Dear ISHers, Here is the list of this week announcements: 1- ISHPSSB 2025 in Porto: 7 days left to apply 2- ISHPSSB social media - Call for volunteers 3- Call for papers 4- Talk announcement Have a good day, Lucie *1- ISHPSSB 2025 in Porto: 7 days left to apply* *The deadline for application to ISH 2025 in Porto *is approaching fast: *November 1st. 7 days left*. All the information you need is on the dedicated website: https://ishpssb2025.icbas.up.pt/ <https://ishpssb2025.icbas.up.pt/> [image: reminder7daysleft_w.png] *2- ISHPSSB social media - Call for volunteers* We are *still* searching for a volunteer to take over the role of communication on social media, which has been handled by Sophie for several years. Please contact us if you are interested. *3- Call for Papers - Evidence-Based Medicine Reconsidered - University of Pittsburgh - Deadline Nov. 17* *Evidence-Based Medicine Reconsidered* *Conference Dates: April 5-6th, 2025* University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA Senior Visiting Fellow Conference by Carl Hoefer The evidence-based medicine (EBM) movement began in the 1980s, reached its peak perhaps in the 1990s, and has since then enjoyed the status of orthodoxy, despite many criticisms being raised among medical practitioners and researchers. Philosophers of medicine have frequently criticized EBM’s hierarchies and rigid precepts, especially the “gold standard” status of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A pluralistic approach to evidence in medicine has been increasingly popular in recent years, in which mechanistic evidence and reasoning, observational studies of many kinds and RCTs are assessed for value on a case-by-case basis. But does this trend away from the EBM hierarchy go too far and risk the reintroduction of the same biased, motivated evidence-gathering practices that originally motivated the EBM movement? What light can recent experiences in medicine and public health (e.g., during the covid-19 pandemic) shed on these issues? Visit the website for the most up-to- date information and registration: https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/event/evidence-based-medicine-reconsidered/ *Call for Abstracts* We invite papers which address topics related to evidence in medicine, broadly speaking. These include, but are not limited to: - Defenses (or criticisms) of the supposed superiority of RCTs over observational studies, mechanistic studies, modeling, and individual clinical judgment; - Discussions of lessons that philosophy of medicine or EBM can learn from recent experiences; - Papers offering theoretical discussions of procedures for integrating and evaluating evidence from different sources; - The merits and limitations of emerging kinds of medical evidence, such as adaptive trials, so-called real-world evidence, precision or personalized medicine research, and big data research - Evidence in diverse contexts, such as clinical practice, alternative healthcare, drug or device regulation, public health, and health policy. *Abstracts should be between 500-800 words long and should be sent by November 17th to:* [log in to unmask] *4- Talk: Nov. 22 - Melanie Mitchell - AI’s Challenge of Understanding the World* The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our 65th Annual Lecture Series Talk. The lecture will be held in room 1008 in the Cathedral of Learning (10th Floor) at 3:30pm EDT. If you can't join us in person please visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg. *Melanie Mitchell* Santa Fe Institute Friday, November 22nd @ 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm EDT Title: AI’s Challenge of Understanding the World Abstract: I will survey a debate in the artificial intelligence (AI) research community on the extent to which current AI systems can be said to “understand” language and the physical and social situations language encodes. I will describe arguments that have been made for and against such understanding, hypothesize about what humanlike understanding entails, and discuss what methods can be used to fairly evaluate understanding in AI systems. *A reception with light refreshments will follow each Talk in The Center on the 11th floor from 5-6pm.*