What and when the brain simulates

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We need knowledge of what things are and how they are used. In our day to day lives, we find tools, use them, and sometimes create new ones to solve problems. To do so, the brain represents information about what objects look like (visual information), the sounds they make (auditory information), and what we can do with them (action information). Understanding how the brain represents knowledge will change the way we learn and work. Within cognitive neuroscience, a new theory is helping us better understand how the brain represents knowledge. The theory of grounded cognition seeks to explain how knowledge is grounded' in our bodily experiences of the world. Specifically, the theory suggests that, to know that the object lying on a table is a hammer, we simulate our experiences with a hammervisual, auditory, and motor. My previous research has investigated this theory. Though there is some support for the theory, it is not yet known what information is simulated in the brain or when these simulations are used. Further, to date, it is not clear how simulations are reflected in the activity of the brain. For instance, must we simulate all of our experiences with a hammer (e.g. simulate the motor experiences but not the auditory)? What are the timing differences when we are trying to think about its name vs. when we are trying to come up with a creative use for it? Studying what type of information is simulated and when simulations are activated is critical to understanding knowledge. The goals of my proposed research program are three-fold. First, I will characterize the environmental contexts in which simulations are used (e.g. identifying a hammer on a workbench vs. a kitchen counter). Second, I will characterize how the goals of the observer determine what is simulated (e.g. identifying a hammer for the purpose of hammering a nail into the wall vs. for a creative purpose). Finally, I will characterize the timing of simulations by investigating the neural activity that occurs during simulations. To do so, people will identify pictures of objects in different contexts while their brain waves are recorded. Findings from this research will be significant for three reasons. First, they will help us better understand the relationship between the brain and knowledge. Second, they will provide insight into methods for representing knowledge in computers, a major challenge facing artificial intelligence. Finally, they will provide a strong theory for understanding how we use knowledge in our day to day lives.