23 November 2010

Post date: Nov 19, 2010 2:40:47 AM

Discussion of three (very short!) position papers from the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation:

• Joshua M. Epstein (2008) "Why Model?"
• Nicholas S. Thompson and Patrick Derr (2009) "Contra Epstein, Good Explanations Predict".
• Klaus G. Troitzsch (2009) "Not All Explanations Predict Satisfactorily, and Not All Good Predictions Explain".

The conversation highlighted the wide range of social systems that different group members have modelled in the past, and, overall, sympathy was expressed for the various non-predictive goals for modelling that Epstein lists. Stuart Rossiter, who is currently in Glasgow and will commence a postdoc on the CLC project in early 2011, contributed a thoughtful further discussion remotely.