IVC - HPS Department Cooperation
The Institute Vienna Circle (Vienna, Austria) and the Department
of History and Philosophy of Science (Eotvos University, Budapest.
Hungary) announces a joint project in the framework of an
Austrian-Hungarian Joint Action Foundation grant.
The project concentrates on ideas and problems of philosophy of
science that range from those of the Vienna Circle to contemporary
materialism, including topics on Mach, Lakatos, Gdel, von
Neumann, and others.
The original text of the project proposal is available in German at
http://hps.elte.hu/ivc. Coordinators: George Kampis (Budapest) and
Fritz Stadler (Vienna).
The project is based on a series of lectures and accompanying
discussions. Lectures will be delivered alternatively in Vienna and
Budapest. As a ~tangible~ output we envision to publish an edited
volume of refereed papers that brings the written versions of some
of these lectures.
Program of presentations in 1996, with dates and speakers (titles of
coming lectures will be announced later):
Budapest April 18. Karl Svozil: Undecidabilty
Everywhere?
Vienna June 4. George Kampis:
Probleme des Reduktionismus im
Kontext von monistischen und
dualistischen Theorien
Budapest Sept. 5. Eckehardt Koehler, Ladislav Kvasz
Vienna Oct. 10. Miklos Redei, Laszlo Szabo
Budapest Nov. 11. Michael Stoeltzner, Thomas Breuer
Vienna Dec. 2. Peter Szegedi, Laszlo Ropolyi
Lectures (with the exception of one lecture already held) are in
English.
Place of the lectures:
in Budapest 1088 Rakoczi u. 5., room # 105.
in Vienna Boltzmanngasse 5.
All interested are welcome.
Below is the abstract of a forthcoming BBS target article on:
THE NEURAL BASIS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT:
A CONSTRUCTIVIST MANIFESTO
by Steven R. Quartz and Terrence J. Sejnowski
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 send EMAIL to:
bbs(a)soton.ac.uk
or write to:
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Department of Psychology
University of Southampton
Highfield, Southampton
SO17 1BJ UNITED KINGDOM
http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs.htmlhttp://cogsci.soton.ac.uk/bbsftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/BBS
ftp://cogsci.soton.ac.uk/pub/harnad/BBS
gopher://gopher.princeton.edu:70/11/.libraries/.pujournals
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 by
anonymous ftp (or gopher or world-wide-web) according to the
instructions that follow after the abstract.
____________________________________________________________________
THE NEURAL BASIS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT:
A CONSTRUCTIVIST MANIFESTO
Steven R. Quartz and Terrence J. Sejnowski
Computational Neurobiology Laboratory,
and The Sloan Center for Theoretical Neurobiology,
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies,
10010 North Torrey Pines Rd.
La Jolla, CA 92037
steve(a)salk.edu
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies,
and Department of Biology,
University of California, San Diego,
La Jolla, CA 92037.
terry(a)salk.edu
KEYWORDS: neural development; cognitive development;
constructivism; selectionism; mathematical learning theory;
evolution; learnability.
ABSTRACT: How do minds emerge from developing brains? According to
"neural constructivism," the representational features of cortex
are built from the dynamic interaction between neural growth
mechanisms and environmentally derived neural activity. Contrary to
popular selectionist models that emphasize regressive mechanisms,
the neurobiological evidence suggests that this growth is a
progressive increase in the representational properties of cortex.
The interaction between the environment and neural growth results
in a flexible type of learning: "constructive learning" minimizes
the need for prespecification in accordance with recent
neurobiological evidence that the developing cerebral cortex is
largely free of domain-specific structure. Instead, the
representational properties of cortex are built by the nature of
the problem domain confronting it. This uniquely powerful and
general learning strategy undermines the central assumption of
classical learnability theory, that the learning properties of a
system can be deduced from a fixed computational architecture.
Neural constructivism suggests that the evolutionary emergence of
neocortex in mammals is a progression toward more flexible
representational structures, in contrast to the popular view of
cortical evolution as an increase in innate, specialized circuits.
Human cortical postnatal development is also more extensive and
protracted than generally supposed, suggesting that cortex has
evolved so as to maximize the capacity of environmental structure
to shape its structure and function through constructive learning.
--------------------------------------------------------------
To help you decide whether you would be an appropriate commentator for
this article, an electronic draft is retrievable by anonymous ftp from
ftp.princeton.edu according to the instructions below (the filename is
bbs.quartz). 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------
These files are also on the World Wide Web and the easiest way to
retrieve them is with Netscape, Mosaic, gopher, archie, veronica, etc.
Here are some of the URLs you can use to get to the BBS Archive:
http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/bbs.htmlhttp://cogsci.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/bbs.htmlftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/BBS/bbs.quartz
ftp://cogsci.ecs.soton.ac.uk/pub/harnad/BBS/bbs.quartz
gopher://gopher.princeton.edu:70/11/.libraries/.pujournals
To retrieve a file by ftp from an Internet site, type either:
ftp ftp.princeton.edu
or
ftp 128.112.128.1
When you are asked for your login, type:
anonymous
Enter password as queried (your password is your actual userid:
yourlogin(a)yourhost.whatever.whatever - be sure to include the "@")
cd /pub/harnad/BBS
To show the available files, type:
ls
Next, retrieve the file you want with (for example):
get bbs.quartz
When you have the file(s) you want, type:
quit
----------
Where the above procedure is not available there are two fileservers:
ftpmail(a)decwrl.dec.com
and
bitftp(a)pucc.bitnet
that will do the transfer for you. To one or the
other of them, send the following one line message:
help
for instructions (which will be similar to the above, but will be in
the form of a series of lines in an email message that ftpmail or
bitftp will then execute for you).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Kedves Mindenki, tanarok, doktorandusok, hallgatok!
Mellekelten kuldom a junius 7-i nyelvesz doktorandus-szipozium
programjat. Egy par reszlet:
--- akinek szallasra van szuksege, kerjuk, jelezze minel elobb!
--- aki utikoltseg-teritest igenyel, regisztraciokor kerjuk,
adja le a vonatjegyet, hogy kellokeppen adminisztralni tudjuk...
--- az ELTE hazinyomdaja penteken fel 12-ig tart nyitva. Akinek
fenymasolatra van szuksege, kerjuk, szoljon minel hamarabb.
--- a helyszin: Ajtosi Durer sor 19-21.
* A Keleti PU-tol a 7-es busszal kell menni a Stefania
utig, a Stefania uton elgyalogolni az ADS sarkaig,
onnan a kozpont fele...
* A Deli PU-tol: piros metroval a Keleti PU-ig, onnan \
mint fent.
* A Nyugati PU-tol a 72-es trolival az ADS-ig.
(A Podmaniczky utcaban kell felszallni.)
Dokszimp
Budapest, 1996. junius 7. pentek
PROGRAM
Helyszin: az ELTE Ajtosi Durer sori epulete (ADS 19-21),
036-os terem.
8 oratol: beiratkozas (regisztracio) a Durer kavehazban.
9--9:15 Megnyito: Kiefer Ferenc akademikus.
9:15--9:45 Szigetvari Peter (ELTE ENY/ATSZ): Affrikatak.
9:45--10:15 Cser Andras (ELTE ENY/ATSZ):
A latin szotag szerkezete.
10:15--10:45 Rebrus Peter (ELTE ENY):
Mi a default maganhangzo a magyarban?
--- 15 perc kaveszunet ---
11--11:30 Dudas Kalman (ELTE ENY):
Latin imperszonalis szerkezetek argumentumai.
11:30--12 Bujdoso Istvan (JPTE NTSZ):
A tagadas szelleme.
12--12:30 Olsvay Csaba (ELTE ENY):
Negativ kvantorok a magyarban.
12:30--13 Kiss Katalin (JATE ENY): Igekomplexitas es
mondatprodukcio afaziasoknal.
--- Ebedszunet ---
14:30--15 Radai Gabor (ELTE SzLog): Szamitogepes szemantika.
15--15:30 Varasdi Karoly (ELTE ENY):
Logikai konstansok es algebra a dinamikus logikaban.
15:30--16 Tron Viktor (ELTE ENY):
Szintaktikailag kodolt ido-dependenciak.
--- 15 perc kaveszunet ---
16--16:30 Kiss Szabolcs (ELTE, Altalanos Pszichologia):
Implicit pszichologia a nyelvben.
16:30--17 Szecsenyi Tibor (JATE ANY): A vonzatok vonzatai.
17--17:30 Csirmaz Aniko (ELTE ANY): A szuaheli birtokos szerkezet
17:30--18 Bartos Huba (ELTE ENY/ATSZ): Az alanyi es a targyas
ragozasrol.
19 ora: allofogadas a Thokoly etteremben
(Thokoly ut 80, a Stefania ut sarkan).
Megjegyzes: a helyszinen hozzaferheto lesz a resztvevok listaja
es az eloadasok kivonatait tartalmazo fuzet.
Tisztelt KOGLIST olvasok!
Az alabbi levelet kaptam nehany napja, de sajnos nem tudtam
segiteni. Kerem, ha valaki tudja mirol van szo, valaszoljon.
Ujvari Gabor
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 24 May 1996 16:56:00 +0200
From: Muresan Lucian <lucas(a)soroscj.ro>
To: webmaster(a)CogPsyPhy.hu
Subject: Addressed to dr. Szent-Imrey Tamas, help
Hello ! My name is Muresan Lucian and I'm the friend of on ex-student
of yours in Cluj, Balogh Piroska (the blonde one who was allways
laughing). She is asking you this way for a big favour ! She worked all
year long on her graduating work being sure that her teacher have the
computer program for the CPI-s test (300 items). But the theacher
offered her, a few days ago, a similar program which work on 480 items
(I think). Hoping that you still have the program (you brought it last
year), she asking you to send it as an attachement to an e-mail on my
address, as the fastest possible way. She is desperate! (I swear.)
If you don't have the program, please send me the scales significant
items and anything you think it would help for the quotation (is the
appropriate word)
--
Gabor Ujvari | Institute for Psychology, Budapest, HUNGARY
ujvari(a)cogpsyphy.hu | Tel.: (36) 1 153-3244 Fax: (36) 1 269-2972
Kedves Kollegak,
Herbert Hrachovecz eloadasat eredetileg a szombati minikonferencian
tartotta volna, de ehelyett a szokott idoben, csutortokon 16:00-kor
fogja. Mindenkit szeretettel varunk.
Idopont: majus 30 csutortok
Hely: Rakoczi ut 5, I. em 105.
udv kgy
Eloadaskivonat:
H. Hrachovec
Risking Truth. A Conversation
Abstract
The perennial debate concerning "Truth" is far from settled. Recently it
has been revived as post-modern relativism hits the last strong-holds of
Analytical Philosophy. Take the O.J.Simpson trial: Is there a truth of
the matter or does it all come down to professional (miss-)use of the
relevant media, as pragmatism seems to imply?
Rather than tackle this question head-on a conversation is constructed.
Its interlocutors hold and defend positions resembling those of Donald
Davidson, Richard Rorty, Saul Kripke and Herbert Hrachovec.
Minikonferencia
A "Tudoma'nyfilozo'fiai Tea'zo'" sorozat kerete'ben
minikonferencia't szervez az ELTE TTK Tudoma'nyto:rte'net e's
Tudoma'nyfilozo'fia Tansze'ke.
Ido"pontja: 1996. ju'nius 1. szombat
Helye: az ELTE Tana'ri Klubja, Bp., V. Szerb u. 23.
Kezdete: 10:00
Elo"ado'k:
N. Belnap (Pittsburgh) Belnap+(a)pitt.edu
J. Uffink (Utrecht) Uffink(a)fys.ruu.nl
Felke'rt hozza'szo'la'st tart Re'dei Miklo's (TT tansze'k) e's Szabo'
La'szlo' (Elme'leti Fizika Tansze'k).
Az elo"ada'sok uta'n szere'ny hidegbu:fe'.
Az elo"ada'sok kivonatait ko:zze'tesszu:k a MAFLA filozo'fiai
leveleze'si lista'n, tova'bba' a http://hps.elte.hu/tea oldalakon.
Minden e'rdeklo"do"t szeretettel va'runk.
Budapest, 1996. a'prilis 20.
Kampis Gyo:rgy
> Date: Thu, 23 May 96 11:26:01 BST
> To: Stevan Harnad (harnad(a)cogsci.soton.ac.uk
> From: brunon(a)utsax7.univ.trieste.it (nicola bruno)
>
> Dear Stevan:
>
> The University of Trieste is offering six fellowships in support of
> research projects to be carried out in Trieste by Eastern European
> researchers. If you know of a Hungarian post graduate who would be
> interested in applying to carry out a project here, I would like to help
> putting in a request. The project would involve coordinating human
> psychophysical performance (with me) with neural models implemented in a
> mobile robot (with Dario Floreano, who speaks Hungarian). I thought this
> may be attractive, given the Julesz tradition in psychophysics, and the
> relatively short distance Trieste - Hungary. Offered fellowships are 25
> million lire. Renting a flat should cost somewhere between 500.000 and
> 1.000.000 a month, and living expenses should be about 500.000 a month. So
> the money is reasonable. We are very eager to have collaborators here that
> can help us develop our projects. Whether we would get one of the
> fellowship depends on several factors, but we are certainly willing to put
> in the work to submit a strong application. Please let me know.
>
> Nicola Bruno, Research Scientist
> Dipartimento di Psicologia
> Universita' di Trieste email: nicola.bruno(a)univ.trieste.it
> via Universita', 7 tel: +39 40 6767355
> Trieste 34123 ITALY fax: +39 40 312272
Hi Nick,
Yes, I think there is a lot of ready talent in Hungary.
I will branch this to Professor Csaba Pleh at the
Scientific University and Professor George Karmos at
the Academy of Sciences for their recommendations of
suitable candidates.
Best wishes,
Stevan
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stevan Harnad harnad(a)soton.ac.uk
Professor of Psychology harnad(a)princeton.edu
Director, phone: +44 1703 592582
Cognitive Sciences Centre fax: +44 1703 594597
Department of Psychology http://cogsci.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/
University of Southampton http://www.princeton.edu/~harnad/
Highfield, Southampton ftp://ftp.princeton.edu/pub/harnad/
SO17 1BJ UNITED KINGDOM ftp://cogsci.soton.ac.uk/pub/harnad/
Csibra Gergely korabban meghirdetett fewjklodeslelektaniu kurzusanak
pontosabb parameterei
Szoval koezben kialakultak a konkret idopontok es helyek is:
maj. 24. pentek 15.00 Izu 316 (Pleh Csaba szobaja)
maj. 28-31. minden nap 15.00 Izu 403
A kurzus az 1996. oszi felevben lesz meghirdetve, PS-KK09.01 (tehat
kognitiv szakiranyos) kodszammal, Categorization and Concept
Formation in Infancy cimmel.
A kurzushoz olvasokoenyv is keszuel - 700Ft-ba fog keruelni es nalam
(315. szoba) lehet feliratkozni. A fenymasologep "lelki allapotatol"
fueggoen remelhetoleg a joevo het folyaman meg is lesznek a readerek.
Mindenkit szeretettel varunk,
Czachesz Gyoengyi
Kedves Kollegak, mint ismeretes majus vegen (hely pontositas
folayamatban) Csibra Gergely rovid kurzust tart.
Kerem, akik jarni fognak, s kell nekik gyujtemeny, jellezek
kurgyis(a)izabell.elte.hu
cimen.
A rendes diakjainknak uzeenem, hogy ez kfredites kurzus a 96 OSZI
felevre.
Udv Pleh Csaba
Categorization and concept formation in infancy
1. Representation, category formation, and development
Mandler, J.M. (in press). Representation. In: D. Kuhn & R
Siegler (Eds.), Cognition, Perception, Language, Vol. 2. of
W. Damon (Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology.
2. Perceptual categorization
Bornstein, M.H. (1981). Psychological studies of color
perception in human infants: Habituation, discrimination
and categorization, recognition, and conceptualization. In:
L.P. Lipsitt & C.K. Rovee-Collier (Eds.), Advances in
Infancy Research, Vol. 1, pp. 1-40. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Quinn, P.c., & Eimas, P.D. (1996). Perceptual organization and
categorization in young infants. In: C.K. Rovee-Collier &
L.P. Lipsitt (Eds.), Advances in Infancy Research, Vol. 11,
pp. 1-36. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
3. Levels of categories
Mandler, J.M., & Bauer, J.M. (1988). The cradle of
categorization: Is the basic level basic? Cognitive
Development, 3, 247-264.
Roberts, K., & Cuff, M.D. (1989). Categorization studies of 9-
to 15-month-old infants: Evidence for superordinate
categorization? Infant Behavior and Development, 12, 265-
288.
Bauer, P.J., Dow, G.A., & Hertsgard, L.A. (1995). Effects of
prototypicality on categorization in 1- to 2-year-olds:
Getting down to basic. Cognitive Development, 10, 43-68.
4. Categorization and word learning
Markman, E.M. (1989). Categorization and Naming in Children.
Problems of Induction. Cambridge: MIT Press. Chapter 2,
Acquisition of category terms. pp. 19-38.
Roberts, K. (1995). Categorical responding in 15-month-olds:
Influence of the noun-category bias and the covariation
between visual fixation and auditory input. Cognitive
Development, 10, 21-41.
Waxman, S.R., & Markov, D.B. (1995). Words as invitations to
form categories: Evidence from 12- to 13-month-old infants.
Cognitive Psychology, 29, 257-302.