MEDIA ADVISORY
New York University’s Center for Experimental Social Science (CESS) will host “The Foundations of Positive and Normative Economics,” a conference that will consider the foundations and future of economics, on Fri., April 25 (8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.) and Sat., April 26 (8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (60 Washington Sq. South [at LaGuardia Pl.]). Subway Lines: A, B, C, D, E, F, V (West 4th Street); R, W (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place).
The event, which includes sessions with Nobel Laureates in Economics Eric Maskin (2007) and Robert Lucas, Jr. (1995), is free and open to the public. Call 212.998.8952 for more information.
For a complete schedule of sessions, go to: http://cess.nyu.edu/CESS-Conference-Page/
Economic theory has traditionally considered the decisions people make in understanding economic behavior and trends: which services to purchase, which investments to make, etc. However, in recent years, some economists have taken different approaches and considered the factors that go into the decision-making process. These include the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to monitor neurological activity, surveys to measure attitudes, and other approaches that are outside of the conventional economist toolkit. The conference, which includes many of the world’s leading economists, will weigh these contrasting methods in considering which direction the field of economics should take.
The conference will coincide with the release of The Foundations of Positive and Normative Economics, edited by NYU economics professors Andrew Caplin and Andrew Schotter, and published by Oxford University Press, in conjunction with NYU’s Center for Experimental Social Science.
Reporters interested in attending the event should contact James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.
EDITOR’S NOTE
The Center for Experimental Social Science (CESS) is an inter-disciplinary research center at New York University engaged in laboratory experimental work in the social sciences that combines economic theory, social psychology, and political science. The overarching research tool used in the center is laboratory experiments in which subjects engage in decision-making tasks whose purpose is to test both economic theory and/or the properties of proposed or existing economic, political, or social institutions.