hestenes@sdics.UUCP (07/28/86)
Here is a edited version of the replies I received. ( 170 lines ) I'm editing out the names, but if you email to me I'll try to forward the question or answer it myself. I will post a reply soon. Eric Hestenes arpanet: hestenes@nprdc.ARPA other: ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdics!hestenes or hestenes@sdics.ucsd.edu ------------------------ 1. **************** region: ucsd > I'm an undergrad (senior) in Cog Sci at UCSD; 2. **************** region: berkley >at u.c.berkeley, there is a cog sci program funded by the >Arthur P. Sloan Foundation and run by about 12 professors >from the departments of philosophy, computer science (ai), >psychology, liguistics, and education. about 22 grad >students (ra's) in the aforementioned departments are >involved with the program and work under these prof's. >>> etc ... >(there exists no cog sci major at berkeley, though i, an >undergraduate, am considering creating my own major in >the independent study program, and label it cogsci). 3. **************** region: university of hawaii >It seems that lots of people confuse Cognitive Science with >Artificial Intelligence. While CogSci and AI have valuable >cross fertilization going on, I think that students (esp., >undergrads) should be made to understand that they are not >the same discipline....todd 4. **************** >the most interesting treatment of cognitive science >i've heard lately were in Winograd's and Flores' >"understanding computers and cognition." quite an >interesting book, highly recommended. >i'd describe myself as an avid reader of the cognitive >science literature. i would not quite call myself a >student of it since i don't consider the possibility >of contributing anytime soon. 5. ***************** region: mit/cornell >I received a B.S. in Cognitive Science from M.I.T. in >1984. I am currently a grad student in psychology at >Cornell. I think that a cognitive science course should >ideally include material from a variety of disciplines. 6. ****************** ( long !!! ) region: duke >In response to your query, I hastily submit the following. I hope that it >is of some help. I am an undergraduate studying both Computer Science >and Philosophy. I am looking at graduate computer science programs that >are at universities that also have strong philosophy programs. UCSD's >cogsci program is a possibility, but its attraction is limited by a few >questions: >1. Are we perhaps early for cogsci as a field unto itself? >2. Should it be studied as a department with offerings from its >constituents, or as a program with a set of courses that its constituents >will recognize, flexibly, even if some are from one or more of the other >departments? >3. How do we manage the problem that cogsci can be thought of as the UNION >of its constituent fields, and not just the intersection? (Of course, >some topics are much more relevant than others, but there seems to be >considerable leeway in designing a curriculum -- many diff. objectives that >cogsci could have.) >4. Does it have a coherent set of notations, theories, etc., and consistent >methods and models? From my experience with psychology, it seems that >there are many theories about related phenomena that are inconsistent. >What happens when we throw in the other fields? Does it become much worse? >Do the fields force each other to recognize the theories of each other and >search for resolution? >5. How large a role is systems theory going to have? >6. What are the driving assumptions? Hobbes' "by ratiocination I mean >computation"? What are the tenets or goals or common beliefs? >6.5 Will you let the philosophers play theoretical watchdog? >7. Individual departments and whole fields can develop personalities that >are not related to the subject matter, but which influence the way in which >the subjects are studied, and also what gets studied. How are things turning >out in cogsci? Also, how about the political aspects -- does, for instance, >psychpology have any significant kind of dominanace? Questions like tat. >8. Will it be experimental? Theoretical? Will it have ITS OWN topics? 7. ********************* region: u of alberta, AB >Howdy. My institution (the University of Alberta) does not offer a program >in Cognitive Science, but I've come as close as one can get to such a field >here. My major is philosophy and I've taken many courses in both psychology >and computing science (and of course Philosophy of Mind) to get the background >I need for graduate work in Cog. Sci. I'm working this summer for **** >********* on a program designed to convert English sentences into propositions >in predicate calculus (a la Montague, Gazdar), and have a fair background in >logic and linguistics as well. >I can't offer many suggestions on the teaching of "cognitive science" since >the U of A has no such program; one must piece together the courses one >requires from Phil., Psych., Ling., and Comp. Sci. (and to some extent, Neuro- >Physiology). Perhaps you could suggest at this conference that more >universities and colleges offer specialized programs in such fields. I >understand that the University of Colorado has a good Cog. Sci. department >(I attended a talk by **** ****** last year), but I have little information >with regards to the reputations/facilities of other Universities. If you >could suggest some good graduate schools, your advice would be most welcome. > 8. ********************* region: ucsd >I am a cog. sci. undergrad. at U.C.S.D. (5th year) who will be >(*hopefully*) attending graduate school for cog. sci. somewhere. 9. ********************* region: duke, nc state >I am very interested in pursuing post-grauate study in >'cognitive science'. I.e. the study of brain function >from a theoretical point of view, especially including >expermintation and simulation on computers. >Here in Raleigh NC, there are several good schools, >Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and my alma mater North Carolina >State University. they have varying degrees [sic] of quality >in this area, but I am leaning towards taking a masters >at State in Philosophy of Mind. 10. *********************** region: u of chicago >1. I am a cognitive science student. Actually, I'm doing a tutorial studies >program in neurobiology and cognitive science at the University of Chicago, >and will graduate (B.A.) this spring. >2. Problems? Well, I suppose the fact that I had to transfer to Chicago in >order to pursue the independent studying that I wanted was a problem, though >not unique to cognitive science. I *would* suggest that cog-scientists >develop interdisciplinary programs such as are seen at UCSD, UMass, and a few >other places (e.g., incorporating neural net study to attract comp-sci/AI >students. 11. ************************* region: suny >The Graduate Group in Cognitive Science at SUNY Buffalo has been >teaching an intro grad-level course in Cog. Sci. for several years. It >has been a team-taught course, with sections taught by faculty from >Comp. Sci., Psych, Ling, Philosophy, and Communicative Disorders (i.e., >Speech/Hearing). The last couple of times, we focused the course around >our group's research project in building a computational model of a >reader of narrative who is sensitive to deictic information. >I will be at the Cog. Sci. meetings (though not at the workshop on >teaching Cog Sci), and one of our grad students will be presenting a >poster session on our research project. I'd be glad to talk to anyone >who is interested in our group there. I have the name/address and phone of anyone who wishes to contact this professor at SUNY/BUFFALO about Cognitive Science there. ********* end of replies **************