How Biology Perceives Chemistry: Stimulus in Olfaction

Join the Rotman Institute for a seminar with Dr. Ann-Sophie Barwich -- a cognitive scientist & philosopher, and author of the 2020 book, Smellosophy: What the Nose tells the Mind.

A significant amount of debate on olfaction has focused on the relation of chemical stimulus in the world to its qualitative perception in the mind. While the overall function of the chemical stimulus in olfaction is uncontroversial, its causal structure and explanatory role remain disputed. This talk provides a detailed analysis comparing and evaluating stimulus-response models in psychology & philosophy with recent insights into stimulus binding from neurobiology.