Decades-old model of learning is under fire

Decades-old model of learning is under fire
Ivan Pavlov observing a dog experiment. (Image: Getty)
The Economist
The buzz of a notification or the ding of an email might inspire excitement – or dread. In a famous experiment, Russian experimental neurologist and psychologist Ivan Pavlov showed that dogs can be taught to salivate at the tick of a metronome or the sound of a harmonium.This connection of cause to effect – known as associative, or reinforcement learning – is central to how most animals deal with the world.Since the early 1970s, the dominant theory of what is going on has been that animals learn by trial and error. Associating...

More World

Google revenue soars on AI boom
Technology

Google revenue soars on AI boom

Google is spending billions of dollars on infusing its products with AI capabilities.

GM profit shrinks after US$1.1 billion tariff hit
World

GM profit shrinks after US$1.1 billion tariff hit

Automaker warns tariff impact will be greater next quarter; stock price tumbles.

Universal Music Group files for public offering
Technology

Universal Music Group files for public offering

The music conglomerate filed a confidential registration statement with the SEC.