Human Simulation: Perspectives, Insights, and Applications (New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion Book 7)

This uniquely inspirational and practical book explores __human simulation__, which is the application of computational modeling and simulation to research subjects in the humanities disciplines. It delves into the fascinating process of collaboration among experts who usually don’t have much to do with one another – computer engineers and humanities scholars – from the perspective of the humanities scholars. It also explains the process of developing models and simulations in these interdisciplinary teams. Each chapter takes the reader on a journey, presenting a specific theory about the human condition, a model of that theory, discussion of its implementation, analysis of its results, and an account of the collaborative experience. Contributing authors with different fields of expertise share how each model was validated, discuss relevant datasets, explain development strategies, and frankly discuss the ups and downs of the process of collaborative development. Readers are given access to the models and will also gain new perspectives from the authors’ findings, experiences, and recommendations. Today we are in the early phases of an information revolution, combining access to vast computing resources, large amounts of human data through social media, and an unprecedented richness of methods and tools to capture, analyze, explore, and test hypotheses and theories of all kinds. Thus, this book’s insights will be valuable not only to students and scholars of humanities subjects, but also to the general reader and researchers from other disciplines who are intrigued by the expansion of the information revolution all the way into the humanities departments of modern universities. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Human Simulation: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Studying Societal Problems (Saikou Y. Diallo, Wesley J. Wildman, F. LeRon Shults)....Pages 3-19 Ethics, Computer Simulation, and the Future of Humanity (F. LeRon Shults, Wesley J. Wildman)....Pages 21-40 Pitfalls in the Development of Agent-Based Models in Social Sciences: Avoiding Them and Learning from Them (Carlos M. Lemos)....Pages 41-66 Understanding Epistemological Debates in the Humanities and Social Sciences Can Aid in Model Development: Modeling Interpretive and Explanatory Theories (Justin E. Lane)....Pages 67-79 Front Matter ....Pages 81-81 Modeling Theories and Modeling Phenomena: A Humanist’s Initiation (Ann Taves)....Pages 83-94 Language Learning Following Immigration: Modeling Choices and Challenges (Catherine L. Caldwell-Harris)....Pages 95-123 Modeling Models: Documentary Filmmaking as a Purposeful Abstraction of the Modeling Process (Jenn Lindsay)....Pages 125-142 Modeling and Simulation as a Pedagogical and Heuristic Tool for Developing Theories in Cognitive Science: An Example from Ritual Competence Theory (Justin E. Lane, F. LeRon Shults, Robert N. McCauley)....Pages 143-154 Front Matter ....Pages 155-155 Religion, Empathy, and Cooperation: A Case Study in the Promises and Challenges of Modeling and Simulation (John Teehan, F. LeRon Shults)....Pages 157-178 Minority Integration in a Western City: An Agent-Based Modelling Approach (Ivan Puga-Gonzalez, David Voas, Wesley J. Wildman, Saikou Y. Diallo, F. LeRon Shults)....Pages 179-190 Mobility in Crisis: An Agent-Based Model of Refugees’ Flight to Safety (Erika Frydenlund, Etta C. Jones, Jose J. Padilla)....Pages 191-208 Simulating Religions as Adaptive Systems (Connor Wood, Richard Sosis)....Pages 209-232 Front Matter ....Pages 233-233 Human Simulation as a Humble Approach (Andreas Tolk)....Pages 235-238 Back Matter ....Pages 239-241