Lars Lewejohann (Science of Intelligence), “What’s on a Mouse’s Mind? Behavioral Measures To Understand Experiences and Needs of an Animal”
2023-01-26 16:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Berlin) | MAR 2.057
Lars Lewejohann, Freie Universität Berlin, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R)
Mice, like all other living creatures, have adapted to specific living conditions in the course of evolution. From a human point of view, the behavior of animals is therefore not always easy to understand. This applies not only to the question of whether mice are actually capable of behaving intelligently, but also to the question of what is necessary for optimizing animal welfare of laboratory animals. In our work, we are interested in both questions and follow an animal-centered approach and are giving mice their say. Of course mice cannot fill out questionnaires, but we have developed a series of behavioral tests that allow to query the animals. In this lecture I will outline our approach with regard to improving housing and living conditions as well as the implications of using mice as a model species for the science of intelligence.

Andreagiovanni Reina (Université Libre De Bruxelles), “The Power of Inhibition for Collective Decision Making in Minimalistic Robot Swarms”
2023-02-09 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
I investigate how large groups of simple robots can reach a consensus with decentralized minimalistic algorithms. Simple robots can be useful in nanorobotics and in scenarios with low-cost requirements. I show that through decentralized voting algorithms, swarms of minimalistic robots can make best-of-n decisions. In my research, I show that using a biologically-inspired voting model based on inhibitory signals, the swarm can collectively perform better and be more resilient against a minority of misbehaving robots than in models without inhibition. Our best-of-n decision algorithm can also be used for collective environmental monitoring. I will show that investigating these models can be very interesting and yield surprising results. As Anderson said in 1972, More is different. In our analysis, we found that limiting the communication range or the speed of the robots can improve collective performance in a range of relevant conditions. We explain the mechanisms of some of these phenomena with a combination of mathematical models and large-scale robot experiments.

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Oliver Brock (Science of Intelligence), "About the Interplay of Embodiment and Learning in Intelligent Systems"
2023-02-09 16:00 - 17:30 | MAR 2.057
Abstract:
Biological intelligent systems manifest their intelligence in physical interactions with other agents and with their environment. Such interactions require embodiment. Intelligence, both artificial and biological, also requires some kind of learning. But what is the relationship between the two? How should the two interact? Do they even have to? What could be a common ground on which this relationship can be explored, negotiated, and ultimately designed? In this presentation, I will attempt to provide my personal answers to these questions. I will argue that one of the reasons (deep) machine learning has not yet been able to replicate its smashing successes in the context of robotics lies in the widespread disregard for the important capabilities provided by the body. Instead of considering embodiment, machine learning seems to be resorting to massive use of physical simulations. This seems to be unnecessarily complicated without being convincingly effective.

Julten Abdelhalim (Science of Intelligence), "Tips and Guidelines for your grant application in Germany"
2023-02-16 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
This talk will be targeting junior postdocs and phd at their final stages. It will be a short and brief introduction to the major options for grants (those aiming at the stars or smaller ones). Julten will offer some quick tips on the application process. She will also share her own experience in applying to the DFG Sachbeihilfe and ERC Starting Grant. The talk is not a detailed workshop in which we get into details about the proposal writing but rather a summary and a call out for how you should ideally plan your grant application journey. Those interested in detailed consultation are invited to book appointments later.

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Ryan Burnell, "A Cognitive Approach to the Evaluation of AI Systems"
2023-02-23 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
The capabilities of AI systems are improving rapidly, and these systems are being deployed in increasingly complex and high-stakes contexts, from self-driving cars to the detection of medical conditions. As the importance of AI grows, so too does the need for robust evaluation. If we want to determine the extent to which systems are safe, effective, and unbiased, it is vital that we understand the cognitive capabilities of those systems. In this endeavour, psychological science has a lot to offer—scientists from cognitive, developmental, and comparative psychology have spent many decades developing theories and paradigms to understand the cognitive capabilities of adults, children, and animals. Drawing on these theories and paradigms, we are working to build a framework for evaluating the cognitive capabilities of AI systems that we hope can be used to better track and regulate AI progress. I will present an initial version of the framework and discuss the open questions and challenges of applying cognitive science to AI evaluation.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash.

Winter School "Ethics of Neuroscience and AI" 2023
2023-02-27 - 2023-03-03
The 12th Winter School “Ethics of Neuroscience and AI” is taking place on Feb 27 – March 3, 2023. It is organized by the BCCN Berlin/ICCN, the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and the Excellence Cluster “Science of Intelligence”. The event is tailored for MSc and PhD students, but covers a range of topics of potential interest to other researchers, reflecting on the ethical and societal consequences of modern neuroscience.
Theoretical foundations, as well as practical and ethical aspects are addressed. Participants will benefit from a combination of lectures with group work and discussions, where they will put the learned content into practice.
Scientific organizers: John-Dylan Haynes and Thomas Schmidt.
Keynote lecture: Christine Heim (Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin)
Fees: The Winter School is free of cost but registration is necessary.
Venue: The Winter School takes place at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin.

Winter School "Ethics of Neuroscience and AI" 2022
2023-02-28 - 2023-03-04
The 11th Winter School “Ethics of Neuroscience and AI” is taking place on Feb 28 – March 4, 2022. It is organized by the BCCN Berlin/ICCN, the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and the Excellence Cluster “Science of Intelligence”. The event is tailored for MSc and PhD students, but covers a range of topics of potential interest to other researchers, reflecting on the ethical and societal consequences of modern neuroscience.
Theoretical foundations, as well as practical and ethical aspects are addressed. Participants will benefit from a combination of lectures with group work and discussions, where they will put the learned content into practice.
Scientific organizers: John-Dylan Haynes and Thomas Schmidt.
Keynote lecture: Kent Kiehl (University of New Mexico) will discuss the ethical issues involved with neuroprediction (Live stream available)
You are welcome to join the keynote which will be live-streamed on the Bernstein Network’s Vimeo channel.
Fees: The Winter School is free of cost but registration is necessary.
Venue: Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Winter School will be held online.

Judith L. Bronstein (University of Arizona), "Why Cooperate with Another Species? The Puzzles of Mutualism"
2023-03-09 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
The classic view of nature is one of a deathly struggle for existence. Yet, throughout nature, organisms cooperate with each other. Mutualisms – mutually beneficial interactions between species – are more than fascinating natural history stories: they are central to the diversity and the diversification of life on Earth. Charles Darwin, well aware of mutualisms, mused that if species could be shown to act exclusively for the good of others, “it would annihilate my theory”. The very young field of mutualism research attempts in part to address Darwin’s challenge. I will first briefly discuss the relationship between within-species cooperation and mutualism. I will then introduce two underlying concepts that are helping to guide our growing understanding: mutualism not only confers benefits but also exacts costs on the participants; and the immediate interests of mutualists commonly conflict. Then, I will review some of my group’s recent findings that help address two of the most vexing puzzles mutualism poses: if mutualisms are beneficial, why isn’t the world covered with them; and if mutualisms are costly, then why doesn’t everyone cheat their partners? Our understanding of mutualism has exploded in recent years, but this new focus has come at the cost of exploring connections between and mutualism and other forms of interaction – a situation I am working to mend during my Wiko fellowship. I will conclude by highlighting the interfaces that excite me the most.

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Photo by Joseph Sharp on Unsplash

Dr. Arlena Jung, "Time Management & Resilience"
2023-03-23 10:00 - 12:00
Abstract:
In this talk, Dr. Jung will focus on the three key principles of good time management: defining priorities, managing expectations and developing routines that work. Following the lecture, the participants have the opportunity to discuss their time management challenges in an individual coaching session.
Defining Priorities: Dealing with high performance expectations in wide array of areas ranging from research to writing, presenting, networking and teaching is a key challenge for early-stage researches. In order to deal effectively with the in part conflicting expectations PhD students and early stage researchers need both the mindset and the self-confidence to define priorities. This means developing short and middle term goals that are both compatible with one’s own long-term goals and the expectations one’s “relevant other’s”. Without clear goals defining priorities and quality criteria become impossible tasks. That participants learn to understand the use of time management tools using the power of the 4 Zs to define SMART goals, and integrating a “definition of done” into work packages, milestones and at times even individual tasks. We also address the emotional challenge of dealing with in part conflicting goals, roles and expectations. Together we discuss how ambiguity tolerance and strategic thinking can be used as key strengths in dealing with the multifaceted challenges but also opportunities of this career phase.
Managing Expectations: Complex interdependencies are an inherent part of the qualification phase of early stage research. Without the ability to manage expectations. PhD students have a very limited ability to actually turn their priorities into actionable plans. In this section of the lecture the participants are acquainted with key stakeholder-management tools such as the stakeholder-matrix and the systemic portrait. We, however, also discuss key communication skills needed to manage expectations effectively such as “7 shades of no”, turning “yes” into a deliberate decision and creating solution oriented dialogues.
Developing routines that work: In order to use the limited resources available as effectively as possible early stage researchers need to learn to develop routines that work. This means figuring out what time management tools fit nicely both with their individual needs and their operational and conceptual tasks. In the last section of the lecture we present time management tools that help PhD students structure their working days and weeks ranging from the pomodoro and the ivy lee method to stimulus-response regulation practices and self-monitoring and self-evaluation methods.

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Marah Halawa (Science of Intelligence), "Contrastive Learning Approaches for Computer Vision Applications"
2023-03-30 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
The recent success in Computer Vision has been mostly attributed to improved results using deep learning models trained on large labeled datasets. Many of these datasets have been labeled by humans. The labeling process, however, can be time-consuming, and in many applications, it may require expertise that could be costly to acquire. In order to address this requirement, more research focus and effort have shifted toward unsupervised learning algorithms, in order to utilize the ever-increasing quantities of unlabeled data. Self-supervised learning (SSL), in particular, is a set of algorithms that specifically aim to learn rich data representations from unlabeled samples, and it achieves comparable results to fully supervised methods on common benchmarks for image classification and segmentation. The idea behind SSL methods is to learn broad features from the signals that exist in unlabeled data. In other words, to acquire more general information and knowledge, and store them as neural network features that will be useful as prior knowledge for subsequent downstream supervised tasks (classification, segmentation, regression, ..etc.).
There are two types of SSL methods. First, self-prediction methods, which predict some omitted parts (in purpose) of the data using the other existing part of the data, such as jigsaw puzzle solving. Second, contrastive learning methods, which utilize similarities and dissimilarities, or simply relations, amongst data samples to form a classification problem, such as SimCLR (simple contrastive learning of representations). Contrastive learning methods have proven effective as representation learners in applications of natural image classification. Nevertheless, extending such algorithms to multiple application domains comes with challenges, and we identify certain limitations in these approaches. Therefore, in this talk, we will focus on contrastive learning methods and how to apply them in several computer vision applications. We also discuss the challenges and limitations we identified and how to address them in project 29.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Xing Li (Science of Intelligence), "Learning to Manipulate Articulated Objects From Human Demonstrations"
2023-04-06 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
Programming robots to manipulate articulated objects such as drawers, doors, or locks is a challenging task. One of the major reasons for this difficulty is that robots must physically interact with objects, and even minor errors during manipulation can result in significant internal forces that may cause damage.
While robots struggle with these manipulation tasks, humans can effortlessly operate complex mechanisms with great reliability. Moreover, humans can transfer their experience between objects of the same type, resulting in remarkable generalization. This raises the question of how we can transfer these robust and general manipulation skills from humans to robots.
In this presentation, we will introduce a viable solution to achieve this transfer in the context of manipulating articulated objects. Specifically, we will demonstrate that a robot can acquire a manipulation policy that reliably manipulates various instances of the same type based on a single demonstration of a human opening an articulated object.
Following the presentation, we invite those who are interested to participate in an interactive session where we can discuss and share our experiences with controlling the robot with the soft hand in the robotics lab on the second floor.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Nina Poth (Science of Intelligence), “Exploring the Prospects for a Prediction-Oriented View of Intelligence”
2023-04-13 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract: It has recently been proposed that a minimal condition of intelligence is the ability to form accurate predictions (Tjøstheim & Stephens 2021). In this talk, I evaluate the promise of this view for integrating intelligence research across subdisciplines within the cognitive and life sciences. I argue that this view combines two desirable features: (1) it allows us to subsume key dimensions identifying intelligent behaviour, such as goal-directedness, adaptiveness, generality, and flexibility (Coelho Mollo 2021; Glock 2019), under a unifying conceptual framework; (2) it combines well with a non-symbolic approach to representation at various degrees of abstraction (Gärdenfors 2004). Thereby, the predictive view provides opportunities for sharing concepts and transforming problems across research on artificial and biological intelligence. However, an outstanding issue with this approach is its current lack of insight into the relevant mechanisms and functional interactions generating intelligent behavior. I respond to this challenge by discussing a set of available research heuristics for mechanism discovery (Poth 2022).

References
Coelho Mollo, D. (2022). Intelligent Behaviour. Erkenntnis, 1-17.
Gärdenfors, P. (2004). Conceptual spaces as a framework for knowledge representation. Mind and Matter, 2(2), 9-27.
Glock, H. J. (2019). Agency, intelligence and reasons in animals. Philosophy, 94(4), 645-671.
Poth, N. (2022). Schema-centred unity and process-centred pluralism of the predictive mind. Minds and Machines, 32(3), 433-459.
Tjøstheim, T. A., & Stephens, A. (2021). Intelligence as Accurate Prediction. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 1-25.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Friedhelm Hamann (Science of Intelligence), “Applications of Event Cameras: Animal Behavior Quantification in the Wild”
2023-04-20 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
Event cameras are novel bio-inspired sensors that naturally respond to motion in the scene. They have promising advantages, namely a high dynamic range, little motion blur and low latency. But how can we leverage these advantages for vision tasks such as animal behavior quantification? In this talk I will present two applications developed at the Robotic Interactive Perception lab, where we used event cameras to address practical problems, from low-level vision (background-oriented schlieren imaging, a technique for visualizing air flow) to high-level vision (animal behavior quantification in the wild).
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Marcel Brass (Science of Intelligence), "Social agency"
2023-04-20 16:00 - 17:30 | MAR 2.057
Abstract: Sense of agency (SOA) refers to the experience of controlling one’s
own actions and corresponding effects. Social agency refers to SOA in situations
where other social agents are involved. This can refer to situations in which we
act together or in the presence of other agents or to situations where we
control the behaviour of others. I will discuss the concept of social agency and
its relevance for topics such as collective behaviour and human-machine
interaction. Furthermore, I will provide some empirical examples of
investigating social agency.

Girls' Day 2023 at SCIoI
2023-04-27 13:00 - 16:00 | MAR 2.057
It’s that time of year again! Every April, school girls all over Germany visit scientific institutions to get inspiration for their future careers. SCIoI has participated in this event twice before, and we will be hosting another group of girls this coming 27 April. The event will start with some inspiring talks by our members Maria Ott, Julten Abdelhalim, Vito Mengers & the RBO Team, Magdalena Yordanova, Nina Poth, and Lea Musiolek. It will follow an interactive lab tour. Contact the Communication office if you would like to be involved in this exciting event.
More info here.

Radoslaw Cichy, “Deep Neural Networks As Scientific Models of Vision”
2023-05-04 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
Artificial deep neural networks (DNNs) are used in many different ways to address scientific questions about how biological vision works. In spite of the wide usage of DNNs in this context, their scientific value is periodically questioned. I will argue that DNNs are good in three ways for vision science: for prediction, for explanation, and for exploration. I will illustrate these claims by recently published or still ongoing projects in the lab. I will also propose future steps to accelerate progress.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo kindly provided by Radoslaw Cichy.

Guillermo Gallego (Science of Intelligence), "Event-based Vision at the TU Berlin Robotic Interactive Perception Lab"
2023-05-04 16:00 - 17:30 | MAR 2.057
More details to follow.

“Future of Air - Speculative Workshop Series” - Es liegt was in der Luft (in German)
2023-05-06 10:00 - 18:00
Workshop title: Es liegt was in der Luft
Theme: Stage and the Environment
Where: Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch

Im Anthropozän, dem sogenannten ‘Zeitalter des Menschen’, ist die Umwelt zur Bühne geworden. Auf dieser Bühne zeigen sich ökologische Ausnahmezustände und drohende klimatische Kipppunkte. Unsere Rolle ist es, auszuhandeln, wie es weitergehen kann: Der Verlauf der erdgeschichtlichen Erzählung liegt in unserer Verantwortung.
Was passiert, wenn wir klimatische Experimente in den Verhandlungsraum der Bühne holen? Wie kommen dort individuelle Erfahrungen, statistische Daten und verkörpertes Wissen zusammen? Im Workshop suchen wir nach neuen Klima-Fiktionen, die andere Geschichten von Emission, von reisendem Staub und vom Wolkenmachen erzählen können.
Mit Inputs von Studierenden des Masterstudiengangs Spiel + Objekt
Ab 16 Jahren, kostenfrei.
Registrierung offen bis zum 27.04.2023

About the workshop series:
Air is invisible. Air surrounds us and connects us – as people and as living beings. Air is material. What happens when we become aware of air? What
does air tell us? How can we deal with it – now and in the future, individually and as societies? In the workshop series „Futures of Air“ we invite you to speculate about the futures of air – together with researchers from the Clusters of Excellence „Matters of Activity“ and „Science of Intelligence“. In three independent co-design workshops, we explore the properties of air as a material, negotiate its role in our lives, and imagine possible (and impossible) futures with it. We are looking for people ages 16 and up who are interested in speculating with us – people interested in materials, experimenters and the curious.
Further information and registrationat: www.collactive-materials.de

Lauren Sumner-Rooney
2023-05-11 10:00 - 11:00
More details to follow.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

“Future of Air - Speculative Workshop Series” - Von Kontrolle zu Kooperation (in German)
2023-05-16 10:00 - 18:00
Workshop title: Von Kontrolle zu Kooperation
Theme: Air as Technology
Where: silent green Kulturquartier

Betonindustrie, Verbrennungsmotor, Google-Suchanfrage – Technologie wird heute an ihrer CO₂-Emission gemessen. Unsere technische Kultur hat Karriere gemacht durch einen allzu sorglosen und zerstörerischen Umgang mit Ressourcen. Dabei wird vor allem der Versuch unternommen, Materialien und Umgebungen zu kontrollieren. Und das in einem drastischen Umfang.*
Wie würde eine Welt aussehen, in der Technik ganz anders funktioniert? Was geschieht, wenn wir Luft und ihre Eigenschaften selbst als Technologien begreifen würden? Welche neuen Möglichkeiten zur Kooperation könnten sich daraus ergeben?
Mit Inputs von Oliver Brock (TU Berlin/Science of Intelligence, Soft Robotics), Martin Müller (HU Berlin/ Matters of Activity, Kulturwissenschaft) und Léa Perraudin (HU Berlin/ Matters of Activity, Medienwissenschaft)
*Das Gewicht des Menschengemachten (von Dingen über Gebäuden zu ganzen Infrastrukturen) übersteigt mittlerweile die Masse des gesamten Lebens auf der Erde.
Ab 16 Jahren, kostenfrei.
Registrierung offen bis zum 07.05.2023

About the workshop series:
Air is invisible. Air surrounds us and connects us – as people and as living beings. Air is material. What happens when we become aware of air? What
does air tell us? How can we deal with it – now and in the future, individually and as societies? In the workshop series „Futures of Air“ we invite you to speculate about the futures of air – together with researchers from the Clusters of Excellence „Matters of Activity“ and „Science of Intelligence“. In three independent co-design workshops, we explore the properties of air as a material, negotiate its role in our lives, and imagine possible (and impossible) futures with it. We are looking for people ages 16 and up who are interested in speculating with us – people interested in materials, experimenters and the curious.
Further information and registration for the limited places at: www.collactive-materials.de

“Future of Air - Speculative Workshop Series” - Breathing in, Breathing out (in English)
2023-05-20 10:00 - 18:00
Workshop title: Breathing in, Breathing out
Theme: Practices of Air
Where: YOGA at Lobe Block

We are breathing beings. Every breath reconnects us to ourselves, to our fellow beings, and to our environment. The act of breathing usually does not require any thought. Yet, our emotions and memories have a strong impact on our respiratory system – and vice versa.
How can we tune into the vital experience that makes air flow through our bodies? What do the molecules travelling through my lungs carry with them? Nourishment, pollutants, memories?
Where do we – individually and collectively – intersect through this bodily practice with the planetary carbon cycle? What if the access to clean air would become a mandate for societies in the foreseeable future? In this workshop, somatic exercises are intertwined with questions of planetary breathability.
With an input by Yoonha Kim (HU Berlin/Matters of Activity, Anthropology)
From 16 years, free of charge.
Registration open until 11.05.2023

About the workshop series:
Air is invisible. Air surrounds us and connects us – as people and as living beings. Air is material. What happens when we become aware of air? What
does air tell us? How can we deal with it – now and in the future, individually and as societies? In the workshop series „Futures of Air“ we invite you to speculate about the futures of air – together with researchers from the Clusters of Excellence „Matters of Activity“ and „Science of Intelligence“. In three independent co-design workshops, we explore the properties of air as a material, negotiate its role in our lives, and imagine possible (and impossible) futures with it. We are looking for people ages 16 and up who are interested in speculating with us – people interested in materials, experimenters and the curious.
Further information and registration at: www.collactive-materials.de

Shintaro Shiba, "From Events to Motion to its Applications"
2023-05-25 10:00 - 11:00 | MAR 2.057
Abstract:

Estimating motion from image sensors is a fundamental problem in computer vision and robotics. Event cameras are novel bio-inspired sensors that provide a signal suitable for estimating motion because their pixels naturally respond to intensity changes, which are tightly related to motions in the scene. However, event data is fundamentally different from conventional frame data, which leads us to rethink visual processing. In this talk, we focus on a single problem setting: motion estimation using an event camera, where we show an example where such a rethinking plays an important role. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the estimated motion can be further utilized to various downstream tasks, such as depth estimation, motion segmentation, intensity reconstruction, and imaging fluctuations of air density. We hope to deepen the understanding of various motion estimation tasks in the emerging field of event-based vision.

This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo kinldy provided by Shintaro Shiba.

Milagros Miceli, “Transparency for Whom? Designing Data Documentation With Data Workers”
2023-06-01 10:00 - 11:00 | MAR 2.057
Abstract:
The opacity of datasets poses a significant challenge to creating inclusive and intelligible machine learning (ML) systems. Various AI ethics initiatives have addressed this issue by proposing standardized dataset documentation frameworks based on the value of transparency. In this talk, I propose a shift of perspective: from documenting for transparency to documenting for reflexivity. Based on a long-term project with outsourced data workers in Argentina, Bulgaria and Syria, I argue for the need of designing documentation starting from the needs and experience of the workers who collect, sort, and label the data that trains ML models. This requires considering the historical inequalities, working conditions, and epistemological standpoints that shape both data work and datasets.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.
Photo by Hunter Harritt on Unsplash

Oussama Zenkri and Florian Bolenz (Science of Intelligence), "Complex Behavior From Simple Strategies"
2023-06-08 10:00 - 11:00
Abstract:
In our project, we explore the idea that complex, intelligent behavior can be generated by selecting from simple strategies in a smart way. In the first part, we will talk about how we tested this idea of strategy selection in the context of human decision making under risk, and we will discuss the potential and remaining challenges of this approach. In the second part, we will move to more complex behavior and present a lockbox-like task that we have designed to investigate strategy learning and strategy selection in human exploration behavior.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Ulrike Scherer and Sean Ehlman (Science of Intelligence)
2023-06-15 10:00 - 11:00 | MAR 2.057
Abstract:
Collective dynamics play a crucial role in everyday decision-making. Whether social influence promotes the spread of accurate information and ultimately results in collective intelligence or leads to false information cascades and maladaptive social contagion depends on the cognitive mechanisms underlying social interactions.
This talk will take place in person at SCIoI.

Lange Nacht Der Wissenschaften 2023 – Rediscovering Intelligence – Learning, Thinking and Acting in Mind and Machine
2023-06-17 09:30 - 21:00
Under what conditions does a system behave intelligently? What meaning does the attribution of intelligent behavior to non-human systems carry? The event illustrates different perspectives from the philosophy of cognition and invites a joint discussion of these questions. (Event in German)

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2023 - Meet Pepper
2023-06-17 09:30 - 21:00
Who is Pepper? The humanoid robot we use in our labs helps us understand social interactions between robots and humans, and if it’s easy to see why that works so well. Pepper is designed to quickly develop a connection with its human interlocutor. Come and try it for yourself!

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2023 - Mohsen Raoufi, "Meet the Swarm Robots"
2023-06-17 10:00 - 21:00
Swarms, such as schools of fish, and flocks of birds, have shown a great capability of solving complex problems in nature. Such examples are bees finding the best nest site, or fish escaping from a predator. In this demostration Mohsen Raoufi, at the Swarm Robotics Lab of SCIoI, will demonstrate how a swarm of robots can solve problems, make accurate decisions, and perform tasks collectively using bio-inspired algorithms.

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2023 - The wandering eye: An experiment on visual search
2023-06-17 11:30 - 22:00
We constantly move our eyes, approximately three times per second, and even more if we search for something. We do this to place individual objects into the region where we see with highest resolution, the fovea. But can you still find a target if you can not see with your fovea? Or what about if you only see with the fovea, and not in the periphery? Come find out! The demonstration will be given by Nicolas Roth.

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2023 - Exzellentes Pub Quiz
2023-06-17 20:00 - 23:00
Together with the other six Berlin Clusters of Excellence, we are organizing a quiz night: the Excellent Pub Quiz! This event is expected to attract team players, puzzle enthusiasts, and science fans alike, offering an excellent opportunity to enjoy a summer evening in a relaxed atmosphere while putting your knowledge to the test. The Quiz will put your knowledge to the test with questions drawn from various research areas of the Berlin Clusters of Excellence. No synapse will be left unused as you delve into the depths of diverse scientific subjects. From physics to biology, mathematics to sociology, the quiz covers it all, ensuring that there will be something for everyone. So, gather your teammates, think of a team name, and win one of the great prizes!
