Short Paper on Induction
Compare and contrast the fundamental question about induction raised by Goodman’s grue problem with that raised by the Osherson et al. paper.
Goodman actually raises two related problems. What are they, and what would you give as an answer to each?
Will there be a single answer to the question Osherson et al. raise?
Which aspect of the problem of induction does Quine’s paper “Natural Kinds” address? How?
Which issue does the Jefferys and Berger paper address? How?
Jerry Fodor has said of Goodman’s book that it “changed, probably permanently, the way we think about the problem of induction, and hence about a constellation of related problems like learning and the nature of rational decision. This is the work of contemporary philosophy that I would most like to have written.” Why is Fodor so fond of this work? What has been its legacy for the study of induction and learning in cognitive science?
Final Project
For undergraduates:
Implement an existing computational model of some core aspect of cognition, drawn from the current research literature. Investigate its strengths and weaknesses relative to alternative models, and simulate its behavior on at least one task or condition that was not investigated in the original published literature. Write a 5-6 page paper summarizing your results.
For graduate students:
Develop a new computational model of some core aspect of cognition that has not previously been modeled. Your model may be an extension or variant of an existing model, as long as there is clearly some new conceptual contribution. Evaluate the performance of your model on at least cognitive task that can be compared qualitatively or quantitatively to human behavior. Write a 5-6 page paper summarizing your results.
