The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our Lunch Time Talk. Attend in person at 1117 Cathedral of Learning or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.

LTT:  Aliya Dewey

Friday, November 1st  @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EDT

Title: Design explanation in behavioural neuroscience

Abstract: Explanation in behavioural neuroscience is often thought to be mechanistic—to explain stimulus-response pairs by describing a mechanism (working parts “causally between” stimuli and responses). I suggest that behavioural neuroscientists in fact want a richer form of explanation—one that explains task-performance pairs by describing some kind of correspondence between the mechanism and the structure required to perform the task. In other words, they want an explanation for how a mechanism realises competent task performance as such. Using a detailed case study of sound localisation in the barn owl (Tyto alba), I argue that this form of explanation—which I call “design explanation”—integrates mechanistic, minimal model, and constraint-based forms of explanation.

Can’t make it in-person? This talk will available online through the following:

Zoom:  https://pitt.zoom.us/s/92798130196

YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.