koglist February 2000

koglist@maillist.ttk.hu

8 participants
19 discussions

The Magical Number 4: BBS Call for Commentators

by Stevan Harnad

Below is the abstract of a forthcoming BBS target article THE MAGICAL NUMBER 4 IN SHORT-TERM MEMORY: A RECONSIDERATION OF MENTAL STORAGE CAPACITY by Nelson Cowan http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbs/Archive/bbs.cowan.html http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs/ *** please see also 5 important announcements about new BBS policies and address change at the bottom of this message) *** This article has been accepted for publication in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), an international, interdisciplinary journal providing Open Peer Commentary on important and controversial current research in the biobehavioral and cognitive sciences. Commentators must be BBS Associates or nominated by a BBS Associate. To be considered as a commentator for this article, to suggest other appropriate commentators, or for information about how to become a BBS Associate, please reply by EMAIL by March 7th to: bbs(a)cogsci.soton.ac.uk or write to: Behavioral and Brain Sciences ECS: New Zepler Building University of Southampton Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ UNITED KINGDOM http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbs/ http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs/ If you are not a BBS Associate, please send your CV and the name of a BBS Associate (there are currently over 10,000 worldwide) who is familiar with your work. All past BBS authors, referees and commentators are eligible to become BBS Associates. To help us put together a balanced list of commentators, please give some indication of the aspects of the topic on which you would bring your areas of expertise to bear if you were selected as a commentator. An electronic draft of the full text is available for inspection with a WWW browser according to the instructions that follow after the abstract. _____________________________________________________________ THE MAGICAL NUMBER 4 IN SHORT-TERM MEMORY: A RECONSIDERATION OF MENTAL STORAGE CAPACITY Nelson Cowan Department of Psychology University of Missouri 210 McAlester Hall Columbia, MO 65211, USA CowanN(a)missouri.edu http://web.missouri.edu/~psycowan KEYWORDS: attention, enumeration, information chunks, memory capacity, processing capacity, processing channels, serial recall, short-term memory, storage capacity, verbal recall, working memory capacity. ABSTRACT: Miller (1956) summarized evidence that people can remember about 7 chunks in short-term memory (STM) tasks. However, that number was meant more as a rough estimate and a rhetorical device than as a real capacity limit. Others have since suggested that there is a more precise capacity limit, but that it is only 3 to 5 chunks. The present target article brings together a wide variety of data on capacity limits suggesting that the smaller capacity limit is real. Capacity limits will be useful in analyses of information processing only if the boundary conditions for observing them can be carefully described. Four basic conditions in which chunks can be identified and capacity limits can accordingly be observed are: (1) when information overload limits chunks to individual stimulus items, (2) when other steps are taken specifically to block the recoding of stimulus items into larger chunks, (3) in performance discontinuities caused by the capacity limit, and (4) in various indirect effects of the capacity limit. Under these conditions, rehearsal and long-term memory cannot be used to combine stimulus items into chunks of an unknown size; nor can storage mechanisms that are not capacity-limited, such as sensory memory, allow the capacity-limited storage mechanism to be refilled during recall. A single, central capacity limit averaging about 4 chunks is implicated along with other, non-capacity-limited sources. The pure STM capacity limit expressed in chunks is distinguished from compound STM limits obtained when the number of separately held chunks is unclear. Reasons why pure capacity estimates fall within a narrow range are discussed and a capacity limit for the focus of attention is proposed. ___________________________________________________________ To help you decide whether you would be an appropriate commentator for this article, an electronic draft is retrievable from the World Wide Web or by anonymous ftp from the US or UK BBS Archive. Ftp instructions follow below. Please do not prepare a commentary on this draft. Just let us know, after having inspected it, what relevant expertise you feel you would bring to bear on what aspect of the article. The URLs you can use to get to the BBS Archive: http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbs/Archive/bbs.cowan.html http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs/ ____________________________________________________________ *** FIVE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS *** ------------------------------------------------------------------ (1) There have been some very important developments in the area of Web archiving of scientific papers very recently. Please see: Science: http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/science.html Nature: http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/nature.html American Scientist: http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/amlet.html Chronicle of Higher Education: http://www.chronicle.com/free/v45/i04/04a02901.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) All authors in the biobehavioral and cognitive sciences are strongly encouraged to archive all their papers (on their Home-Servers as well as) on CogPrints: http://cogprints.soton.ac.uk/ It is extremely simple to do so and will make all of our papers available to all of us everywhere at no cost to anyone. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) BBS has a new policy of accepting submissions electronically. Authors can specify whether they would like their submissions archived publicly during refereeing in the BBS under-refereeing Archive, or in a referees-only, non-public archive. Upon acceptance, preprints of final drafts are moved to the public BBS Archive: ftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/BBS/.WWW/index.html http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbs/Archive/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) BBS has expanded its annual page quota and is now appearing bimonthly, so the service of Open Peer Commentary can now be be offered to more target articles. The BBS refereeing procedure is also going to be considerably faster with the new electronic submission and processing procedures. Authors are invited to submit papers to: Email: bbs(a)cogsci.soton.ac.uk Web: http://cogprints.soton.ac.uk http://bbs.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/ INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS: http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs/instructions.for.authors.html http://www.cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbs/instructions.for.authors.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) Call for Book Nominations for BBS Multiple Book Review In the past, Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) journal had only been able to do 1-2 BBS multiple book treatments per year, because of our limited annual page quota. BBS's new expanded page quota will make it possible for us to increase the number of books we treat per year, so this is an excellent time for BBS Associates and biobehavioral/cognitive scientists in general to nominate books you would like to see accorded BBS multiple book review. (Authors may self-nominate, but books can only be selected on the basis of multiple nominations.) It would be very helpful if you indicated in what way a BBS Multiple Book Review of the book(s) you nominate would be useful to the field (and of course a rich list of potential reviewers would be the best evidence of its potential impact!).

26 years, 3 months

Elliott Sober eloadasai

by George Kampis

Elliott Sober (a Magyar Filozofiai Tarsasag 2000 evi diszvendege, az IUHPS/DLMPS fotitkara) marciusban ket eloadast tart Budapesten. marcius 13 hetfo 12:30 "Evolution and the Problem of Other Minds" ELTE TTK Tudomanytortenet es Tudomanyfilozofia Tanszek, 1117 Bp. Pazmany Peter setany 1., 6. em. 658. marcius 14 kedd 16:30 "Altruism and Group Selection" MTA Szekhaz, Kisterem 1051 Bp. Roosewelt ter 9. Minden erdeklodot szeretettel varunk, udv kgy ===================================================================== George Kampis, Associate Professor, Chairman, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, ELTE University, 1518 Budapest, P.O. Box 32, Hungary Phone/FAX: (36) 1 372 2924 email: gk(a)hps.elte.hu http://hps.elte.hu/~gk ftp://hps.elte.hu =====================================================================

26 years, 3 months

CogSci 2000 Summer School (fwd)

by DR G CSIBRA

Rejected message: sent to koglist(a)cogpsyphy.hu by SCHOOL(a)COGS.NBU.ACAD.BG follows. Reason for rejection: sender not subscribed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7th International Summer School in Cognitive Science Sofia, New Bulgarian University, July 10 - 30, 2000 Courses: =85 Distributed representations and gradual learning processes in cognition = - Jay McClelland (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) =85 Connectionist models of language processing - Jeff Elman (University of California, San Diego, USA) =85 Brain Organization of Human Memory and Thought - John Gabrieli (Stanford University) =85 Cognitive Development - Graeme Halford (University of Queensland) =85 The Human Conceptual System - Lawrence W. Barsalou (Emory University) =85 Topics in Vision Science - Stephen E. Palmer (University of California, Berkeley) =85 Cognitive Science: A Basic Science for an Applied Science of Learning - John T. Bruer (James S. McDonnell Foundation) =85 Psychological Scaling - Encho Gerganov (New Bulgarian University) =85 Research Methods in Psycholinguistics - Elena Andonova (New Bulgarian University) =85 Research Methods in Memory and Thinking - Boicho Kokinov (New Bulgarian University) Organised by New Bulgarian University, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Bulgarian Society for Cognitive Science Sponsored by the Open Society Institute in Budapest - HESP Program International Advisory Board Participation Participants will be selected by a Selection Committee on the bases of their submitted documents: =85 application form (see at the Web page), =85 CV, =85 statement of purpose, =85 copy of diploma; if student - academic transcript =85 letter of recommendation, =85 list of publications (if any) and short summary of up to three of them. Apply as soon as possible since the number of participants is restricted. Send applications to: Summer School in Cognitive Science Central and East European Center for Cognitive Science New Bulgarian University 21 Montevideo Str. Sofia 1635, Bulgaria e-mail: school(a)cogs.nbu.acad.bg =46or more information look at: http://www.nbu.bg/cogs/events/ss2000.html

26 years, 3 months

TUDOMANYFILOZOFIA SZEMINARIUM, G e r e b y G y.

by László E. Szabó

ELTE TTK Tudomanytortenet es Tudomanyfilozofia Tanszek Budapest, Pazmany P. setany 1/A TUDOMANYFILOZOFIA SZEMINARIUM (http://hps.elte.hu/seminar) ________________________________________________ Februar 14 12:30 6. em. 6.54 G e r e b y G y o r g y ELTE BTK Filozofiai Intezet _______________________________________________ A teologia, mint tudomany a nagyskolasztikaban | ----------------------------------------------- A tudomanytorteneti eloadas celja annak megmutatasa, hogy - pl. Russell velemenyevel szemben -, a latin kozepkor egyetemein (de nemcsak ott, hanem a hasonloan teologiailag motivalt zsido es muszlim kozegben is) letezett ertelmes, analitikusan rekonstrualhato filozofiai program. E program azonban valoban kulonbozott a - mondjuk igy - klasszikus gorog kerdesfeltevestol, a kovetkezo modon: a kesoantikvitas Arisztoteleszen alapulo tudomanydefiniciojabol kiindulva a kozepkori teologusok kiserletet tettek, a kinyilatkoztatason alapulo teologiai tudas definialasara, illetve a filozofiai tudastol valo megkulonboztetesere. A standard megoldas szerint ket, eltero termeszetu axiomahalmaz (pontosabban principiumhalmaz) definialhato, melyekbol egyenkent kulonbozo tetelhalmazok dedukalhatoak. Elofelteves, hogy a levezetesi szabalyok a ket tudomanyban azonosak (pl. kategorikus szillogizmusok), es legalabb bizonyos kifejezesek kozosek. A ket tetelhalmazban azonban elofordulhatnak ellentmondo allitasok (pl. "A vilag orokkevalo." ill. "A vilag veges ideje teremtetett."). Ezek az ellentmondo allitas-parok kepezik az intellektualis feladatot a skolasztika szamara, hiszen az ellentmondas torvenye szerepel a ket elmelet metanyelveben. A skolasztika filozofiai feladata igy a felmerulo konzisztencia-problema megoldasa. Ezen kivul (a kozos metodologia alapjan vizsgalva) ertelmes kerdeskent felvetheto egyes teologiai allitasok szarmaztatott, vagy principium-volta, illetve a principiumok fuggetlensege es konzisztenciaja. A szellemes es technikailag otletes megoldasok sokasagabol Averroes (12.szd), Aquinoi Tamas (13. szd.), Duns Scotus (13-14. szd. forduloja) es Ockham (14. szd) egymassal konstruktiv vitaban allo megoldasait fogom rekonstrualni. Szarmazekos eredmenykent ertelmezhetove valik a "tudomanyos teologia"-val szembeni elvaras-rendszer, a "kereszteny filozofia" fabol vaskarika jellegu fogalma, a "kettos igazsag" mitoszanak kialakulasa, illetve artikulalhatova valik P. Duhem tezise, amikor az ujkori tudomany kialakulasat a skolasztikus teologia 14. szd-i fejlodesebol eredezteti. A szeminarium szervezoje: E. Szabo Laszlo -- Laszlo E. Szabo Department of Theoretical Physics Department of History and Philosophy of Science Eotvos University, Budapest H-1518 Budapest, Pf. 32. Phone: (36-1)2090-555/6671 Fax: (36-1)372-2509 Home: (36-1)200-7318 http://hps.elte.hu/~leszabo

26 years, 3 months

TUDOMANYFILOZOFIA SZEMINARIUM, K u t r o v a t z G.

by László E. Szabó

26 years, 3 months

TUDOMANYFILOZOFIA SZEMINARIUM, februar

by László E. Szabó

ELTE TTK Tudomanytortenet es Tudomanyfilozofia Tanszek Budapest, Pazmany P. setany 1/A TUDOMANYFILOZOFIA SZEMINARIUM (http://hps.elte.hu/seminar) ________________________________________________ 2000, februar Februar 7 12:30 6. em. 6.54 K u t r o v a t z G a b o r ELTE TTK Tudomanytortenet es Tudomanyfilozofia Tanszek A Hohalal - tudomanyos vagy metafizikai fogalom? Nem annyira a tudomanyos gyakorlat, mint inkabb az ismeretterjesztes soran hasznalunk olyan fogalmakat, amelyek valahol a tudomanyos nyelv hataran heyezkednek el. Ezek a fogalmak a szigoru tudomany felol nezve filozofikusnak, a filozofia szemszogebol tudomanyosnak tunnek. A tudomanyos elmeletek teremtik oket, am egyhamar kicsusznak a tudomanyos kontextus szoritasabol, es hajlamosak inkabb a kepzelettel tartani. Ez alkalommal egy ilyen fogalom, a "hohalal" fejlodeset es lehetosegeit vizsgaljuk meg. Ezt a fogalmat, amely a vilagegyetemnek a termodinamika masodik fotetelevel osszangban bekovetkezo vegso, visszafordithatatlan termikus egyensulyi allapotat hivatott jelolni, a 19. szazad masodik feleben vezettek be a fizika nyelvebe. Azota kozmologiai elmeletek jottek es mentek, am a "hohalal" fogalma napjaink ismeretterjeszto irodalmaban is nagy nepszerusegnek orvend. Esettanulmanyunk arra kovetkeztetesre vezet bennunket, hogy ez a fogalom, valoszinuleg szamos tarsaval egyutt, bizonyos filozofiai elvarasokkal all intim kapcsolatban, es mint ilyen, nem annyira az elmeletek szempontjabol belso szerepet tolt be a tudomanyban, hanem inkabb mindenkori ismereteink hatarat jeloli ki. Februar 14 12:30 6. em. 6.54 G e r e b y G y o r g y ELTE BTK Filozofiai Intezet A teologia, mint tudomany a nagyskolasztikaban A tudomanytorteneti eloadas celja annak megmutatasa, hogy - pl. Russell velemenyevel szemben -, a latin kozepkor egyetemein (de nemcsak ott, hanem a hasonloan teologiailag motivalt zsido es muszlim kozegben is) letezett ertelmes, analitikusan rekonstrualhato filozofiai program. E program azonban valoban kulonbozott a - mondjuk igy - klasszikus gorog kerdesfeltevestol, a kovetkezo modon: a kesoantikvitas Arisztoteleszen alapulo tudomanydefiniciojabol kiindulva a kozepkori teologusok kiserletet tettek, a kinyilatkoztatason alapulo teologiai tudas definialasara, illetve a filozofiai tudastol valo megkulonboztetesere. A standard megoldas szerint ket, eltero termeszetu axiomahalmaz (pontosabban principiumhalmaz) definialhato, melyekbol egyenkent kulonbozo tetelhalmazok dedukalhatoak. Elofelteves, hogy a levezetesi szabalyok a ket tudomanyban azonosak (pl. kategorikus szillogizmusok), es legalabb bizonyos kifejezesek kozosek. A ket tetelhalmazban azonban elofordulhatnak ellentmondo allitasok (pl. "A vilag orokkevalo." ill. "A vilag veges ideje teremtetett."). Ezek az ellentmondo allitas-parok kepezik az intellektualis feladatot a skolasztika szamara, hiszen az ellentmondas torvenye szerepel a ket elmelet metanyelveben. A skolasztika filozofiai feladata igy a felmerulo konzisztencia-problema megoldasa. Ezen kivul (a kozos metodologia alapjan vizsgalva) ertelmes kerdeskent felvetheto egyes teologiai allitasok szarmaztatott, vagy principium-volta, illetve a principiumok fuggetlensege es konzisztenciaja. A szellemes es technikailag otletes megoldasok sokasagabol Averroes (12.szd), Aquinoi Tamas (13. szd.), Duns Scotus (13-14. szd. forduloja) es Ockham (14. szd) egymassal konstruktiv vitaban allo megoldasait fogom rekonstrualni. Szarmazekos eredmenykent ertelmezhetove valik a "tudomanyos teologia"-val szembeni elvaras-rendszer, a "kereszteny filozofia" fabol vaskarika jellegu fogalma, a "kettos igazsag" mitoszanak kialakulasa, illetve artikulalhatova valik P. Duhem tezise, amikor az ujkori tudomany kialakulasat a skolasztikus teologia 14. szd-i fejlodesebol eredezteti. Februar 21 12:30 6. em. 6.54 E r d i P e t e r MTA KFKI RMKI Biofizikai Osztaly ELTE TTK Tudomanytortenet es Tudomanyfilozofia Tanszek Szamitogepes idegrendszerkutatas Az idegrendszer a bonyolult rendszerek mintapeldaja, es mukodesenek megertesehez valoban szukseg van mondjuk elektronmikroszkopos (anatomiai) es mikroelektrodas (elettani) megfigyelesekre, a fogalmak tisztazasahoz szukseges filozofiai elemzesre, a dinamikus rendszerek elmeleten alapulo matematikai modellezesre. Ebben az eloadadban nem azt a kerdest vizsgaljuk, hogy mennyiben tekinthetjuk - ha egyaltalan - az agyat szamitogepnek, hanem vazlatosan bemutatunk egy szakmat (computational neuroscience, elterjedt magyar neve nincs is egyelore), amelynek celkituzese a realis idegrendszeri strukturak mukodesenek matematikai modellezessel torteno megertese. Vazlat: Idegrendszeri modellezes: alternativ strategiak Egy sejt is bonyolult Neuronhalozatok Statisztikus neurodinamika Idegrendszeri fejlodes Tanulas es memoria Neurologiai es pszichiatriai rendellenessegek modellezese Februar 28 12:30 6. em. 6.54 P a l C s a b a ELTE Novenyrendszertani es Okologiai Tanszek Az oroklodesi rendszerek evolucioja Darwin szerint az elolenyek uj kornyezethez valo alkalmazkodasa az oroklodo variansok szelekcioja reven valosul meg. Ahhoz, hogy a folyamat vegbemehessen, felteteleznunk kell ezen oroklodo variansok jelenletet. Ezert az oroklodes es a variacio termeszetenek megertese kozponti jelentosegu az evoluciobiologiaban. A biologia Modern Szintezisenek megalkotoi tobbnyire azt felteteleztek, hogy kizarolag a DNS-ben tarolt informacio adodhat at generaciorol generaciora. Mara azonban bizonyosnak tunik, hogy a DNS mellett vannak egyeb oroklodesi rendszerek is: i) a sejt epigenetikai oroklodesi rendszerei, ii) az allatok szocialis tanulasa vagy eppen iii) az ember szimbolikus nyelvhasznalata mind-mind lehetseges peldak. Az eloadas soran ket kerdesre keresunk valaszt: milyen kozos es eltero vonasai vannak ezeknek a rendszereknek, valamint hogyan befolyasolhatjak ezek jelenlete az evolucio iranyat. A szeminarium szervezoje: E. Szabo Laszlo -- Laszlo E. Szabo Department of Theoretical Physics Department of History and Philosophy of Science Eotvos University, Budapest H-1518 Budapest, Pf. 32. Phone: (36-1)2090-555/6671 Fax: (36-1)372-2509 Home: (36-1)200-7318 http://hps.elte.hu/~leszabo

26 years, 3 months

[Fwd: RUTGERS-NEWARK PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM FELLOWSHIPS]

by Gergely Csibra

Rejected message: sent to koglist(a)cogpsyphy.hu by JOSE(a)TRACTATUS.RUTGERS.EDU follows. Reason for rejection: sender not subscribed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RUTGERS UNIVERSITY- Graduate Program in PSYCHOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM- Newark Campus GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS. Fall 00 The graduate program seeks students for FALL 00. Interested applicants from Psychology, Computer Science or Cognitive Science undergrad programs are encouraged to apply. The program provides comprehensive training in COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE and COGNITIVE SCIENCE. These fellowships are competitive and focus in neuro-imaging, computation and cognitive science/perception research. The Rutgers-Newark Psychology Department and UMDNJ have recently acquired a 3T magnet (SIEMENS ALLEGRA) and a Neuroimaging center. Application Deadline is March 1, 2000. Please send enquiries and applications to Professor S. J. Hanson, Chair, Department of Psychology Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102. Email enquirys can be made to jose(a)psychology.rutgers.edu also please see our web page for more information on the graduate faculty and program http://www.psych.rutgers.edu

26 years, 3 months

MAKOG/SZTRAJK

by Dr. Czigler István

Ha penteken meg tart a sztrajk, szivesen leviszek ket embert autoval Szegedre. Ha nem, akkor nem, mert akkor vonattal megyek. Czigler Istvan -- Istvan Czigler PhD DSc Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Mail: P.O.Box 398 H-1394 Budapest, Hungary Phone: (36-1) 1533 244 Fax: (36-1) 2692 972 e-mail: czigler(a)CogPsyPhy.hu

26 years, 3 months

MAKOG es Sztrajk visoznya

by Csaba PLEH

Kedves Kongresszusi resztveveok: nem tudom, mi lesz, mert en maar szerdan leutazom. DE HA ha meg penteken is van sztrajk, reggel 7 orakor indul Szegedre busz Budapestrol a Nepstadion uti (a legett csarnok alatt) VOLASN Palayaudvarrol. Tovabba: mellekelten ott vannak az altaalam tudott email cimek. Kerlek, kezdejetek egymaassal beszlgetni, autos csoportos utazast szervezendo. Sajnos errol nem tehetek, s remelem idoben el tudtok jutni Szegedre. Udv Csaba Csaba Pleh Pleh Csaba Cognitive Science Group Megismerestudomanyi Csoport Department of Psychology Pszichologiai Tanszek University of Szeged Szegedi Tudomanyegyetem Szeged Petofi sgt 30-34, 6722 Hungary Telefon/Phone: (36)(62) 544000 Lakas/Home: Budakeszi Zichy P. u. 4 2092 Hungary (36)(23) 453932 or 933 Mobile: (0620) 3278922 WEB: http//www.jate.u-szeged.hu/~pleh Hungarian Review of Psychology Magyar Pszichologiai Szemle editor foszerkeszto

26 years, 3 months

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koglist February 2000