Technical Report CSRP162

[David Cliff]

The following report is now available:

        "Computational Neuroethology: A Provisional Manifesto"

                               Dave Cliff,
          University of Sussex School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences

                            CSRP162, May 1990.

\begin{abstract}
This paper questions approaches to computational modelling of neural
mechanisms underlying behaviour. It examines ``simplifying'' (connectionist)
models used in computational neuroscience and concludes that, unless embedded
within a sensorimotor system, they are meaningless. The implication is that
future models should be situated within closed-environment simulation systems:
output of the simulated nervous system is then expressed as observable
behaviour. This approach is referred to as ``computational neuroethology''.
Computational neuroethology offers a firmer grounding for the semantics of the
model, eliminating subjectivity from the result-interpretation process. A
number of more fundamental implications of the approach are also discussed,
chief of which is that insect cognition should be studied in preference to
mammalian cognition.
\end{abstract}


An abridged version of this paper is to appear in:
"From Animals to Animats: Proceedings of the First International Conference
on the Simulation of Adaptive Behaviour" J.-A. Meyer and S.W. Wilson, editors.
MIT Press/Bradford Books, 1990.


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Copies of the postscript file cliff.manifesto.Z may be obtained from the
pub/neuroprose directory in cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu. Either use the Getps
script or do this:

unix-1> ftp cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu          # (or ftp 128.146.8.62)
Connected to cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu.
Name (cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu:): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, sent ident as password.
Password: neuron
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
ftp> cd pub/neuroprose
ftp> binary
ftp> get cliff.manifesto.ps.Z
ftp> quit
unix-2> uncompress cliff.manifesto.ps.Z
unix-3> lpr -P(your_local_postscript_printer) cliff.manifesto.ps

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Or, order a hardcopy by sending your physical mail address to
davec at cogs.sussex.ac.uk, mentioning CSRP162. Please do this only
if you cannot use the ftp method described above.