Whitehead Lectures in Cognition, Computation and Culture
Goldsmiths' Departments of Computing and Psychology organise regular lectures by guest speakers throughout the academic year encompassing diverse aspects of cognition, computation and culture. All are welcome to attend.
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For enquiries related to the lectures, please contact Karina Linnell or Jamie A Ward.
Summer 2024
How Humans Came to Construct Their Worlds
Michael Arbib (UC San Diego and USC)
Time: 24 April 2024, 4pm
Location: Goldsmiths Cinema, RHB
Zoom link available after registering here
At a global level, Homo sapiens has reshaped the planet Earth to such an extent that we now talk of a new geological age, the Anthropocene. But each of us shapes our own worlds, physically, symbolically, and in the worlds of imagination. This Symposium focuses especially on one form of construction, the construction of buildings, while stressing that such construction is ever shaped by diverse factors from landscape to culture and the construction of history embodied in it - and more.
Please see more about How Humans Came to Construct Their Worlds event.
Spring 2024
The Neurocognition of Liveness
Guido Orgs, UCL
Time: 28 Feb 2024, 4pm
What makes live experiences special? Liveness is a central feature of music concerts, dance performances and theatre plays, but it is also relevant to political rallies, sporting events and meeing online. In this talk, I will discuss some of the theoretical and practical challenges for a neuroscience of liveness. I propose that live experiences can be conceptualized and measured as a form of sustained entrainment between the minds, brains, and bodies of at least two people in a defined here and now.
Please see more about The Neurocognition of Liveness event.
Bridging between micro and macro-level cultural dynamics of music: Advanced online experiments and big data
Manuel Anglada Tort, Psychology
Time: 13 March, 4pm
Music, like language, is a complex cultural system that arises from the interplay of human biology, cognition, and cultural transmission. However, explaining how these processes contribute to the emergence of musical systems remains a key challenge. In this talk, I will present research that addresses this gap by leveraging recent advances in computational and experimental techniques.
For more information on this event, see the full event listing.
Latent Diffusion: Collaborator, Muse or Villain
Ira Greenberg (SMU, Dallas)
Time: 20 March 2024, 4pm
Latent Diffusion (‘LD’) presented as a recent advance in image generation, can be viewed as a logical extension of generative art, dating back to the 1950’s. Generative art, through the use of random algorithms, can approximate emergent properties of analog materials and practices. Prior to LD, most generative art was limited to mathematically derived geometric output, as algorithms to describe more figurative/natural forms exceeded most artists’ capabilities.
Please see more about Latent Diffusion: Collaborator, Muse or Villain event.
Previous lectures
Thursday 21 March 2024
Wednesday 20 March 2024
- Soap
- Book Launch: Art Therapy in a Learning Disability Setting
- Yoga by Candlelight
- Meet and Greet Alumni of BA (Hons) Education
- Anthropology Departmental Seminar
- Crisis and Modernity
- 50 Plaques & Places
- Whitehead Lecture: Ira Greenberg (SMU, Dallas)
- SOLO by Katie Sheppard
- SinoUK | Chinese - English Language Exchange
- Library Surgeries
- Dream Girl, Dream Boy, Dream Gay? The Possibility of ‘Alt Pixies’ in Young Adult
- Leaders in Tech @ Gold - Jessica Driscoll
- Translation Mentoring Scheme Taster Session — MA in Translation
Tuesday 19 March 2024
- Performance Research Forum presents Lucy McCormick and Jen Harvie
- AI & the Climate Crisis
- Ros Gray and Marina Monsonís @ Where is the Meal? Community Building with Meals
- The 'Other' Voices
- The National Frame: Art and State Violence in Turkey and Germany
- 50 Plaques & Places
- SOLO by Katie Sheppard
Monday 18 March 2024
- Where the Heart Should Be – Sarah Crossan Book Launch
- Rush-hour music: Contemporary Music Ensemble
- Graduate School Spring Keynote Lecture | Professor Johan Lindquist
- 50 Plaques & Places
- SOLO by Katie Sheppard