Minds & Machines - FAQ

Q: What is tMinds & Machines?
A: Minds & Machines is an group of courses in cognitive science and technology.

Q: OK, but what is cognitive science and technology?
A: Cognitive science is the study of cognition, which includes reasoning, learning, memory, decision-making, problem-solving, perception, and action. It sees human cognition as one of many kinds of cognition, so one can also study animal cognition, alien cognition, or machine cognition. Cognitive science is a highly interdisciplinary field, being informed by philosophy, psychology, computer science, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology. Cognitive technology is any technology that is informed by cognitive science. Examples include: human-computer interaction (knowing something about the human mind will allow us to design more efficient and effective interfaces: cognitive ergonomics!), artificial intelligence, cognitive robotics (as opposed to industrial robotics), and cognitive prosthetics (using technology to repair or augment the mind). The gaming industry is also very interested in the field, for two reasons: knowing something about the human mind helps us design more engaging games, and it also helps to build more realistically behaving computer played characters. See Concentrations for several areas of study within cognitive science and technology that the Program actively supports.

Q: So what does Minds & Machines do for me?
A: As you can see from the description of the field above, cognitive science covers a very wide range of studies. Indeed, many students at RPI have an interest in something related to cognitive science, whether this is Artificial Intelligence, robotics, or how the human mind or brain works. At the same time, most students don't want to focus on any (or all!) of these areas exclusively, and pick a more traditional major such as computer science or psychology. The goal of Minds & Machines is therefore to provide a venue for students to come together and pursue their interests in cognitive science without necessarily having to deviate from their original major. Minds & Machines hosts biweekly luncheons where speakers talk about anything related to the field, and the program offers suggestions for courses to add to students’ curricula. Also, official members of the program are the first to hear about opportunities to work in any of our associated laboratories, and get involved with cutting-edge research in the field. Finally, the program is relatively small, so students will quickly get to know each other and the associated faculty - always handy for that time when a letter of recommendation is needed! - making for an intellectually intimate environment where ideas flow freely and rapidly.

Q: What degrees does Minds & Machines offer?
A: Minds & Machines by itself offers no degrees, and there certainly is no official degree called ‘Minds & Machines’! However, in order to become an official member, and get all the perks as listed above, you need to pick a dual degree. This dual degree has to combine one ‘Minds’ major (philosophy or psychology) with one ‘Machines’ major (computer science, or pretty much any kind of engineering major). So, when you graduate, you will have a dual degree in the two majors you picked. Most students who come to RPI already have a 'Machines' major, so many Minds & Machines students will simply end up adding the 'Minds' major as a secondary major to their primary 'Machines' major. Indeed,Minds & Machines is housed within the Cognitive Science Department that offers the Philosophy and Psychology majors.

Q: Do I really need to pick a dual major?
A: At this point, yes. There are several good reasons for this. First, cognitive science is highly interdisciplinary, and one major will only get you one perspective on the field. Second, philosophy and psychology tend to be more conceptual, theoretical, analytical, and scientific, while computer science and other engineering majors are more quantitative, practical, synthetic, and technological. Both sets of skills are needed to become skilled in the field of cognitive science. Fortunately, it is not very hard to complete a dual major: Most students simply add philosophy or psychology as a secondary major to their primary major. With some careful planning of taking philosophy or psychology courses (which count towards your humanities and social science requirement!), you can complete the dual major without taking any more courses than taking a single major. In fact, even with a typical Minds & Machines dual degree program, you still have some completely free electives left to take whatever you want. Under Resources are some sample curriculi provided. Finally, there is no need to immediately pick a dual major as an incoming student: you can apply to the program at any point during your study. It is ok to just go to the luncheons and see if this is an area you might want to pursue. Also, there is a freshman course called Minds and Machines which provides an introduction to the field of cognitive science, AI, and robotics. This course serves as a kind of introduction to the field and the program, so you can see if this is something you like by taking this course. You can always decide after that.

Q: Wait, there is a Minds & Machines course?
A: Yes, and this is somewhat confusing: there is both Minds & Machines and a Minds & Machines course! The Minds & Machines course is the most popular First-Year Studies course, with 150 to 175 freshmen enrolling annually. For transfer students, or non-freshman who didn't have a chance to take the Minds & Machines course as a freshman, we created a special non-freshman section. The Minds & Machines course talks about the nature of mind, free will, consciousness, and personal identity, and then moves on to the possibility of artificial intelligence and a discussion on some ethical issues regarding cognitive technology. Many students are attracted to the course by the LEGO robot competition at the end of the course, but also find that the course requires some deep thinking about some very difficult issues! A final feature of the Minds & Machines course is the Thursday Night Lecture Series, where guest speakers from all over the world talk about their connection to cognitive science.

Q: I am really interested in cognitive science! Will you ever offer a straight degree in Cognitive Science?
A: We recently became an official Cognitive Science department, one of a handful in the world! So yes, we are working on establishing a major in cognitive science, but this will not be until the Fall of 2007 at the earliest. Once this major for cognitive science is in place, all cognitive science majors can automatically become official members of the Minds & Machines program. Of course, for those students who prefer a more traditional degree, the dual degree option will remain in place. Another interesting option would be to do a dual degree in Computer science and Cognitive Science: this is a bit more tight, but still possible. Again, see Resources for sample curriculi.

Q: What is the size of the program?
A: Currently there are about 40 students in the program, but cognitive science seems to be getting more popular by the year. There are about 10 faculty members from the Cognitive Science Department associated with the program, and three laboratories: the Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning Lab, the CogWorks Lab (a lab focusing on human cognition), and the Perception and Action Lab (which includes a Virtual Reality Lab).

Q: What can I do with this after graduation?
A: Cognitive science and technology is still a very young field, so options to work directly within this field are still limited. Some members of the program have gone on to work in the gaming industry, some have gone to graduate school, but most simply get jobs based on their primary major. However, notice that in the latter case, their secondary major and corresponding skill set probably increased their value to the employer! And again, being in a small and intimate program helps students and faculty to get to know each other very well, which no doubt will help in being prepared for, locate, and get more interesting job opportunities.

Q: I am interested in AI. What dual major should I pick?
A: This all depends on your interests, but computer science plus philosophy is recommended. Psychology tends to exclusively focus on the human mind, while philosophy provides a broader foundation on which to build AI’s.

Q: I am interested in robotics. What dual major should I pick?
A: You may want to combine ECSE (Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering) with psychology. But you can also choose computer science or mechanical engineering.

Q: I am interested in designing games and applying AI’s to them.
A: Probably computer science plus psychology is a good choice.

Q: I am definitely hooked! What should I do?
A: The single most important thing to do is to contact the Director: Bram van Heuveln. Also, on your RPI application is a box to indicate that you are interested in the program. Also, when you register for courses for the first semester, make sure to register for the Minds & Machines First-Year Studies course, and try and keep the time of the biweekly luncheons (Wednesdays from 12 to 1:30) open in your schedule. To be maximally prepared, you can try and read some books on the mind, brain, AI, robotics, or anything related to the field before coming to RPI. Under Resources you will find a list of Student Recommended Books as compiled by other Minds & Machines students.

For more information contact: Bram van Heuveln