More about the Speaker 

Joshua Uyheng is a PhD student in societal computing at Carnegie Mellon University, where he studies drivers of online conflicts – such as fake news, bots and trolls, echo chambers, and polarization – using machine learning, network science, and agent-based simulation. He is also a research scientist with FASSSTER than COVID-19, the Philippine government’s hub of pandemic intelligence under the Ateneo Center for Computing Competency and Research (ACCCRe).

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He obtained undergraduate degrees in mathematics and psychology, summa cum laude, from the Ateneo de Manila University. His research has received recognition at the BPI-DOST Science Awards and the Psychological Association of the Philippines – Junior Affiliates. Recent selections from his work may be found in outlets such as Political Psychology, European Journal of Social Psychology, Feminism & Psychology, and Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory.

 Talk Synopsis 

Social media and the internet have facilitated unprecedented information exchange and public discourse around the world. However, they have also enabled concerted campaigns to distort facts and manipulate public opinion. Digital disinformation consists of many interconnected elements, including but not limited to: (a) automated bots and paid trolls which spread lies and sow discord, (b) platform algorithms which reinforce polarization and echo chambers, and (c) alternative media ecosystems which fertilize propaganda and conspiracy theories. Correspondingly, it is generally acknowledged that dealing with disinformation entails efforts from many disciplines and professions.

This talk looks at how mathematics can contribute to understanding and mitigating disinformation. We specifically consider how basic concepts from differential calculus, probability theory, and graph theory can be applied to problems of automatically identifying and characterizing inauthentic online activity. Examples from the 2019 Philippine midterm elections offer evidence of disinformation maneuvers linked to higher levels of hyper-partisan content and community insulation. We conclude with implications for young Filipino mathematicians interested in tackling applied problems of socio-political significance.

 Talk Details 

Date: October 9, 2020 (Friday)

Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Platform: Private FB Live