25 Years of Cognitive Neuroscience in Boston

The 25th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society starts off with a big bang on Saturday afternoon with the Big Theory versus Big Data Debate, moderated by David Poeppel.1Big Theory versus Big Data: What Will Solve the Big Problems in Cognitive Neuroscience?My non-commital answers are:(1) Both.(2) It depends. (on what you want to do: predict behavior2 (or some mental state), explain behavior, control behavior, etc.)Abstract: All areas of the sciences are excited about the innovative new ways in which data can be acquired and analyzed. In the neurosciences, there exists a veritable orgy of data – but is that what we need? Will the colossal datasets we now enjoy solve the questions we seek to answer, or do we need more ‘big theory’ to provide the necessary intellectual infrastructure? Four leading researchers, with expertise in neurophysiology, neuroimaging, artificial intelligence, l anguage, and computation will debate these big questions, arguing for what steps are most likely to pay off and yield substantive new explanatory insight.Talk 1: Eve Marder– The Important of the Small for Understanding the BigTalk 2: Jack Gallant– Which Presents the Biggest Obstacle to Advances in Cognitive Neuroscience Today: Lack of Theory or Lack of Data?Talk 3: Alona Fyshe– Data Driven EverythingTalk 4: Gary Marcus– Neuroscience, Deep Learning, and the Urgent Need for an Enriched Set of Computational PrimitivesLevels of analysis! Marr! [Poeppel is the moderator] New n...

Source: The Neurocritic - March 23, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs