Friday, May 30, 2014, 2:00 p.m., Beach Room, 3105 Tolman Hall

Friday, May 30, 2014, 2:00 p.m., Beach Room, 3105 Tolman Hall

The first theme of the seminar is Quantum Cognition:  "The quantum cognition project is based on the observation that various cognitive phenomena are more adequately described by quantum information theory and quantum probability than by the corresponding classical theories." 2:10 pm Jose Acacio de Barros (San Francisco State University and Stanford): Rationality, Quantum Cognition, and Beyond In this talk Dr. de Barros will discuss, in a very informal way, the connection between rationality, quantum cognition, and neural models. He will introduce ideas from quantum cognition and then, based on them, put forth an extended theory of rational thinking. The model presented is based on robust neurophysiological evidence, and we hope it can bring to the surface some issues on conscious (and unconscious) decision making. 3:30 pm Tony Bell (UC Berkeley) Emergence, submergence and no noise: how brains probably work Tony Bell Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience UC Berkeley I explore the most likely correct idea that there is continuous information transfer from the micro to the macro and vice versa in living systems.  I describe the mechanisms the brain uses to gate these information flows (from field potentials to water and quantum) and discuss the implications for our field(s).