Workshop "On the Origins of Cognition"

Jose Javier Dolado Cosin (jipdocoj@si.ehu.es)
Wed, 16 Oct 1996 20:36:46 -0700

Second Workshop Announcement and Call
(with PROGRAM & FULL registration information)

ON THE ORIGINS OF COGNITION - OC'96

http://sisx04.si.ehu.es/lsi/Groups/Biziart/OC96/oc96.shtml
http://sisx04.si.ehu.es/lsi/Activities/

Palace of Miramar, Donostia, The Basque Country, Spain
December 13th (Friday) and 14th (Saturday) 1996

Host Institution: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- Faculty of Philosophy
* Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science
- Faculty of Informatics
* Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
* Department of Languages and Information Systems

Sponsored by:
- Gipuzkoako Kutxa, Donostia, The Basque Country
- Eusko Jaurlaritza, Gasteiz, The Basque Country
- DIGCYT, Madrid, Spain

Organisation Committee:
Alvaro Moreno University of the Basque Country Director
Tim Smithers University of the Basque Country Director
Blanca Cases University of the Basque Country
Arantza Etxeberria University of the Basque Country
Jon Umerez University of the Basque Country

Local Organising and Program Commitee:
Alicia D'Anjou Javier Dolado
Jesus Ezquerro M. Jose Garcia
Pablo Gonzalez Manuel Gran/a
Jesus Iban/ez Asier Lasa
JJ Merelo Federico Moran
Kepa Ruiz Javier Torrealdea

Though relatively new, the Sciences of Cognition are now well
established
and largely well respected activities in the scientific community as a
whole. They have established a number of natural and effective
interactions
with work in related disciplines such as artificial intelligence,
biology,
computer science, philosophy, psychology, and robotics. This has led to
a
number of different characterisations of the phenomenon of cognition,
and,
in turn, to a number of different approaches to its investigation.
However,
an aspect of cognition that has not received much attention is what are
the
possible origins of cognition, in natural and artificial systems.

The motivation for this workshop is the question, Can cognition be
effectively investigated and understood without an understanding of its
origins? The objectives of this workshop are to consider this question
from
a number of different perspectives and in the context of the origins of
cognition in both natural and artificial systems.

To discuss and debate this issue, this workshop will bring together an
international group of leading researchers who are actively engaged in
the
problems of cognition and its possible origins. It will be dedicated to
presentations and lively discussions of the current status of work on
the
origins of cognition in natural and artificial systems from biological,
psychological, epistemological, philosophical, and artificial
intelligence
perspectives. It will provide an important and timely opportunity for
both
new and established researchers in cognitive science and related areas
to
gain an up-to-date and deeper appreciation of one of the most
fundamental
questions in any attempt to understand cognition. We particularly wish
to
encourage postgraduate doctoral students and recent post-doctoral
researchers to attend.

Main Topics to be covered:

* The importance of explanations in terms of origins
* Epistemological aspects of cognition and its origins
* The relationship between life and cognition
* Evolutionary and developmental aspects of the origins of cognition
* Psychological approaches to the origins of cognition
* Complex Adaptive Systems and the origins of cognition
* Investigating the origins of cognition in artificial systems
* The relationship between the origin of cognition in natural and
artificial systems

Invited Speakers:
The following prominent researchers in the fields of adaptive behaviour
and
cognition have accepted invitations to attend the workshop and to take
part
in the presentation and dicussion sessions:

Margaret Boden -- Sussex University, UK
John Casti -- Santa Fe Institute, USA
Angel Riviere -- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain
Maxine Sheets-Johnstone -- University of Oregon, USA
Lynn Andrea Stein -- MIT, USA
John Stewart -- Universite de Technologie de
Compiegne,
and Institute Pasteur, Paris,
France
Gertrudis van de Vijver -- Universiteit Gent, Belgium

Format:
The workshop will be organised as a series of working sessions,
involving
the invited speakers, and poster sessions, in which accepted posters
submitted by attendees will be presented and displayed. Each working
session will consists of a one hour presentation, by one of the invited
speakers, followed by a general question and discussion period open to
all
attendees. A poster presentation session will also be timetabled in
which
selected poster submissions will have 10 to 15 min slots for oral
presentation. Other poster display sessions will also be included in the
timetable. NOTE: The official language of the Workshop will be English.

PROGRAM

Friday, December 13

08:30 Welcome & Introduction.-
A. Moreno & T. Smithers.
09:00 Session 1.-
2 talks 1hr. each + 1/2 hr. of questions and discussion.
1.1.- Maggie Boden:"Life as Cognition".
1.2.- John Stewart: "The Biology of Cognition".
11:30 Coffee Break.
12:00 Poster Presentation Session 1.
13:15 Lunch & Poster Display Session 1.
15.45 Session 2.-
2 talks 1hr. each + 1/2 hr. of questions and discussion.
2.1.- Angel Riviere: "The Origins of Cognition in Human
Development".
2.2.- Maxine Sheets-Johnstone: "Consciousness: A Matter
of
Animate Form".
18:15 Tea Break.
18:45 Poster Presentation Session 2.

Saturday, December 14

09:00 Session 3.-
2 talks 1hr. each + 1/2 hr of questions and discussion.
3.1.- John Casti: "Would-be-Worlds".
3.2.- Lynn Andrea Stein: "Neo-Modular Systems".
11:30 Coffee Break.
12:00 Session 4.-
1 talk 1hr. + 1/4 hr. of questions and discussion.
4.1.- Gertrudis van de Vijver: "Broken Speech and
Action?:
An Analysis of the Role of Structure and Time in Explaining Cognition".
(Discussion session planning 13:15 to 13:30)
13:30 Lunch & Poster Display Session 2.
16:00 Discussion Session & close of workshop.
18:00 Tea and tidying up.

PARTICIPATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

REGISTRATION
Up to fifty participants will be accepted to attend the workshop.
Registration will cost 21.000 ptas. (approximately $168), 11.000 ptas.
(approximately $88) for students, and will include coffee, lunch, and
tea
each day, together with a copy of the workshop notes. The registration
fee
may be paid either by cheque/Eurocheque or by international bank
transfer.

Registrations should be made by completing the form below and sending it
together with the respective proof of payment to the address below. If
you
wish, you may also email it with `OC'96 Registration' on the subject
line.
All registrations (and payments) must be received before midnight on
Monday, November 25, 1996!

NOTE:
* Registration DOES NOT REQUIRE the submission of a poster.
* All student registrations require proof of student status, either by a
copy of a scholarship certificate or by a signed letter from a head of
Department or Faculty.
* The appropriate registration fee must be received before registration
can
be confirmed. Registrations will be confirmed in the order of receipt
of
full payment until 50 have been confirmed.

SUBMISSION
There will be space for up to 20 posters to be presented by
participants.
Short submissions are therefore invited for poster presentation at the
workshop. These should clearly and concisely describe results of
completed
work or the nature and status of ongoing work related to the subject of
the
workshop, and be NO MORE THAN FIVE PAGES OF ASCII TEXT, please.
Submissions will be reviewed and selected on an ongoing basis until
twenty
have been accepted or until midnight on Monday, November 11, 1996,
whichever is the sooner.
Authors will be notified of selection or rejection within ten days of
receipt of their submission, and at least one author of each accepted
poster must attend the workshop.

Submissions should be sent via Email or/and postal mail to the address
below, and should include the full names of all authors and their
institutions, together with a full contact address, telephone number,
FAX
number, and Email address. Please put `OC'96 Submission' on the subject
line of the message.

REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION ADDRESS

Alvaro Moreno (OC'96)
University of the Basque Country
Dept. of Logic and Philosophy of Science
P.O. Box 1249
20080 Donostia (Gipuzkoa)
SPAIN

E-mail oricog96@sc.ehu.es
Fax 34 - 43 - 21 93 06 (* indicating: "to BLANCA CASES - OC'96")
Phone: 34 - 43 - 21 80 00 (ext. 209)

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Registration Form:

The Origins of Cognition - OC'96 - Donostia - 1996-12-13/14

First Name :______________________
Family Name:____________________________

Name and Address of Institution:________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

Telephone Number:______________ FAX Number:_____________
(Please include all international and regional prefix codes necessary)

Email Addess:_____________________

Type of Registration:
O University Teacher or Researcher (21.000 ptas)
O Student or scholarship holder (11.000 ptas)
(proof of student status required)
O Other--PLEASE SPECIFY (21.000 ptas.):________

Payment:
O 1.- Payment By Cheque or Eurocheque made out to:
Alvaro Moreno (OC'96)
for the correct amount in Spanish PESETAS and sent to the address below

(If you are unable to arrange for a cheque in Pesetas, then a cheque in
Pounds Sterling, German Marks, French Francs, or US dollars can be
accepted, but in this case 1.000 Pesetas MUST be added to cover
conversion
costs at this end.)

O 2. Payment By International Bank Transfer to: Alvaro Moreno (OC'96)

Bank: KUTXA
Account No: 2101-0381-01-001.012.353-7

* Copy of transfer required (All transfer fees must be paid by the
sender)

If it is not possible (or is very difficult) to make payments by one of
the
above methods please contact the organisers (at the address below, and
preferable by Email) to discuss possible alternative arrangements.

Current areas of active research and interest (please specify):
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

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Important dates reminder:

* Submission of posters by midnight on Monday, November 11, 1996.
* Registration deadline is midnight on Monday, November 25, 1996.

Further information can be obtained and any qestions can be asked

* By sending an Email message to oricog96@sc.ehu.es
(with "Information Request" on the subject line).

* OR: by calling Blanca Cases on +34 43 21 80 00 (ext. 209)

* OR: by sending a FAX to Blanca Cases (OC€96), Facultad de Informatica,
UPV/EHU on +34 43 21 93 06

* Contact address for any communications by post:

Alvaro Moreno

Universidad del Pais Vasco OR Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
Facultad de Filosofia Filosofia Fakultatea
Apartado 1249 1249 Postakutxa
20080 San Sebastian 20080 Donostia
Pais Vasco Euskal Herria
Espan/a Espainia