Consciousness and Cognition

What were the circumstances that led to the development of our cognitive abilities from a primitive hominid to an essentially modern human? The answer to this question is of profound importance to understanding our present nature. Since the steep path of our cognitive development is the attribute that most distinguishes humans from other mammals, this is also a quest to determine human origins. This collection of outstanding scientific problems and the revelation of the many ways they can be addressed indicates the scope of the field to be explored and reveals some avenues along which research is advancing. Distinguished scientists and researchers who have advanced the discussion of the mind and brain contribute state-of-the-art presentations of their field of expertise. Chapters offer speculative and provocative views on topics such as body, culture, evolution, feelings, genetics, history, humor, knowledge, language, machines, neuroanatomy, pathology, and perception. This book will appeal to researchers and students in cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy.

• Includes a contribution by Noam Chomsky, one of the most cited authors of our time

Dr. Henri Cohen’s research interests focus on speech and language development and neurological disorders, learning and emotion in Parkinson’s disease, complexity and learning, skill acquisition and interference, and origin of language. He is Professor of Psychology (ret.) at Université du Québec à Montréal, and visiting scholar, at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de la Frontera, Chile. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and edited two books (with Elsevier) on cognition and consciousness, and on categorization, and a book on the origins of language (Benjamins). He is the current editor of Brain and Cognition (Elsevier), and past editor of Journal of Neurolinguistics (Elsevier).