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UID:/NewsandEvents/Archives/2015/newsitem/6779/24-
 March-2015-Amsterdam-Brain-Cognition-ABC-Lecture-W
 -Tecumseh-Fitch
DTSTAMP:20150305T000000
SUMMARY:Amsterdam Brain & Cognition (ABC) Lecture,
  W. Tecumseh Fitch
ATTENDEE;ROLE=Speaker:W. Tecumseh Fitch
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20150324T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20150324T000000
LOCATION:Room 1.03, REC M, Plantage Muidergracht 1
 2, Amsterdam
DESCRIPTION:A fundamental observation about human 
 cognition is that we make "infinite use of finite 
 means," using a limited number of rules and princi
 ples to generate unbounded sets of behaviors and t
 o recognize unbounded sets of patterns. In many ca
 ses this involves a capacity to both generate and 
 perceive tree structures in stimuli of various typ
 es (language, music, social cognition, etc.). Huma
 n language in particular requires computational re
 sources that go beyond simple string generation to
  allow the inference and generation of complex, fl
 exible tree structures. This entails supra-regular
  (above finite state) computational mechanisms tha
 t augment standard finite state mechanisms with a 
 flexible, multi-purpose memory store (a "stack" or
  equivalent).    I review comparative research gat
 hered over the past decade suggesting that such co
 mputational resources are poorly developed or abse
 nt in most nonhuman animal species. This body of e
 mpirical research implies that the human proclivit
 y for producing and perceiving tree-structured sti
 muli -- our "dendrophilia" -- represented a key co
 gnitive innovation during recent human evolution. 
 Both brain imaging and comparative research sugges
 t that Broca's area (Brodmann Areas 44 and 45) is 
 an important computational hub for human tree proc
 essing, suggesting that this core prefrontal regio
 n was harnessed, and its computational role expand
 ed, during the evolution of dendrophilia and human
  cognitive abilities in general.  For more informa
 tion, see http://abc.uva.nl/events/item/abc-lectur
 e-tecumseh-fitch.html
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:\n      <p>\n        
 A fundamental observation about human cognition is
  that we make &quot;infinite use of finite means,&
 quot; using a limited number of rules and principl
 es to generate unbounded sets of behaviors and to 
 recognize unbounded sets of patterns.  In many cas
 es this involves a capacity to both generate and p
 erceive tree structures in stimuli of various type
 s (language, music, social cognition, etc.).  Huma
 n language in particular requires computational re
 sources that go beyond simple string generation to
  allow the inference and generation of complex, fl
 exible tree structures.  This entails supra-regula
 r (above finite state) computational mechanisms th
 at augment standard finite state mechanisms with a
  flexible, multi-purpose memory store (a &quot;sta
 ck&quot; or equivalent).\n      </p>\n      <p>\n 
        I review comparative research gathered over
  the past decade suggesting that such computationa
 l resources are poorly developed or absent in most
  nonhuman animal species.  This body of empirical 
 research implies that the human proclivity for pro
 ducing and perceiving tree-structured stimuli -- o
 ur &quot;dendrophilia&quot; -- represented a key c
 ognitive innovation during recent human evolution.
   Both brain imaging and comparative research sugg
 est that Broca's area (Brodmann Areas 44 and 45) i
 s an important computational hub for human tree pr
 ocessing, suggesting that this core prefrontal reg
 ion was harnessed, and its computational role expa
 nded, during the evolution of dendrophilia and hum
 an cognitive abilities in general.</p>\n    \n    
     <p>For more information, see <a target="_blank
 " href="http://abc.uva.nl/events/item/abc-lecture-
 tecumseh-fitch.html">http://abc.uva.nl/events/item
 /abc-lecture-tecumseh-fitch.html</a></p>\n    
URL:/NewsandEvents/Archives/2015/newsitem/6779/24-
 March-2015-Amsterdam-Brain-Cognition-ABC-Lecture-W
 -Tecumseh-Fitch
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