Roundtables: 2016

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Our roundtable format is designated the Theaetetus Table, an extempore discussion among five participants, all leaders in their respective fields, and named for the classical Greek mathematician and eponym for the Platonic dialogue investigating the nature of knowledge, who proved that there are five regular convex polyhedra, or Platonic solids. Each Theaetetus Table aspires to emulate the dialogue’s unhurried search for wisdom; and, like the five Platonic solids held to be the fundamental building blocks of the classical elements, the contributions of our five participants become the fundamental constituents of interdisciplinary insights emerging in the alchemy of the roundtable, insights that, in turn, transform the elemental thinking of those participants. The gathering of five discussants also symbolizes the five interrelated qualities of mind our interdisciplinary forums are intended to facilitate in our participants, and inculcate in our audience: curiosity, playfulness, inspiration, reflection, and wonder.

Sat
May 7th
2016
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Fear: Wherefore, Whence?

This roundtable explores fear and anxiety as multi-layered phenomena involving neurobiological, physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and unconscious processes. It examines how these states are generated and experienced, compares human expressions of fear with those observed in other animals, and considers how perspectives from neuroscience, psychology, and psychoanalysis contribute to understanding anxiety as a central aspect of mental life and its broader implications for cognition and behavior.
Sat
Sep 24th
2016
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Happiness

This roundtable explores the concept of happiness from philosophical, psychological, and ethical perspectives, examining how it is defined, measured, and understood across both individual experience and the span of a life. It considers questions about the relationship between pleasure and well-being, the role of happiness in relation to others’ welfare, and how contemporary approaches such as positive psychology influence broader social, economic, and policy frameworks.
Sat
Oct 22nd
2016
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Embodied AI

This roundtable examines the concept of embodied cognition and its implications for artificial intelligence systems that integrate perception, action, and interaction with the physical world. It considers how technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing, when combined with sensory and motor capabilities, can move beyond abstract computation to engage with real-world environments, augment human abilities, and support complex tasks across domains such as healthcare, industry, and human–machine collaboration.

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