Understanding Predictive Thought

I seek a Mellon New Directions Fellowship to launch a new interdisciplinary research agenda on the nature, scope and limits of predictive thought. The fellowship will support training in the scientific fields where the theory and practice of prediction are most developed. I will leverage this training to produce philosophical work that is of broad intellectual interest and informed by cutting edge scientific research on the nature of prediction. This work is also motivated by the social and political urgency of a clear philosophical account of what makes some predictions more trustworthy and reliable than others. If I receive this award, I will take a specifically designed collection of advanced undergraduate and graduate classes across cognitive psychology, statistics and theoretical computer science. This will complement and enhance my profile as a philosopher of language with an interdisciplinary bent.