Research Meeting: "Invariant representation of physical stability in the human brain" by Pramod R.T. (Kanwisher Lab)

Photo of Dr. R.T. Pramod March 16, 2021 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Speaker/s: 

Dr. Pramod R.T., Kanwisher Lab

Organizer: 

Host: Prof. Nancy Kanwisher (MIT)

Abstract: Successful engagement with the world requires the ability to predict what will happen next. Although some of our predictions are related to social situations concerning other people and what they will think and do, many of our predictions concern the physical world around us. We see not just a wineglass near the edge of the table but a wineglass about to smash on the floor; not just a plastic chair but one that can (or cannot) support our weights; not just a cup filled to the brim with coffee, but a cup at the risk of spilling over and scalding our hands. The most basic prediction we make about the physical world is whether it is stable, and hence unlikely to change in the near future, or unstable, and likely to change. In this talk, I will present our recent work where we asked if judgements of physical stability are supported by the kinds of representations that have proven to be highly effective at visual object recognition in both machines and brains, or if the ability to determine the physical stability of natural scenes may require running a simulation in our head to determine what, if anything, will happen next.​

 

This Research Meeting si being hosted remotely via zoom.

Zoom link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/94275354817?pwd=TzJ0bmlDc0FURHJ4OHhGT0FYeXQ5Zz09

Details

Date: 
March 16, 2021
Time: 
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Venue: 
Hosted via Zoom