[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > The ethical use of applied complexity and agent based modeling is an > issue that deserves critical and thoughtful debate. Is it ethical to > use these tools to further destruction in Iraq or Afghanistan or to > use data mining to spy on private individuals? One concern I have about the use of agent models is that it can easily amount to "let's make an accusation and see if it sticks" where sticking is often poorly defined in the wrong hands. If a model's results can be interpreted in a lot of ways, and decision makers have an affinity for a certain one (e.g. a political or ideological motive), then it just becomes a tool for rationalizing actions. Writing simulations is largely programming and programming tends to be a goal oriented thing..
Marcus ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
