Paper
“How to Grow a Mind: Statistics, Structure, and Abstraction” by Joshua Tenenbaum, Charles Kemp, Thomas Griffiths, and Noah Goodman
Estimated reading time: 1.0 hours
“Bayesian Ptolemaic Psychology” (PDF) by Clark Glymour
Estimated reading time: 45 min, without following the probabilistic calculations step by step
Assignment
[Note: If you discuss the paper or the assignment with another student—which we encourage—indicate whom you have talked with in your submitted composition. Of course your submitted composition must be written entirely by you.]
On a total of one side of one sheet of paper, using 10 pt type or larger, with standard interline spacing and margins, respond to all the following:
Winston has grown tired of the “Right Now” lectures in 6.034 and decides to try panel discussions instead. The first of these panel discussions, an experiment, will pit Joshua Tenenbaum against Clark Glymour.
There will be no opening statements and no slides. Instead, the panelists will just respond to questions put to them by Winston, who will moderate.
You are a 6.034 teaching assistant. The night before the panel discussion, Winston sends you a note explaining that one of the two panelists has backed out. Winston asks you to fill in, defending the panelist’s position on Bayesian models of behavior. To make it easier for you, he says you can suggest to him questions you would like to be asked. He also says he wants to see your proposed answers.
Unfortunately, he forgot to tell you which panelist has backed out, so you have to prepare questions, and answers, for both sides.
Time is short, so you will work up your questions and answers using “How to Grow a Mind: Statistics, Structure, and Abstraction” and “Bayesian Ptolemaic Psychology,” which Winston had you read in this course.
Note that you will not be taking a quiz on the probabilistic calculations, so you need not follow them step by step.
