Douglas Hofstadter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Douglas Hofstadter
Hofstadter in 2006
Born	Douglas Richard Hofstadter (1945-02-15) February 15, 1945 (age 80) New York City, US
Education	Stanford University (BS) University of Oregon (PhD)
Known for	Gödel, Escher, Bach I Am a Strange Loop Hofstadter's butterfly Hofstadter's law
Spouse(s)	Carol Ann Brush (1985–1993; her death) Baofen Lin (2012–present)
Children	2
Awards	National Book Award Pulitzer Prize Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
Scientific career
Fields	Cognitive science Philosophy of mind Artificial intelligence Physics
Institutions	Indiana University Stanford University University of Oregon University of Michigan
Thesis	The Energy Levels of Bloch Electrons in a Magnetic Field (1975)
Doctoral advisor	Gregory Wannier
Doctoral students	David Chalmers Robert M. French Scott A. Jones Melanie Mitchell

Douglas Richard Hofstadter (born February 15, 1945) is an American scientist. He studies how our minds work, especially how we think and learn. His work looks at ideas like consciousness (being aware of yourself), artificial intelligence (making computers think), and how we make connections between different ideas.

Hofstadter is famous for his books. His 1979 book, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, won the Pulitzer Prize. This award is one of the highest honors for books in the United States. His 2007 book, I Am a Strange Loop, also won a major book award.

Early Life and School

Douglas Hofstadter was born in New York City. His father, Robert Hofstadter, was a famous physicist who later won a Nobel Prize. Douglas grew up at Stanford University because his father was a professor there.

He studied mathematics at Stanford University and graduated in 1965. Later, he earned his Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in physics from the University of Oregon in 1975. During his studies, he discovered a special kind of pattern called a fractal. This pattern is now known as Hofstadter's butterfly.

What Does a Cognitive Scientist Do?

Douglas Hofstadter is a cognitive scientist. This field explores how the mind works. It combines ideas from computer science, psychology, philosophy, and other areas. Hofstadter tries to understand how humans think, learn, and create. He also researches how we can make computers think more like humans.

Hofstadter's Research

Hofstadter started working at Indiana University in 1977. There, he began studying how computers could model human thinking. He called this "artificial intelligence research." Later, he preferred the term "cognitive science research" because it better described his focus on how minds work.

He also taught at the University of Michigan for a few years. In 1988, he returned to Indiana University. He became a professor of cognitive science and comparative literature. He leads a group called the "Fluid Analogies Research Group" (FARG). They study how people make analogies (finding similarities between different things).

Hofstadter has received many awards for his work. He is a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Famous Books and Ideas

Hofstadter's books explore deep ideas about the mind, language, and creativity.

Gödel, Escher, Bach

His most famous book, Gödel, Escher, Bach, connects the ideas of:

• Kurt Gödel: A mathematician who studied logic and self-reference.
• M. C. Escher: An artist famous for his impossible drawings and repeating patterns.
• Johann Sebastian Bach: A composer known for his complex music.

In this book, Hofstadter suggests that our consciousness (our sense of "I") comes from complex activities in our brain. He uses the idea of a "strange loop" to explain this. A strange loop is like a feedback loop where you go up or down through levels in a surprising way. Think of it like a snake eating its own tail!

I Am a Strange Loop

His book I Am a Strange Loop goes even deeper into his ideas about consciousness. He suggests that our "I" (our unique self) might not just be in our own brain. It could also be connected to the minds of others.

Le Ton beau de Marot

Another book, Le Ton beau de Marot, is about language and translation, especially poetry. Hofstadter loves languages and has studied many of them. He even translated a famous Russian novel, Eugene Onegin, into English poetry.

Hofstadter's Law

Hofstadter also came up with a funny but true rule called Hofstadter's Law. It says: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law." This means that even if you think about how long something will take and add extra time, it will probably still take longer!

Columnist and Other Works

For a few years, Hofstadter wrote a column for Scientific American magazine called Metamagical Themas. In these columns, he wrote about many interesting topics. He discussed things like patterns in music, how people cooperate, and even the problem of sexist language. He used a fake name, William Satire, for one of his articles to make a point about language.

Personal Life

Douglas Hofstadter was married to Carol Ann Brush. They had two children. Sadly, Carol passed away in 1993. Hofstadter later married Baofen Lin in 2012.

He also enjoys composing music for the piano and voice. He even released a CD of his own musical pieces. Hofstadter became a vegetarian when he was a teenager and has continued to be one. This choice came from his beliefs about consciousness and showing kindness to others.

See also