Prof. Howard Gardner
Abstract: Prof. Gardner, in his new book, A Synthesizing Mind, reflects on his intellectual development and his groundbreaking work. He also discusses his experiences with his mentors and collaborators.
He talks about synthesizing minds, with the ability to survey experiences and data across a wide range of disciplines and perspectives. He goes on to discuss about famous minds he admires, and says that they are all synthesizers. Gardner contends that the synthesizing mind is particularly valuable at this time and proposes ways to cultivate a possibly unique human capacity.
Bio: Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also an adjunct professor of psychology at Harvard University and senior director of Harvard Project Zero. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship and a Fellowship from the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in 1981 and 2000, respectively. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award, the premier honor from the American Educational Research Association. In 1990, he was the first American to receive the University of Louisville's Grawemeyer Award in Education. He has twice been selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world. He has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Education, and the London-based Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.
'The Synthesizing Mind: A Personal and A Psychological Perspective'
Date: February 24, 2022 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM (IST)
Prof. Shimon Edelman
'Autodiagnosis and the Dynamical Emergence Theory of Basic Consciousness'
Date: February 10, 2022 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM (IST)
Abstract: Phenomenal awareness the basic, selfless kind of consciousness must involve discernment among states of affairs: "this, not that"rather than simply "this" (which would be meaningless on its own). Furthermore, such discernment must be intrinsic to the system: the distinctions among states must arise from its own dynamics, rather than through outside interpretation. These two considerations suggest that basic consciousness, with or without a self-model, may amount to dynamic autodiagnosis: a process whereby the system tells apart its own states, such that distinct ones result in qualitatively different state-space trajectories, as dictated by the system's dynamics. Accordingly, our Dynamical Emergence Theory of consciousness (DET) defines the amount and structure of phenomenal experience in terms of the intrinsic topology and geometry of a physical system's collective dynamics. In particular, we posit that distinct perceptual states correspond to autodiagnosed coarse-grained macrostates reflecting a self-consistent partitioning of the system's state space a notion that aligns with several ideas and results from computational neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Based on joint work with Roy Moyal and Tomer Fekete.
Shimon Edelman holds degrees in electrical engineering and in computer science and is presently Professor of Psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His current interests span language, computational social and political science, and consciousness. He is the author of several monographs, including "Computing the Mind: How the Mind Really Works" (2008), billed as "the only book explaining how the mind works that also contains a usable map of the London Tube”; "Beginnings", a piece of psychological-philosophical science fiction, or "psy-phi sci-fi" (2014); and, most recently, "Life, Death, and Other Inconvenient Truths: A Realist's View of the Human Condition” (2020). His next book, “The Consciousness Revolutions”, will be published by Springer in 2023.
Abstract: Informational relationships between multiple brain areas, between brain and body, and between body and environment, together cause the neural activation patterns that determine your perceptions and your actions. Evidence from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science all point to the idea that a definition of the self requires inclusion of not only neural and morphological aspects of the organism itself, but also physical aspects of the environment (including other organisms). Who-you-are is clearly more than just the contents of your brain and body.
Michael Spivey is Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, Merced. He earned his B.A. in Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester. He has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters on the embodiment of cognition, and interactions between language, vision, memory, syntax, semantics, and motor movement. His research uses eye-tracking, computer-mouse tracking, and dynamical systems theory to explore how the brain, body, and environment work together to make a mind what it is. In 2010, Spivey received the William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement from the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society.
Prof. Michael Spivey
'Who You Are: Embodied and Extended Cognition'
Date: January 18, 2021 11:00 AM- 01:00 PM (IST)
'Finding Event Structure in Time: Theoretical, Behavioral and Computational Perspectives'
Date: November 25, 2020 07:30 PM - 09:30 PM (IST)
Abstract: To understand the event corresponding to e.g. “the chef chopped the onion” requires understanding (i) that the things under consideration have properties shared with other similar things (i.e. inherited from their type), (ii) that they have specific properties that uniquely distinguish them from other things of the same type (i.e. they are specific tokens), and (iii) that these properties change over time; the chef and the onion have (intersecting) histories that started with them in one state and ended with them in another. These histories are in fact trajectories of changes in state across time and space, and their intersection defines the interactions between objects (in this case, the action of the chef on the onion). To comprehend events, or their descriptions, in real time requires creating on-the-fly representations of object tokens and their changes in state. In this talk I shall outline an account of how this might be accomplished in a brain that is able to distinguish the systematic associations that define semantic memory for object types from the non-systematic accidental associations that define the episodic characteristics of object tokens. The talk will include some slime mold, some fMRI, and some computational modeling, but all presented for the neuroscientific and computational novice.
Gerry Altmann was born in Oxford, UK. His first degree was awarded in 1981, from the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex. This was followed by a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in Artificial Intelligence, investigating theoretical and behavioral approaches to human sentence processing and the influence of context on syntactic ambiguity resolution. Following a postdoctoral position working on the application of psychology of language to automatic speech recognition in the Department of Linguistics at Edinburgh, Gerry returned in 1988 to University of Sussex to his first faculty position. In 1995 he moved to York. During this period he started to investigate the influence of language on visual attention, and the relationship between the comprehension of visual scenes and the comprehension of the language that might describe those scenes, or changes to those scenes. Gerry has edited five books, and his authored book “The ascent of Babel” was awarded the British Psychological Society Book Prize in 2000. He was Honorary Secretary of the UK’s Experimental Psychology Society, 2004-7, and Editor-in- Chief of the journal Cognition, 2006-14. In 2014 Gerry moved to the University of Connecticut, USA, where he heads the Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences. The bulk of his research over the past decade has focused on event cognition from behavioral, neuroscientific, and computational perspectives. He is one of only a handful of living psychologists whose portrait is in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Prof. Gerry Altmann
Prof. Ray Jackendoff
'Forms of Knowledge'
Date: November 20, 2020 07:30 - 09:30 PM (IST)
Abstract: The overall framework in which I’ve been working is called the Parallel Architecture. The goal is an integrated theory of phonological, syntactic, and semantic knowledge, and the relation of this knowledge to the rest of the mind. The architecture comprises independent structures for phonology, syntax, and semantics, plus interface components that establish correspondences among the three structures. The interface components include words, which link fragments of structure in the three domains. The first domain is the human understanding of physical objects – their shapes, spatial configurations, motions, and affordances for action. This is shared between two levels of representation: a geometric/topological Spatial Structure that also serves as the upper end of visual, haptic, and proprioceptive perception, and an abstract algebraic Conceptual Structure that coordinates types and tokens, expresses taxonomic relations, distinguishes perception from imagery–and facilitates linguistic expression.
Ray Jackendoff is Seth Merrin Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and former Co-Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, and a Research Affiliate in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He has written extensively on syntax, semantics, morphology, music cognition, social cognition, consciousness, and the architecture of the language faculty and its place in the mind. He is a recipient of the Jean Nicod Prize in Cognitive Philosophy and of the Rumelhart Prize in Theoretical Foundations of Human Cognition, and has served as President of both the Linguistic Society of America and the Society for Philosophy and Psychology. His most recent book is The Texture of the Lexicon, co-authored with Jenny Audring.
Curiosity and Questioning
Date: January 25, 2018.
Abstract: People are pretty good at changing their behavior in the short term. After deciding to eat more healthfully, most of us can forgo dessert tonight. The challenge comes over time, as few of us stick with our initial decisions. In this talk, I will argue that habits are a central reason for this failure. Although people naturally persist by forming habits, it’s not easy to understand how habits work. In fact, we may know least about the actions that we do most often. I explain the basic features of habit formation and change and then present research on how people understand their own habits.
Wendy Wood is the Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California and author of the book, Good Habits Bad Habits. She received her B.S. from the University of Illinois and her M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts. Her current research addresses the ways that habits guide behavior—and why they are so difficult to break. Dr. Wood has published over 100 articles and has held appointments at Duke University, Radcliffe Center for Advanced Study, INSEAD Business School, and Texas A&M University. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, Society for Experimental Social Psychology, and founding member of the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology. She served as 2013 president of the 7,000 member Society for Personality and Social Psychology. In the past, she has served as editor of a variety of journals, including Behavioral Science and Policy, Psychological Review, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and Personality and Social Psychology Review. Her research has received numerous awards and distinctions, and has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study.
Prof. Wendy Wood
'Why Don’t We Stick with Behavior Change?'
Date: November 13, 2020 07:00 - 09:00 PM (IST)
Abstract: The controversy over whether bilingualism leads to reliable changes in cognitive and brain functions shows no sign of abating. Regarding behavioral evidence for cognitive performance, evidence from apparently similar studies that shows both better outcomes for bilinguals and no group differences continue to be reported. Notably, there are essentially no studies showing better performance by monolinguals. Regarding imaging studies, analyses of functional recruitment during task performance typically show different patterns for monolingual and bilinguals, a difference that cannot be interpreted as being “better” or “worse”, but analyses of brain structure, especially in older adults, sometimes show more preserved structure for bilinguals and sometimes the opposite, namely, more preserved structure for monolinguals. I will review the evidence for effects of bilingualism across the lifespan, pointing to areas of greatest and least consistency, and propose that bilingual experience leads to an adaptation in attentional control.
Ellen Bialystok is a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Walter Gordon Research Chair of Lifespan Cognitive Development at York University, and Associate Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. She was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016 and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada since 2003. Her research uses behavioral and neuroimaging methods to examine the effect of bilingualism on cognitive processes across the lifespan. Her discoveries include the identification of differences in the development of essential cognitive and language abilities for bilingual children, the use of different brain networks by monolingual and bilingual young adults performing simple conflict tasks, and the postponement of symptoms of dementia in bilingual older adults. Her current studies are investigating the effects of bilingual education on children’s development and the cognitive and brain consequences of bilingualism in older adults. Among her many awards are the Killam Prize for the Social Sciences (2010), York University President’s Research Award (2009), and the Donald T. Stuss Award for Research Excellence at the Baycrest Geriatric Centre (2005). In 2017 she was granted an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo for her contributions to research.
Does Bilingualism Affect Cognitive and Brain Structures? Facts and Fictions
Date: September 7, 2020 at 9:00 PM (IST)
Prof. Dr. Ellen Bialystok
Abstract: Few articles in psychology and cognitive neuroscience do without the promise to get into the “mechanisms underlying” particular psychological phenomena. And yet the progress in our mechanistic understanding of human cognition and behavior must be considered disappointing: Most “explanations” merely classify the phenomenon under investigation as falling into a broader category of (not any better understood) phenomena, specify the context conditions under which the phenomenon is likely to occur, or specify a particular kind of neural activity (such as the activation of a particular brain area) that is correlated with the phenomenon. None of these meets the criteria of a truly mechanistic explanation, which needs to account for phenomena in terms of “a structure performing a function in virtue of its component parts, component operations, and their organization” (Bechtel, 2006). This talk characterizes the problem and some of its implications, and discusses possible solutions.
Bernhard Hommel holds the chair of “General Psychology” at Leiden University since 1999, after having worked as senior researcher at the Max-Planck Institute for Psychological Research (PhD at the University of Bielefeld in 1990; Habilitation at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich). He is a co-founder and board member of the Leiden Institute for Brain & Cognition (LIBC), secretary of the International Association for Attention and Performance, senator of the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), and he has (co-) directed the Leiden University Research Focus “Brain function and dysfunction across the lifespan”. His research focuses on cognitive, computational, developmental, neural, and neurochemical mechanisms of human attention and action control, and the role of consciousness therein. Recent work also addresses the role of emotion, creativity, and religion in human cognition. In 2016, he received an ERC Advanced Grant for work on the impact of metacontrol on human cognition and social behaviour. He is chief editor of the journals Psychological Research and Frontiers in Cognition and has (co-) authored >350 articles in international journals, >60 chapters in readers and psychological textbooks, (co-)edited 2 books and wrote 2 textbooks on action control and the relationship between perception and action, and (co-)edited several special issues on attention and action control.
Pseudo‐mechanistic Explanations in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
Date: August 29, 2020 at 02:00 PM (IST)
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hommel
Abstract: In this talk, Prof. Greene touched upon his work of the last two decades on the dual-process model of moral judgements. He talked about how we sometimes make moral decisions based on our intuitions and gut reactions, while at other times we engage in more rational decision-making. In the second half of the talk, he gave us a preview on his recent work on higher-order cognition and how ideas and thoughts combine together in our minds to form complex representations. These two themes of research were brought together by his discussion on how our social/moral instincts along with our capability for understanding and generating complex ideas has lead to significant progress in the evolution of our species.
Joshua D. Greene is Professor of Psychology and a member of the Center for Brain Science faculty at Harvard University. His research interests cluster around the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. His early work focused on the cognitive neuroscience of moral judgment and the interplay between emotion and reason in moral dilemmas. More recent work focuses on critical features of individual and collective intelligence. His current neuroscientific research examines how the brain combines concepts to form thoughts and how thoughts are manipulated in reasoning and imagination. His current behavioral research examines strategies for improved social decision-making and the alleviation of intergroup conflict. Other interests include effective altruism and the social implications of advancing artificial intelligence. He is the author of Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them.
Individual and Collective Intelligence: Looking for Key Ingredients
Date: July 6, 2020 at 9:00 AM (IST)
Prof. Joshua Greene
Abstract: Curiosity is a curious quality. It is admired yet feared, desired yet suppressed. Epistemic curiosity is a defining characteristic of humans, yet it is apparently rare in its manifestation. Curiosity is closely identified with information seeking and learning. It is identified with doing science, and with research. In educational practice curiosity is sought in students' questions, and here one faces the stark reality -- that students do not ask questions. The situation persists through adulthood; it is lamented by research guides, and also by companies and business leaders seeking innovation. In this CogTalk we will explore some of the issues in curiosity and questioning, and how it might be sustained. We may not find the answers but we will certainly raise a lot of questions.
Jayashree Ramadas is a faculty member of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad. Her R & D experience is in cognitive aspects of science learning, particularly visuo-spatial reasoning, curriculum and teacher professional development. She was Centre Director of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai. Now she coordinates an outreach program of TIFR Hyderabad in neighbouring less privileged schools.
Curiosity and Questioning
Date: January 25, 2018.
Prof. Jayashree Ramadas
Abstract: The ability to produce, comprehend and translate language is phenomenally developed in humas. While gestural and non-vocal communication gives cues during social interactions, the spoken word still receives paramount importance. How is language used by someone represented in their mind? Is these a structure to neural connections like there is to language? Do different language occupy different areas in the brain? We will find out.
Dr Prakash Mondal is Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. He is the author of Language, Mind, and Computation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), Language and Cognitive Structures of Emotion (Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature, 2016), Natural Language and Possible Minds (Brill, 2017), and Language, Biology, and Cognition (completed). He has in his published works investigated the nature of computational properties of natural language, the form of linguistic computation, the formal properties of linguistic meaning and semantic representations, and also the fabric of mentality vis-à-vis natural language.
From Language to Mentality: Structuring the Landscape of Possible Minds
Date: January 12, 2018.
Dr. Prakash Mondal
Abstract: Many of us speak more than one language everyday. We immediately switch from speaking in one language to the other when the context or the listerner changes. We also modulate our tone, delivery and vocabulary to suit the conversation we are having. But do all these abilities make us better cognitively? We will try to explore this question by discussing empirical research on bilinguals as well as illiterates.
Prof. Ramesh Mishra is a cognitive scientist at the Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad, a major research university of India. He is working in the area of language, control, attention and consciousness. He is also interested in a theory of cognition which can explain individual differences in behavior and mental processing. With this aim, he has studied cognitive processing in bilinguals with different language backgrounds, illiterates, and hearing- impaired individuals. He has edited or authored several books in these areas. His most recent book titled “Bilingualism and Cognitive Control” was published by Springer. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science (Springer) and is a fellow of the Psychonomic Society.