The papers in this series of five volumes provide a snapshot of current trends in European Cognitive Science. Each of the volumes deals with problems in cognitive science from a different perspective, covering the interacting disciplines of cognitive psychology, logic and linguistics, human'computer interaction, neuroscience and artificial intelligence respectively. Based on the analysis and exposition of the state of the art in their various fields of expertise, the contributors take a prospective look at the basic research problems confronting cognitive science over the next five to ten years. Whilst the authors and editors do consider a wide range of research in their area, they have been encouraged to give their personal view of important directions rather than a bland comprehensive list. Although inevitably controversial, this approach allows a stimulating review of the field, and one which should inspire debate. The highly interdisciplinary nature of cognitive science research means that many issues such as natural language or vision are explored from diverse perspectives in papers representing different disciplines. Each contribution has been written in a way which makes it comprehensible to colleagues from neighbouring disciplines as well as students of cognitive science. It will be particularly useful to graduate students contemplating research projects. The work has been supported and coordinated by the research unit FAST (Forecast and Assessment in Science and Technology) of the EEC Commission in Brussels.
