1. Undergraduate Studies in Cognitive Science Fall 2014

2. News We had 9 graduating cognitive science majors last spring: –3 straight COGS –1 COGS/CSCI dual –4 COGS/GSAS duals –1 COGS/PHIL dual We have 7 incoming COGS freshmen –Largest incoming cohort so far

3. Latest Numbers 46 COGS majors (27 male, 19 female) By year: –16 seniors –15 juniors –8 sophomores –7 freshmen By major: –COGS: 19 –COGS/CSCI: 19 –COGS/GSAS: 3 –Other duals: 5 (PSYC,BMED,BIOL,ISCI)

4. Curriculum

5. 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: –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

6. Possible Dual Majors 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?

7. 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!)

8. Other Concentrations and Programs GSAS has Cognitive Science concentration –Contact: Ralph Noble (nobler@rpi.edu) ITWS has Cognitive Science track (as well as Psychology track) –Contact: Bram van Heuveln (heuveb@rpi.edu) MGMT: 5 year Masters in Management in Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship program (Cognitive Science track) –Contact: Jeff Durgee (durgej@rpi.edu) COGS: 5 year Co-Terminal (M.S. and B.S.) and 7 year Co-Terminal (PhD and S.B) degree programs –Contact: Wayne Gray (grayw@rpi.edu)

9. Online Courses Udacity (~50 courses, mostly CSCI, self-paced)Udacity –Introduction to AI –Artificial Intelligence for Robotics Coursera (400+ courses; wide variety)Coursera –Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Computational Neuroscience, Natural Language Processing, etc. EdX (~70 courses, various fields)EdX I can give 1-2 credits Independent Study for successful completion of these courses (Add Deadline: Monday, 9/8)

10. Study Abroad RPI has a Study Abroad agreement with the University of Sussex, that has an excellent Cognitive Science Program Other students have gone to University of Groningen and University of Nijmegen, both in the Netherlands Study Abroad Informational Sessions: –Thursday, September 4 at 12:15 in the Union, room 3202 –Wednesday, September 10 at 12:15 in the Union, room 3202 –Thursday, September 11 at 8:00pm in the Union, room 3602 –Wednesday, September 17 at 12:15 in the Union, room 3510

11. Advising

12. There are several people that can help you: –Faculty Advisor/Mentor Helps with general direction of your studies –Keeps you on track; Suggests courses based on your interests Mandatory Student-Advisor Meeting (SAM) –Staff Advisor: Betty Osganian, Sage 4301 Helps with ‘day-to-day’ issues –Helps get you into courses; get forms signed; can tell you what courses you still need to graduate –Undergraduate Program Director: Bram van Heuveln All of the above

13. Talks

14. High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Perspective on Drugs and Society Dr. Carl Hart, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurobiology, Columbia University Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 4:00 - 6:00 PM EMPAC - Concert Hall In the first HASS Inquiry Lecture of the semester, Dr. Carl Hart will discuss his groundbreaking work that sheds new light on common ideas of race, poverty, addiction, and drugs.

15. EMPAC Talk Why Does Consciousness Dissolve in Chloroform? The Story of an Enduring Mystery Wednesday, November 5, 7pm EMPAC Theater Biophysicist Luca Turin investigates the difference between sleep and the use of anesthesia in our conscious perception of time.

16. EMPAC Event: Time Squared EMPAC Concert Hall Friday, August 29 7pm Part of Ken Jacobs’ Nervous Magic Lantern series of performances, Time Squared uses projected light, the most basic ingredient of cinema, to create hallucinatory optical effects. Colored slides, a lens, and a spinning shutter are hand manipulated by the artist to animate the patterns reflected onto the screen, creating stereoscopic effects without celluloid or video. Ask me for complimentary tickets!!

17. EMPAC Talk – The Spread Mind Dr. Riccardo Manzotti, PhD Robotics, Thursday, December 4, 7pm EMPAC Theater In this talk, Dr. Riccardo Manzotti, a philosopher, psychologist, and artificial intelligence scholar, will make the case for the view that consciousness spreads beyond the brain, out into the world.

18. Minds and Machines Thursday Night Lectures All lectures 7-8:20pm in Sage 3303 Open to the Public! Full schedule of lecturesschedule of lectures October 9: Animal Cognition –Post-Doctoral Student Oliver Layton shows examples of animal cognition October 23: RPI Watson Research –Graduate student Simon Ellis will talk about Watson, RPI’s involvement with Watson, and ‘Cognitive Computing’ October 30: Moral Robots –Dr. Selmer Bringsjord will have a philosophical discussion on how to ensure that robots behave morally November 6: Unintended Consequences –John Milanese tries to find ways to deal with unintended consequences … before they happen.

19. Issues in Cognitive Science September 3, Michael Lynch, Media and Communications, RPI –Mockingbird: An Interactive Musical Agent September 17, Sergei Nirenburg, Cognitive Science, RPI –Intelligent Linguistic Agents September 24, Edward Deci, Psychology, University of Rochester –Effective Performance and Psychological Well-being October 8, Edward Gibson, Cognitive Science, MIT –Language as Rational Inference October 15, Marjorie McShane, Cognitive Science, RPI –Computational Cognitive Modeling of Reference Resolution October 22, Walter Boot, Psychology, Florida State –Video Games to Improve Perceptual and Cognitive Abilities October 29, Jonas Braasch, Center for Cognition, Comm. & Culture, RPI November 5, Jeff Huang, Computer Science, Brown University –human-computer interaction and information retrieval For a complete schedule of speakers go to Speaker Series off of Cognitive Science department home pageSpeaker Series

20. 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 COGS “Issues in Cognitive Science” at 200 (for freshmen) or 400 level –Restricted to COGS majors or dual majors with PHIL or PSYC

21. Research

22. Undergraduate Research Cog Sci students are strongly encouraged to do hands-on research Undergraduate Research Program (URP) –http://www.rpi.edu/dept/urphttp://www.rpi.edu/dept/urp –Fill out URP form:URP form You have to write a 500 word proposal! for course credit (deadline: 9/8) –Also fill out an Independent Study/URP Registration formIndependent Study/URP Registration form for $ (deadline: 9/12) Research can be used for Senior Thesis

23. Overview Research Labs Wayne Gray + grad students, CogWorks LabCogWorks Lab Michael Lynch, PyClarion and MockingbirdPyClarion and Mockingbird Dean McDaniel, Social Interaction (SI) LabSocial Interaction (SI) Lab Marjorie McShane and Sergei Nirenburg, Computational Linguistics Computational Linguistics John Licato, Rensselaer Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning (RAIR) LabRensselaer Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning (RAIR) Lab

24. Paperwork Declare or add Cognitive Science Major –Fill out Change of Major formChange of Major form –Advisor: ??? –Curriculum Coordinator: Betty Osganian (Sage 4301) 1 credit for lectures –Fill out Independent Study formIndependent Study form 200/400 COGS “Issues in Cognitive Science” URP –Fill out URP formURP form –For credit: Fill out Independent Study form as wellIndependent Study form Credits to be determined by project advisor Deadline: course add deadline: Monday, 9/8 –For $: Find faculty member with $! Deadline: Friday, 9/12