Panel Unites Social Scientists

A collection of scholars presented what they believed to be the most challenging unsolved problems in the social sciences during a panel held in the Northwest Science Building on Saturday.

Each of the panelists—who represented a range of universities but all spoke from the social science perspective—presented a problem they considered both “important” and challenging to solve. At the conclusion of their presentations, they debated their proposals and engaged in a discussion with audience members.

The panel also kicked off a Web initiative in which users will be invited to vote on the importance of the proposed problems and submit additional issues for consideration.

The day-long symposium was moderated by FAS Divisional Dean of Social Science Stephen M. Kosslyn and included presentations by Peter S. Bearman, Nicholas A. Christakis, Ann Swidler ’66, Nassim N. Taleb, Nick Bostrom, Gary King, Emily Oster ’02, Claudia Goldin, James Fowler, Susan E. Carey ’64, Roland G. Fryer, and Richard J. Zeckhauser ’62.

Corinne Espinoza, the administrative coordinator in the Office of the President and the Provost, voiced her reservations to the panelists about the current approach that most individuals take toward resolving problems in the social sciences.

“We can solve these behavioral questions by incorporating, asking, and listening,” she said. “Why don’t we do more than that?”

Fellow attendee Hyman Hartman, a research scientist in MIT’s biology department, told the panelists that the reading he had done in sociology and economics inspired him to ask two questions: “Is the nation-state a viable, stable entity in a world that’s globalizing in a way that has made the nation-state less viable?” and “Why is there only a Nobel prize in economics? Why isn’t there one in sociology, for example?”

The panel is the culmination of more than a year’s cooperation between the non-profit Indira Foundation, which initiated the effort and also provided financial support, and the Division of Social Science in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

According to the Web site for the Division of Social Science, video of the symposium will likely be made available this afternoon. Web users will then be able to vote and submit additional issues.

Kosslyn added that the next important problem that voters select to be explored will be announced on May 31.

—Staff writer Barbara B. DePena can be reached at barbara.b.depena@college.harvard.edu.