CS Wednesday Talks take place in the ASH lobby or auditorium. A light lunch is served at noon. Talks begin at 12:00 and end by 1:00 p.m.

October 16, 2013
Lightning Talks by Coppinger Endowment Funded Students, reporting on their summer 2013 projects

Jolie Anderson, Research Assistant to Professor Kim Bard, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Socio-emotional experience and primate social cognition
Abstract: I learned to reliably code videos of human and chimpanzee infants in a variety of environments, focusing on joint engagement (the act of being engaged with someone about something), as well as the topic of engagement, the partner, the initiator, and the emotional tone of each interval of engagement. I was also able to spend a significant amount of time with my supervising professor and received indispensable advice about graduate school and the life of a researcher in the field of developmental and comparative psychology.

Kathleen Leeper, Research Assistant to Professor Charles Nichols, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Serotonin receptor pharmacology in Drosophila and mammalian systems
Abstract:My research this summer was an exploration of the pharmacology of the 5HT-2a serotonin receptor, notable for its role in the signaling pathways of the classical hallucinogens. I was involved with projects using three model systems (in vitro cell culture, different Drosophila strains, and male rats) to examine the effects of various hallucinogenic (LSD, psilocybin) and non-hallucinogenic drugs on neural gene expression, morphological changes, learning and memory, and receptor internalization.

Emma Opitz, Research Assistant to Professor Tecumseh Fitch and Dr. Daniel Liu Bowling, Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Tone of Voice and the Affective Character of Musical Mode
Abstract:The study of the connection between music and language was an argument that even Darwin weighed in on. We, however, followed Spencer's (1857) argument and attempted to differentiate between arousal and valence in emotional sentences. Participants listened to sentences spoken in 4 different emotional categories and in 3 different languages and rated both their arousal and valence. The sentences were analyzed for their acoustic parameters prior to this study. Using multivariate statistics we examined the relationship between listeners’ ratings of the sentences and the acoustic parameters that were most important in conveying the intended emotion to the listener. We found that tonal properties of the voice differ as a function of emotional arousal and valence, and are correlated with the perception of these qualities.

October 9, 2013
Vocal Performance in Birds: defending territories, learning songs, and learning preferences
Dana Moseley, Ph.D. adjunct instructor of animal behavior, Hampshire College
Abstract: Mating behavior in many species involves communication displays that are vigorous or difficult to perform. Since these displays operate under physical constraints, their performance is likely to honestly reveal the individual's quality.  Individuals that are able maximize display features are thus predicted to be favored by sexual selection. In songbirds, males produce song both for mate attraction and territory defense. Aspects of a song's vocal performance might allow females to assess an individual as a prospective mate and other males to assess the fighting prowess of signalers in territorial disputes.  In Swamp Sparrows (Melospiza georgiana [italics]), I examine the connections between vocal performance and signal reliability. By investigating vocal performance in terms of its development, production, and perception, I seek to gain a deeper understanding of how vocal performance behavior develops and has evolved.
Biography: Dana Moseley recently completed her Ph.D. in the Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and received her B.S. from UNC Chapel Hill.  In her dissertation she investigated how birdsong functions and develops in terms of male song production and female preferences. She is currently continuing collaborations with her former advisor, Jeff Podos, and a neuroscientist at UMass, and is currently teaching CS292 "Animal Communication: Vocal Learning in Birds" at Hampshire College. She plans to continue her research by going on to a post-doctoral position.

October 2, 2013
Brainswarming: The Next Generation of Brainstorming
Tony McCaffrey, adjunct assistant professor of cognitive psychology
Abstract: What can a swarm of bees teach humans about solving problems together? A great deal. I am developing an online platform for group problem solving that combines insights from human psychology and the behavior of swarms of insects. The result is a model that allows large groups to problem solve together from remote locations and at different times (asynchronously). As organizations and companies become global, they need such problem solving tools that manage their collaborative efforts. I welcome your critique of features that I may be overlooking on my brainswarming model.
Biography: Tony McCaffrey, adjunct assistant professor of cognitive psychology, received a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Masters degrees in Theology, Philosophy, and computer Science; and a B.A. in computer science. He is teaching CS-151 "Finding Your Creativity Profile" this term.

September 25, 2013
Observation as a Game Design Skill
Ira Fay, assistant professor of computer science and game design
Abstract: To successfully analyze, create, and improve games, aspiring game designers must carefully observe the experience of playing games. In this talk, Ira will demonstrate two different games and will facilitate a discussion with the audience regarding their observations. In addition, there is a game development tradition that new team members share their observations of the current project with senior team leadership. In that spirit, Ira will share some of his observations of Hampshire after a mere two weeks of classes!
Biography: Ira Fay is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Game Design at Hampshire College and is the CEO of Fay Games, a studio primarily focused on games for educational impact. He previously co-founded the undergraduate game design and development program at Quinnipiac University, where he was an Assistant Professor of Game Design and Development. Before beginning his academic career, Ira was a Senior Game Designer at Electronic Arts (Pogo.com), where he led Pogo iPhone game development and released several top web games. Prior to Pogo, Ira worked at Z-Axis (Activision) on X-Men 3, at Maxis on The Sims 2, and at Walt Disney Imagineering on ToonTown Online. Ira graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and master's degrees in information systems management and entertainment technology. He is also a published board game designer. is teaching Introduction to Game Design and Introduction to Game Programming this term.

September 18, 2013
Buddha, ego, and research in the (social) sciences
Thomas Cain, visiting assistant professor of psychology
Abstract: Buddhist philosophy has some interesting commonalities with scientific research methodology. Buddhist philosophy references ego (atman) and how it can distort our perception of reality. Reality is, of course, what the sciences are attempting to objectively document. This talk will be a discussion about 'true objectivity', whether we can ever actually have it (or really want it), and the ways in which ego reliably gets in the way of obtaining it.
Biography: Thomas Cain is teaching Introduction to Social Psychology and Quantitative Methods in the Behavioral Sciences this term. He received a Ph.D. in social psychology from Rutgers University and a B.A. in psychology from DePaul University.

September 11, 2013
Pleasure: An Interdisciplinary Romp Through the Cognitive Sciences
Laura Sizer, dean of the School of Cognitive Science and associate professor of philosophy
Abstract: As familiar as pleasure is to all of us (if we are lucky), it raises several philosophical puzzles: if pleasure is a feeling, does that mean that there is some feeling that all pleasures share? If not, then what is it that makes something a pleasure? What role does pleasure play in our cognitive lives?  In a happy life? In this talk I will look at pleasure from the perspectives of philosophy, the psychological and neurosciences, and examine the evolution of pleasure, all in the hopes of getting a clearer sense of what pleasure is and does.
Biography: Laura Sizer received a B.A. in philosophy from Boston University in 1990, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000. She specializes in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology/cognitive science. Her research currently focuses on affect (emotions and moods), but she is also interested in questions about consciousness, representation, music, and personal identity. She has published in The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Philosophical Psychology, and Mind and Language. In addition to her primary research and teaching interests, Professor Sizer teaches topics in applied ethics; the philosophy of language; philosophy of biology; and the relationship between science and religion.