'if x: then() #but why?' and three thin rectangles around it as a frame (purple, grey and orange).

Seminar at FU Berlin:

[go to seminar at Goethe Uni Frankfurt]

def if_then_but_why(date):

seminar_description =

"In this weekend seminar in Berlin social science and computer science meet, in an interdisciplinary all-round approach to the critical and the computational. What does that mean? It means you can eat your cake and have it too:

learning how algorithms work,

and discussing how they impact society.

This course is designed for all interested people and might be specifically relevant if you have a background in sociology, computer science or science and technology studies (STS). If you're curious, come by, regardless of your (study) background.

This weekend seminar will take place at the weekend 27.-29.th of June. If you want to participate, please simply write us a short e-mail to def[ at ]if-then-but-why.de."

time_&_place =

("at Studizentrum GalileA (FU Berlin)
27.06.2025 from 10:00(ct) - 16.00"
28.06.2025 from 10:00(ct) - 16.00"
29.06.2025 from 10:00(ct) - 16.00"

syllabus =

{ #Session Nr : Topic
1: [ 27.06. ],
1a: Intro to Graph Algorithms,
1b: Intro to STS & Feminist STS,
1c: Matching Algorithms,
2: [ 28.06. ],
2a: Flow Networks,
2b: Intro to Machine Learning ,
2c: Facial Recognition,
3: [ 29.06. ],
3a: Recommendation Algos,
3b: Intro to Sci Comm,
3c: Final discussion & Science Jam planning,
}

contact =

    {"Team": "def[ at ]if-then-but-why.de"}

# --------- SESSIONS -----------------

1 - 27.06.

if date == "27.06.2025":

title =
"1a : Intro to Graph Algorithms"

description =
"In this session we get to know a fundamental concept of computer science: the graph. What is it? What can we do with it? The answers is algorithms of course, a lot of elegant algorithms, as the ones we will encounter later in this course, run on graphs."

title =
"1b : Intro to Science and Technology Studies"

description =
"An session to introduce the theoretical framework and scope of Science and Technology Studies. This is an academic field that emerged from a the same space as sociology and specifically examines how knowledge and technological items are influenced by the society that makes them."

title =
"1c : Swipe, Match, Stability & Heteronormativity"

description =
"In this session, we encounter the »deferred acceptance« algorithm, proposed by Gale and Shapley 1962, famous for matching men and women in heterosexual dating. What social assumptions can we find in the design of this algorithm? What happened if we tweaked the algorithm to reflect other social roles and assumptions?"

[ back to overview ]

2 - 28.06.

if date == "26.06.2025":

title =
"2a : Flow Networks"

description =
"Building upon the previous session we bring the graph to life by looking at our own social networks as graphs. As social network are full of exchange we encounter a new tool from computer science: Flow Networks. We learn about their structure, what algorithms we can use on them and if their results can teach us something new about our social environment."

title =
"2b : Intro to Machine Learning"

description =
"In this session, we talk about the basics of Machine Learning and try to get behind the current AI-hype - what is AI actually? How can we deal critically with it?"

title =
"2c : It's just a face?!"

description =
"In the first part of the session, we will take a closer look at different kinds of facial recognition algorithms: What is it that these algorithms recognize and how? We then discuss the consequences of such algorithms, especially in a society where surveillance and policing play a growing role."

3 - Sunday, 29.06.

if date == "29.06.2025":

title =
"3a : You might also like..."

description =
"... this next session: Automatic recommendations can be found everywhere where someone is interested in keeping you on their site a little longer, from online shops to for-you-pages. In this session, we will focus on the use of recommendation algorithms on Social Media platforms, discuss its function for individualization and the common concept of filter bubbles."

title =
"3b : Intro to Science Communication "

description =
"We learn and explore how to make Science Communication effective and fun."

title =
"3c : Wrap Up"

description =
"We collect our seminar insights and eventually prepare them for the stage with a Science Jam, in which you are invited to present your findings with your new Science Communication skills."

[ back to overview ]