John Maynard Smith

Eörs Szathmáry

'I can recommend this book as a thoroughly interesting read' -Biologist 01/02/2002'exhilarating reading... challenging... stimulates the reader to think deeply on the many issues it raises.' -Margaret Ginzburg, Science and Christian belief, Vol.13, No.1, April 2001'...the authors provide a clear-eyed review of a large part of modern biology.' -Scientific American'...the book is well written, stimulating, and full of information nuggets.' -Choice

From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language

The Origins of Life

Derek Bickerton

Interdisciplinary perspectives on the evolutionary and biological roots of syntax, describing current research on syntax in fields ranging from linguistics to neurology. Syntax is arguably the most human-specific aspect of language. Despite the proto-linguistic capacities of some animals, syntax appears to be the last major evolutionary transition in humans that has some genetic basis. Yet what are the elements to a scenario that can explain such a transition? In this book, experts from linguistics, neurology and neurobiology, cognitive psychology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and computer modeling address this question. Unlike most previous work on the evolution of language, Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntax follows through on a growing consensus among researchers that language can be profitably separated into a number of related and interacting but largely autonomous functions, each of which may have a distinguishable evolutionary history and neurological base. The contributors argue that syntax is such a function.The book describes the current state of research on syntax in different fields, with special emphasis on areas in which the findings of particular disciplines might shed light on problems faced by other disciplines. It defines areas where consensus has been established with regard to the nature, infrastructure, and evolution of the syntax of natural languages; summarizes and evaluates contrasting approaches in areas that remain controversial; and suggests lines for future research to resolve at least some of these disputed issues. Contributors Andrea Baronchelli, Derek Bickerton, Dorothy V. M. Bishop, Denis Bouchard, Robert Boyd, Jens Brauer, Ted Briscoe, David Caplan, Nick Chater, Morten H. Christiansen, Terrence W.Deacon, Francesco d'Errico, Anna Fedor, Julia Fischer, Angela D. Friederici, Tom Givón, Thomas Griffiths, Balázs Gulyás, Peter Hagoort, Austin Hilliard, James R. Hurford, Péter Ittzés, Gerhard Jäger, Herbert Jäger, Edith Kaan, Simon Kirby, Natalia L. Komarova, Tatjana Nazir, Frederick Newmeyer, Kazuo Okanoya, Csaba Plèh, Peter J. Richerson, Luigi Rizzi, Wolf Singer, Mark Steedman, Luc Steels, Szabolcs Számadó, Eörs Szathmáry, Maggie Tallerman, Jochen Triesch, Stephanie Ann White

Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntax

György Kampis

István Karsai

The two-volume set LNAI 5777 and LNAI 5778 constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 10th European Conference, ECAl 2009, held in Budapest, Hungary, in September 2009. The 141 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from161 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on evolutionary developmental biology and hardware, evolutionary robotics, protocells and prebiotic chemistry, systems biology, artificial chemistry and neuroscience, group selection, ecosystems and evolution, algorithms and evolutionary computation, philosophy and arts, optimization, action, and agent connectivity, and swarm intelligence.

10th European Conference, ECAL 2009, Budapest, Hungary, September 13-16, 2009, Revised Selected Papers

Advances in Artificial Life

Michael Öllinger

Kirsten G. Volz

Insight and intuition might be the most mysterious and fascinating fields of human thinking and problem solving. They are different from standard and analytical problem solving accounts and provide the basis for creative and innovative thinking. Until now they were investigated in separate academic fields with differing tradition. Therefore, this eBook attempts to bridge the gap between both processes and to provide a more integrated perspective. Several experts address the underlying cognitive processes and provide a broad spectrum of new empirical, theoretical, and methodological insights.

Eörs Szathmáry

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