(no subject)
Classes in order of awesomeness:
Machine learning. Totally sweet. It's not just teaching machines to learn, it's learning with machines. Basically it's a class about using automated methods for extracting the most useful characteristics from data. I don't technically have the prerequisite (or the prerequisite for the prerequisite) but the teacher let me in anyway. The homework is programming, which is a plus.
Cognitive and neural modeling lab. Also pretty sweet. It's taught by Dr. Golden, who is my thesis first reader, and who makes an excellent absent minded professor. He forgets what he is talking about and cackles uncontrollably at his own jokes. Homework is split between programming tasks and philosophy questions (my type of class.)
Sensory neurophysiology. Taught by a beautiful, ancient man, who sold us the textbook at a discount price because he wrote the thing. Class meets for 45 minutes, twice a week. At every class meeting, the professor hands out a CD-Rom containing an audio recording of the last class period and his power point slides. The entire grade for the class is based on two tests, both of which are take home, and we get them for a week. It doesn't get much easier.
Developmental neurobiology. Dr. Kilgard is excellent and hilarious, and the way he talks about things suggests that he's approaching the subject using the tools I like best: complex dynamical systems, physical computation, etc.
Integrative neuroscience. Extremely heavy reading load, which I have been advised to ignore. Slow moving professor who delights in teaching us that everything we know is wrong. It could go either way. At least there's someone I'm trying to become friends with in that class (though they're in my other two neuroscience classes too.)
Introduction to the arts. Required class taught by an aloof theater guy. I've always liked art, but I'm not really comfortable with some of the concepts used in this class, because they rely on some wishy-washy culturally determined concepts in judging what is good art and what is bad. There are other conceptual issues I have with this class, which I'll write about later.
It is time for me to go cook and then go to work!
Machine learning. Totally sweet. It's not just teaching machines to learn, it's learning with machines. Basically it's a class about using automated methods for extracting the most useful characteristics from data. I don't technically have the prerequisite (or the prerequisite for the prerequisite) but the teacher let me in anyway. The homework is programming, which is a plus.
Cognitive and neural modeling lab. Also pretty sweet. It's taught by Dr. Golden, who is my thesis first reader, and who makes an excellent absent minded professor. He forgets what he is talking about and cackles uncontrollably at his own jokes. Homework is split between programming tasks and philosophy questions (my type of class.)
Sensory neurophysiology. Taught by a beautiful, ancient man, who sold us the textbook at a discount price because he wrote the thing. Class meets for 45 minutes, twice a week. At every class meeting, the professor hands out a CD-Rom containing an audio recording of the last class period and his power point slides. The entire grade for the class is based on two tests, both of which are take home, and we get them for a week. It doesn't get much easier.
Developmental neurobiology. Dr. Kilgard is excellent and hilarious, and the way he talks about things suggests that he's approaching the subject using the tools I like best: complex dynamical systems, physical computation, etc.
Integrative neuroscience. Extremely heavy reading load, which I have been advised to ignore. Slow moving professor who delights in teaching us that everything we know is wrong. It could go either way. At least there's someone I'm trying to become friends with in that class (though they're in my other two neuroscience classes too.)
Introduction to the arts. Required class taught by an aloof theater guy. I've always liked art, but I'm not really comfortable with some of the concepts used in this class, because they rely on some wishy-washy culturally determined concepts in judging what is good art and what is bad. There are other conceptual issues I have with this class, which I'll write about later.
It is time for me to go cook and then go to work!