BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Beyond Simple Decisions: Using Pac-Man to Reveal the Language of P
 roblem-Solving - Tianming Yang (Institute of Neuroscience\, Chinese Academ
 y of Sciences)
DTSTART:20260320T110000Z
DTEND:20260320T120000Z
UID:TALK245833@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:57471
DESCRIPTION:What can a retro arcade game tell us about the architecture of
  the human brain? Traditional neuroscience often views decision-making as 
 a series of isolated choices\, but in this talk\, I propose a shift in per
 spective. Using Pac-Man\, we investigate problem-solving as a structured\,
  hierarchical process. Our analysis of human and macaque gameplay reveals 
 that both species "speak" a language of problem-solving\, though with a di
 vergence in complexity. Monkeys utilize simple grammar structures\, wherea
 s expert humans deploy complex "sentences" to navigate dynamic environment
 s. Using fMRI\, we map this ability to a right-lateralized network that st
 rikingly mirrors the left hemisphere’s language centers. This suggests t
 he brain encodes strategic grammar using the same computational principles
  found in language. By leveraging complex environments like Pac-Man\, we c
 an go beyond standard models of decision-making to reveal how the brain or
 ganizes behavior at a higher\, more abstract level.
LOCATION: Cambridge University Engineering Department\, CBL Seminar room B
 E4-38
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR