[koglist] [CDC Seminars] REMINDER: CDC Seminar, Sang Ah Lee, Wednesday, March 21, 5 PM

The next talk in the CDC Seminar series will be given by: Sang Ah Lee, University of Trento and Harvard University Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 5 PM Location: Cognitive Development Center at CEU, Hattyú u. 14, 3rd floor PLEASE NOTE: Our seminar room has a limited capacity. Please arrive early to ensure you get a seat! The talk will begin promptly at 5. *Core cognitive systems underlying geometric knowledge* Abstract: What cognitive systems underlie geometric competence in human children and nonhuman animals? Could those fundamental systems of geometric representation serve as a basis for human Euclidean understanding of space? The use of geometric properties of both large-scale environments and small-scale objects has been found across many distantly related species of animals and from very early stages of development. I will discuss the nature of these two systems of core spatial geometry and their potential role in the development of abstract Euclidean concepts. First, I will present evidence that the geometric analysis of the navigable environment is an evolutionarily ancient process that specifically computes relative positions and directions with respect to the 3D terrain. I will then present studies that suggest that the geometric analysis of the environment is independent from that of manipulable objects and that each system is limited in its geometric content. Finally, I will speculate that universal human Euclidean intuitions are neither innate nor acquired through general learning processes, but that they may be constructed from the foundations of core systems of geometry that we share with other animals. Cognitive Science events at CEU: http://cognitivescience.ceu.hu/events _______________________________________________ Subscribe by sending an empty mail to seminars-subscribe(a)cdc.ceu.hu Unsubscribe by sending an empty mail to seminars-unsubscribe(a)cdc.ceu.hu