Category Archives: Cognitive science

The Stupidity of Rationalism

Last weeks edition of ‘In Our Time’ (BBC Radio 4) discussed game theory and gave a telling account of a scenario called The Prisoners Dilemma. Imagine that Jo and Jack have been arrested for a crime. The police know they’re guilty but can’t prove it, so … Continue reading

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The cognitive iceberg

Every year the Edge website asks interesting people a provocative question. The Edge Question for 2011 is “What scientific concept would improve everybody’s cognitive toolkit?” Adam Alter, a psychologist and Assistant Professor at Stern School of Business, NYU, responded with a short … Continue reading

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“An interconnected whole”

Dr. Dan Siegel’s conclusions about the mind support the core theme of this blog: Mind is extended. But Siegel emphasises the importance of human relationships: ”Mind is shared between people. It isn’t something you own; we are profoundly interconnected. We need to make maps of … Continue reading

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Your tiny mind

Our thinking is like an iceberg, with everyday awareness at the tip and 95% of cognition happening out of sight (Lakoff and Johnson, 1999: 13). Most of the time we identify that tiny 5% as ‘self’, discounting the hidden cognition … Continue reading

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Cognitive science: a multi-discipline

Human cognition is a complex business and researching it calls on wide range of disciplines. A conservative estimate gives us a motley crew of 7: Biology Chemistry Psychology Information science Philosophy Anthropology Linguistics It’s a delightful mix of hard and soft sciences, … Continue reading

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The Work that Reconnects

On Sunday I went to a workshop on Joanna Macy’s ‘Work that Reconnects’, an approach that calls upon systems theory, spiritual teachings, and deep ecology. I knew what to expect as I’ve been to similar events and facilitated a few myself, but what struck me was how fresh … Continue reading

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On-line and off-line, or who ate my toast?

A mate gave me some home-made marmalade, so I slapped some on my toast and sat down to enjoy it with a cup of tea. Ten minutes later I looked forlornly at a crumb dusted plate and realised I’d eaten … Continue reading

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Brains, bodies and places

Neurons used to be compared to simple on/off switches, but they’re actually much more complex. Each one works like a little brain and is in conversation with thousands of cells via hundreds of chemical signals. Your cranial brain has about … Continue reading

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