Despite Plato realizing the importance of play over two thousand years ago, major advances of its understanding has only emerged in the last few decades. The overall purpose of the workshop is to explore how play improves the adaptability of brain and behavior and how it can produce cultural and evolutionary variability. Talks by internationally renowned scientists will explore the many different approaches that have deepened our understanding of this enigmatic behavior. This will include cross-species comparisons, phylogenetic and mathematical modeling, developmental changes and clinical and psychological approaches. Come and play with us!
History and play research
Lessons from domestication
Associations between types of play
Coping through play
Having a whale of a time
Play at the extremes
Play, imagination, and sociocognitive development
Creating novel forms of motor play
Rescue through play
Play and autism
The many functions of play
Play and the smart bird
Adult play and emotional sharing
The developmental neurobiology of play
Risky play and child development
Novel approaches to the study of play
Social networks and play
Play and wellbeing
A brain made for playing