Megan Peters: The neural computation of uncertainty, and what it can tell us about consciousness

University of California, Riverside

Our brains must constantly evaluate the uncertainty in both sensory information and decisional processes in order to facilitate adaptive decision-making behavior. This process is critical to the Bayes optimal (or heuristic) probabilistic inference processes that underlie perception and goal-directed decision-making. But how does the brain evaluate the reliability of incoming information, or the confidence it should have in its representations and decisional process? And how might these computations relate to perceptual awareness — the qualitative, conscious experience we have of the world? In this talk, I’ll explore these questions using neuroimaging, brain stimulation, computational modeling, and behavioral approaches; we will focus primarily on human neuroscience, but will also discuss cross-species evidence. Through examining behavior, neural substrates, and computations across humans, monkeys, and rodents, I aim to reveal the universal substrates of uncertainty monitoring across species, as well as those aspects that may be uniquely human.

Organized by

Eliza Filevich/Margret Franke

Location

BCCN Berlin, lecture hall, Philippstr. 13 Haus 6, 10115 Berlin