The first CCR event next term will be: ‘Could the mechanisms that underlie motor control be responsible for perception?’, Andrew Glennerster and James Stazicker. The talk is in Humss 181, 2-3.30pm. All welcome.

Abstract:

We will discuss the question of whether the mechanisms that underlie motor control could be responsible for perception by reference to findings from the Immersive Virtual Reality Lab, and by reference to some classic philosophical problems. Marr (1969) and Albus (1971) described how the wiring of the cerebellum provides a suitable mechanism for storing learned sequences of movements. It can be argued that a similar store would be suitable for representing the 3D shape and location of objects, since both can be described in terms of the sensory consequences of observer movements. This is distinguishable from the hypothesis that the brain generates something like a 3D reconstruction of the scene in object- or world-based coordinates. We’ll discuss the extent to which storage and retrieval of this kind could explain perception of a scene, by reference to experimental data and by reference to the successes and failures of related philosophical theories, such as phenomenalism and ‘bodily’ theories of perception.

There has been a slight change to the CCR schedule for next term: Prof. Muller’s paper will now be a week earlier (9th May), with the discussion of Dickie’s paper now taking place in the following week. Prof. Muller’s talk will be 2-3.30pm in Psych G79 (not the Nike Theatre as previously advertised).