A new comment article in Nature by a group of authors, including STEPS co-director Andy Stirling (SPRU), takes the form of a ‘manifesto’ for responsible mathematical modelling. This relates to the theme of Uncertainty which cuts across various important projects and research agendas.
The article aims to persuade those developing and using models to examine the assumptions behind them; beware of hubris in complexity; pay attention to framing; avoid spurious precision; and acknowledge ignorance.
Five ways to ensure that models serve society: a manifesto
Nature 582, 482-484 (2020)
Uncertainty was our theme for 2019. Highlights included a conference on The Politics of Uncertainty, and a blog series discussing how people and organisations in different domains respond to uncertainty.
These are further explored in a book (published in July 2020) in the Pathways to Sustainability series, called The Politics of Uncertainty: Challenges of Transformation. The book is available as an open access e-book from the date of publication.