David and John discuss some of the concepts from their recent paper Two Views on the Cognitive Brain, in which they argue the recent population-based dynamical systems approach is a promising route to understanding brain activity underpinning higher cognition. We discuss mental representations, the kinds of dynamical objects being used for explanation, and much more, including David’s perspectives as a practicing neuroscientist and philosopher.
Timestamps
0:00 – Intro
3:13 – David’s philosophy and neuroscience experience
20:01 – Renaissance person
24:36 – John’s medical training
31:58 – Two Views on the Cognitive Brain
44:18 – Representation
49:37 – Studying populations of neurons
1:05:17 – What counts as representation
1:18:49 – Does this approach matter for AI?
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