Behind the Sc(r)ene: Open Source Software as Both a Tool and a Topic for Research

Abstract: Open Source Software is everywhere: from our phones to our cars, behind our banks and health systems, and even on Mars. Last but not least, even the production of scientific knowledge is relying increasingly on Open Source Software! It is the backbone of our digital economy, and more than often relies on overwhelmed volunteers. This weakness can cascade to costly catastrophes, observed in many real events. Identifying vulnerable points in this rapidly growing network of interdependencies is highly relevant from a complex systems perspective: many interdisciplinary aspects, critical relevance for society and detailed multi-layered network data of high quality. I will introduce the available data and how to gather it, a first model of systemic risk in those ecosystems, but also insist on the risks to be aware of when using/developing software for science.