote presentation will be given by Carl T. Bergstrom, University of Washington, after which there will be a second Q and A session before the event concludes with a reception. The event is free and open to the public.
3 Oct 2025
Economists should be studying monopoly much more extensively
A discussion lunch with James A. Schmitz, Jr. about his paper "Economists should be studying monopoly much more extensively." James is a principal research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and an adjunct professor in the economics department of the University of Minnesota.
For the meeting, James suggests reading the following sections of the paper:
- 1 and 2 (pages 1-26) with Arnold's definition of monopoly on page 87
- 4 and 5 (pages 32-46)
- 6 (focusing on hearing aids, legal services and antitrust consulting, pages 59-65)
- the conclusion
17 Apr 2025
More Than Our Genes: A Q&A About Science and Society with Dr. Ruth Shaw
You are invited to join the University of Minnesota's Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Club from 5-6pm on Thursday, April 17 in Coffman Memorial Union Room 303 for More Than Our Genes: A Q&A About Science and Society with Dr. Ruth Shaw. During this event, we will discuss some of the scientific and ethical problems with contemporary research linking genomic variation to complex human traits. All University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend. The Q&A session will be moderated by Henry Rosato, President of the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Club. Dinner from Afro Deli & Grill will be provided.
About Dr. Shaw: Dr. Ruth Shaw is a Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior studying ongoing evolution in wild plant populations. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Distinguished Teachers and previously served as President of the Society for the Study of Evolution and as Editor-in-Chief of the Society's journal, Evolution.