Below you find a calendar of the Science & More seminars, a description of the next upcoming meeting, and a list of past and future events. Everybody is welcome to join! The seminars usually take place at Palazzo Nuovo, Via Sant'Ottavio 20, 10124 Torino.
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Next Seminars
Next Seminars
Vincenzo Crupi (University of Turin):Towards Synergistic Human-AI Interaction. A Bayesian Exploration.
Vincenzo Crupi (University of Turin):Towards Synergistic Human-AI Interaction. A Bayesian Exploration.
Tuesday 3 February 2026, 16:00--17:30, Palazzo Nuovo, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
Can human and artificial intelligence effectively cooperate, so that their combination yields more accurate judgments than either alone? Research shows that this attractive outcome, labelled synergy (Vaccaro, Almaatouq, and Malone 2024), is not easily attained at all, even when humans and algorithms are both independently accurate. Here we present a Bayesian framework to model a basic and instructive class of problems, and prove that a plausible and intepretable condition is mathematically necessary and sufficient for synergy. This result provides a formal foundation to influential ideas in the literature and suggests that pursue of synergy, although more challenging than plain automation, is not vacuous. If sensibly connected with sound empirical investigation, our analysis also conveys additional insight to guide detection of the convenient antecedent conditions to aim at synergy when possible and appropriate.
Alberto Bardi (University of Turin): The Human and the Machine through the Eyes of a Probabilist: Bruno de Finetti on early AI Developments between the US and Italy
Alberto Bardi (University of Turin): The Human and the Machine through the Eyes of a Probabilist: Bruno de Finetti on early AI Developments between the US and Italy
Wednesday 25 February 2026, 12:00--13:15, Palazzo Nuovo, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
This article examines Bruno de Finetti’s 1952 publication Machines That Think (and Make You Think (original Italian: Macchine che pensano (e che fanno pensare)) as a foundational text in the early reception and dissemination of ideas related to artificial intelligence (AI) in Italy. Based on his 1950 study tour of U.S. computing centers, de Finetti’s reportage combines firsthand observation of early digital calculators with critical reflections on cybernetics, memory systems, and the conceptual boundaries of thought. Positioned between technical report and philosophical essay, the text offers a unique mediation of emerging computational paradigms for an Italian scientific audience. By contextualizing this work alongside parallel developments by Silvio Ceccato, Louis Couffignal, and Norbert Wiener, the article argues for its significance in the broader European intellectual history of AI. It highlights de Finetti’s role as a cultural broker and underscores the cross-cultural nature of AI’s early history—a narrative often dominated by U.S. and British developments.
Carlo Zappia (University of Siena): Key Points in the Development of Modern Rational Choice Theory
Carlo Zappia (University of Siena): Key Points in the Development of Modern Rational Choice Theory
Monday 16 March 2026, 16:00--17:30, Palazzo Nuovo, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
Caterina Sisti (University of Turin): TBA
Caterina Sisti (University of Turin): TBA
Monday 30 March 2026, 12:00--13:15, Palazzo Nuovo, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
Past Seminars
Past Seminars
Andrea Nocerino (University of Turin): The Language of Thought hypothesis in the context of cognitive neuroscience
Andrea Nocerino (University of Turin): The Language of Thought hypothesis in the context of cognitive neuroscience
Wednesday 10 December, 12:00--13:15, Palazzo Nuovo, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
Guglielmo Sproloquio (University of Turin): A quantitative assessment of the diversity thesis in recent philosophy of science
Guglielmo Sproloquio (University of Turin): A quantitative assessment of the diversity thesis in recent philosophy of science
Wednesday 5 November, 12:00-13:15, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Neri Marsili (University of Turin): Posting and Reposting. Investigating Reputation, Trust, and Deniability in Online Communication
Neri Marsili (University of Turin): Posting and Reposting. Investigating Reputation, Trust, and Deniability in Online Communication
Wednesday 29 October, 12:00-13:15, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Thomas Krödel (University of Hamburg): Causal Complications for Explainable AI
Thomas Krödel (University of Hamburg): Causal Complications for Explainable AI
Thursday 19 June, 16:00-18:00, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Sébastien Rivat (LMU Munich): How theoretical terms effectively refer
Sébastien Rivat (LMU Munich): How theoretical terms effectively refer
Tuesday 17 June, 12:00-13:00, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Adán Sus (Universidad de Valladolid): Rethinking Evidence for Dark Matter: Robust Sources, Gravitational Theory and Physical Principles
Adán Sus (Universidad de Valladolid): Rethinking Evidence for Dark Matter: Robust Sources, Gravitational Theory and Physical Principles
Thursday 5 June, 12:00-13:00, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Dan Lassiter (University of Edinburgh): The temporary-context theory of conditionals
Dan Lassiter (University of Edinburgh): The temporary-context theory of conditionals
Friday 16 May, 12:00-13:00, Aula 14, Palazzo Nuovo
Eugenio Petrovich (University of Turin): Mapping the social structure of philosophy of science with SOPHIS (Social Observatory of PHIlosophy of Science)
Eugenio Petrovich (University of Turin): Mapping the social structure of philosophy of science with SOPHIS (Social Observatory of PHIlosophy of Science)
Wednesday 16 April, 11:00-12:00 (!), Aula di Antica, Palazzo Nuovo
Luca Guzzardi (University of Milan): Towards an operational approach to the joint commitment model for scientific communities
Luca Guzzardi (University of Milan): Towards an operational approach to the joint commitment model for scientific communities
Wednesday 2 April, 12:00--13:00, Aula di Antica, Palazzo Nuovo
Malvina Ongaro (Polytechnic University of Milan): Inductive risk as risk. Mitigating the impacts of inductive errors
Malvina Ongaro (Polytechnic University of Milan): Inductive risk as risk. Mitigating the impacts of inductive errors
Wednesday 19 March, 12:00--13:00, Aula 25, Palazzo Nuovo
Matteo Michelini (University of Bochum): Can Scientific Communities Profit from Evaluative Diversity?
Matteo Michelini (University of Bochum): Can Scientific Communities Profit from Evaluative Diversity?
Wednesday 26 February, 12:00-13:00, Philosophy Library, Meeting Room 1
Maciej Tarnowski (University of Warsaw): Belief as an epistemic possibility of knowledge
Maciej Tarnowski (University of Warsaw): Belief as an epistemic possibility of knowledge
Tuesday 10 December, 12:00--13:00, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Michal Sikorski (Marche Polytechnic University): A Consensus-based Checklist for Assessing Scientific Objectivity
Michal Sikorski (Marche Polytechnic University): A Consensus-based Checklist for Assessing Scientific Objectivity
Wednesday 27 November 2024, 12:00-13:00, Aula 18, Palazzo Nuovo
Matteo Baggio (University of Turin): Knowledge from falsehoods: afterthoughts and new perspectives
Matteo Baggio (University of Turin): Knowledge from falsehoods: afterthoughts and new perspectives
Tuesday 26 November 2024, 12:00-13:00, Meeting Room 1, Philosophy Library, Palazzo Nuovo
Jan Sprenger (University of Turin): Conditionals between Logical and Semantic Theorizing
Jan Sprenger (University of Turin): Conditionals between Logical and Semantic Theorizing
Wednesday 13 November 2024, 12:00-13:00, Palazzo Nuovo, Aula 18
Jaakko Kuorikoski (University of Helsinki): Abduction without Explanation
Jaakko Kuorikoski (University of Helsinki): Abduction without Explanation
Thursday 7 November 2024, 16-18h, Aula di Antica, Palazzo Nuovo, second floor
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