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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

Uh, make that 2026. Apologies!

The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

We're delighted to announce the fourth (and final!) Applied Epistemology Project workshop, on Applied Epistemology in Times of Political Crisis, here at UNC on March 6-7, 2025. (1/3)

The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

Whoops! Yes!!

The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

Interested in serving as a respondent? Apply by October 31st; instructions here: philevents.org/event/show/1... (3/3)

The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

We have a fantastic, interdisciplinary lineup including @aecoppock.bsky.social, @kfrostarnold.bsky.social, Megan Hyska, Rishi Joshi, @jleadermaynard.bsky.social, @pamukz.bsky.social, @gordpennycook.bsky.social, and @esydnor.bsky.social. (2/3)

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 16d

We're delighted to announce the fourth (and final!) Applied Epistemology Project workshop, on Applied Epistemology in Times of Political Crisis, here at UNC on March 6-7, 2025. (1/3)

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · 18d

AEP research getting out there! 👏👏👏

Jeff Greene @jeffgreene.bsky.social · 18d

Honored to co-present with Aditi Ahuja (her first academic conference presentation and she did great!) at the Humility in Inquiry conference. We presented data on factors affecting people’s willingness to defer to experts.

Me standing next to Aditi Ahuja who is speaking at a podium in front of an audience. There is a large projected slide behind us that says “Research Design.”

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Robin McKenna @rbnmckenna.bsky.social · Jul 9

I wrote about epistemic trespassing and why it is bad for my Substack. Tl;dr: it is tempting to talk about it as a moral failing but I think it is often more helpful to view trespassing behaviour as a rational response to bad incentives.

rbnmckenna86.substack.com/p/what-is-wr...

What Is Wrong with Epistemic Trespassing?

Epistemic Trespassing and the Division of Cognitive Labour

rbnmckenna86.substack.com

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Jul 9

New blog post! AEP postdoc Will Conner discusses recent news that Meta has been accused of cheating on AI benchmark tests, leading to a broader discussion of the value of such tests drawing on Thi Nguyen's work on gamification and value capture. Check it out!
aep.unc.edu/2025/07/09/g...

Gamifying Intelligence: The Evidential Value of AI Benchmark Tests | The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

aep.unc.edu

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Jeff Greene @jeffgreene.bsky.social · May 3

Good Plain English pod featuring @holdenthorp.bsky.social. I appreciated Holden’s candor regarding scientists’ attempts to influence politics and when such attempts might edge into epistemic trespassing, which is an idea addressed in our recent paper (1/2) open.spotify.com/episode/4Pee...

Megapod: The Crisis in American Science

Plain English with Derek Thompson · Episode

open.spotify.com

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Jun 16

Very excited to share our third "explainer video". (Refresher: these are ~5 min animations introducing applied epistemology concepts for a wide audience.) This one's on epist of free speech, featuring a script by Rob Simpson! Please share & consider using in teaching!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMgb...

[AEP Explainers] The Epistemology of Free Speech (with Robert Simpson)

YouTube video by PPE at UNC

www.youtube.com

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Apr 29

But what about when an individual expert tells you something and you don't know whether it's the consensus or subject to expert disagreement? Should you defer then? In his new paper forthcoming in PPR, AEP Fellow Devin Lane argues that you generally shouldn't. Check it out:
philpapers.org/rec/LANSYD

Devin Lane, Should You Defer to Individual Experts? - PhilPapers

Should you defer to individual experts? That is, when a single expert – rather than a group of experts or even expert consensus – testifies that p, should you believe that ...

philpapers.org

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Apr 29

Many (applied) epistemologists think that when you know that there's expert consensus about something, you should defer to the expert consensus. And many of them also think that when you know the experts disagree, you should suspend judgment. (1/2)

Devin Lane, Should You Defer to Individual Experts? - PhilPapers

Should you defer to individual experts? That is, when a single expert – rather than a group of experts or even expert consensus – testifies that p, should you believe that ...

philpapers.org

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Apr 14

Reminder: tomorrow is the deadline to apply for this! It's a chance to get expert instruction in public writing on applied epistemology, feedback from peers, and to enjoy an in-person workshop here at UNC

The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Mar 19

Interested in writing applied epistemology for a public-facing audience? Apply to be part of our new working group! It'll meet four times over the summer, followed by a capstone in-person event here at UNC in September facilitated by Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Details here:
philevents.org/event/show/1...

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

annamariaaeder.bsky.social @annamariaaeder.bsky.social · Mar 24

🥁🎉It's time again! My colleague Thomas Grundmann is organising the Cologne Summer School in Philosophy. This year's star is @aworsnip.bsky.social (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). 🎊📢
You can find more information on the following website: cssip.uni-koeln.de
Spread the word and repost!

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Mar 19

Interested in writing applied epistemology for a public-facing audience? Apply to be part of our new working group! It'll meet four times over the summer, followed by a capstone in-person event here at UNC in September facilitated by Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Details here:
philevents.org/event/show/1...

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Mar 19

Very excited to share our second "explainer video". (Refresher: these are ~5 min animations introducing applied epistemology concepts for a wide audience.) This one's on polarization, featuring a script by Kevin Dorst! Please share, consider using in teaching, etc!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9nd...

[AEP Explainers] Political Polarization (with Kevin Dorst)

YouTube video by PPE at UNC

www.youtube.com

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Mar 17

Fascinating new post on our blog by Emily McWilliams, discussing the denial and undertreatment of women's pain in medical procedures through the lens of applied epistemological work on testimonial injustice, manufactured ignorance, and motivated reasoning:
aep.unc.edu/2025/03/17/t...

The Retrievals and the Routine: Systematic Erasure of Women’s Pain | The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

aep.unc.edu

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Sam Pratt @sampratt99.bsky.social · Mar 12

New Paper in Philosophical Psychology:

Trust in experts is low. Why? How bad is it? And what should we do? To answer these questions, we reviewed philosophy (when *ought* we defer to the experts) and psychology (when *do* people defer to the experts).

Link in comments!

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Natalie Alana Ashton @natalan.bsky.social · Mar 11

i'm taking part in this philosophy panel on the future of social media next month, with @geneickers.bsky.social, @joe-saunders.bsky.social, and organiser @annabortolan.bsky.social.

it's online and open to the public, so sign up if you want to hear some hot takes!

Philosophy and Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Future

Philosophy and Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Future Social media play a significant role in the life of many people. For example, through these platforms we can not only connect a...

philevents.org

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Alex Worsnip @aworsnip.bsky.social · Mar 3

I wrote a blog post about Samuel Alito as a case study in the ethics of suspicion and psychologizing
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/openfordebat...

Samuel Alito and the Ethics of Suspicion

Exploring the changing nature of public debate

blogs.cardiff.ac.uk

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Feb 26

Check out this interdisciplinary review paper on deference to experts by a team of AEP Fellows (current and past)!

Jeff Greene @jeffgreene.bsky.social · Feb 26

Mistrust in experts is high. So, under what conditions should people defer to experts and when do they actually do so? We synthesized the philosophy and psychology literatures on deference to experts in this preprint, soon to be published in Philosophical Psychology. (1/2) https://buff.ly/3ERGzqq

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The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC @unc-aep.bsky.social · Feb 21

Consider applying to be part of this summer school (aimed at researchers of all career stages) on applied epistemology featuring AEP Director @aworsnip.bsky.social!

Alex Worsnip @aworsnip.bsky.social · Feb 21

I'm honored to be the guest lecturer at this year's Cologne Summer School in Philosophy, where I'll be delivering five lectures (plus a public lecture) on my current work in applied epistemology. (1/2)
cssip.uni-koeln.de

Cologne Summer School in Philosophy

cssip.uni-koeln.de

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Dannagal Goldthwaite Young @dannagal.bsky.social · Feb 6

New from me @theconversation.com
We're witnessing a celebration of "common sense" among the new admin & their allies.

But remember: celebrating common sense and denigrating expertise/evidence IS ideological.

And is NOT a reliable path to truth.

theconversation.com/how-populist...

How populist leaders like Trump use ‘common sense’ as an ideological weapon to undermine facts

When common sense is promoted as a virtue, it’s not just to celebrate how regular people understand the world. It promotes a worldview that rejects empirical facts and paves the way for propaganda.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · Feb 5

I’ve been studying this problem since 2015. Obviously the nature of this changed with the birth of X. It’s gone from over-indexed on the political nerds & activists to over-indexed on Nazis & fascists. It’s no good.

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · Jan 28

a very real problem is how many politicians and household name MSM journos still get their news—and gauge public reaction—from Twitter.

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Reposted by The Applied Epistemology Project @ UNC

Michael Hannon @michaelhannon.bsky.social · Jan 22

I started a Political Epistemology substack, and I decided to begin with an uncontroversial topic.

I currently have 3 followers, but I welcome more!

Social Identity and Epistemic Privilege

Is there an epistemic advantage to being oppressed?

open.substack.com

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