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, Hattyś 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