Course Overview and Goals
Reading and Other Background Resources
Course Evaluation
Late Assignment Policy
Collaboration Policy
Course Software
Google Group
Students with Special Needs
Wellesley College Honor Code

Course Overview and Goals

This seminar considers what it means to exhibit intelligent behavior and what capabilities are essential to intelligence in humans and machines. You learn about the kinds of questions that can be addressed with the approaches of neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, computer science and artificial intelligence. Through the exploration of current research and hands-on computer activities, you learn about common methods used to probe neural circuits and visualize brain activity, quantify human performance and behavior, and build computer models that capture the remarkable abilities of biological systems. We consider four main task domains in which there has been substantial research on human behavior, neural mechanisms, and computer models:

  • visual recognition and memory, with a focus on the analysis of faces
  • spatial navigation in humans, rodents, and mobile robots
  • language understanding, focused on question answering and commonsense reasoning
  • consciousness, considering the behavioral usefulness of conscious awareness, its neural basis, and the possibility of artificial consciousness in computers

Our goal is to appreciate how the integrated study of brains, minds, and machines can lead to a deeper understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie these intelligent behaviors, while also appreciating the limitations of current knowledge, what our models do not yet explain, and what machines still cannot do. Through computer activities using software written in the MATLAB language, you also learn some basic programming skills. Finally, you practice reading, discussing, and writing about neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence, in a clear and precise way, as you are exposed to scientific inquiry as it is practiced in the research community.

Prerequisites: None
Distribution Credit: Natural and Physical Science
Units: 1.0

Reading and Other Background Resources

There is no required textbook for this course. Throughout the semester, we assign a variety of readings, including research articles, news stories, and online articles and resources. We also assign online videos such as TED talks, scientific lectures, research demonstrations, or introductory tutorials on useful background topics.

Course Activities and Evaluation

Every class requires some (hopefully fun!) class preparation, such as completing a reading assignment or online activity, watching a video, and thinking about some key questions. The preparation for each class should take at most an hour, and enables you to participate more fully in class discussions and activities. Computer Lab activities are mostly done during class, but there are questions on the Lab work that may need time outside of class to complete. Students work in pairs on the Lab activities, with partners rotating over the semester. In addition, there are several assignments that help to reinforce and make connections between previous course material, and also explore new areas of research. These assignments help you to prepare for Journal Clubs, in which a pair of students leads a class discussion of a paper or other work examined in the class assignments. Finally, there is a final paper and class presentation that involves the independent exploration of a topic of interest to you, related to the interdisciplinary study of intelligence. Topics can be explored through current literature and online resources. During the last week of the semester, students give an 8-10 minute presentation of their topic to the class. A final paper on this work (4-6 pages) is due by the end of final exam period. There are no exams in this course.

All assigned work is posted on the Schedule & Handouts page. Your final grade is based on the following components of your work:

  Class participation    20%
  Lab work (in class and write-ups)    35%
  Assignments    35%
  Final presentation and paper    10%

"Class participation" encompasses attendance, class preparation (e.g. readings, videos, or online activities assigned for each class) and participation in class discussions. All submitted work counts toward the final grade.

Late Assignment Policy

All assignments are due by midnight on the advertised due date. After the due date, the assignment can still be submitted, but loses 5% credit for each calendar day after the due date. In extenuating circumstances (e.g. sickness, personal crisis, family problems), you may request an extension without penalty. Please try to contact us before the due date.

Collaboration Policy

You are encouraged to discuss assignments and Lab work with other students in the class, and to exchange ideas about how to solve problems and answer assigned questions. However, we ask that you compose your own final answers to questions on submitted (non-Lab) assignment work, in your own words. As noted earlier, Lab activities are done in pairs, and written answers to Lab questions can be completed in collaboration with your partner. This policy embodies the benefits of sharing ideas while also enabling you to learn how to express technical ideas in your writing, in a way that is clear and precise. If you have questions about this policy, please talk to us.

Course Software

All of the course software is written in MATLAB. At Wellesley, MATLAB 8 is available on all public computers, including Macs and PCs, and can also be installed on a personal Mac or PC for use on the campus network. MATLAB can be used off-campus by installing software for the SSL VPN on a Mac or PC. For more information about these options, see the Wellesley Technology Support webpage, or the course resources page. The MATLAB software is key-served, so there are a limited number of copies that can be used at one time. Please be sure to exit MATLAB when you are done using it! A student version of MATLAB can also be purchased at the Mathworks website for $99.

Specific course software can be downloaded and uploaded to and from personal computers using Fetch (for Macs) or WinSCP (for PCs). Information about these tools is available on the Wellesley Technology Support webpage. These tools are introduced in Lab.

Google Group

A Google Group has been created, CS-125-01-NEUR-125-01-SP17, and students enrolled in this class have been added as members. You can send e-mail to this group at the address CS-125-01-NEUR-125-01-SP17@wellesley.edu. We post important announcements here about assignments, changes to office hours, and CS or Neuroscience events such as seminars. We encourage you to post questions or comments related to course material or activities, or other topics of interest to students in the class. Feel free to respond to questions posted by other students.

Students with Special Needs

Students needing disability accommodations should contact Jim Wice, Director of Disability Services, at 781-283-2434, jwice@wellesley.edu, room 316 in Clapp Library, to provide documentation of a disability and to request accommodations. He will notify us of what accommodations are appropriate. We are happy to meet with you to discuss your needs and what accommodations may be helpful to you.

Wellesley College Honor Code

It is expected that you fully abide by the Wellesley Honor Code: "As a Wellesley College student, I will act with honesty, integrity, and respect. In making this commitment, I am accountable to the community and dedicate myself to a life of honor." With regard to this honor code, it is important to know and understand plagiarism. We encourage you to read the College's discussion of what constitutes plagiarism at the plagiarism page for the Writing Program. Plagiarism rules apply to any work associated with this course. Please ask us if you have any questions about this topic.