Dr. Leonid Perlovsky is Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, Technical Advisor and Principal Research Physicist at the Air Force Research Laboratory. His research interests include computational intelligence and neural networks; mathematical modeling of the mind and brain including higher cognitive functions, consciousness, emotions; abilities for beautiful, sublime, music; evolution of languages, cognition and cultures. He serves as Program Manager for DOD Semantic Web program and for several research projects. From 1985 to 1999 Chief Scientist at Nichols Research, a $0.5 B high-tech organization, leading the corporate research in intelligent systems, neural networks, sensor fusion, and data mining; previously, Professor at Novosibirsk University and New York University. He participated as a principal in commercial startups developing tools for natural language text understanding, biotechnology, and financial predictions. His financial company predicted the market crash following 9/11 a week before the event, apparently detecting illegal Al Qaeda trades, and later helped SEC tracking the perpetrators. Dr. Perlovsky delivered invited keynote and plenary talks, tutorial lectures at conferences and Universities worldwide; published about 60 papers in refereed scientific journals, 250 papers in conferences, authored 10 book chapters and three books, “Neural Networks and Intellect,” Oxford University Press 2001 (currently in the 3rd printing); “Neurodynamics of Higher-Level Cognition and Consciousness” (co-author R. Kozma), Springer 2007’ “Sapient Systems” (co-author R. Mayorga), Springer 2007. He leads an IEEE NNTC Task Force on The Mind and Brain, serves as Chair IEEE Boston Computational Intelligence Chapter, on several IEEE Committees, Organizing Committees for WCCI’06, IJCNN’07, Program Co-Chair for IJCNN’09, Program and General Chair for several IEEE conferences, Assistant Editor for “Transactions on Neural Networks,” Editor-at-large for “Natural Computations,” Editor-in-Chief for “Physics of Life Reviews.” He is interviewed on Radio and TV about workings of the human mind. Dr. Perlovsky received prestigious National and International awards, including several Best Paper awards, IEEE Distinguished Member Award, Boston Section 2005; Dr. Charles E. Ryan Memorial Award for outstanding in-house scientific efforts and achievement 2007, Air Force Research Laboratory; International Neural Network Society Gabor Award, 2007; McLucas Award 2007 (the top scientific US Air Force award).
“Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe.” This Einsteinian statement remains outside of science. Still, understanding of the mind mechanisms today came close to explaining spirituality from scientific point of view.
In this workshop we discuss a theory which is a mathematical breakthrough, overcoming decades of limitations in AI, pattern recognition, neural networks, and other attempts to model the brain-mind. Solutions to engineering problems are presented that have overcome previous difficulties in terms of computational complexity. These solutions result in orders of magnitude improvement in recognition, detection, prediction, tracking, fusion, and learning situations. The mathematical foundation of the theory resulting in this breakthrough is dynamic logic, a process-logic that evolves vague-fuzzy models (statements, plans…) into crisp ones. The dynamic logic overcomes the Gödelian limitations of classical logic. When Gödel’s arguments are applied to finite systems such as computers, they prove that logical algorithms lead to practically unsolvable computational complexity. This difficulty is overcome by dynamic logic.
Brain imaging experiments demonstrated that human perception and cognition proceed according to dynamic logic, from vague-fuzzy to crisp. Imaginations with closed eyes are vague. Perceptions and cognitions occur when imaginations match retinal images of objects and situations. To see and understand the world our mind has to match mental representations to sensory percepts, and to drive these processes we have an inborn mechanism, the knowledge instinct (KI). KI drives dynamic logic of the mind; these processes are mathematically equivalent.
The mind contains a hierarchy of representations. At the “bottom” there are simple objects, higher up are situations, general and abstract concepts; every “higher” concept-representation unifies contents of lower levels. At the top are concepts unifying our entire knowledge; we perceive them as the meaning and purpose of our existence. KI drives our mental abilities, perception of simple objects as well as higher mental abilities of abstract symbolic thinking; it causes emotions of the beautiful and sublime; it drives evolution of cultures. Whereas dynamic logic describes these processes as causal evolution, where each step causally follows from the previous one, KI describes these processes as purposeful evolution, as evolution toward a goal, more knowledge.
“Everyday,” casual perception of this teleological process toward a goal is often perceived psychologically as existence of a Designer. Science explains that this process near the top of the mental hierarchy is mostly outside of subjective consciousness. This process does not belong to subjective consciousness; subjective “I” does not own this process. Just the opposite, scientifically it is more accurate to say that a subjective “I” is partly controlled by the teleological process unifying conscious and unconscious parts of our mental life. Therefore denying this process is scientifically wrong.
At the workshop we discuss experimental brain imaging data demonstrating that mental representations are inherently vague and often unconscious; the higher in the hierarchy the more vague and unconscious is knowledge. This is why the very existence of the meaning of life is in great doubt. At highest levels of the mental hierarchy, satisfaction of KI is perceived emotionally. We discuss similarities and differences between the highest emotions of the beautiful and sublime. Dynamic logic and the knowledge instinct unify scientific and spiritual understanding of mental life.
