The ReteCog 2011 Workshop is a small-sized network workshop centered around the major topic of cognitive architecture. The ASLab team presents two contributions there:

• The place of the Body in the Architecture of the Mind by Carlos Herrera.
• Review of an Anathema: The Unified Theory of Cognition by Jaime Gómez.

More information can be found in the ReteCog 2011 Workshop Website.

Unveiling the architecture of the mind is a cornerstone of all our research programmes. The workshop aims to bring together leading scholars, scientists and engineers who use analytic and synthetic methods both to understand the astonishing processing properties of biological systems, specifically those of the living brain, and to exploit such knowledge to advance engineering methods for building artificial systems with higher levels of cognitive competence.

ReteCog 2011 is a meeting point of mind theorists, cognitive systems engineers and brain scientists where cross-domain ideas are fostered in the hope of getting new emerging insights on the nature, operation and extractable capabilities of brains and minds. This multiple approach is necessary because the progressively more accurate data about brains is producing a growing need of both a quantitative and deep theoretical understanding and an associated capacity to manipulate this data and translate it into engineering applications rooted in sound theories.

ReteCog 2011 is intended for both i) life scientists who use and develop mathematical and engineering approaches for a better, system-level understanding of the cognitive behavior of complex biological systems and ii) technology researchers that aim to understand and build systems with higher cognitive competences.

ReteCog 2011 is organized to foster collaboration patterns that encourage cross-fertilization across the workshop domains topics. This emphasizes the role of ReteCog.net as a major meeting point for researchers and practitioners in the areas of natural and artificial cognitive systems. Debates across disciplines will enrich researchers with complementary perspectives from diverse scientific fields.

Plenary Speakers

• Ron Sun, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA.
• Russ Poldrack, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
• William Bechtel, University of California at San Diego, USA.
• Dedre Gentner, Northwestern University, USA.