Neural Codes of Intelligence
Dr. Stephanie Theves (Bild: MPI-CBS)
Human intelligence exhibits features that seem unparalleled by other species or artificial intelligence. A hallmark of human intelligence is the ability to learn quickly in face of sparse or ambiguous information in the environment, and to make solid inferences that go beyond our direct experience. In particular, humans can recognize abstract relational similarities between two situations and apply knowledge from one domain to another—a key to creative insight and scientific progress.
The new Minerva Research Group Neural Codes of Intelligence, led by Stephanie Theves, will investigate the processing principles of the human brain that underlie this inferential capacity. Theves previously worked on this and related topics at the Donders Institute in Nijmegen and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig.
“The aim of our work is to gain insights into the neural coding properties that underlie key aspects of human intelligence. In particular, we are interested in how the brain forms and represents conceptual knowledge across different experiences and how these representations are used for learning, reasoning and solving new problems,” explains Theves.
The Minerva team's research combines behavioral paradigms and non-invasive imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to gain a better understanding of how information processing in the human brain supports intelligent behavior and shapes cognitive abilities.
Contact:
