?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Smoke+without+Fire%3A+What+do+virtual+experiments+in+Cognitive+Science+really+tell+us%3F&rft.creator=Krebs%2C+Mr+Peter+R.&rft.subject=Neural+Modelling&rft.subject=Philosophy+of+Science&rft.description=Many+activities+in+Cognitive+Science+involve+complex+computer+models+and+simulations+of+both+theoretical+and+real+entities.+Artificial+Intelligence+and+the+study+of+artificial+neural+nets+in+particular%2C+are+seen+as+major+contributors+in+the+quest+for+understanding+the+human+mind.+Computational+models+serve+as+objects+of+experimentation%2C+and+results+from+these+virtual+experiments+are+tacitly+included+in+the+framework+of+empirical+science.+Simulations+of+cognitive+functions%2C+like+learning+to+speak%2C+or+discovering+syntactical+structures+in+language%2C+are+the+basis+for+many+claims+about+human+capacities+in+language+acquisition.+This+raises+the+question+whether+results+obtained+from+experiments+that+are+essentially+performed+on+data+structures+are+equivalent+to+results+from+%22real%22+experiments.+This+paper+examines+some+design+methodologies+for+models+of+cognitive+functions+using+artificial+neural+nets.+The+process+of+conducting+the+cognitive+simulations+is+largely+a+projection+of+theories%2C+or+even+unsubstantiated+conjectures%2C+onto+simulated+neural+structures+and+an+interpretation+of+the+experimental+results+in+terms+of+the+human+brain.+The+problem+with+this+process+is+that+results+from+virtual+experiments+are+taken+to+refer+unambiguously+to+the+human+brain%3B+and+the+more+the+language+of+human+cognitive+function+is+deployed+in+both+theory+construction+and+(virtual)+experimental+interpretation%2C+the+more+convincing+the+impression.+Additionally%2C+the+complexity+of+the+methodologies%2C+principles%2C+and+visualization+techniques%2C+in+the+implementation+of+the+computational+model%2C+masks+the+lack+of+actual+similarities+between+model+and+real+world+phenomena.+Some+computational+models+involving+artificial+neural+nets+have+had+some+success%2C+even+commercially%2C+but+there+are+indications+that+the+results+from+virtual+experiments+have+little+value+in+explaining+cognitive+functions.+The+problem+seems+to+be+in+relating+computational%2C+or+mathematical%2C+entities+to+real+world+objects%2C+like+neurons+and+brains.+I+argue+that+the+role+of+Artificial+Intelligence+as+a+contributor+to+the+knowledge+base+of+Cognitive+Science+is+diminished+as+a+consequence.&rft.date=2004&rft.type=Conference+Paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F4949%2F1%2FICCS426.pdf&rft.identifier=++Krebs%2C+Mr+Peter+R.++(2004)+Smoke+without+Fire%3A+What+do+virtual+experiments+in+Cognitive+Science+really+tell+us%3F++%5BConference+Paper%5D++++(Unpublished)++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F4949%2F