Transcript UpdatesFall2013x - Cognitive Science Department

Undergraduate Studies in
Cognitive Science
Fall 2013
News
• We had the first full cohort of
undergraduate COGS majors graduating
this spring:
– 5 straight COGS
– 5 CSCI/COGS duals
– 1 GSAS/COGS dual
– 1 COGS/PSYC dual
Latest Numbers
• 47 COGS majors (30 male, 17 female)
• By year:
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18 seniors
13 juniors
11 sophomores
5 freshmen
• By major:
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COGS: 15
COGS/CSCI: 17
COGS/GSAS: 7
Other duals: 8 (MATH,PHIL,PSYC,BMED,BIOL,ISCI)
Two New Faculty
• Marjorie McShane
– Computational Linguistics, Knowledge
Engineering
– Teaches “Introduction to Linguistics” this
semester
• Sergei Nirenburg
– Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Modeling,
Natural Language Processing
– Teaches “Language Endowed Intelligent
Agents” this semester
Curriculum
Curriculum for BS in
Cognitive Science (< 2013)
• Basic Math /Science
– Calc. I + II, Discrete Structures or Diff. Eq.
– Comp Sci I, Data Structures, Intro to Algorithms
– Intro to Biology
• 10 core courses:
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Minds & Machines / Philosophy of Science
Introduction to Cognitive Science
Introduction to Logic
Experimental Methods and Statistics
Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Cognitive Modeling / Programming for AI and Cog Sci
Sensation and Perception / Structure of Language
Phil of AI / Knowledge and Rationality / Metaphysics & Consciousness
• 2 Electives
– Cog Sci related courses from PHIL, PSYC, CSCI, and a few others
• Undergraduate Thesis
Curriculum for BS in
Cognitive Science (2013)
• Basic Math /Science
– Calc. I + II
– Comp Sci I, Data Structures, Foundations of CSCI, Intro to Algorithms
– Intro to Biology
• 10 core courses:
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Minds & Machines / Philosophy of Science
Introduction to Cognitive Science
Introduction to Logic
Experimental Methods and Statistics
Cognitive Psychology
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Cognitive Modeling / Programming for AI and Cog Sci
Sensation and Perception
Knowledge and Rationality / Metaphysics & Consciousness
• 2 Electives
– Cog Sci related courses from PHIL, PSYC, CSCI, and a few others
• Undergraduate Thesis
Possible Dual Majors
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COGS / CSCI
COGS / MATH
COGS / GSAS
COGS / PSYC
COGS / PHIL
COGS / ITWS
COGS / BIOL
COGS / BMED
COGS / CSYS (very tight, but can be done!)
COGS / PHYS?
COGS / COMM?
Minors
• Cognitive Science minor:
– Introduction to Cognitive Science
– Plus 3 more courses (Minds and Machines counts)
• Possible future minors:
– Cognitive Technology (AI, Cognitive Robotics)
– Cognitive Engineering (Cognitive Modeling)
• Remember we do have Cog Sci related minors:
– PSYC: minor in Cognition
– PHIL: minor in Logic, Computation, and Mind (takes
only 1 extra course in addition to COGS courses!)
Other Concentrations
and Programs
• GSAS has Cognitive Science concentration
– Contact: Ralph Noble ([email protected])
• ITWS has Cognitive Science track (as well as
Psychology track)
– Contact: Bram van Heuveln ([email protected])
• MGMT: 5 year Masters in Management in Technology
Commercialization and Entrepreneurship program
(Cognitive Science track)
– Contact: Jeff Durgee ([email protected])
• COGS: 5 year Co-Terminal (M.S. and B.S.) and 7 year
Co-Terminal (PhD and S.B) degree programs
– Contact: Mike Kalsher ([email protected])
Online Courses
• Udacity (~50 courses, mostly CSCI, self-paced)
– Introduction to AI
– Artificial Intelligence for Robotics
• Coursera (400+ courses; wide variety)
– Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Computational
Neuroscience, Natural Language Processing, etc.
• EdX (~70 courses, various fields)
• I can give 1-2 credits Independent Study for
successful completion of these courses (Add
Deadline: next Monday, 9/9)
Advising
Changes in Advising
• Bram used to have all ~50 COGS majors as
advisees
• Now all COGS majors have been distributed
among tenure and tenure-stream faculty in Cog
Sci department
• Bram may stay on as Undergraduate Program
Director (UPD) for COGS
• There is also a Curriculum Coordinator (CC):
Betty Osganian, Sage 4303
• Who does what (Advisor vs UPD vs CC) is not
yet clear
Talks
This Afternoon: The
Mathematics of Social Networks
• Math Colloquium, 2-3pm, Amos Eaton
• Mason Porter, Lecturer, Oxford
• Abstract: In this talk, I'll give an
introduction to …social networks. I will
show how we have used Facebook data to
give insights into the social organization of
universities, examine a model for how
ideas spread on networks, and explain a
novel way to measure political
polarization.
Codebreaker:
Movie and Discussion
• Monday, September 16, 4-6pm, EMPAC
Theatre
• Showing of Codebreaker: a dramadocumentary on Alan Turing’s life and
work.
• Q&A with filmmaker afterwards
Deconstructing Perception
• Wednesday, September 25, 6pm, EMPAC
Theatre
• Skidmore College professor of psychology and
neuroscience Flip Phillips tackles a series of
questions about the nature of human perception:
are the senses related, and how do they
interact? What sort of “information” do we need
to perceive our world? Can that information be
decomposed into simpler, atomic parts? Does it
need to be in order to be understood?
Adaptive Neurotechnologies:
Principles and Promise
• Monday, November 25, 4-6pm, EMPAC Theatre
• In this lecture, Wadsworth Center neuroscientist
Jonathan R. Wolpaw will describe the surprising
adaptive capabilities of the nervous system and explain
how these capabilities enable the creation of
neurotechnologies that can replace, restore, enhance,
supplement, or improve brain function for people with
disabilities, and perhaps for other people as well. He will
also discuss several ethical and societal issues raised by
these technologies. His presentation will be followed by
a live demonstration of the Wadsworth brain-computer
interface (BCI) home system, which can restore
communication to people who are totally paralyzed.
Minds and Machines
Thursday Night Lectures
• All lectures 7-8:20pm in Sage 3303
• October 24: RPI Watson Research Group
– Graduate student Simon Ellis and his team of
undergraduate researchers and programmers will
demonstrate ‘mini-Watson’, discuss applications of
Watson, and the notion of ‘Cognitive Computing’
• October 31: AI, Watson, and God
– Dr. Selmer Bringsjord will have a philosophical
discussion on Watson, and what it all means for AI,
human cognition, and … God!
Issues in Cognitive Science
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September 11, David Yun Dai, SUNY Albany
– Educational Psychology
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September 25, John Hale, Cornell
– Computational Linguistics
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October 9, Laura Weed, St. Rose
– Philosophy of Mind
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October 23, Dietrich Stout, Emory
– Cognitive Anthropology
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November 6, Kurt VanLehn, Arizona State
– Intelligent Tutoring Systems
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November 13, Anders Ericsson, Florida State
– Expertise
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All other talks by COGS graduate students
For a complete schedule of speakers go to Speaker Series off of Cognitive
Science department home page
If you think of a potential speaker, let me know!
1 Credit for
Issues in Cognitive Science
• It is possible for undergraduates to receive
1 credit through the Issues in Cognitive
Science Lecture Series:
– Write 1 page response paper about talk for 6
talks of your choice
– Register for “Issues in Cognitive Science” at
400 level
– Restricted to COGS majors or dual majors
with PHIL or PSYC
Undergraduate Research
• Cog Sci students are strongly encouraged
to do hands-on research
• Undergraduate Research Program (URP)
– http://www.rpi.edu/dept/urp
– Fill out URP form:
• You have to write a 500 word proposal!
• for course credit (deadline: 9/9)
– Also fill out an Independent Study/URP Registration form
• for $ (deadline: 9/13)
• Research can be used for Senior Thesis
Overview Research Labs
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RAIR Lab
PandA Lab
Web Science Lab
Si Lab
CogWorks Lab
Paperwork
• Declare or add Cognitive Science Major
– Fill out Change of Major form
– Advisor: ???
– Curriculum Coordinator: Betty Osganian (Sage 4303)
• 1 credit for lectures
– Fill out Independent Study form
• 200/400 PHIL/PSYC “Issues in Cognitive Science”
• Senior Thesis/Capstone Project
– Find thesis advisor
– Fill out Thesis Registration form
• URP
– Fill out URP form
– For credit:
• Fill out Independent Study form as well
• Credits to be determined by project advisor
• Deadline: course add deadline: Monday, 9/9
– For $:
• Find faculty member with $!
• Deadline: 9/13