CogSci 207: Week 0: Discussion Praveen Paritosh Thu, Sep 28, 2004

Administrivia

TA Office Hours Brian : Wednesdays 10:00-12:00pm, 304 Kate : Monday 3:30-5:30pm, Lounge

Mechanics Combination of lectures and discussions Weekly homeworks Midterm will be Thu October 21 st, in class Final exam will be Fri December 10, 12pm- 2pm

Communications Class web site = To contact Brian, Kate or Praveen re class matters: For class discussions, we will use the discussion forums in Blackboard

Grading Midterm: 20% Final exam: 30% Reading/Modeling Assignments: 50%

Reading papers No textbook, but a collection of research papers. We want you to READ the papers.

Critiques For each paper, three one sentence long critiques – of what is wrong with the paper. Due at the beginning of the Tue (Discussion) class. Will be used as a basis for the discussion, so be prepared to defend your critique! Will account for a third of your grade.

Classes Thursday: –Lecture –Readings assigned Tuesday: –Critiques due before class –Discussion based on critiques and readings –Modeling homework assigned, due following Tuesday.

Modeling Assignments Turned in via to –No hardcopies or to other addresses –ASCII or HTML preferred, followed by PDF or Word. (If HTML, must be self-contained: Broken links will lose you points) Late homeworks will be downgraded All work you turn in must be your own. Reading assignments due beginning of discussion class on Tuesdays. Bring hardcopy of critiques to class.

Readings Turing, A. M. "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," Mind, New Series, Vol. 59, No (Oct., 1950), pp (also available here). Computing Machinery and Intelligencehere Minsky, M. "Why people think computers can't". AI Magazine, Fall, 1982."Why people think computers can't" Miller, G. "The Cognitive revolution: A historical perspective", Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), March 2003.The Cognitive revolution: A historical perspective

Turing Turing test as a definition of intelligence. Computation and universality of the digital computer. Arguments against why machines cant think.

Minsky Meaning – what does “Dog” mean? Computations over symbolic representations.

Miller Behaviorism versus Cognitivism. Information processing Psychplogy, Linguistics, Computer Science as central Neuroscience, Anthropology, Philosophy peripheral.

Readings for Week 1 Lenat, D. From 2001 to 2001: Common Sense and the Mind of HALLenat, D. From 2001 to 2001: Common Sense and the Mind of HAL, In Hal's Legacy: 2001's Computer as Dream and Reality edited by: David G. Stork. Chapter 1Chapter 1, Markman, A.B. Knowledge Representation. LEA Foundations of KR section from OpenCyc's Cyc 101 tutorial: Why use logic?, CycL Syntax, Collections and Individuals, Microtheories.Cyc 101 tutorial Why use logic?CycL SyntaxCollections and IndividualsMicrotheories

HW1 1. Model a conversation. Write down a real(istic) conversation between two people (can be borrowed from your life as long as it is legal). For example, consider the exchange with the barista when you are buying your first cup of coffee early in the morning. For each utterance, write down all the internal thoughts, processes, assumptions made and calculations going on inside the speaker's head before it is spoken aloud. Based on the above how can we make chatbots more real?

HW1 2. What is the ratio of "internal thoughts triggered" per "external utterance" in a typical conversation? While reading a book? Watching TV? How much does it vary based on the topic of the conversation, book, or show? Defend your answer by examples.

HW1 You read about “common sense”. How many common sense facts do you know? Defend your estimate.