From a certain perspective it's interesting that archaeologists feel the need to offer a "bridging account," given that in other quarters visual iconicity is taken to be a native human capacity.
This and other evidence has me wondering whether visual iconicity is actually a cognitive gadget.
I'm also very intrigued by the idea that hand stencils could have provided the necessary bridge. They don't require any iconic or depictive goal, and yet the trace they leave can be construed as iconic by an observer—perhaps planting the idea.
The shift from non-figurative (geometric designs) to figurative art (animals, mostly)—and what propelled it—is one of the big enduring puzzles of cave art.
We discuss a couple accounts of this shift, including
@izzywisher.bsky.social's intriguing suggestion that pareidolia offered a bridge.
A tour of all things cave art! In which we discuss...
- hand stencils and their missing fingers
- the nonfigurative-to-figurative transition
- archaeology's "sensory turn"
- the puzzling preponderance of animals over humans
- the power of pareidolia
- palimpsests
- children's drawing stages
etc.!
Really fun @izzywisher.bsky.social / @kensycoop.bsky.social cross-over. Tune in for a really insightful discussion on cave art and on investigating prehistory (also) with a cognitive science perpective.
Thanks for the recs! I do love historical studies of these technologies. What seems rare is zoomed-out view of the overall trend way from F-to-F interaction (and its consequences).
But if you think of it in terms of dietary composition, say, I think it's inarguable that for many WEIRD folks, our language diets are now dominated by text, video, etc. In a way that is a huge historical departure.
The first trend is much discussed across various fields; the second trend—and its implications for brain, culture, cognition, & language itself—are strangely under-discussed.
(Btw, I've never been able to find good ways of quantifying the second trend—ideas welcome!)
2. The rise of "mediated" forms of language use—as in, mediated through some technology, rather than taking place in the "primordial" face-to-face situation.
In my 'Language' course (for undergrad Cog Sci majors), my first lecture lingers on two major trends in the history of human language.
1. The waxing-then-waning of linguistic diversity. (Numbers are of course ballparks based on various estimates; happy to be pointed to diff estimates.)
Last call, friends!!
Our (short, anonymous) audience survey is still live for a brief while longer. We would be ever grateful if you could take a few minutes to let us know what you think!
forms.gle/6uUacGZuvfxd...
In which we discuss...
- reference and the symbol grounding problem
- LargeLMs vs BabyLMs
- jabberwocky and pattern matching
- the Platonic representations hypothesis
- Quine's topiary
- poverty of the stimulus arguments
- the data efficiency gap between LLMs and human children
- etc.!
As LLMs acquire language, they also develop an understanding of space, math, causality, and more.
What does this tell us about where our own abilities come from?
Just one of the topics discussed in our latest episode, @mcxfrank.bsky.social & @glupyan.bsky.social!
Listen: disi.org/what-can-ai-...
Some interesting thoughts about our latest episode from @drbarner.bsky.social!
disi.org/what-can-ai-...
Thanks, Dave—glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah, definitely appropriate! (Though I also love the "Quine's topiary" idea that @mcxfrank.bsky.social mentioned.)
Oh awesome! Haven't come across that term!
What a fun conversation! @mcxfrank.bsky.social @kensycoop.bsky.social !
A real treat to have this conversation with two of my favorite cognitive scientists!
Keeping cats once made good practical sense: they helped manage rodent populations. But cats rarely serve this purpose today. Might they be providing other, less tangible benefits?
Just one of the topics discussed in our latest episode, with Rob Dunn!
Listen: disi.org/mutualisms-a...
Update: we've extended our timeline! Review of applications will now begin March 24. Still plenty of time to put together an app!
disi.org/apply/
This rocks
Our podcast (@manymindspod.bsky.social) is conducting a (short) audience survey. Even if you are only an occasional listener, it would be great to have your input!
Thanks in advance!
forms.gle/6uUacGZuvfxd...
Really loved Rob's book, 'The Call of the Honeyguide.' Big ideas, quirky scientific findings, informed speculations. And a fair bit of food.
This episode conveys the flavor well, I'd say.
Such cool work!
Just a nudge from your friendly neighborhood podcast:
Could you perhaps take a few minutes to complete our audience survey?
Thanks in advance! 🙏
Metaphors offer a colorful window into how we're thinking about AI. But metaphors aren't just idle rhetoric— they also shape how we respond to and regulate new technologies.
Just one of the topics discussed in our latest episode, w/ @melaniemitchell.bsky.social!
Listen: disi.org/seven-metaph...
If you're a Many Minds listener—even just an occasional one—we would love to hear from you!
If you're a Many Minds listener—even just an occasional one—we would love to hear from you!
