BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Meta-morphogenesis: Evolution of Mechanisms for Producing Minds - 
 Professor Aaron Sloman (University of Birmingham)
DTSTART:20120126T180000Z
DTEND:20120126T191500Z
UID:TALK35678@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:26108
DESCRIPTION:Alan Turing's work on morphogenesis explored how micro-interac
 tions in physicochemical structures might account for global transformatio
 ns from a fertilized egg to an animal or plant\, within a single organism.
  I'll outline a rudimentary theory of "meta-morphogenesis" that aims to sh
 ow how\, over generations\, interactions between changing environments\, c
 hanging animal morphology\, and previously evolved information-processing 
 capabilities might combine to produce increasingly complex forms of "infor
 med control"\, first of physical behaviour\, then later also informed cont
 rol of information-processing. This potentially explains philosophically p
 uzzling features of animal (including human) minds\, including the existen
 ce of "qualia". This defines a research programme\, that should help us un
 derstand how much more remains to be done if we wish to explain how human 
 and animal minds work\, or produce machines rivalling biological intellige
 nce. It is not often noticed that in order to understand any kind of mind 
 we need to explore the space of possible minds\, and the multifarious requ
 irements they need to satisfy.
LOCATION:Seminar Room\, Wolfson College
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR