Cognitive Biology

Author : Luca Tommasi,Mary A. Peterson,Lynn Nadel
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2024-04-30
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780262551892

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Cognitive Biology by Luca Tommasi,Mary A. Peterson,Lynn Nadel Pdf

An overview of current research at the intersection of psychology and biology, integrating evolutionary and developmental data and explanations. In the past few decades, sources of inspiration in the multidisciplinary field of cognitive science have widened. In addition to ongoing vital work in cognitive and affective neuroscience, important new work is being conducted at the intersection of psychology and the biological sciences in general. This volume offers an overview of the cross-disciplinary integration of evolutionary and developmental approaches to cognition in light of these exciting new contributions from the life sciences. This research has explored many cognitive abilities in a wide range of organisms and developmental stages, and results have revealed the nature and origin of many instances of the cognitive life of organisms. Each section of Cognitive Biology deals with a key domain of cognition: spatial cognition; the relationships among attention, perception, and learning; representations of numbers and economic values; and social cognition. Contributors discuss each topic from the perspectives of psychology and neuroscience, brain theory and modeling, evolutionary theory, ecology, genetics, and developmental science. Contributors Chris M. Bird, Elizabeth M. Brannon, Neil Burgess, Jessica F. Cantlon, Stanislas Dehaene, Christian F. Doeller, Reuven Dukas, Rochel Gelman, Alexander Gerganov, Paul W. Glimcher, Robert L. Goldstone, Edward M. Hubbard, Lucia F. Jacobs, Mark H. Johnson, Annette Karmiloff-Smith, David Landy, Lynn Nadel, Nora S. Newcombe, Daniel Osorio, Mary A. Peterson, Manuela Piazza, Philippe Pinel, Michael L. Platt, Kristin R. Ratliff, Michael E. Roberts, Wendy S. Shallcross, Stephen V. Shepherd, Sylvain Sirois, Luca Tommasi, Alessandro Treves, Alexandra Twyman, Giorgio Vallortigara

Author : Gennaro Auletta
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 880 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2011-07-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191621819

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Cognitive Biology by Gennaro Auletta Pdf

Providing a new conceptual scaffold for further research in biology and cognition, this book introduces the new field of Cognitive Biology: a systems biology approach showing that further progress in this field will depend on a deep recognition of developmental processes, as well as on the consideration of the developed organism as an agent able to modify and control its surrounding environment. The role of cognition, the means through which the organism is able to cope with its environment, cannot be underestimated. In particular, it is shown that this activity is grounded on a theory of information based on Bayesian probabilities. The organism is considered as a cybernetic system able to integrate a processor as a source of variety (the genetic system), a regulator of its own homeostasis (the metabolic system), and a selecting system separating the self from the non-self (the membrane in unicellular organisms). Any organism is a complex system that can survive only if it is able to maintain its internal order against the spontaneous tendency towards disruption. Therefore, it is forced to monitor and control its environment and so to establish feedback circuits resulting in co-adaptation. Cognitive and biological processes are shown to be inseparable.

Author : Prakash Mondal
Publisher : Springer
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2019-07-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783030237158

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Language, Biology and Cognition by Prakash Mondal Pdf

This book examines the relationship between human language and biology in order to determine whether the biological foundations of language can offer deep insights into the nature and form of language and linguistic cognition. Challenging the assumption in biolinguistics and neurolinguistics that natural language and linguistic cognition can be reconciled with neurobiology, the author argues that reducing representation to cognitive systems and cognitive systems to neural populations is reductive, leading to inferences about the cognitive basis of linguistic performance based on assuming (false) dependencies. Instead, he finds that biological implementations of cognitive rather than the biological structures themselves, are the driver behind linguistic structures. In particular, this book argues that the biological roots of language are useful only for an understanding of the emergence of linguistic capacity as a whole, but ultimately irrelevant to understanding the character of language. Offering an antidote to the current thinking embracing ‘biologism’ in linguistic sciences, it will be of interest to readers in linguistics, the cognitive and brain sciences, and the points at which these disciplines converge with the computer sciences.

Author : Colin Allen,Marc Bekoff
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 236 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 1999-07-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0262511088

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Species of Mind by Colin Allen,Marc Bekoff Pdf

The heart of this book is the reciprocal relationship between philosophical theories of mind and empirical studies of animal cognition. Colin Allen (a philosopher) and Marc Bekoff (a cognitive ethologist) approach their work from a perspective that considers arguments about evolutionary continuity to be as applicable to the study of animal minds and brains as they are to comparative studies of kidneys, stomachs, and hearts. Cognitive ethologists study the comparative, evolutionary, and ecological aspects of the mental phenomena of animals. Philosophy can provide cognitive ethology with an analytical basis for attributing cognition to nonhuman animals and for studying it, and cognitive ethology can help philosophy to explain mentality in naturalistic terms by providing data on the evolution of cognition. This interdiscipinary approach reveals flaws in common objections to the view that animals have minds. The heart of the book is this reciprocal relationship between philosophical theories of mind and empirical studies of animal cognition. All theoretical discussion is carefully tied to case studies, particularly in the areas of antipredatory vigilance and social play, where there are many points of contact with philosophical discussions of intentionality and representation. Allen and Bekoff make specific suggestions about how to use philosophical theories of intentionality as starting points for empirical investigation of animal minds, and they stress the importance of studying animals other than nonhuman primates.

Author : Alice Travis
Publisher : Universal-Publishers
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781581129816

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Cognitive Evolution by Alice Travis Pdf

In a bold, reasoned, and meticulously researched knowledge leap, Cognitive Evolution erases the demarcation between life and intelligent life, deciphers the concepts of intelligence and cognition, and moves our kind to the precipices of digitizing the anatomical gnome of reason. Cognitive Evolution suggests that the high order mental behaviors of Homo sapiens are rooted in the same biology as the moth's attraction to light, worker bees' foreknowledge of their assignments, ants' knowledge of the mechanics to execute the architectural design of an ant hill, or a female cat's instinct to open the umbilical sack after giving birth. Author Alice Travis ponders, "If we begin with what we accept to be intelligent life, at what point does life become non-intelligent?" It was the recognition that there is no such point that gave birth to Cognitive Evolution, and its groundbreaking interpretation of intelligence. Electronic ebook edition available. Click on Diesel ebooks logo to the left.

Author : G. Kampis
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 543 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-10-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780080912394

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Self-Modifying Systems in Biology and Cognitive Science by G. Kampis Pdf

The theme of this book is the self-generation of information by the self-modification of systems. The author explains why biological and cognitive processes exhibit identity changes in the mathematical and logical sense. This concept is the basis of a new organizational principle which utilizes shifts of the internal semantic relations in systems. There are mathematical discussions of various classes of systems (Turing machines, input-output systems, synergetic systems, non-linear dynamics etc), which are contrasted with the author's new principle. The most important implications of this include a new conception on the nature of information and which also provides a new and coherent conceptual view of a wide class of natural systems. This book merits the attention of all philosophers and scientists concerned with the way we create reality in our mathematical representations of the world and the connection those representations have with the way things really are.

Author : David Dunér,Gustav Holmberg,Erik Persson
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Page : 290 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781443853026

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The History and Philosophy of Astrobiology by David Dunér,Gustav Holmberg,Erik Persson Pdf

Human beings have wondered about the stars since the dawn of the species. Does life exist out there – intelligent life, even – or are we alone? The quest for life in the universe touches on fundamental hopes and fears. It touches on the essence of what it means to formulate a theory, grasp a concept, and have an imagination. This book traces the history of the science of this area and the development of new schools in philosophy. Its essays seek to establish the history and philosophy of astrobiology as research fields in their own right by addressing cognitive, linguistic, epistemological, ethical, cultural, societal, and historical perspectives on astrobiology. The book is divided into three sections. The first (Cognition) focuses on the human mind and what it contributes to the search for life. It explores the emergence and evolution of terrestrial life and cognition and the challenges humans face as they reach to the stars. The essays raise philosophical questions, pose ethical dilemmas, and offer a variety of approaches, including one from cognitive zoology, in formulating a theory of the universal principles of intelligence, the limits of human conceptual abilities, and the human mind’s encounter with the unknown. The second section (Communication) examines the linguistic and semiotic requirements for interstellar communication. What is needed for successful communication? Are there universal rules for success? What are the possible features – and limitations – of exolanguages? What is required for recognizing a message as a message? The third section (Culture) considers cultural and societal issues. It explores astrobiology’s organization as a scientific discipline, its responsibilities to the public sphere, and its theological implications. It reviews the historically important panspermia hypothesis, along with the popularization of astrobiology and its ongoing institutionalisation. Through addressing these questions, we take our first steps in exploring the immense terra incognita of extraterrestrial life and the human mind.

Author : Chris Eliasmith
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 475 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2013-04-16
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780199794690

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How to Build a Brain by Chris Eliasmith Pdf

How to Build a Brain provides a detailed exploration of a new cognitive architecture - the Semantic Pointer Architecture - that takes biological detail seriously, while addressing cognitive phenomena. Topics ranging from semantics and syntax, to neural coding and spike-timing-dependent plasticity are integrated to develop the world's largest functional brain model.

Author : Carel ten Cate,Susan D. Healy,Sue Healy
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 351 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2017-06-22
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781107092389

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Avian Cognition by Carel ten Cate,Susan D. Healy,Sue Healy Pdf

An overview of current research and experimental approaches in avian cognition and how this relates to other species.

Author : N. Katherine Hayles
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2017-04-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780226447919

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Unthought by N. Katherine Hayles Pdf

N. Katherine Hayles is known for breaking new ground at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities. In Unthought, she once again bridges disciplines by revealing how we think without thinking—how we use cognitive processes that are inaccessible to consciousness yet necessary for it to function. Marshalling fresh insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, cognitive biology, and literature, Hayles expands our understanding of cognition and demonstrates that it involves more than consciousness alone. Cognition, as Hayles defines it, is applicable not only to nonconscious processes in humans but to all forms of life, including unicellular organisms and plants. Startlingly, she also shows that cognition operates in the sophisticated information-processing abilities of technical systems: when humans and cognitive technical systems interact, they form “cognitive assemblages”—as found in urban traffic control, drones, and the trading algorithms of finance capital, for instance—and these assemblages are transforming life on earth. The result is what Hayles calls a “planetary cognitive ecology,” which includes both human and technical actors and which poses urgent questions to humanists and social scientists alike. At a time when scientific and technological advances are bringing far-reaching aspects of cognition into the public eye, Unthought reflects deeply on our contemporary situation and moves us toward a more sustainable and flourishing environment for all beings.

Author : Sohan Modgil,Celia Modgil,Geoffrey Brown
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2013-01-11
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781135659592

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Jean Piaget by Sohan Modgil,Celia Modgil,Geoffrey Brown Pdf

This volume contains the proceedings of the conference 'Jean Piaget (1896-1980): A British Tribute - The Continuing Debate', held at Brighton Polytechnic on 22-23 May 1981. The collection of papers goes beyond a particular event which took place at a specific time. It stands on its own as a sustained inquiry as to how Piaget's theory is seen in relation to a range of areas of knowledge. Pairs of academics from various disciplines who have worked on aspects of Piagetian theory engaged in 'for and against' debates. The scope of the volume is therefore interdisciplinary.

Author : Ladislav Kováč
Publisher : Springer
Page : 134 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2015-08-05
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783319206608

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Closing Human Evolution: Life in the Ultimate Age by Ladislav Kováč Pdf

This volume analyses the evolution of humankind by combining approaches from science and the arts. It offers a novel perspective on the evolution of life on Earth, based on a recent reformulation of the second law of thermodynamics in terms of the “maximum entropy production principle.” In essence, the Earth is but one of many “white holes” in the universe, where life functions as a specific arrangement for the rapid dissipation of energy gradients by generating self-organized structures. Evolution of life in the universe is a creative process of increasing complexity as a Bayesian ratchet of knowledge accumulation, advancing in an evolutionary maze characterized by myriad blind alleys. On Earth, the human species has progressed more than any other by creating artefacts that have become both agents and products of in our cumulative cultural evolution. Culture has dramatically enhanced the rate of dissipation of energy gradients. Extrapolating from the acceleration of cultural evolution suggests that humanity will reach the Civilization Singularity in the middle of the 21st century, a point in time at which the rate of changes, and hence their unpredictability and uncontrollability, will converge to infinity. Humankind has now entered the ultimate age, in which the exuberance and splendour of human feats may be metaphorically likened to fireworks. The author highlights a new role of scientists as intellectuals who can create “music for the fireworks” by analysing the consequences of the astounding dynamics in order to make the closing phase of human evolution a sublime one marked by minimal political and social tensions.

Author : Michael S. Gazzaniga
Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell
Page : 540 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 1991-01-16
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 063121660X

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Cognitive Neuroscience by Michael S. Gazzaniga Pdf

Cognitive Neuroscience: A Reader provides the first definitive collection of readings in this burgeoning area of study.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2024-06-02
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9789814476010

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Worldviews, Science and Us by Anonim Pdf

Author : Nick Wilson
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2019-08-23
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781317432173

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The Space that Separates: A Realist Theory of Art by Nick Wilson Pdf

The Space that Separates: A Realist Theory of Art radically challenges our assumptions about what art is, what art does, who is doing it, and why it matters. Rejecting the modernist and market-driven misconception that art is only what artists do, Wilson instead presents a realist case for living artfully. Art is defined as the skilled practice of giving shareable form to our experiences of being-in-relation with the real; that is to say, the causally generative domain of the world that extends beyond our direct observation, comprising relations, structures, mechanisms, possibilities, powers, processes, systems, forces, values, ways of being. In communicating such aesthetic experience we behold life’s betweenness – "the space that separates", so coming to know ourselves as connected. Providing the first dedicated and comprehensive account of art and aesthetics from a critical realist perspective – Aesthetic Critical Realism (ACR), Wilson argues for a profound paradigm shift in how we understand and care for culture in terms of our system(s) of value recognition. Fortunately, we have just the right tool to help us achieve this transformation – and it’s called art. Offering novel explanatory accounts of art, aesthetic experience, value, play, culture, creativity, artistic truth and beauty, this book will appeal to a wide audience of students and scholars of art, aesthetics, human development, philosophy and critical realism, as well as cultural practitioners and policy-makers.