David Lazer

How does fake news spread on Facebook?

Four Northeastern professors have been selected to receive access to closely guarded Facebook data that could shed light on how people share fake news on social media.

by Molly Callahan May 14, 2019

‘It was a memorable ending to four remarkable years’

Passing around a quart of iced tea to stay hydrated. Corralling a loose cat. Getting drenched by torrential rain. We asked five faculty members from across the university’s schools and colleges to reflect upon their commencement ceremonies.

by Molly Callahan May 1, 2019

It’s time to study machines the way we study humans

With intelligent machines doing more of our collective ‘thinking,’ it’s time for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding machine behavior, says a team of researchers that includes two Northeastern University professors.

by Molly Callahan April 24, 2019

Northeastern’s highest achievements on display at the Academic Honors Convocation

Northeastern University on Thursday celebrated the achievements of more than 60 students, faculty, and alumni at the Academic Honors Convocation in East Village.

by Ian Thomsen April 18, 2019

American democracy is a dumpster fire. We can still save it.

Northeastern professor David Lazer’s work in pioneering the new discipline of computational social science using network analysis, computational modeling, and field experiments has earned him the prestigious Klein Lectureship and a University Distinguished Professor appointment.

by Khalida Sarwari April 12, 2019

How to fix democracy in the United States

Using an experimental setup similar to that used by pharmaceutical companies, Northeastern professor David Lazer and his colleagues were looking for ways to solve some of the biggest issues threatening democracy in the U.S. At the 55th annual Robert D. Klein Lecture on Thursday, Lazer described what they found.

by Molly Callahan March 21, 2019

How to stop the spread of fake news for the 2020 election campaign

In order to stop the spread of fake news for the 2020 U.S. elections, social media companies may need to limit how frequently its users are allowed to post, said Distinguished Professor David Lazer.

by Molly Callahan January 24, 2019

To make democracy great again, ‘we put democracy in a test tube’

Policy lasts much longer than Election Day. That’s why it’s crucial for elected officials to understand the needs of their constituents and for constituents to understand what they’re voting for, said David Lazer, a political science and network science professor at Northeastern. The problem is, the current methods for doing so aren’t working.

by Molly Callahan November 5, 2018

Before Trump’s angry tweet, he should have searched Google for Northeastern’s research

Could Google’s search engine influence the news that you receive? A team of Northeastern researchers found the answer.

by Ian Thomsen August 29, 2018

Tired of being manipulated by fake news? This Northeastern researcher is creating the tools we need to fight against it.

Behavioral psychologist Briony Swire-Thompson is on the frontline in the battle against misinformation. Understanding how the brain stores and retrieves information will make efforts to fight propaganda more effective.

by Bill Ibelle June 18, 2018