3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Have you ever wondered how babies, who appear to have little knowledge and limited abilities, manage to grow into adults capable of riding a bike, reading a novel, or mastering algebra? Are humans the only creatures capable of complex thought, or do other animals think like we do? And what about non-biological "minds" like Google and Siri; will they ever become as smart as⎯ or smarter than⎯ humans? In this course, we will tackle these questions and more. To explore the origins of human intelligence, we will examine early cognitive abilities in human infants. To better understand what makes human thinking similar to and different from that of other complex systems, we will dive into research on non-human animals and artificial intelligence. We will start with philosophical and psychological discussions of topics such as “What is a mind?” and “What counts as intelligence?” Then we will consider how different minds might work by exploring five central domains known to be important for human thought: intuitive physics, causal reasoning, numerical abilities, social cognition, and language. Course recommends that students to have taken introductory courses in psychology, cognitive science, and/or neuroscience (AS.200.141 and/or AS.080.305) before enrolling.