Niels Jannik Gaspers 

Associate Researcher, B.Sc.

Institute for Philosophy II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 

Niels is currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Cognitive Science and holds a B.Sc. in Psychology. His master’s thesis focuses on consciousness in artificial intelligence, comparing the fundamental properties of living systems to contemporary AI systems.
Niels aims to study the basic properties of living systems that enable them to instantiate cognitive properties. He is particularly interested in furthering the acknowledgment of cognitive capacities in basal living systems, as well as highlighting the connection between mind and life. He further aims to question the predominance of computational theories of cognition, with the goal of outlining the differences between digital and biological computation.
Niels is interested in investigating cognitive behavior across various non-neural systems, including slime molds, bacteria, plants, and protists. He aims to combine empirical biological and psychological methodologies with theoretical philosophy to build theories grounded in empirical research findings.