Computational Journalism: how interactive simulations could fix public debate
anselm · x · 2026-09-07
Anselm Hook's essay argues for "computational journalism" as a way to harness collective cognition for the world's hardest problems.
- The hook: the Washington Post's 2020 "simulitis" piece by Harry Stevens, an interactive disease-spread simulation comparing four quarantine strategies in the reader's browser — reportedly the paper's most-viewed article at the time.
- Core argument: models bring rigor. Unlike rhetoric, where any premise can be glued to any conclusion, interactive simulations ground public conversation — people argue the model instead of shouting at each other.
- In a media age where every topic becomes social signaling, evidence-backed positions carry less existential risk for individuals, freeing energy from tribal conflict toward real existential threats.
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