minds & machines program and bs in cognitive science director: bram van heuveln
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Minds & Machines Program and BS in Cognitive Science
Director: Bram van Heuveln
Minds & Machines Program
Objective• The Minds & Machines program brings
together students and faculty with interests in cognitive science and technology.
• Cognitive Science: The science of all aspects (reasoning, perception, decision-making, etc) of any mind (human, animal, machine) through philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, linguistics, and other disciplines.
Minds & Machines Program
Dual Major• M&M students are encouraged to have a dual
major:– 1 aimed at ‘Minds’ (e.g. PSYC or PHIL)– 1 aimed at ‘Machines’ (e.g. CSCI , ECSE, ME, EE) – popular combinations are:
• Computer Science/Psychology• Computer Science/Philosophy • Engineering/Psychology
• Note: Dual major is appealing to employers
Minds & Machines Program
Concentrations• Cognitive Modeling
• Perception and Action
• Gaming (the Games And Simulation Program BS has a Cognitive Science Concentration)
• AI
• Robotics
Minds & Machines Program
Laboratories• CogWorks Lab
• Perception and Action (PandA) Lab
• Rensselaer Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning Laboratory (RAIR Lab)
• Human-Level Intelligence Lab
Minds & Machines Program
Example Research: Puzzle Solving AI’s
Minds & Machines Program
Example Research: Cognitive Robotics
PERI passes one section of theWAIS-R IQ test!
Minds & Machines Program
Example Research: Cogbot for UT
Minds & Machines Program
What Do I Get Out of the Program?• Discussion of ideas in cognitive science and technology
with other students and faculty• Biweekly luncheons (free lunch) during which faculty and
students share latest research findings• Get actively involved in any of our research labs• Do science as well as engineering, investigate as well as
design, think critically as well as creatively• Be prepared for ‘cognitive revolution’• Develop professional connections to find internship and
job opportunities (and letters of recommendation)
Minds & Machines Program
How Do I Enroll?• Contact the Director:
– Bram van Heuveln– [email protected]
• Orientation meeting: – sept. 6 (next wed.), noon, Sage 4101
BS in Cognitive Science
Coming Soon: A BS in Cognitive Science!• We are planning to offer a BS in Cognitive
Science
• If all goes right, this starts in the fall of 2008
• If interested, you can transfer into this BS by that time.
BS in Cognitive Science
Core Curriculum• Minds & Machines• Introduction to Cognitive Science• Introduction to Logic• Cognitive Psychology• Behavioral Neuroscience• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence• Cognitive Modeling• Sensation and Perception• Experimental Methods and Statistics• Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence• Undergraduate Thesis
BS in Cognitive Science
What Can I do With a Cognitive Science BS?• Rich Skill Set:
– Programming/Modeling– Empirical Data Collection and Evaluation– Complex Systems Analysis– Critical Thinking– Communication
• Careers (industry, academics) in Computer Science (AI, robotics), Psychology (HCI, Neuroscience), Philosophy, Decision Sciences, IT, Economics, Anthropology, Education, Law, etc.
BS in Cognitive Science
If You Are Interested• Contact the Director-Of-Undergraduate-
Studies-In-Cognitive-Science-To-Be:– Bram van Heuveln– [email protected]