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Unclaimed Domains: Expert Silence and Encroachment of Lay Discourse
3:00pm-5:00pm, HIB 55, Josh DiPaolo
This talk examines the consequences and dynamics of social pressures that discourage experts from contributing to public discourse on certain apparently contentious or taboo topics. I argue that such pressures can create "unclaimed domains" where expert voices withdraw, leaving space for non-experts to dominate these conversations. While not all conversations require expert input, suppressing it can harm public knowledge, especially when the causes suppressing expert speech entice contrarians to fill the gap. the talk concludes by canvassing some possible solutions to these problems.