Image credit Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró

Thinking Through Things: How human and animal minds understand the physical world

Fri 24 April

Selwyn College

How do we recognise that a leaning tower of blocks is about to fall? How does a cow learn to use a broom as a tool? Our grasp of cause and effect feels like common sense, yet this capacity remains an enduring scientific puzzle. This event brings together experts in philosophy, comparative cognition, vision science, and computational psychology to explore how humans and other animals navigate the physical world.

You will see how birds plan for the future, how children build mental models of their surroundings, and how eye movements shape what we perceive. Each researcher will offer a ten-minute window into their current work before joining a moderated discussion on why these different fields must work together to map the mind. The event concludes with an open floor for your questions. Join us to explore how humans, animals, and machines think through things.

Cost: FREE