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This winter term, Patricia Rich and Mario Larch are offering an integrative seminar about the Philosophy of Data Science and Econometrics.

Here's a quick summary: The idea of evidence-based policy seems attractive and reassuring, because we achieve an objective empirical basis for our decisions. But how do we deal with theoretical and practical challenges and questions that arise when we try to learn about the world using data? This course will especially focus on the example of econometrics. For example, how can we attach numbers to objects or events, and what is the significance of those numbers? What, if anything, allows us to draw inferences about the future from past data? What makes the difference between accurate and misleading uses of statistics? How can we infer causal relationships from data? How should we incorporate big data and AI into our inquiries? ​