---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 15:40:51 GMT+0100 From: "g.j.dalenoort" <G.J.DALENOORT(a)ppsw.rug.nl> To: ESSCS.mailing.addresses.4-3-1998(a)ppsw.rug.nl Subject: summerschool Groningen 29 June-3 July 1998 Summerschool 'SYMBOLS AND NEURONS' The Research School 'Behavioural, Cognitive, and Neurosciences' this year again organizes a summerschool. It will consist of a number of separate and independent workshops. One of the workshops will be on the role of symbols for human information-processing, and their interrelation to neural processes. This topic will be placed in a more general context of cognitive and neural systems. The lectures will be partly introductory, and partly cover specific and advanced topics. Title: Models of cognitive and neural systems Time: Monday 29 June - Friday 3 July, 13:30 - 16:30 There will be four speakers: Prof. Stevan Harnad, University of Southampton, UK Prof. Terrence W. Deacon, Boston University, Boston, USA Dr. G.J. Dalenoort, BCN, University of Groningen, NL Dr. P.H. de Vries, BCN, University of Groningen, NL Proposed topics (to be divided over the five afternoons): 1.general methodology, levels of description (Dalenoort) (symbolic/functional and structural). 2.some general questions relating to questions of self-organization in relation to learning, the nature of the memory trace, etc. (Dalenoort). 3.symbol-grounding (qualia), categorical perception, the origin and adaptive value of natural language. (Harnad). 4.neural models, artificial as well as biological (Harnad, Dalenoort) 5.conceptual networks networks as inspired by cognitive psychology and the neural substratum. (De Vries) 6.models of the development of symbolic abilities (including language, evolutionary (phylogenetic) as well as individual (ontogenetic), in relation to the architecture of the brain, and to cognition. (Deacon) The basis for the contributions by Prof. Deacon will be his new book 'The symbolic species', New York/London, 1997. consequences these may have for our models of the architecture of the brain. 8.The relation to binding from theoretical and experimental point of view (Dalenoort/ De Vries) This is not the precise order of presentation during the week. During the workshop some demonstrations will be given of simulation programs of conceptual networks, and possibly A-life (artificial life). ========================================================================= General lecture: T.W. Deacon: Tuesday 30 June, 16.45 -18.30 hrs.: 'The symbolic species'. The lecture will concentrate on the last chapter of the book of this title, that appeared 1997 (published by W.W. Norton & Co., New York and London). Of course a number of topics from earlier chapters will be mentioned as building ground for the topics of the last chapter. Comments, and elaborations of some points will be given by Prof. Harnad, the other speaker from abroad. ========================================================================= Organization: Experimental and Work psychology, Research school BCN, Coordinator(s): Dr. G.J. Dalenoort and Dr. P.H. de Vries ========================================================================= More information on the Summerschool on the webpage of the BCN: http://WWW.BCN.RUG.NL, under 'new' (if you cannot make contact, please send a message to the address below) Participation: for members of universities NLG 400.-, for staff members University of Groningen NLG 300, for PhD students (Netherlands: AIO, OIO) NLG 200.-. (includes coffees and teas, and a reader on the topics of the workshop, not accomodation). Information on the programme, and on details for registration, and accomodation: G.J.Dalenoort(a)ppsw.rug.nl , P.H.de.Vries(a)ppsw.rug.nl Tel. +31-50-363.6448 or ..6454 or 6472 =========================================================================