Free Energy Principle: Unifying theory of brain function
Workshop with Karl Friston (UCL) organized by Ryszard Auksztulewicz
17–18 July 2013
Venue: Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Luisenstraße 56, Festsaal, 10117 Berlin
Abstract
The Free Energy Principle is an increasingly influential and widely discussed unified theory of brain function proposed by Karl Friston. The theory constitutes a provocative idea in neuroscience, embedded in a precise mathematical formulation, on how neurobiological agents – i.e. human brains – are organized by one fundamental imperative, namely to minimise Free Energy. The principle aims at explaining how human agents perceive, move and behave. In this workshop, we are bringing together a group of scientists working either on the theoretical foundations of the Free Energy Principle, including its mathematical and biological aspects, or developing and applying the Free Energy Principle to a variety of phenomena, including perception, attention, expectation, action, emotion, and psychiatric disorders. The workshop will include an introduction to the core ideas of the theory and a broad overview of its applications, aiming at providing a starter guide to scientists who would like to learn about the theory and employ it in their own work.
Program
How to get there
Map with location of Berlin School of Mind and Brain at Humboldt Graduate School, Luisenstraße 56, Haus 1.
Public transport: The closest stations are ‘Hauptbahnhof’ (national & local trains, TXL bus from airport Tegel, S-Bahn), ‘Oranienburger Tor’ (U-Bahn), and ‘Friedrichstraße’ (S-Bahn and U-Bahn). Bus No 147 stops at ‘Charité - Campus Mitte’ near our building.
To find out about public transport connections in Berlin, see BVG website.