Cognitations

Daniel Pressnitzer. Originally trained in engineering, he went on to complete a Master's degree in acoustics, signal processing, and computer science in Paris. He earned his PhD at Ircam, where he studied auditory perception, focusing on musical consonance and dissonance. He then spent several years in the UK conducting postdoctoral research at the Centre for the Neural Basis of Hearing in Cambridge. In 2000, he returned to France to join the CNRS as a researcher. Now a Director of Research at CNRS, he is also a founding member and the current head of the Audition team at the École normale supérieure. His research bridges acoustics, perception, and cognition, using carefully crafted illusions and experiments to probe the mid-level processes of hearing — the ones that shape how we interpret the world without us even realizing it. His lab has also developed various tools to probe the functioning of the auditory system.Credits:Interview: Cindy Zhang & Marius MercierEditing: Jay RichardsonCommunication: Tanay KatiyarMusic: Thelma Samuel and Robin BaradelArtwork: Ella Bergru

In our episode with Amy Orben, we discussed a big problem in the research on how social media potentially affects mental health. That is, a lot of studies ask really vague, broad questions. For instance, asking 'What is social media doing to our mental health?' is like asking 'How does food affect young people’s health?' To really answer the latter question, we need to get more specific—are we talking about junk food or vegetables? And what about the kid’s health history, like if they have diabetes? Some researchers think that using well-established theories from cognitive science can solve this problem by helping us ask better, more precise questions about social media. They also think it could lead to new ways of studying it (beyond self-reported screen time) and potentially offer novel policy insights. So, what are these ideas from cognitive science? What new methods can we use? And how could they change things at the policy level? Our guests today are here to help answer those questions—or at least some of them...Georgia Turner is a third-year PhD student in the Digital Mental Health Group, supervised by Amy Orben at the University of Cambridge. In her PhD, she aims to understand why we feel we lose control of our technology use. To do so, she uses methods from computational neuroscience on real-world datasets such as Twitter and smartphone recordings. As an undergraduate at Cambridge, Georgia studied Philosophy for two years before switching to Natural Sciences. She then completed a masters in neuroscience in London (UCL) and Paris (Sorbonne and ENS).Lukas Gunschera is a second-year PhD student in the Digital Mental Health Group, supervised by Amy Orben at the University of Cambridge. He is interested in the cognitive mechanisms linking social media use and mental health. In his research, he uses a combination of computational, longitudinal, and experimental approaches to examine the processes driving the effects of social media use. Before starting his PhD, Lukas completed an MSc in Psychological Research at the University of Amsterdam, and a BSc in Psychology at the Radboud University.Credits:Interview: Tanay KatiyarArtwork: Ella BergruEditing: Jay RichardsonMusic: Thelma Samuel and Robin BaradelCommunication: Tanay Katiyar

In this discussion, Amy Orben, a leading expert from the University of Cambridge on digital mental health, delves into the impact of social media on teens. She breaks down how constant online engagement affects their mental health, stressing the dual nature of social media as both a risk and a tool for connection. Orben also emphasizes the need for critical evaluation of technology’s role in society and offers parental guidance for managing screen time, encouraging open communication to support healthy development.

Jennifer Nagel, a philosophy professor at the University of Toronto, dives into the intricate relationship between knowledge, communication, and curiosity. She explores how our understanding of knowledge shapes social interactions and the importance of context in conversations. Nagel discusses the nuances of justified true belief, critiques traditional epistemological views, and highlights how language reflects our certainty. The podcast also touches on the role of self-reflection in knowledge sharing and the significance of genuine dialogue in effective communication.

In this enlightening discussion, Jacob Beck, a Research Chair at York University, delves into the intricate psychology of animal minds. He challenges the notion of anthropomorphism, questioning if our perceptions of animal emotions are accurate. The conversation highlights how species like chimpanzees and desert ants exhibit cognitive abilities, such as understanding numbers and navigation. Beck discusses the complexities of comparative psychology, exploring how language influences our interpretation of non-human cognition. His insights provoke deep reflection on our connection with animals.

In this update episode, Tanay and Jay reflect on the journey so far and some special guests crash the show...

Contemporary life is replete with problems. A very salient example of such a problem is depression, which according to the World Health Organization, affected 5% of the global population in 2019. That is 280 million people – a very large number indeed. Another such problem is poverty and inequality. According to the World Bank, around 700 million people live in extreme poverty – an even larger number. Why are these problems on the rise? Are there features of contemporary societies that are exacerbating this problem? Moreover, how do these problems, namely rising inequality and depression, interact? How can an evolutionary and/or behavioral ecology perspective add novel insights to rethinking the source of these problems? Can such insights lead to effective social policies and change? Today’s guest is here to answer these questions, or at least some of them… Daniel Nettle is a behavioral scientist at the Institut Jean Nicod. He has trained both as a psychologist and an anthropologist. He has made many important contributions, spanning many topics across diverse disciplines like biology, psychology, anthropology and more. For example, he has worked on psycholinguistics, the demise of languages, the consequences of smoking, depression, anxiety, epistemological aspects of evolutionary psychology, personality, and the list goes on. He is the author of 9 academic books including Personality: What Makes You The Way You Are, 2007, and Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile, in 2005.  Credits: Interview: Tanay Katiyar and Jay Richardson Artwork: Ella Bergru Editing: Jay Richardson Music: Thelma Samuel and Robin Baradel Communication: Tanay Katiyar

In this conversation, cognitive psychology professor Thérèse Collins shares her insights into the complex machinery of visual perception. She discusses how our eyes and brains work together in active, rather than passive, ways to shape our understanding of the world. Discover the nuances of eye movements, the impact of screen saturation on attention, and the relevance of eye-tracking technology in marketing. Thérèse also bridges philosophy and psychology, revealing the interdisciplinary nature of studying visual elements.

After eight episodes where we discussed intricacies of different areas of cognitive science — reasoning, the evolution of cultures, our relationship to our bodies, public policy, how children learn language, schizophrenia, the relationship between economics and neuroscience – one can wonder, what even is cognitive science?. How can a field of scientific investigation cover such a wide array of diverse phenomena across different levels of explanation? Why even use the term ‘cognitive science’? Don’t neuroscience and psychology cover it all? Well, there are answers to this question. In today’s episode, in order to gain some clarity and a step back, we turn towards the history and foundations of cognitive science. Pierre Jacob, is CNRS emeritus director of research. He is one of the founding members of the European Society for Analytic Philosophy and, from 2001 to 2009, was the first director of Institut Jean Nicod. Pierre has had an outstanding career as a philosopher of mind and cognitive science. He has worked on the nature of representations and explanations in psychology, on visual perception, and most recently, on our ability to understand the minds of others and its developmental roots. He is the author of multiple academic books, including, but not limited to: What Minds Can Do: Intentionality in a Non-Intentional World, in 1997, Ways of Seeing: The Scope and Limits of Visual Cognition, in 2003 with renowned neuroscientist Marc Jeannerod.  Tyler Burge's NY Times article here Credits: Interview: Tanay Katiyar and Jay Richardson Artwork: Ella Bergru Editing: Jay Richardson Music: Thelma Samuel and Robin Baradel Communication: Tanay Katiyar

Alejandrina Cristia and Camila Scaff explore the fascinating world of language acquisition in children. Cristia, a CNRS research director, dives into the complexities of speech and language understanding, while Scaff examines the impact of socioeconomic factors on language development. They discuss the significance of a child's first words and the transition from maternal to peer influence in language learning. Their insights reveal how cultural variations shape linguistic milestones and the importance of early language development in predicting future success.