CogSci Affinity & Discussion Groups

Mees I

Date & Time: Friday, July 26th, 2024 12:15pm – 1:15 pm

Organisers & Presenters:
Gregg E. A. Solomon: US National Science Foundation;
Betty Tuller: US National Science Foundation;
Soo-Siang Lim: US National Science Foundation;
Lara Faust: US Department of Education;
Sonia Guerriero: UNESCO;
Janka Matrai: European Research Council.

About:
In this session, representatives from IES, NSF, UNESCO, and ERC will discuss intellectual, sociological, and practical issues that arise in doing research in Cognitive Science, Education, and at their intersection. Some of these issues are due generally to the multidisciplinary nature of the work, but others are specific to education. The mobilization of research knowledge and human capital for translation to practice and policy remains a significant challenge that each of these agencies seeks to address. The speakers will highlight relevant initiatives and point to similarities and differences in the grant review processes between programs, providing tips for successful grant writing along the way. They will discuss where their programs are placed in relation to one another in the funding landscape and along the continuum from the most basic to the most applied research – and the extent that such a distinction is meaningful. They will also contrast their funding emphases and the implications those emphases have for the kinds of projects that can be engaged.

ON-SITE

Date & Time: July 25 from 12:15-13:15 local time.

Presenters:
Philip Laughlin (The MIT Press);
Asifa Majid (Oxford University);
Michael C. Frank (Stanford University)

Format: Panel Discussion

About:

This discussion group will be an open-ended conversation/question & answer session about a new open access publication that has been in development at The MIT Press for the past two and half years: the Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science (OECS). We hope to solicit input from the cognitive science community about topics they would like to see in the OECS. We are also hoping to recruit authors who are interested in contributing to it. And, of course, we will be happy to answer any questions that the cognitive science community might have about this project.

ON-SITE

Date & Time: July 24 from 17:30-18:30 local time.

Presenters:
Natalia Postnova, University of Helsinki;
Evgenii Rudakov, University of Helsinki

Format: Moderated Discussion

About:

Join our discussion group as we explore the dynamics of how human cognition interacts with AI, focusing on ChatGPT-like services. Our discussions will examine both the facilitative and disruptive roles of AI in learning and creativity.

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, is becoming increasingly prominent in academic and professional environments, providing tools for automation, writing, and coding assistance. While these tools offer significant benefits, concerns are growing about their impact on our ability to acquire and develop skills and knowledge. Recent research indicates that AI can both support the acquisition of new skills and disrupt traditional learning processes.

Our aim is to bring together researchers with diverse perspectives to discuss these key questions:

Under what conditions is AI an effective tool for facilitating learning?

What are the potential pitfalls where AI disrupts learning and hinders skill development?

We would be especially happy to have participants with relevant experience who are ready to share their insights during the discussion. Regardless of your experience or expertise on the topic, you are most welcome to join, learn, and discuss.

ON-SITE

Date & Time: July 24 from 17:30-18:30 local time.

Presenters:
Grace Roessling: Cognitive Science Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Adan Gomez: Cognitive Science Department, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Format: Moderated Discussion

About:

The human mind is an information processing system that reveals irreducible complexity and emergent properties – including the phenomena of dreams. Dreams are flows of subjective experience during REM sleep that exhibit highly random and generative content that differ greatly from wakeful consciousness. Various theories attempt to capture the biological function of dreams, including offline memory processing, emotional regulation, and learning.

We posit that computationally replicating the essential features of dreams may reveal insights into the cognitive/neural mechanisms that give rise to dreaming — as well as consciousness and intelligence. We are interested in leading a guided discussion that explores the following: (1) the application of an information-theoretic perspective to the causes and effects of dreams; and (2) the process of developing an artificial intelligence that is able to dream.

ON-SITE

Date & Time: July 24 from 17:30-18:30 local time.

Presenters:
Janet Hsiao, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Antoni Chan, City University of Hong Kong
Byoung-kyong Min, Korea University
Seong Bae Lim, St. Mary’s University
Junya Morita, Shizuoka University
Mutsumi Imai, Keio University
Charles Kemp, University of Melbourne

Format: Experience Sharing and Moderated Discussion

About:

This affinity group is initiated by members of the International Association for Cognitive Science, Japanese Cognitive Science Society, Korean Society for Cognitive Science, and cognitive science researchers in Hong Kong and Australia. We seek to engage cognitive science researchers and societies in the Asian-Pacific region at CogSci 2024. Through this affinity group, we aim to provide networking opportunities to strengthen research exchange and collaboration, to share experience in community building, to promote cognitive science research in the region, and to provide mentorship opportunities to young cognitive scientists or those who are interested in pursuing cognitive science research. We also aim to initiate regular meetings or other forms of research exchange in the future to take advantage of the geographical closeness.