Cognitive Gadgets

How did human minds become so different from those of other animals? What accounts for our capacity to understand the way the physical world works, to think ourselves into the minds of others, to gossip, read, tell stories about the past, and imagine the future? These questions are not new: they have been debated by philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, evolutionists, and neurobiologists over the course of centuries. One explanation widely accepted today is that humans have special cognitive instincts. Unlike other living animal species, we are born with complicated mechanisms for reasoning about causation, reading the minds of others, copying behaviors, and using language. Cecilia Heyes agrees that adult humans have impressive pieces of cognitive equipment. In her framing, however, these cognitive gadgets are not instincts programmed in the genes but are constructed in the course of childhood through social interaction. Cognitive gadgets are products of cultural evolution, rather than genetic evolution. At birth, the minds of human babies are only subtly different from the minds of newborn chimpanzees. We are friendlier, our attention is drawn to different things, and we have a capacity to learn and remember that outstrips the abilities of newborn chimpanzees. Yet when these subtle differences are exposed to culture-soaked human environments, they have enormous effects. They enable us to upload distinctively human ways of thinking from the social world around us. As Cognitive Gadgets makes clear, from birth our malleable human minds can learn through culture not only what to think but how to think it.

This book showcases the theories, methods, and accomplishments of archaeologists who investigate the human mind through material forms. It encompasses the wide spectrum of cognitive archeology, showcasing contributions from scholars globally. It delivers analysis of material culture, from stone tools to ceramic and rock art of the past millennium.

It's a major publishing event! For nearly half a century, "The Marvelous Toy"--composed by the legendary singer/songwriter Tom Paxton--has enchanted children and adults alike. A simple tale about a mysterious, magical, and mystical toy that a father gives to his son--and that eventually gets passed down to the next generation--it celebrates a child's sense of wonder. The witty, evocative lyrics spark the imagination. No surprise, then, that the song has been recorded by countless major artists, from Peter, Paul, and Mary to the Chad Mitchell Trio to John Denver, and won legions of fans through the years. Paxton's marvelous song has finally become a stunning picture book, featuring incredible and wildly imaginative art by Steve Cox, illustrator of the award-winning PIGS MIGHT FLY. Parents, grandparents, friends, and family worldwide will remember this classic from their own youth--and joyfully share it with their own children.

Explores the cognitive mechanisms underlying the development of human social interactive abilities across the lifespan, in healthy and atypical development. Combines traditionally separate bodies of research into one coherent volume, following the trajectory of communication over the entire lifespan from infancy to old age. Crosses multiple disciplines, drawing together expertise from researchers in psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, linguistics, and philosophy. Brings together key methodologies and debates in a vibrant and fast-growing field. Written in an accessible style and suited to a wide range of readers, including academics and students of cognitive, developmental, and social psychology, related sciences and social sciences, as well as practitioners working in the fields of social care, mental health, and education

Investigates how electronic devices we use affect our consciousness, both as individuals and classes.

We live in a world of limitless information. At both home and at work, an endless range of devices and IT systems place demands upon our attention that human beings have never experienced before, but are our brains capable of processing it all? In this important new book, the idea of brain overload is defined and explored, from its impact on our decision-making and memory, to how we may cope with the resultant ‘technostress’. Supported by case studies and also exploring the idea of ‘IT addiction’, the book concludes by asking how IT processes may support rather than hinder our cognitive functioning. This is essential reading for anyone interested in how we function in the digital age.

This book studies cross-country differences in cognitive capital, exploring how levels of education are linked to a nation's economic development. It is for graduates and research in a wide range of fields, including economics, psychology, sociology and political science.

The first comprehensive account of the concept and practices of deduction covering philosophy, history, cognition and mathematical practice.