COGSCI 600

Seminar in Cognitive Science

Fall, 2002

Description: Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence. This seminar will discuss controversial topics concerning the nature of human and computer intelligence.

Organizer: Paul Thagard

Office hours (HH368): Monday 1-2; Thursday 12-12:50.

Email: pthagard@uwaterloo.ca. Phone: extension 3594.

Web page: http://cogsci.uwaterloo.ca/courses/cogsci600.html

Time: Wednesday, 2-4, in PAS 3026.

Textbook: A course pack with readings for each week will be available in the bookstore. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Go to list of readings.

Assignments: Each student will write a research essay of approximately 20 pages. Essay proposals should be handed in to Paul Thagard by Oct. 30, and students will present their work in class Nov. 27. The final essay is due Dec. 4. In addition, 10% of the grade will be based on 1-page essays to be handed in each week concerning the week's readings.

Go to list of discussion questions.

Go to list of previous essay topics.

Schedule:

 Week  Dates  Instructor

Topic

 1  Sept. 11
 Paul Thagard, Philosophy
 What is cognitive science?
 2  Sept. 18  Chris Eliasmith, Philosophy Can computational models help bridge the gap between single neurons and psychological states?
 3 Sept. 25  Tim Kenyon, Philosophy Do we understand speakers by decoding their utterances?
 4 Oct. 2  Don Grierson, Civil Engineering  Can evolutionary search be used to improve the safety of buildings against
terrorist attack?
 5 Oct. 9
 Hamid R. Tizhoosh, Systems Design Engineering
Can fuzzy logic recognize images?
 6  Oct. 16  Randy Harris, English  What's cognitive about rhetoric?
 7 Oct. 23  Mike Ross, Psychology How is autobiographical memory related to self-identity?
 8 Oct. 30  Chrysanne diMarco, Computer Science  How will Web language reshape natural language?
 9  Nov. 6  Steven Saltieri, Accounting Powerpoint presentation (click and hold to download)  Would ENRON have happened if auditors had followed prescriptions
of research on accounting expertise?
 10  Nov. 13  Daniela O'Neill, Psychology When does a mental model approach to narrative emerge in children?
11  Nov. 20 Pat Wainwright, Health Studies Is an understanding of brain development necessary to the understanding of cognition?
 12  Nov. 27 Student presentations

 Various

Note: this course is also being offered as Phil 479/673. Advanced undergraduates may take it as Phil 479, with permission of the instructor. Philosophy graduate students may take it as Phil 673. Students and faculty are also welcome to audit the course. Students who want audit credit must complete the weekly 1-page essays.

This page updated Nov. 11, 2002.

COGSCI 600 for Fall, 2001.

Cognitive Science resources

Back to Computational Epistemology Laboratory