Marko Kovic
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Brute force effects of mass media presence and social media activity on electoral outcome
Brute force effects of mass media presence and social media activity on electoral outcome Open
In this study, we analyze whether the mere volume of presence in mass media and the mere volume of activity on social media convey advantages to candidates in parliamentary elections. Based on the theoretical model of bounded rationality, …
View article: The utilitarian case against the universal basic income
The utilitarian case against the universal basic income Open
The universal basic income (UBI) is morally desirable because it makes peoples' lives better: If a UBI were to be implemented, average and total welfare in the population would significantly increase. However, I argue that a non-universal …
View article: Risks of space colonization
Risks of space colonization Open
Space colonization is humankind's best bet for long-term survival. This makes the expected moral value of space colonization immense. However, colonizing space also creates risks --- risks whose potential harm could easily overshadow all t…
View article: Debiasing in a Minute or Less, or Too Good to Be True? The Effect of Micro-Interventions on Decision-Making Quality
Debiasing in a Minute or Less, or Too Good to Be True? The Effect of Micro-Interventions on Decision-Making Quality Open
In this study, the effects of a novel debiasing micro-intervention (an intervention that requires no training or instructions) are tested in three experiments. The intervention is epistemologically informed and consists of two questions th…
View article: The future of energy: Energy prospects for a budding inter-planetary civilization
The future of energy: Energy prospects for a budding inter-planetary civilization Open
The only prospect for the long-term survival of humankind is space colonization: The establishment of permanent and self-sustaining human habitats beyond Earth. One necessary condition for space colonization is energy. In order to successf…
View article: Motivated cognition, conspiratorial epistemology, and bullshit: A model of post-factual political discourse
Motivated cognition, conspiratorial epistemology, and bullshit: A model of post-factual political discourse Open
We propose a definition of post-factual political discourse as a discursive attitude that consists of three components: Motivated reasoning, conspiratorial epistemology, and bullshit. Motivated reasoning means that any piece of new informa…
View article: Debiasing in a minute or less, or too good to be true? The effect of micro-interventions on decision-making quality.
Debiasing in a minute or less, or too good to be true? The effect of micro-interventions on decision-making quality. Open
In this study, the effects of a novel debiasing micro-intervention (an intervention that requires no training or instructions) are tested in three experiments. The intervention is epistemologically informed and consists of two questions th…
View article: Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures
Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures Open
In recent years, several instances of political actors who created fake grassroots activity on the Internet have been uncovered. We propose to call such fake online grassroots activity digital astroturfing, and we define it as a form of ma…
View article: Global risks and population policy
Global risks and population policy Open
Population policy in the sense of the active and targeted reduction of future life years is a potential mitigation strategy for global risks. We argue that even though population policy is almost certainly effective in principle, it is not…
View article: The general problem of prioritization
The general problem of prioritization Open
Resources in our decision-making are fundamentally limited. We cannot pursue all goals and we cannot pursue any subset of goals in all the ways they can be pursued. In other words: We have to engage in prioritization. This universal and ba…
View article: Towards the best future for humankind: ZIPAR whitepaper.
Towards the best future for humankind: ZIPAR whitepaper. Open
Humankind is facing major challenges in the short-term, medium-term, and long-term future. Those challenges will have a profound impact on humankind’s future progress and wellbeing. In this whitepaper, we outline our understanding of human…
View article: Political, moral, and security challenges of space colonization
Political, moral, and security challenges of space colonization Open
Space colonization, the goal of establishing permanent and self-sustaining human habitats beyond Earth, is not only a technological challenge: Colonizing space will confront humankind with a set of political, moral, and security challenges…
View article: A generalized definition of critical thinking
A generalized definition of critical thinking Open
The concept of critical thinking enjoys a near-universal positive connotation. Existing defnitions of critical thinking, however, tend to be rather vague, and, as a consequence, they provide neither an accurate nor a precise understanding …
View article: The strategic paradox of autonomous weapons
The strategic paradox of autonomous weapons Open
Progress in artificial intelligence makes the technology increasingly relevant to military applications. In particular, autonomous weapons could be of great military use: Autonomous weapons could achieve goals more effectively and more eff…
View article: Killing death: Some implications of extending human lifespan indefinitely
Killing death: Some implications of extending human lifespan indefinitely Open
Ending natural biological death through rejuvenation means overcoming one particular biological limitation. In that sense, ending death is not much different than many other technological advances that overcome some part of our limited bio…
View article: The Impact of Political Cleavages, Religiosity, and Values on Attitudes towards Nonprofit Organizations
The Impact of Political Cleavages, Religiosity, and Values on Attitudes towards Nonprofit Organizations Open
Individual, micro-level attitudes towards nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can have many potential determinants. In this study, we explore the impact of three categories of potential determinants of attitudes towards NPOs: Political cleavage…
View article: The universal basic income: Benefits, pseudo-problems, and real problems
The universal basic income: Benefits, pseudo-problems, and real problems Open
The universal basic income is a controversial political idea. Some common reasons for dismissing the basic income, however, are based on misconceptions and biases. A more level-headed view of the basic income reveals its tremendous potenti…
View article: The universal basic income: Benefits, pseudo-problems, and real problems
The universal basic income: Benefits, pseudo-problems, and real problems Open
The universal basic income is a controversial political idea. Some common reasons for dismissing the basic income, however, are based on misconceptions and biases. A more level-headed view of the basic income reveals its tremendous potenti…
View article: The impact of political cleavages, religiosity, and values on attitudes towards nonprofit organizations
The impact of political cleavages, religiosity, and values on attitudes towards nonprofit organizations Open
Individual, micro-level attitudes towards nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can have many potential determinants. In this study, we explore the impact of three categories of potential determinants of attitudes towards NPOs: Political cleavage…
View article: The impact of political cleavages, religiosity, and values on attitudes towards nonprofit organizations
The impact of political cleavages, religiosity, and values on attitudes towards nonprofit organizations Open
Individual, micro-level attitudes towards nonprofit organizations (NPOs) can have many potential determinants. In this study, we explore the impact of three categories of potential determinants of attitudes towards NPOs: Political cleavage…
View article: The epistemic value of p-values
The epistemic value of p-values Open
How do p-values relate to beliefs? p-values are widely used in data analytic contexts, and the misuse of p-values can have grave consequences. In order to get a better grip on p-values, we need to make epistemological sense of them. I argu…
View article: Brute force effects of mass media presence and social media activity on electoral outcome
Brute force effects of mass media presence and social media activity on electoral outcome Open
In this study, we analyze whether the mere volume of presence in mass media and the mere volume of activity on social media convey advantages to candidates in parliamentary elections. Based on the theoretical model of bounded rationality, …
View article: METI (Messaging Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) is irrational and should be abandoned
METI (Messaging Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) is irrational and should be abandoned Open
No one will answer our METI calls. All METI does is create (existential) risk for humankind.
View article: Blockchain for the people: Blockchain technology as the basis for a secure and reliable e-voting system
Blockchain for the people: Blockchain technology as the basis for a secure and reliable e-voting system Open
Governments around the world have been trying to implement secure and reliable e-voting (location-independent, individualized voting over the Internet) for a long time, to no avail: E-voting remains fundamentally insecure.This can change w…
View article: Blockchain for the people: Blockchain technology as the basis for a secure and reliable e-voting system
Blockchain for the people: Blockchain technology as the basis for a secure and reliable e-voting system Open
Governments around the world have been trying to implement secure and reliable e-voting (location-independent, individualized voting over the Internet) for a long time, to no avail: E-voting remains fundamentally insecure.This can change w…
View article: Do Millennials care about NPOs? Intergenerational differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations
Do Millennials care about NPOs? Intergenerational differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations Open
In this study, we analyze whether there are differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations (NPOs) between the generational cohorts of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. We do so by analyzing survey data from Switzerland…
View article: Do Millennials care about NPOs? Intergenerational differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations
Do Millennials care about NPOs? Intergenerational differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations Open
In this study, we analyze whether there are differences in attitudes towards nonprofit organizations (NPOs) between the generational cohorts of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. We do so by analyzing survey data from Switzerland…