N-Body Society – Power and Democracy in the Modern World

What causes hostility and intergroup conflict, or ‘affective polarisation’ in democratic societies? And how does communication and interaction between people online influence such challenges to democracy? This workshop tries to answer such questions by bringing together scholars from the social sciences analysing social media, communication, and democracy, with scholars working with mathematical modeling of networks and dynamical systems, such as electric power networks. We refer to this type of research as the N-body Society, considering the collective effects of local interactions within systems with many entities or people.

When: 7 May 2024 at 9.30 to 15.30

Where: M:D and M:Teknodromen in M-building, Ole Römers väg 1, Lund, Sweden

Primary audience researchers (estimate: 40-60 attendants)

To participate is free of charge. Sign up for participation at ai.lu.se/2024-05-07/registration/

Programme outline - preliminar9.30: Check-in, coffee10.00-10.50 Introductory session  - talks by invited and Lund University speakers in M:DPolitical polarization and challenges to democracy – social science approaches

Hanna Bäck, Professor, Department of Political Science, Lund University

A dynamical systems approach to challenges in sociotechnical networks

Emma Tegling ,Senior lecturer, Department of Automatic Control, Lund University

10.55-11.40 Keynote presentationMake Modelling Great Again: What mathematical models can tell us about our polarized times

Speaker: Dr Alexander J. Stewart, Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of St Andrews

11.45-12.15 Short presentations Social Media as Network Mediators: How Platform Design and Data Shape Social Science

Michael Bossetta, Associate Senior Lecturer, Department of Communication and Media, Lund University

Wisdom of Crowd and Social Influence: From Expertise and Confidence to Fragility

Giacomo Como, Professor Mathematical Sciences, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

12:15 Lunch13.00-14.00 Lightning talks in M:Teknodromen

Short presentations by early career scholars, followed by group discussions 

14.00-15.00 Group work

Group discussions focusing on new project ideas (Teknodromen)

15:00 Fika15.30 End of workshopOrganisation

The workshop is organised by the Lund University Profile Area Natural and Artificial Cognition

Hanna Bäck, Professor, Political ScienceMelvyn B. Davies,  Professor, MathematicsEmma Tegling, Senior lecturer, Automatic ControlAnders Rantzer, Professor, Automatic ControlJonas Wisbrant, Natural and Artificial Cognition and AI Lund