Here, CMAC offers in-depth analyses of our findings and summaries of our project deliverables in the form of Research Reports.
Over the past two years, medical doctors and public health officials have been at the center of a national dialogue addressing the physical, communal, and political effects of COVID-19. One dimension of that dialogue concerns the hard fact that pandemic…
CMAC has been developing a novel program to help those suffering from Chronic Nightmare Disorder. Led by Dr. Patrick McNamara, our Rescript team uses Oculus Rift virtual reality technology to manipulate upsetting or nightmare-inducing imagery. Individuals use the Oculus Rift…
Threads of both vaccine development and vaccine resistance can be found throughout the course of American history. Hesitancy over vaccine development was prominent before the first vaccine was created, and continues to grow today despite technological advancements and refined experimentation.…
Spirit tech refers to brain-based technologies used to guide spiritual enhancement. The future of spirituality is here and growing. Empowered by knowledge, we can help shape how communities will embrace and apply these technologies. Neurofeedback-guided meditation Meditation techniques have been…
After a winter break hiatus, CMACers are back to the grindstone. We had our first research meeting of 2019 on Wednesday, February 20, and heard from guest presenter and BU Psychology Masters student Khushboo Patel about her work with CMAC…
Does religion play a causal role in promoting anxiety between groups? In a recent paper published in the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, CMAC researchers collaborated with the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) to study anxiety…
Here’s an interesting fact: no other animals can keep a beat as well as humans can. From drumming to dancing to marching in time, humans have a unique knack for synchrony – repetitive, rhythmically entrained, social behavior. Researchers have found…
We are faced with decisions and forced to make calculations on a daily basis. Which bus should I take to be on time to work? Which restaurant has the fastest service? What is the quickest route to school? When we…
If we want to develop a practical solution for something as challenging and urgent as the issue of child sex trafficking, we have to first understand the situation on a conceptual level. That is – who participates in this industry…
Who are the most important living scholars studying religion today? The responses will vary widely, depending on how we measure influence or impact on the field. One useful metric is the amount of publications. The new question then becomes “who…
Are religious people less analytical thinkers? A growing body of research suggests that the answer is “yes.” For one thing, religious believers perform more poorly on tests of analytical (“System 2”) intelligence, instead showing a preference for intuitive thinking styles…
Researchers in CMAC’s Tools against Child Sex Trafficking Project (TACT) are building computational policy models to virtually evaluate and experiment with anti-human trafficking policy options. This project also aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of computational modeling and simulation in analyzing…
SPIRIT TECH: THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY-ASSISTED SPIRITUALITY In 2017, best-selling author Jonathan Robinson explained his, well, let’s say innovative, approach to spirituality: “I like playing mad scientist. You know, you try one thing and see what effect it…
When most people think of the study of religion, they think of ancient languages, sacred texts, congregational surveys, or anthropologists setting up camp in a tribal society. What if we could use computer simulations to recreate historical events, learn about…
From the Roman Empire to the USSR, even the most sophisticated societies eventually collapse, leaving behind ruins, a displaced populace, or (at best) a whole lot of unpleasant paperwork. But some societies last a lot longer than others. Why? One…
Many American girls have been taught to consider their wedding day the “happiest day of their life.” But how do we reconcile that sense of hope with the fact that entering into an intimate relationship with a man is one…
The Tools against Child Trafficking (TACT) project equips anti-trafficking efforts with the necessary resources to accelerate their solutions. The 3P Directory is one such tool. The Directory categorizes anti-trafficking organizations based on their key activities in three policy dimensions –…