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  The Center for Research on Concepts and Cognition (aka the Fluid Analogies Research Group, or simply FARG) is an interdisciplinary center for research in cognitive science, directed by Douglas Hofstadter. CRCC is affiliated with the Cognitive Science Program at IU, and has close ties with the Computer Science Department. CRCC research focuses mainly on emergent computational models of creative analogical thinking and its subcognitive substrate -- namely, fluid concepts. concepts Several computer programs modeling the interplay between concepts and perception in the course of analogy-making have been developed; these include the Copycat and Tabletop programs. The Letter Spirit project, modeling the perception and creation of style in the world of letterforms, has now resulted in a Letter Spirit program capable of designing and evaluating gridfonts.

creativityThe group also conducts research (mostly non-computational) in a number of other areas of cognitive science, including error-making, creative translation, scientific discovery, musical composition, the comprehension and invention of jokes, the nature of sexist language and default imagery, philosophy of mind, and foundations of artificial intelligence.

To get more of an idea of what it is that CRCC does, you can explore our research topic pages,. When you want more detail, you can read our publications, explore the many links to the home pages of FARGonauts past and present, or buy the book.


Douglas Hofstadter wins the 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for I Am a Strange Loop.

On April 25, 2008, the Los Angeles Times honored 2007's most accomplished authors at the 28th Annual Presentation of Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, held at UCLA's Royce Hall on the eve of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Douglas Hofstadter, Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science at Indiana University, won the award for best science & technology book.


If you have any suggestions or questions about CRCC, FARG, or this site, get in touch with Helga Keller at htkelleratindiana.edu.

Center for Research on Concepts and Cognition
Indiana University
510 North Fess Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47408-3822
USA
Tel. 812.855.6965 / Fax: 812.855.6966

(c) 2002, the Trustees of Indiana University - webber at cogsci.indiana.edu