COGS 243 Computational Neuroscience: Minds, Math and Machines
Recognizing a face regardless of the angle, recalling the details of a birthday party years ago; we take for granted the complexity of the problems our brains solve on a daily basis. Do models used by cognitive scientists perform similar algorithms to those implemented in neural circuits honed over millennia of evolution? Students in this course will use disciplinary-specific scientific tools and strategies in a laboratory setting to observe cognitive phenomena. We will do this by designing experiments and collecting primary data, and students can expect to gain technical skills in problem solving, experimental design, and programming. Students will also analyze data to produce graphs, charts, or summary tables, as well as learn to break jargon down for communication to public audiences. Additionally, the course will include critical reflections on the scope, limitations, and broader impacts of computational and neuroscientific approaches to cognition.