Research Topic Examples

Some Research Paper Topics

OPTION I of many

There are a number of competing “schools of thought” on a variety of topics. Pick a topic and compare and contrasts two views. Pick two articles to review on each side (recent). Write a summary for each of the articles and then Pick A SIDE!

Robotics Perspective

Evolutionary Perspective

Some other AI issue

EXAMPLE:

Ethics and Robotics

Weak AI vs Strong AI

Kosslyn vs. Pylyshyn on the question of whether visual imagery (as proposed by Kosslyn & Schwartz theory) actually exists.

Neuroscience and Hardware:https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2020/8/246356-neuromorphic-chips-take-shape/fulltext

OPTION II of many

Popular culture and cognitive science themes: Pick a movie or a book and discuss it in terms of themes/concepts covered in this class.

Some movies/shows*, etc: HER, Memento, Glass, iZombie, Upload, WestWorld

EXAMPLE 2001: A Space Odyssey projected a view of what artificial intelligence would be like at the turn of the century. What was this view, what elements did the movie get right, where did it miss?

*Not all topics are suitable for all audiences--

OPTION III Anything Goes!

THINK FOR YOURSELF!

Pick a topic that we have 1) discussed in this class or 2) that is in your text book or 3) that relates to Cognitive Science and write a paper about it!

EXAMPLES:

Creativity and AI

Leadership and neuroscience

Emotions and Cognition

Social Contagion

Mental illness (pick one) and Cognition

Evolution and Cognition

Consider the role that evolutionary pressure plays on some aspect of cognition, human nature or culture. Is morality determined by evolutionary pressures? Why might our notion of morality be supported by evolution? Why might evolution cause altruistic behavior? How can we tell whether our morality is based on evolutionary pressures rather than simply on our common experiences in the real world?

Evolution and Religion? Evolution and mate preference?