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Neuron Digest Volume 02 Number 01
NEURON Digest 14 JAN 1987 Volume 2 Number 1
Topics in this digest --
News - NEURON Digest Status
Conferences/Call for papers -
IEEE Conference on Neural Info Processing
Long Messages -
Experiment to find eligible commentators
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From: GATELY@TI-CSL.CSNET 14-JAN-1987 8:44
To: neuron@ti-csl
Subj: Digest Status
This message is ment to be an update on the status of the NEURON
Digest. The number of addresses in my distribution file has
remained relatively constant (at 300); however, each day more are
changed to redistribution points at other hosts (implying a
greater number of recipients).
As can be seen by the number of entries in this Issue, the volume
has been slight throughout the Holiday season. I am hoping that
this will change soon. Although, several sources suggest that a
Digest with fewer, more interesting, issues may be desireable.
Nonetheless, keep your eyes out for good NEURON-type information.
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From: CLAU@A.ISI.EDU 8-JAN-1987 12:23
To: neuron@ti-csl
Subj: IEEE Conference on Neural Info Processing
IEEE Conference on
Neural Information Processing Systems - Natural and Synthetic
November 8 - 12, 1987 (Sun - Thur)
Boulder, Colorado
Organizing Committee
Edward C. Posner, Caltch and JPL, General Chairman
Yaser Abu-Mostafa, Caltech, Program Chairman
Charles Butler, BDM Corp., Treasurer
Clifford Lau, ONR, Publicity Chairman
Howard Wachtel, U. of Colorado, Local Arrangements Chairman
Larry Jackel, AT&T Bell Labs., Physics Liaison
James Bower, Caltech, Neurobiology Liaison
Technical Theme of Conference
Electronic and optical realizations of neural networks have been
shown to be able to perform various and surprising processing
functions such as associative recall, combinatorial optimization,
source encoding and channel decoding, pattern recognition, and others.
Conversely, simulations and perhaps some experiments have shown
that actual neural networks may sometimes work in a similar fashion
to engineering realizations inspired by neurobiology. The collective
behavior of neural networks has many properties closely related to that
of a spin glass in statistical physics, and to random coding in
information theory. It is the purpose of this conference to bring
together researchers from engineering, physics, and biology to provide
for a wide research interactions in this rapidly evolving field,
including circuit and system builders, information theorists,
computational complexity and optimization researchers, experimental
and theoretical neurobiologists, and statistical and device physicists.
Both the information processing industry and neurobiology are expected
to benefit.
Submission of Contributed Papers
Original research contributions of direct relevance to the technical
theme above are solicited and will be refereed by several experts
representing all disciplines involved. Both significance and appeal
to the expected wide audience will be criteria for acceptance. Only
a limited number of papers will be accepted for oral presentation in
a maximum of two parallel sessions. Authors should send six copies
of a 500-word summary and one copy of a 50-100 word abstract clearly
stating their results to the Program Chairman:
Professor Yaser S. Abu-Mostafa
Caltech 116-81
Pasadena, CA 91125
The deadline for receiving the abstract and summary is May 1, 1987.
Earlier submissions are encouraged.
For information on the conference, please contact:
Dr. Edward C. Posner
Neural Networks Meeting
Caltech 116-81
Pasadena, CA 91125
Telephone (818)356-4852 or (818)354-6224
or
Dr. Clifford Lau
Office of Naval Research Detachment
1030 E. Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91106
Telephone (818)795-5971
------------------------------
From: HARNAD%MIND@PRINCETON 7-JAN-1987 11:23
To: neuron@ti-csl
Subj: Submission for neuron
The following are two abstracts from forthcoming articles on which BBS
[Behavioral and Brain Sciences -- An international, interdisciplinary
Journal of Open Peer Commentary, published by Cambridge University Press]
invites self-nominations by potential commentators.
(Please note that the editorial office must exercise selectivity among the
nominations received so as to ensure a strong and balanced cross-specialty
spectrum of eligible commentators. The procedure is explained after
the abstracts.)
-----
METHODOLOGIES FOR STUDYING HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
John R. Anderson
Psychology Department
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA 15213
ABSTRACT
The appropriate methodology for psychological research depends
on whether one is studying algorithms or their implementation.
Mental algorithms are abstract specifications of the steps taken
by procedures that run in the mind. Implementational issues concern
factors that determine the speed and reliability with which these
procedures run. Issues at the algorithmic level can only be explored by
studying across-task variation. This contrasts with psychology's
dominant methodology of looking for within-task generalities,
which is only appropriate for studying implementational issues.
The implementation/algorithm distinction is related to a number of
other "levels" proposed in cognitive science. Its realization in the
ACT (Anderson 1973) theory of cognition is discussed. Research at the
algorithmic level is more promising because it is hard to make further
fundamental scientific progress at the implementational level with
the methodologies available at this level. Protocol data, which are
only appropriate for algorithm-level theories, provide a richer data
source than data available at the implementational level. Research at
the algorithmic level will also yield more insight into fundamental
properties of human knowledge because the significant learning
transitions are defined at this level.
The best way to study the algorithmic level is by pedagogical
experiments that manipulate instructional experience and look for
differential learning outcomes. This is because they provide control
and prediction in realistically complex learning situations. The
intelligent tutoring paradigm provides a particularly fruitful way to
implement such experiments. In addition to these major points, the
implications of this analysis are developed for the issue of modularity
of mind, the status of language, research on human-computer interaction,
and connectionist models.
-----and-----
NEUROETHOLOGY OF RELEASING MECHANISMS: PREY-CATCHING IN TOADS
Joerg-Peter Ewert
Neuroethology Department, FB 19,
University of Kassel
D-3500 Kassel
Federal Republic of Germany
ABSTRACT:
"Sign stimuli" elicit specific patterns of behavior when an
organism's motivation is appropriate. In the toad, visually
released prey-catching involves orienting toward the prey, ap-
proaching, fixating and snapping. For these action patterns to be
selected and released, the prey must be recognized and localized
in space. Toads discriminate prey from nonprey by certain spa-
tiotemporal stimulus features. The stimulus-response relations
are mediated by innate releasing mechanims (RMS) with recognition
properties partly modifiable by experience. Striato-pretecto-
tectal connectivity determines the RM's recognition and localiza-
tion properties whereas medialpallio-thlamo-tectal circuitry
makes the system sensitive to changes in internal state and to
prior history of exposure to stimuli. RMs encode the diverse
stimulus conditions involving the same prey object through dif-
ferent combinations of "specialized" tectal neurons, involving
cells selectively tuned to prey features. The prey-selective neu-
rons express the outcome of information processing in functional
units consisting of interconnected cells. Excitatory and inhibi-
tory interactions among feature-sensitive tectal and pretectal
neurons specify the perceptual operations involved in distin-
guishing prey from its background, selecting its features, and
discriminating it from predators. Other connections indicate
stimulus location. The results of these analyses are transmitted
by specialized neurons projecting from the tectum to
bulbar/spinal motor systems, providing a sensorimotor interface.
Specific combinations of projective neurons -- mdiating feature-
and space-related messages -- form "command releasing systems"
that activate corresponding motor pattern generators from ap-
propriate prey-catching action patterns.
-----
This is an experiment in using the Net to find eligible commentators
for articles in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), an
international, interdisciplinary journal of "open peer commentary,"
published by Cambridge University Press, with its editorial office in
Princeton NJ.
The journal publishes important and controversial interdisciplinary
articles in psychology, neuroscience, behavioral biology, cognitive science,
artificial intelligence, linguistics and philosophy. Articles are
rigorously refereed and, if accepted, are circulated to a large number
of potential commentators around the world in the various specialties
on which the article impinges. Their 1000-word commentaries are then
co-published with the target article as well as the author's response
to each. The commentaries consist of analyses, elaborations,
complementary and supplementary data and theory, criticisms and
cross-specialty syntheses.
Commentators are selected by the following means: (1) BBS maintains a
computerized file of over 3000 BBS Associates; the size of this group
is increased annually as authors, referees, commentators and nominees
of current Associates become eligible to become Associates. Many
commentators are selected from this list. (2) The BBS editorial office
does informal as well as formal computerized literature searches on
the topic of the target articles to find additional potential commentators
from across specialties and around the world who are not yet BBS Associates.
(3) The referees recommend potential commentators. (4) The author recommends
potential commentators.
We now propose to add the following source for selecting potential
commentators: The abstract of the target article will be posted in the
relevant newsgroups on the net. Eligible individuals who judge that they
would have a relevant commentary to contribute should contact the editor at
the e-mail address indicated at the bottom of this message, or should
write by normal mail to:
Stevan Harnad
Editor
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
20 Nassau Street, Room 240
Princeton NJ 08542
(phone: 609-921-7771)
"Eligibility" usually means being an academically trained professional
contributor to one of the disciplines mentioned earlier, or to related
academic disciplines. The letter should indicate the candidate's
general qualifications as well as their basis for wishing to serve as
commentator for the particular target article in question. It is
preferable also to enclose a Curriculum Vitae. (This self-nomination
format may also be used by those who wish to become BBS Associates,
but they must also specify a current Associate who knows their work
and is prepared to nominate them; where no current Associate is known
by the candidate, the editorial office will send the Vita to
approporiate Associates to ask whether they would be prepared to
nominate the candidate.)
BBS has rapidly become a widely read read and highly influential forum in the
biobehavioral and cognitive sciences. A recent recalculation of BBS's
"impact factor" (ratio of citations to number of articles) in the
American Psychologist [41(3) 1986] reports that already in its fifth year of
publication (1982) BBS's impact factor had risen to become the highest of
all psychology journals indexed as well as 3rd highest of all 1300 journals
indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index and 50th of all 3900 journals
indexed in the Science Citation index, which indexes all the scientific
disciplines.
Potential commentators should send their names, addresses, a description of
their general qualifications and their basis for seeking to comment on
this target article in particular to the address indicated earlier or
to the following e-mail address:
Stevan Harnad (609) - 921 7771
{allegra, bellcore, seismo, rutgers, packard} !princeton!mind!harnad
harnad%mind@princeton.csnet
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End of NEURON Digest
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