CogSci2008
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30th Anniversary Symposia:
Cognitive Science: The Past 30 Years and the Next 30 Years

The 2008 Conference in Washington DC represents the 30th anniversary of the seminal conference at UC San Diego in 1979. In recognition, the Society is sponsoring back-to-back symposia that address the trajectory of Cognitive Science from its inception through the present into the future. The first symposium will address the trajectories of major disciplines in Cognitive Science; the second will address the trajectories of major perspectives. Each speaker will be asked to address:

  1. What was your discipline/perspective like at the time of the 1979 conference?
  2. How has the discipline/perspective changed over the past 30 years to what it is today?
  3. How do you foresee the discipline/perspective changing in the next 30 years?

The speakers in the two symposia are as follows, with the disciplines and perspectives addressed in parentheses:

    Symposium I: Trajectories of Cognitive Science Disciplines
  • Dedre Gentner (Psychology)
  • Kenneth D. Forbus (Artificial Intelligence)
  • William Bechtel (Philosophy)
  • Elissa L. Newport (Linguistics)
  • Douglas L. Medin (Anthropology)
    Symposium II: Trajectories of Cognitive Science Perspectives
  • John R. Anderson (Cognitive Architectures)
  • James L. McClelland (Emergentist Approaches)
  • Linda B. Smith (Developmental Systems)
  • Edwin Hutchins (Cognitive Ecology)
  • Lawrence W. Barsalou (Grounded Cognition)

Other disciplines and perspectives not listed explicitly are likely to be addressed, such as neuroscience, education, application, formal models, etc. Each speaker will present for 15 minutes, followed by a 3 minute question period. If interest exists, discussion following each symposium will extend into the break that follows.

Discussions about where cognitive science is going are important to hold periodically. We hope that these symposia stimulate thought and discussion about the future, and that they produce positive influence on future research in the community. We encourage the audience to contribute their thoughts during the question periods and in discussion after the symposia.

The program for the 1979 conference is available here.