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Abstract Monkeys are widely used as model organisms for vision and cognition. While their anatomy and physiology have strong correspondences with humans, it is unclear whether they truly see the way we do. In most studies, monkeys are extensively trained …

Abstract Graphics are a cultural product, meaning that they are a human invention with defined rules and syntax. In this respect, they are very similar to written words and numbers, probably the two most famous cultural inventions. However, unlike them, …

Alain Papaux has been invited by the Collège de France assembly at the suggestion of Professor Samantha Besson. The conference will be held under an agreement signed with the University of Lausanne. The Lady with an Ermine (detail), Leonardo da Vinci, …

Abstract The static form in which Norse mythology has come down to us belies its original, fluid and highly contextualised setting as spoken tales, and we thereby risk misunderstandings in their interpretation. Many of these stories concern what might be …

Abstract In this talk, I will discuss insights from our recent work probing the neural mechanisms underlying conscious visual perception in humans by leveraging multimodal neuroimaging and computational approaches. I will focus on the roles of slow …

Abstract What does it take to transform consciousness from a philosophical puzzle into a scientific theory? Few frameworks have shaped this quest as deeply as Stanislas Dehaene's Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT). By proposing that conscious access …

Abstract The global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory originates from decades-long productive dialogs between Dehaene & Changeux which aimed, in the late 80's, at the elaboration of formal neuronal networks of cognitive functions. They initially included …

Abstract I will revise the state of the art of the current evidence for Language of thought. I will focus on the identification of primitive operation in early infancy, and will speculate on the relation between natural language and logical …

Abstract Learning concepts can be very difficult, especially in science and mathematics. For instance, children continue to struggle with fractions even after several years of formal instruction on the topic; and adults display persistent difficulties …

Abstract Curiosity underpins the greatest of human achievements, from exploring the reaches of our solar system to discovering the structure of our own minds. Where does this drive come from? Here I suggest that far from being reliant on language and …

Abstract Early education is a time of transformation in the way children come to see ideas in the world in the world, partly by a process of learning to combine visual elements to form gestalts. In this talk, I will expand upon these combinatorial …

Abstract Mathematics is among humanity's most remarkable achievements, yet we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how the brain performs even simple arithmetic. In this talk, I will present a series of studies investigating the encoding of …

Abstract During the last two decades, neuroimaging has generated a wealth of knowledge on how number processing inserts itself into the functional neuroanatomy of the human brain. We understand quite well now what are the cortical areas involved, and the …

Abstract What might be the relationship between our fanciest, most-recent cognitive inventions (e.g., Formal Mathematics) and our most evolutionarily ancient abilities to approximate the world (e.g., The Approximate Number System)? I will review the …

Abstract One of the most pressing issues facing the Japanese economy in recent decades is the set of profound demographic changes. Japan has been experiencing simultaneous shifts: an overall decline in population, a rapid acceleration of population aging, …

Abstract A key notion in linguistics is that of syntactic movement. I will show that this notion and the further theoretical observations and generalizations regarding movement are useful in accounting for language impairments. I will describe syntactic …

Abstract Using a multimodal approach, one can leverage the spatial resolution of neuroimaging methods with the high temporal resolution and precise anatomical information of intracranial recordings and the causal evidence from direct intracranial …

Abstract Our understanding of numbers, vital to our scientifically and technically advanced culture, has deep biological roots. Research across developmental psychology, anthropology, and animal cognition suggests that our ability to count symbolically …

Abstract How does the brain transform words into meaning? By aligning insights from linguistics, neuroscience, and Large Language Models (LLMs), we observe that AI models and the human brain surprisingly converge on similar representational principles. …