The Brain, the Teleome, and the Movies

Another working paper. Title above, abstract and table of contents below. Download at:

• Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/37706422/The_Brain_the_Teleome_and_the_Movies
• SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3278984

Abstract: Mark Changizi has argued that we will understand the mind/brain only when we have an accurate description and inventory of the tasks it must perform. He calls this the teleome. Until we know what a mechanism is built to do, we have no way of understanding the functioning of its parts. The same is true of the mind/brain. I extend Changizi’s argument by noting that the appreciation of works of art calls on a full range of human capacities and is thus a rich source of insight into neuro-mental mechanisms. Moreover we have every reason to believe that we can develop sophisticated ways of describing works of art, verbal art and films are my particular focus and interest. Those descriptions will be invaluable for interpreting observations about the brain activity supporting those aesthetic objects. Deep Learning, the Teleome, and Description 1

Stalking the Wild Teleome 2 Describing, for example, a poem 3 Rich Descriptions as Proxies 6

Description and the Teleome, Part 2 6

Perception and Cognition in Context 7 Art is for Groups 7 Art as Simulation: The Teleome Revealed 9

Movies are the royal road to the mind and brain 10