week 9: computation and cognition (lecture 17)

Imagine you're at the grocery store, and you've just finished shopping. You head to the cashier to check out. This process can be broken down using Marr's Levels of Analysis.

Which of the following best describes the computational level? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• The register’s internal wiring and circuits process numerical data.

• The register’s goal of keeping a financial record of purchases.

• The laser scans a barcode to read the item's price.

• The overall function of totaling the purchase and calculating tax.

You have a lamp that automatically turns off 30 minutes after you turn it on. According to Marr’s Levels of Analysis, which of the following describe the algorithmic level of how this lamp works? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• Start a countdown timer when the lamp is turned on.

• Keep checking if 30 minutes have passed.

• When the timer reaches zero, turn the lamp off.

• Use an electric switch to cut power to the lamp.

Which of the following best explains why Turing Machines can be implemented in many physical forms?

• Because they are designed to simulate different types of hardware

• Because they are based on neural networks

• Because only computers can implement algorithms

• Because computation depends on the function, not the material

Algorithms written for a Turing Machine can help us understand which of the following? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• How an agent can learn from its environment through feedback.

• How visual neurons in the retina physically detect light.

• How an agent can make decisions to maximize reward over time.

• How internal rules can generate behavior in response to input.

According to Functionalism, which of the following are necessary for a system to have a mind? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• The ability to carry out certain cognitive functions

• A physical system capable of implementing those functions

• A human-like brain made of neurons

• Conscious experience or emotion

Which of the following are examples of Marr’s implementation level? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• Gasoline powering a combustion engine

• A GPS system calculating travel time

• Electrical circuits in a computer chip

• The decision to take the fastest route home

What makes the most powerful grammar equivalent to a Turing Machine?

• Both use spoken language to model computation.

• Both require human-like intelligence to operate.

• Both can generate or compute any formally definable sequence of symbols.

• Both are limited to verbal communication tasks.

Which of the following are true about the computer model of the mind and brain? Select all that apply then submit your answer.

• It compares the brain to hardware and the mind to software.

• It helps scientists think about memory and decision-making as computational steps.

• It perfectly captures the full complexity of human consciousness.

• It’s useful even though it doesn’t explain everything about how minds work.