Submitted by Dr Petra Vertes on Tue, 24/06/2014 - 17:42
This conference will bring together biologists, statisticians, economists, and computer scientists, as well as people from the local and business communities. We will also be live-streaming this event online, where it will be freely available to viewers who will be tuning in from around the world (similar in style to a TEDTalk).
Website:
http://bigbrainsbigdata.com/
Abstract:
Innovation is the key to humans’ success as a species. The human capacity for innovation is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. Yet the process of innovation is still an unresolved mystery. The Evolution of Innovation conference at the Division of Biological Anthropology in Cambridge aims to bring together experts from diverse backgrounds, such as evolutionary anthropology and computer science, to answer the questions: Why do humans innovate? What cognitive processes are involved in innovation? Does innovation require individual genius? Or is innovation only limited by the availability of ideas and information to combine? How will novel information technology change the process of innovation and future cultural evolution? The conference will feature live and online talks and culminate in a panel discussion. All talks and discussions will be streamed live on the web. This event is open to everyone interested in human evolution, cognition, technology and their role in innovation.