Imagination & Learning – Nov 18

Conventional wisdom suggests that knowledge and imagination — science and fantasy — are deeply different from one another. However, new insights into childhood development challenge this distinction. In fact, exactly the same abilities that allow children to learn about the world also allow them to imagine alternative worlds. Research in computational theories of cognitive development is allowing us to grasp the relation between imagination and causal cognition.

Our speaker is Dr. Caren Walker, Assitant Professor of Psychology and Director of the Early Learning & Cognition Laboratory at UC San Diego. Dr. Walker is also a distinguished alumna of Wonderfest’s Science Envoy Program.