More than seventy-five undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors attended the first annual Brain Waves Research Symposium and Conference on March 1. The event was organized by UC Merced's Cognitive Science Student Association, a student-run campus club for cognitive science enthusiasts.
Two Cognitive and Information Sciences professors spoke at the event. Professor Tyler Marghetis talked about how creativity across domains, from the arts to sciences, oscillates between moments of fixation ("perching") and breakthrough transitions ("flying"). Professor Colin Holbrook discussed how anthropomorphism influences trust in artificial intelligence, particularly the phenomenon of "overtrust" in which people overestimate AI's capabilities in high-stakes scenarios.
Between the talks, the organizers facilitated a group debate about intelligence in non-human animals. Attendees split into groups for a one-hour discussion comparing the intelligence of land animals and sea creatures.
For more highlights from Brain Waves, visit CSSA on Instagram (@ucmcogsci).
