How do bats “see” with sound, elephants “hear” with their feet, cats “speak” with a single look, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools “understand” different species’ emotions? This course delves into the fascinating world of sensory systems in animals and AI, drawing upon research in cognitive neuroscience to examine how different species – and machines – perceive and interact with their environments. From the magnetic navigation of migratory birds to AI tools decoding animal communication, students will explore how sensory modalities shape cognition across both biological and artificial systems. This course bridges psychology, neuroscience, and technology to inspire critical thinking about consciousness, sentience, and our responsibilities toward both natural and artificial minds.
Syllabus
Coming soon
Prerequisites
One course in neuroscience, physiological psychology, biological psychology, cognitive science, or cognitive psychology at the university level.
Faculty
Sebastian Scott Engen
Cand.It (Cognitive Science, Aarhus University, 2022). Chief Editor, Aarhus University Newspaper, 2022-2023. Artist, Experimentarium, 2022-2023. Researcher, Aarhus University, 2018-2023. With DIS since 2023.
Long Study Tour
About this tour
This week-long Study Tour to Lausanne, set in the breathtaking Swiss Alps, invites you into the fascinating intersection of wildlife biology and cutting-edge engineering. Standing between world-renowned Swiss tech hubs and Alpine ecosystems, we take our investigation of “hardware” and “software” high into the mountains.
Here, we are not just reading about embodied intelligence; we are actively investigating how AI networks can track hidden wildlife and exploring how environments shape both bodies and minds. You will sense and savor the region’s striking contrasts, where ancient glacier ice meets the lively wildlife of ibex trails and marmot calls in the surrounding Alpine landscape. Through boots-on-the-ground field trips, you will test your own biological “hardware” against the steep terrain, experiencing the awe-inspiring and sometimes unpredictable reality of deploying delicate technology in the wild.
Learning outcomes
Brainstorm alongside researchers in biorobotics, ethology, and machine learning at hubs like EPFL and the University of Lausanne to explore the algorithms decoding animal behavior and cognition
Grasp how tools from physics and data science are adapted for biology, from pattern-recognition networks developed at CERN (the birthplace of the web) to systems that map collective intelligence in wild animal groups
Connect classroom theory to real-world fieldwork by comparing the precision of Swiss tech labs with the sensory richness of the Alpine wilderness, while observing wildlife tracking and bio-inspired technologies in action
Possible activities
Step inside spaces such as EPFL’s Biorobotics Laboratory, and UNIL’s Department of Ecology and Evolution to see embodied intelligence take physical form. You may encounter bio-inspired robotic salamanders or watch algorithms turn the behavior of insect colonies into code for autonomous drone swarms
Explore projects like CERN’s Ambient network to understand how AI models isolate, classify, and track the hidden sounds of local wildlife in complex outdoor environments. We will also speak directly with teams behind world-renowned animal-tracking tools like DeepLabCut
Trade your laptop for hiking boots on excursions to places like Glacier 3000 and the trails of Rochers de Naye. While crossing peak-to-peak suspension bridges or running down mountains, we will look for Alpine wildlife such as lynx, ibex, and marmots, and discuss how ecologists use thermal cameras and edge AI to study nature discreetly in extreme high-altitude conditions
Looking for some advice? We’ll support you every step of the way.
