IMPACT & OUTREACH
COGITO EPISTEMOLOGY RESEARCH CENTRE

Impact & KE:

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• 2026–27. COGITO and CERN: COGITO's Head of Impact, Matthew Jope, will take part in the roundtable “Building Trust in an AI World” at CERN's “Turning Science into Solutions” event in Geneva in March 2027. He is also developing a joint public event with CERN on trust in science, trust in expertise and science communication, together with Michela Massimi (University of Edinburgh). Details to follow.
   

• 2026. Information Integrity Research Network white paper published by Ofcom: the network's response to Ofcom's consultation on promoting media literacy, co-authored by J. Adam Carter, argues that user empowerment must complement, not substitute for, systemic accountability.
   

• 2026. AI and Healthcare UofG Interdisciplinary Series: J. Adam Carter and Emma C. Gordon sit on the steering group of a year-long series of interdisciplinary workshops convened by Professor Gerard Graham, Dean of Research in MVLS, leading to a University white paper on AI in healthcare.
   

• 2026. “The Epistemic AI”, ACM Interactions (September–October 2026). Essay by Mona Simion.
   

• 2026. “Communicating with AI: Trust and Explanation”, ReSourcE, the magazine of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Spring/Summer 2026). Article by Mona Simion.
   

• 2026. “Where does Science end and Society begin, and who gets to decide the Future of Innovation?” Public evening event of the Synergy for Science 2026 conference, SEC Armadillo, Glasgow, 13 July 2026. J. Adam Carter and Emma C. Gordon led an interactive session of philosophical puzzles on public trust in science, on a programme that opened with a conversation with Ardem Patapoutian, 2021 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, and included a panel with Timothy Peacock (Glasgow), Lesley Henderson (Strathclyde) and Steph Wright (Our AI Collective).
   

• 2026. “Seeing through the Smog: Navigating Epistemically Polluted Environments”. J. Adam Carter, Insights Session of the Information Integrity Research Network, University of Glasgow, 19 January 2026.
   

• 2025. Written evidence to the UK Parliament inquiry “Disinformation diplomacy: how malign actors are seeking to undermine democracy”: “Countering Pragmatic Mechanisms for Spreading Disinformation and Distrust in Expertise and Institutions”. Josephine Adekola, J. Adam Carter, Mona Simion and colleagues, with the MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
   

• 2025. Emma C. Gordon's research on AI and scientific inquiry is cited in the United Nations Human Development Report 2025.
   

• 2025. Panel on social media and misinformation at the CinemARC screening of The Social Network, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 19 November 2025. Panellist: J. Adam Carter.
   

• 2025. “AI, Scientific Research Culture and Progress”. J. Adam Carter and Emma C. Gordon, University of Glasgow Festival of Data Science and AI, 27 October 2025.
   

• 2025. Glasgow Science Festival: “Neurotech in Glasgow: Celebrating the Rhythms of the Brain”, Riverside Museum, 14 June 2025. Emma C. Gordon and her PhD students ran the ethics strand of the Centre for Neurotechnology stall, gathering the public's hopes and fears about brain–computer interfaces.
   

• 2024. “Defining Well-Being”: white paper submitted to the Scottish Government consultation on wellbeing. Mona Simion.
   

• 2024. Evidence submitted to the European Commission's ERC Feedback to Policy call. Mona Simion.
   

• 2024. Interview in Nature on research careers. Mona Simion.
   

• 2024. Online Virtue: a free mini-course on digital epistemic virtues, and the Digital Knowledge podcast, from the AHRC Digital Knowledge project. J. Adam Carter, Jesper Kallestrup, Sophia Pettigrove.
   

• 2023. Knowledge & Society' Public Outreach Event: Philosophy talks and art exhibition on issues in social epistemology. Organisers: Mona Simion (University of Glasgow), Elizabeth Gray (Glasgow School of Art) and Pinelopi Stylianopoulou (University of Glasgow). Featuring talks by Paul Faulkner, Giada Fratantonio, John Greco, Matt McGrath, Mona Simion, and David Sosa and artworks by Alan Brash, Jennifer Clason, David Frondigoun, Martin J Godfrey, George Irons, Laura Hepner, Jacqui Kiel, Karen McAdie, Morag McDonach, Douglas William McKnight, Evelyn Mullen, Mona Simion, Pinelopi Stylianopoulou, Jennifer Taylor, and Judith Wynne.

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• 2023. Dark Age 2.0? Stand-up comedy show, with Claire Field (Glasgow) and Matthew Jope (Edinburgh). At the 'Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas', 'The Stand' Comedy Club, Edinburgh. Part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Topic: Is the internet making us smarter or just fuelling doubt and confusion? How is good communication possible in the era of bots, trolls, and echo chambers? Claire and Matt scrutinise communication and information through the ages, looking at the ways technology can increase ignorance, disinformation, and misunderstanding. From the printing press and public libraries to cat videos, Plato, and the attention economy, do the mechanics of the internet threaten to usher in a new Dark Age?

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• 2022. Documentary film: ‘Scotland, African Voices: The Covid19 Vaccine Debate’. PI: Josephine Adekola (Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow). Key Contributor: Mona Simion (Philosophy, University of Glasgow). The documentary aims to address health inequalities and save lives by encouraging vaccine take-up in the Scottish African, Caribbean and Black community, and by highlighting social-epistemological obstacles amongst barriers to vaccination for these communities. Full documentary available here. Trailer available here.

  • Shortlisted for the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023, in the category "Making a Social Difference'.

  • Partners: Sarah Gilbert and the Vaccine Knowledge Group (University of Oxford), Emma Thompson (the MRC Centre for Virus Research), Deji Bolarinwa (University of Ilorin, Nigeria) Duncan Pritchard (University of California Irvine), Ilan Kelman (University College London, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction), Jason Leitch (National Clinical Director, the Scottish Government), Claire Cameron (Public Health Scotland), Pastor Yinka and Adefolake Adesina (Fountain of Living Water, RCCG, Ayr), pRESPECT Hub Edinburgh, Sharpen Her: the African Women's Network (SHAWM), Glasgow Black and Scot, Aberdeen Jezreel Consultancy.

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• 2022. White Paper: ‘Trust, Disinformation, and Evidence Resistance.’ In response to the UK Parliament Call for Evidence: ‘Fighting Disinformation with Trustworthy Voices.’ Authors: Mona Simion and with Chris Kelp. Published on the UK Parliament website here.

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• 2022. 'Ways of Seeing' Roundtable. ArCadia Festival of Ideas, University of Glasgow. Speakers: Mona Simion (Philosophy, Glasgow) and Giovanna Vitelli, Head of Collections, Hunterian Museum).

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• 2022. ‘Covid19 Vaccine Hesitancy in African, Black, and Caribbean Communities in Scotland.'  Community/Public Health Scotland/ Scottish Government/Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow public event. Panelist: Mona Simion. Organiser: Josephine Adekola, Adam Smith BusinessRecording available here. 

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• 2022. Interview: ‘Vaccine Hesitancy and Evidence Resistance’ (Interviewee: Mona Simion). Public Debate Project, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow.

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• 2021. ‘Climate Justice, Risk, and Wellbeing’ public debate. Panelist: Mona Simion. Organiser: Christopher Willard-Kyle (Glasgow, Philosophy). COP26 UK Universities Innovation Showcase, Glasgow, UK.

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• 2021. ‘Knowledge, Justification, and the Lost Anxiety over Regress’. Author: Mona Simion. Commentary on ‘What is Knowledge’ debate between Martha Kneale and Allen Phillips Griffiths for the Open University Video Archive Exhibition

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• 2019 -. ‘Changing Design, Policy, and Practice in the Wellness Resorts Industry through Philosophy of Functions’ Impact Case, University of Glasgow and Therme Group Austria (externally evaluated at REF 3*-4*)​Featured in the 'Scottish Business News' here.