CONCEPTS IN ARTIFICIAL ORGANISMS

Simulations with neural networks living in a virtual environment can b e used to explore and test hypotheses concerning concepts and language . The advantages that result from this approach include (1) the notion that a concept can be precisely defined and examined, (2) that concep ts can be studied in both nonverbal and verbal artificial organisms, a nd (3) concepts have properties that depend on the environment as well as on the organism's adaptive behavior in response to the environment .