What: The Austin Forum on Science, Technology and Society
Event: “The Emerging Age of Predictive Computational Science,” presented by Dr. J. Tinsley Oden from the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at The University of Texas at Austin.
When: 5:45 p.m., Aug. 2. This event is free and open to the public.
Where: ATandT Conference Center Amphitheater (Room 204), 1900 University Ave.
Background: In this talk, Oden will trace the development of scientific thinking and philosophy that underlies predictive science. A modern look at this idea suggests that scientific predictions may not be as straightforward as some may think, particularly with the enhanced power of scientific discovery made possible by computer models. Computer predictions have recently become the subject of intense research because we now rely on computer models to predict events of enormous importance such as climate change, the performance of energy and defense systems, the biology of diseases and the outcome of medical procedures. Just how good are predictions of such complex phenomena, and how can we quantify the inevitable uncertainty in such predictions?
Oden is associate vice president for research and director of the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at the university. In these roles, he supports and develops advanced methods of computational modeling and simulation as powerful tools for scientific discovery. His research has resulted in authorship of more than 500 scientific works, including 53 books. His latest book, “An Introduction to Mathematical Modeling: a Course in Mechanics,” will be published in August by John Wiley and Sons.
