[FRIAM] Simulation and policy-making

[mgd at santafe.edu]

Quoting Robert Holmes <robert at holmesacosta.com>:
 
> So if 'valid' simulations are being used to give the 'wrong' answers, what
> does that tell us about simulation? Is there ever any hope of objectivity
> (I'll give away the answer to that: no) or do all social simulations -
> political or economic - inevitably reflect the prejudices of their author or
> funder?

Validated simulations, by definition, reproduce something that the authors (or 
funders) deem relevant as a performance metric.  But that's not a problem with 
models or simulations, assuming the metrics are documented.  If the authors or 
funders are prone to choosing easy, low dimensional things to fit, they just 
need to be more ambitious.