MTS is the department’s Mind, Technology, and Society speaker series. It is hosted by a different faculty member each semester. Founded by a generous gift from Professors Robert Glushko and Pamela Samuelson, MTS brings researchers and industry professionals from across the globe to present a variety of interdisciplinary work in cognitive science. See our UCMerced CogSci youtube channel for videos of past MTS talks!
CIS graduate students, faculty, and staff, and all who are interested are invited! Members of other departments at UC Merced as well as the general public are encouraged to attend. (Note: current CIS Ph.D. students are required to attend MTS each semester in residence, to fulfill their COGS 250 course requirement).
Dr. Cartmill's talk "Play and Projection: Social and Physical Problem Solving in Great Apes" will be 3-4:30pm in COB 116.
Abstract: The ability to anticipate events and project outcomes is crucial for creative problem solving in many species, including humans. Simulation of possible futures is difficult to prove in biological systems but may often be the best way to explain behavior. Play behavior in particular, likely involves rehearsal and testing of possible outcomes in a low(er) stakes environment. In this talk, I examine two areas in which great apes might productively use projection and play: teasing and tool use. I present our work on playful teasing, a behavior between play and aggression, in which apes explore, test, and advertise their social relationships. I then discuss an in-progress study on physical cognition using a video game interface to test how apes select and apply tools to solve physical tasks. Together, these studies help reveal the complex ways non-human primates strategically and creatively navigate their social and physical environments.
For more information or to sign up for email announcements, please contact the talk series organizer: cis-mts-lead@lists.ucmerced.edu.
