PhD Candidate: Scott Janzwood
Advisor: Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon
Committee: Dr. Jason Thistlethwaite (UW), Internal/External, Dr. Vanessa Schweizer (UW), Dr. Andres Sandberg (University of Oxford)
External Examiner: Dr. James Wilsdon, University of Sheffield
Abstract
The three articles in this dissertation explore the contested, multi-dimensional concept of uncertainty and how experts and decision makers collectively grapple with it at governance organizations tasked with addressing global catastrophic risks (GCRs). This project examines the foundational concept of uncertainty and then explores “decision support” dynamics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the primary knowledge brokers in the governance regimes addressing planetary defense and climate change respectively. Read more